back.
His hooded gaze made a slow and thorough inspection of her as she waited for Pete to complete his examination of the proposal. Gina pretended to be unaware of Rhyder's eyes on her, but his unwavering gaze was stirring her nerves tautly.
"Excellently drawn," Pete concluded when he had finished reading her proposal. He beamed her a smile that twisted ruefully after a second. "Unfortunately, the language is biased in favor of your client rather than mine. In the points where we are in agreement, I'd like to recommend some changing in the wording."
"Naturally," Gina conceded. Small revisions were to be expected as well as large. She removed a fourth copy from the folder. "Where, specifically?"
As Pete started to turn a page in his copy, Rhyder straightened with undisguised impatience. "Pete and I will look over the proposal, make some notes, and get back to you in the next few days, Justin."
He was already walking toward the door by the time Pete assimilated the information that Rhyder had brought the meeting to an abrupt end. Self-consciously Pete glanced at Gina. The grim set of her lips no longer concealed her anger. Mumbling a goodbye, he picked up his briefcase, the proposal folded in his hand, and followed Rhyder's retreating back.
Silence descended with the closing of the door. Gina stared at it, wondering how she could have been so foolish as not to resign. It had been what she wanted and what Rhyder had wanted. Why had she sailed into the teeth of danger?
A faint movement behind her reminded her of Justin's presence in the room, and the explanations he would want. At the moment, she didn't want to give them.
Briskly she turned to the desk and stuffed her copy of the proposal into the folder to slip it into her briefcase. Justin watched, waiting silently. With a slight toss of her head, Gina looked at him and smiled distantly.
"The meeting didn't end on an auspicious note, but Rhyder wants the property or he wouldn't have come all this way." Her businesslike manner deliberately didn't encourage any personal questions. "Give me a call whenever he contacts you."
She turned to leave, but was halted by his low, demanding voice. "Gina."
"Yes, Justin?" She glanced over her shoulder, false curiosity in the arch of an eyebrow.
"Why didn't you tell me you were married to him?" The strong line of his jaw was thrust forward at an aggressive angle.
"It seemed unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?" He was about to say more, but checked himself with an effort. "How much of what you did tell me was true?"
"All of it," Gina replied stiffly.
"Does that means you were married to him nine years ago? When you were sixteen?" Justin tipped his head to one side, skepticism and censor in his expression.
"Yes, which is in itself an explanation," she retorted.
"Yet you denied he was an old flame," he accused.
"He's a dead flame as far as I'm concerned." Their chemistries still mixed with explosive results, but it was due to hostility, not passion.
"Dammit, Gina!" His fist slammed against the desk top in anger. "You could have warned me who he was instead of letting me believe that he was someone you had a summer flirtation with years ago!"
"If I had known he was the president of Caufield Enterprises, I would have told you about him!" Gina flashed. "As it was, you didn't bother to tell me."
"I supposed you knew," Justin defended. "I certainly wasn't trying to keep it a secret from you. You certainly can't say the same."
"I don't appreciate your insinuations!" She unleashed the anger that had been smoldering beneath the surface, kindled by Rhyder. "Nor do I like being cross-examined as if I were on trial for some crime!"
"Can you blame me for feeling as if I've been betrayed?" he demanded.
Breathing in deeply, Gina fought to control her temper. "If you prefer to have another lawyer represent you, you're free to do so, Justin."
He didn't try to stop her as she walked out of his office. The legal firm Gina worked for had offices
His hooded gaze made a slow and thorough inspection of her as she waited for Pete to complete his examination of the proposal. Gina pretended to be unaware of Rhyder's eyes on her, but his unwavering gaze was stirring her nerves tautly.
"Excellently drawn," Pete concluded when he had finished reading her proposal. He beamed her a smile that twisted ruefully after a second. "Unfortunately, the language is biased in favor of your client rather than mine. In the points where we are in agreement, I'd like to recommend some changing in the wording."
"Naturally," Gina conceded. Small revisions were to be expected as well as large. She removed a fourth copy from the folder. "Where, specifically?"
As Pete started to turn a page in his copy, Rhyder straightened with undisguised impatience. "Pete and I will look over the proposal, make some notes, and get back to you in the next few days, Justin."
He was already walking toward the door by the time Pete assimilated the information that Rhyder had brought the meeting to an abrupt end. Self-consciously Pete glanced at Gina. The grim set of her lips no longer concealed her anger. Mumbling a goodbye, he picked up his briefcase, the proposal folded in his hand, and followed Rhyder's retreating back.
Silence descended with the closing of the door. Gina stared at it, wondering how she could have been so foolish as not to resign. It had been what she wanted and what Rhyder had wanted. Why had she sailed into the teeth of danger?
A faint movement behind her reminded her of Justin's presence in the room, and the explanations he would want. At the moment, she didn't want to give them.
Briskly she turned to the desk and stuffed her copy of the proposal into the folder to slip it into her briefcase. Justin watched, waiting silently. With a slight toss of her head, Gina looked at him and smiled distantly.
"The meeting didn't end on an auspicious note, but Rhyder wants the property or he wouldn't have come all this way." Her businesslike manner deliberately didn't encourage any personal questions. "Give me a call whenever he contacts you."
She turned to leave, but was halted by his low, demanding voice. "Gina."
"Yes, Justin?" She glanced over her shoulder, false curiosity in the arch of an eyebrow.
"Why didn't you tell me you were married to him?" The strong line of his jaw was thrust forward at an aggressive angle.
"It seemed unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?" He was about to say more, but checked himself with an effort. "How much of what you did tell me was true?"
"All of it," Gina replied stiffly.
"Does that means you were married to him nine years ago? When you were sixteen?" Justin tipped his head to one side, skepticism and censor in his expression.
"Yes, which is in itself an explanation," she retorted.
"Yet you denied he was an old flame," he accused.
"He's a dead flame as far as I'm concerned." Their chemistries still mixed with explosive results, but it was due to hostility, not passion.
"Dammit, Gina!" His fist slammed against the desk top in anger. "You could have warned me who he was instead of letting me believe that he was someone you had a summer flirtation with years ago!"
"If I had known he was the president of Caufield Enterprises, I would have told you about him!" Gina flashed. "As it was, you didn't bother to tell me."
"I supposed you knew," Justin defended. "I certainly wasn't trying to keep it a secret from you. You certainly can't say the same."
"I don't appreciate your insinuations!" She unleashed the anger that had been smoldering beneath the surface, kindled by Rhyder. "Nor do I like being cross-examined as if I were on trial for some crime!"
"Can you blame me for feeling as if I've been betrayed?" he demanded.
Breathing in deeply, Gina fought to control her temper. "If you prefer to have another lawyer represent you, you're free to do so, Justin."
He didn't try to stop her as she walked out of his office. The legal firm Gina worked for had offices
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