Nathan!. I'm so happy for
you."
His arms went around her and he hugged
her close. When she tipped up her head, his lips found hers. The kiss was
spontaneous combustion. Heat permeated her body until she felt as if little
fires danced inside her. Nathan didn't seem to care that they were standing
inside her place of employment because he broke away, then came back to her.
Finally when she thought air was
something she'd never need again, he took her face in his hands and ended the
kiss. "Do you have a passport?"
She nodded. Two years ago, she'd
traveled to England for a conference on psychic phenomenon. At that point,
she'd still been searching for answers.
"Will you come with me to France?" Nathan asked.
Oh, how she wanted to be with him,
to experience his joy when he saw his daughters. But she had to wonder at the
wisdom of making the trip with him. "Why?"
He looked away, then met her gaze
once more. "Leona could move them again. I'd feel better if you're along
to give some direction. I'm beginning to trust your intuition."
She'd proven herself to him, but
she'd hoped he'd want her along for more than her psychic ability. "I
don't know if I can get off work."
"Is there someone you can
ask? I'd like to leave as soon as possible. We'll probably be gone a few
days. Of course, I'll cover your expenses."
She'd have to let him pay for the
air fare. But the rest she'd manage herself. The more ties she had to Nathan,
the harder it would be to get on with her life. Soon, she had to think about
returning to Indiana. Except she wasn't any closer to a decision about her
future now than she had been when she first came to L.A. Feeling Nathan's
hands on her face, she realized that decision had become much less important
than this man.
"I'll talk to Harriet. She
has another manicurist who works part-time. Maybe she can cover."
Reluctantly, she pulled away from
him. But he caught her hand. "Gillian, thank you."
She suddenly realized that
gratitude wasn't what she wanted from Nathan. "When you've brought Dana
and Maddie home, then you can thank me."
He ran his thumb over her
knuckles. "I still can't believe you went to Arthur's office alone. He's
an ornery old goat who thinks he rules the world. I found out today he got to Sheffield. He threatened him with dire business consequences if he and Babbcock signed with
me as a security consultant. Sheffield thought the easiest way to deal with it
was to stop the merger for now and refuse to contract with me separately too.
Somehow I have to undo the harm Arthur's done and convince Sheffield and
Babbcock that Arthur's not all-powerful."
So the men she'd overheard at the
party had been correct about Arthur Carrero trying to sabotage Nathan.
"Leona's father wasn't helpful, but he wasn't threatening, either. He's
just a man who sits in his ivory tower thinking of ways he can get
control." The accusation that Nathan had been unfaithful raised its
head. She'd pushed it aside in her excitement of sharing the information she'd
received and waiting for confirmation. But now she wanted her question
answered.
Trying to ease into it, she said,
"I think I know why Mr. Carrero--"
The phone rang. Harriet came in
and answered it. Gillian couldn't get into the question of Nathan's fidelity
now, rather she had to find out whether she could make the trip to France. And suddenly she knew even if it meant quitting her job, she'd fly with Nathan
wherever he went.
#
They left that afternoon. Gillian
knew Nathan wanted to see his daughters as soon as he could. Their ultimate
destination was the small town of Chinon in the Loire Valley. Gillian had only
left the borders of the United States once before, so the trip itself was
exciting. But traveling with Nathan, sitting beside him in first class and
brushing elbows now and then, was even more exciting.
He seemed to take it all in stride,
as if he did it often. His
you."
His arms went around her and he hugged
her close. When she tipped up her head, his lips found hers. The kiss was
spontaneous combustion. Heat permeated her body until she felt as if little
fires danced inside her. Nathan didn't seem to care that they were standing
inside her place of employment because he broke away, then came back to her.
Finally when she thought air was
something she'd never need again, he took her face in his hands and ended the
kiss. "Do you have a passport?"
She nodded. Two years ago, she'd
traveled to England for a conference on psychic phenomenon. At that point,
she'd still been searching for answers.
"Will you come with me to France?" Nathan asked.
Oh, how she wanted to be with him,
to experience his joy when he saw his daughters. But she had to wonder at the
wisdom of making the trip with him. "Why?"
He looked away, then met her gaze
once more. "Leona could move them again. I'd feel better if you're along
to give some direction. I'm beginning to trust your intuition."
She'd proven herself to him, but
she'd hoped he'd want her along for more than her psychic ability. "I
don't know if I can get off work."
"Is there someone you can
ask? I'd like to leave as soon as possible. We'll probably be gone a few
days. Of course, I'll cover your expenses."
She'd have to let him pay for the
air fare. But the rest she'd manage herself. The more ties she had to Nathan,
the harder it would be to get on with her life. Soon, she had to think about
returning to Indiana. Except she wasn't any closer to a decision about her
future now than she had been when she first came to L.A. Feeling Nathan's
hands on her face, she realized that decision had become much less important
than this man.
"I'll talk to Harriet. She
has another manicurist who works part-time. Maybe she can cover."
Reluctantly, she pulled away from
him. But he caught her hand. "Gillian, thank you."
She suddenly realized that
gratitude wasn't what she wanted from Nathan. "When you've brought Dana
and Maddie home, then you can thank me."
He ran his thumb over her
knuckles. "I still can't believe you went to Arthur's office alone. He's
an ornery old goat who thinks he rules the world. I found out today he got to Sheffield. He threatened him with dire business consequences if he and Babbcock signed with
me as a security consultant. Sheffield thought the easiest way to deal with it
was to stop the merger for now and refuse to contract with me separately too.
Somehow I have to undo the harm Arthur's done and convince Sheffield and
Babbcock that Arthur's not all-powerful."
So the men she'd overheard at the
party had been correct about Arthur Carrero trying to sabotage Nathan.
"Leona's father wasn't helpful, but he wasn't threatening, either. He's
just a man who sits in his ivory tower thinking of ways he can get
control." The accusation that Nathan had been unfaithful raised its
head. She'd pushed it aside in her excitement of sharing the information she'd
received and waiting for confirmation. But now she wanted her question
answered.
Trying to ease into it, she said,
"I think I know why Mr. Carrero--"
The phone rang. Harriet came in
and answered it. Gillian couldn't get into the question of Nathan's fidelity
now, rather she had to find out whether she could make the trip to France. And suddenly she knew even if it meant quitting her job, she'd fly with Nathan
wherever he went.
#
They left that afternoon. Gillian
knew Nathan wanted to see his daughters as soon as he could. Their ultimate
destination was the small town of Chinon in the Loire Valley. Gillian had only
left the borders of the United States once before, so the trip itself was
exciting. But traveling with Nathan, sitting beside him in first class and
brushing elbows now and then, was even more exciting.
He seemed to take it all in stride,
as if he did it often. His
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