abacus. I thought it might help you with your work."
"I've heard of them." She ran one finger across the beads, listening to them click. "But I don't know how to use one."
"I'll teach you. You'll understand how to use it in no time at all, and it'll make things much easier for you."
She ran one finger along the gold trim. "It's very kind of you," she murmured. "Thank you, but your present's much too dear. I can't accept it."
"Mara, I've had that abacus for years and I've never had the need to use it. You already know how I feel about accounts and balance sheets. If it would make your work easier, it makes sense for you to have it."
She looked at him again, and found herself unable to refuse. "All right, if you insist. Thank you." She set the abacus back in the box. "But, if we are celebrating Christmas early, I should have a gift for you."
"You do."
His swift answer gave her pause. She looked up at him. "What?"
"All I want is for you to be nice to me."
She froze, her hands tightening around the box. Be nice to me . Everything in her turned to frigid stillness. She shoved the box across the desk toward him. "Of all the low, dishonorable, ungentlemanly ideas," she choked, rising to her feet, "that has to be the lowest. If you think you can give me gifts and obtain unspeakable favors of that sort—"
"What?" He stared at her for a moment in astonishment as he listened to her angry words. Then as he understood, he felt an answering anger rising within him. "Is that what you think?"
She slammed the lid back on the box, then grabbed her reticule. "I think you are an unforgivable cad."
Nathaniel watched her walk to the door, and his own anger erupted. He followed, and when she jerked open the door, he reached over her and slammed it shut again. She yanked on the latch, but with his weight against it, she couldn't move it an inch.
Forced to face him, she turned around and lifted her chin. "Let me go."
He grabbed her around the waist and turned with her in his hands, lifting her as easily as if she were a bunch of flowers. In three short strides, he set her unceremoniously on top of the desk.
"Listen to me, Mrs. Elliot, and listen carefully, because this may be the last time I ever speak to you." Nathaniel drew a deep breath, hating her for making him lose his temper, hating himself for letting her. "When I said nice, that is exactly what I meant. Nice, in the ordinary, commonplace definition of the term. Nice, as in polite, decent, and fair."
"Oh." She stared up at him, comprehension dawning in her expression. "I didn't realize..."
"No, of course you didn't," he said through clenched teeth. "How could you when you look at the world with such bitter eyes, when you mistrust everyone's motives and hurl your accusations and believe the worst possible things about everyone you meet."
He placed one hand on the desk beside her hip and reached for the box behind her with the other, the movement bringing him so close that his thighs brushed her knees. He grabbed the abacus, then straightened, holding the gift between them.
"I gave you this for two simple reasons. One, I wanted to let you know that I'm trying to make this partnership work, hoping you would find it within yourself to do the same. And two, I wanted to give you something that might make your job easier."
She ducked her head, unable to meet his eyes. "I...it seems I misunderstood you."
"You're damned right you did. You've also made me lose my temper, something no one has been able to do for a very long time."
There was nothing she could say. Shame heated her cheeks.
"Just the same," he went on, "I don't want you to lose any sleep worrying about my dishonorable intentions, so let me clarify this and put your mind at ease. If I intended to make you my mistress, I'd certainly have deemed you worth more than this," he said, dropping the abacus in her lap. "I've given my mistresses far more lavish gifts, I assure you. Furthermore, should I choose to seek a woman
"I've heard of them." She ran one finger across the beads, listening to them click. "But I don't know how to use one."
"I'll teach you. You'll understand how to use it in no time at all, and it'll make things much easier for you."
She ran one finger along the gold trim. "It's very kind of you," she murmured. "Thank you, but your present's much too dear. I can't accept it."
"Mara, I've had that abacus for years and I've never had the need to use it. You already know how I feel about accounts and balance sheets. If it would make your work easier, it makes sense for you to have it."
She looked at him again, and found herself unable to refuse. "All right, if you insist. Thank you." She set the abacus back in the box. "But, if we are celebrating Christmas early, I should have a gift for you."
"You do."
His swift answer gave her pause. She looked up at him. "What?"
"All I want is for you to be nice to me."
She froze, her hands tightening around the box. Be nice to me . Everything in her turned to frigid stillness. She shoved the box across the desk toward him. "Of all the low, dishonorable, ungentlemanly ideas," she choked, rising to her feet, "that has to be the lowest. If you think you can give me gifts and obtain unspeakable favors of that sort—"
"What?" He stared at her for a moment in astonishment as he listened to her angry words. Then as he understood, he felt an answering anger rising within him. "Is that what you think?"
She slammed the lid back on the box, then grabbed her reticule. "I think you are an unforgivable cad."
Nathaniel watched her walk to the door, and his own anger erupted. He followed, and when she jerked open the door, he reached over her and slammed it shut again. She yanked on the latch, but with his weight against it, she couldn't move it an inch.
Forced to face him, she turned around and lifted her chin. "Let me go."
He grabbed her around the waist and turned with her in his hands, lifting her as easily as if she were a bunch of flowers. In three short strides, he set her unceremoniously on top of the desk.
"Listen to me, Mrs. Elliot, and listen carefully, because this may be the last time I ever speak to you." Nathaniel drew a deep breath, hating her for making him lose his temper, hating himself for letting her. "When I said nice, that is exactly what I meant. Nice, in the ordinary, commonplace definition of the term. Nice, as in polite, decent, and fair."
"Oh." She stared up at him, comprehension dawning in her expression. "I didn't realize..."
"No, of course you didn't," he said through clenched teeth. "How could you when you look at the world with such bitter eyes, when you mistrust everyone's motives and hurl your accusations and believe the worst possible things about everyone you meet."
He placed one hand on the desk beside her hip and reached for the box behind her with the other, the movement bringing him so close that his thighs brushed her knees. He grabbed the abacus, then straightened, holding the gift between them.
"I gave you this for two simple reasons. One, I wanted to let you know that I'm trying to make this partnership work, hoping you would find it within yourself to do the same. And two, I wanted to give you something that might make your job easier."
She ducked her head, unable to meet his eyes. "I...it seems I misunderstood you."
"You're damned right you did. You've also made me lose my temper, something no one has been able to do for a very long time."
There was nothing she could say. Shame heated her cheeks.
"Just the same," he went on, "I don't want you to lose any sleep worrying about my dishonorable intentions, so let me clarify this and put your mind at ease. If I intended to make you my mistress, I'd certainly have deemed you worth more than this," he said, dropping the abacus in her lap. "I've given my mistresses far more lavish gifts, I assure you. Furthermore, should I choose to seek a woman
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