Undercover Passion by Raye Morgan Page B

they were going to the opera together, what harm would an hour for lunch do? It was on the tip of his tongue, when she gave him a brief smile and turned to go.
    â€œWell, I have to get back to work,” she said.
    He hesitated, then turned, too, and walked beside her toward the elevator. The moment had passed and he was glad it had. Hanging with this angel in pink could get to be dangerous. Best to avoid it. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a bit resentful that she’d stayed around, tempting him, and then snatched temptation out of his reach just when he’d begun to weaken.
    â€œGot a meeting with the great Dr. Richie?” he said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
    â€œNo,” she answered as they stepped onto the elevator. “Not at all.” She turned to face him, looking up into his eyes. “Why would that be so bad, anyway?”
    â€œNo reason.” He shrugged, regretting it already. It wouldn’t do to make her think he cared. “Forget I said that.”
    â€œOkay.” The elevator doors opened and she stepped off. “See you next Monday?”
    â€œSure. I’ll come by and get you about six-thirty. Okay?”
    She dazzled him with a smile even brighter than the ones he’d already survived. “Okay.”
    And she was off down the corridor, heading for the clinic. But he didn’t move. He’d just looked at the sun and it was a few moments before he could shake off the blindness.

Six
    A bby was walking on air and she wasn’t really sure why. Daniel was acting strangely, being obstinate, trying to hold back from allowing anything to grow between them. She wasn’t sure why that was, either. But she wasn’t going to let it rain on her parade.
    â€œI’m going to the opera,” she reminded herself, laughing softly to think of Daniel listening to tenors and sopranos. Heavy metal would have seemed more his taste. Regardless, it was going to be an adventure. And she hoped there would be more kissing involved. At the very least.
    Walking quickly toward her office, she noticed someone in the courtyard. Ordinarily that wouldn’t have occasioned a second glance, but there was something about the woman that seemed odd. She almost seemed to be skulking.
    It wasn’t until Abby stepped out into the open-air atrium that she realized she recognized the woman as someone she’d seen before. She was short and attractively compact, and her blond hair shone in the sunlight. Large dark glasses hid her eyes.
    â€œHello, there,” Abby called to her. “Can I help you?”
    The woman jumped, startled, and for a second or two looked definitely guilty. “Oh, uh…”
    Abby walked forward, hand outstretched. “My name is Abby Edwards and I’m the public relations representative for the clinic.”
    The woman tried to smile but made sad work of it. Still, she did take Abby’s offer of a handshake. “Carrie Martin,” she said.
    â€œI’ve seen you at some of the seminars.”
    â€œHave you?”
    â€œYes. But you’ve never come forward and registered for any of the classes.” Abby smiled at her. “Tell me…what’s your hesitation?”
    Carrie seemed not to hear her at first. She kept turning to gaze into the conference room that could be seen through a bank of large windows. She didn’t look so much confused as distracted. Glancing at Abby, she said, “I—I guess I’m just not ready…”
    Abby frowned, not sure how to approach this. Still, she had to try to do something. The woman obviously was unhappy in some way. Surely the clinic could give her assistance. That was what they were here for—or at any rate, that was what she was writing up in the brochures.
    â€œLet me see if I can help you.” Abby took her hand again, looking into her face with a genuine compassion. “I can call one of our counselors to come over right