Page 35 of Bride By Committee

“What, precisely, did Harley tell you?”

“He said you wanted my advice on your current project.” Madison concealed her uncertainty behind a bright smile. “I think bringing in a backup consultant is very wise of you, Harry. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

“That’s very generous of you.”

His voice held a quality she couldn’t quite identify. Not quite sarcasm. Irony? She sighed. “Let me guess. Harley got it all wrong. Iwondered why he called me about it instead of Rosy.”

“I suggest we go to your office where we can discuss this in a business setting.”

Something was definitely wrong. Why would they need to go to her office to discuss his latest job? Nervousness gripped her and she fell back on a formality that came all too naturally. “Excellent suggestion. Are you ready?”

“Let me get my briefcase and jacket.” He hesitated. “Or should we discuss yesterday first?”

Oh, dear. She lifted her chin and met his look dead-on. “I don’t believe yesterday’s worth discussing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Funny. Icould have sworn there were several matters we should clear up.”

“I can’t recall any.” Defiance edged her voice, betraying her inner turbulence, but she didn’t care. “Nope. Not a single thing.”

“Oh, no? Iwon’t bother mentioning the most obvious one, like our kissing in the middle of a rainstorm—”

“How gracious of you,” she interrupted dryly. “I appreciate your restraint.”

A dangerous expression gleamed in his eyes, part aggressive demand and something more explosive, something charged with acute sexual tension. “But I’d hoped you’d at least talk to me about your parents and what happened with them.”

Madison folded her arms across her chest, afraid she looked every bit as defensive as she felt. “They divorced. End of story.”

“It isn’t the end of the story or you wouldn’t get so upset every time the subject comes up.”

She decided against subtlety. She doubted it would work with someone like Harry, anyway. “Allow me to rephrase. It’s the end of the story as far as you’re concerned.”

“For now.”

He certainly knew how to set off her temper. “No! Not for now. This isn’t a subject available for discussion, Harry. Not yesterday. Not today. Not ever.”

“I assume that also goes for discussing your problems with commitment?”

She’d told him far too much yesterday, given him too many liberties. And now he wanted to take advantage of her mistake. Well, she wouldn’t let him. He may be interested in a relationship, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t interested in any sort of affair.

But what if it were temporary? an insidious voice whispered. What if she could enjoy his company during the brief times he visited Seattle without worrying about commitment? Just a light, uninvolved sexual relationship that would skim the surface and never gain access to those places she preferred to keep unseen and untouched.

He must have sensed her wavering. “Madison?”

Her name held a certain urgency, acompelling demand that almost sent her tumbling into his arms. She teetered on the tips of her three-inch, flame-red heels. If she didn’t plan to surrender every bit of herself, she had to get away from him.Now.

She took such a hasty step backward, her heel caught in the carpet. He was at her side in an instant, steadying her. For a long minute their gazes locked, their unspoken communication saying more than words ever could. All of her fears were there for him to read, as was his fierce determination to learn all she fought to keep from him. It only took an instant to recognize the stalemate and with a brief nod, Harry releasedher.

“Let me grab my things and we can go,” hesaid.

The moment he shrugged on his suit coat and picked up his briefcase he became a different man. Madison found it fascinating to observe. Each time they were together, Harry revealed another facet of his personality.

In the elevator he’d betrayed a gentleness she wouldn’t have believed possible if she’d seen him beforehand. His subsequent transformation from lamb to lion had come as an unpleasant shock. But just as she’d accustomed herself to that, he’d morphed into the determined seducer. It was the side of his personality she found the most threatening.

She studied his current guise and smiled. No doubt everyone else in the world would claim this particular aspect of Harry was the most threatening—Mr. Jones, financial analyst and consummate businessman.

Sure enough, when they walked through the lobby, ahalf dozen people descended on them, fluttering nervously. Several were hotel management checking to make sure that Harry’s accommodations met with his satisfaction. Was his suite big enough? Had they stocked it properly? Did he need additional domestic staff during his visit? Did he have any complaints? He dealt with each of them politely, yet briskly, dispensing with their services in short order.

Others, she gathered, were former business associates. To her surprise their nervousness was even more pronounced than the hotel staff. They’d heard he was in town. Anything they could do to assist him? Were recent rumors about XYZ company true? Did he have any advice/suggestions/concerns about the latest economic trends? Could he offer some clue as to his current assignment?

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