Page 41 of Jack

"Mr. Hadley is very busy-"

"Look, just tell him who it is."She paused. "Tell him it's about his son." That should doit.

"Kindly hold," the woman saidfrostily.

She was treated to holding music, some sortof classic that had her nerves stretching thin. She should have justgone to his office and been done with it. Sinking down in the chair,she realized to her surprise that her limbs were trembling. Damn him.

Her spine straightened when the voice sheheard was not the assistant, but him.

"Ms. Bennett, what do you want?"

"Is it possible we could have aface-to-face conversation?"

There was a pause, and she knew he wassurprised at the request.

"Why?"

"I want to clear the air. Please. Justa few minutes of your time."

There was a pause again, and she waitedwith bated breath.

"I have a meeting in five minutes. Behere at seven thirty." Without waiting for her assent, he hungup the phone.

"Well!" Blowing out a breath, sheleaned back and closed her eyes. At least he had agreed to see her.It was now up to her to make the best of it.

*****

By the time she arrived at the loftyhigh-rise building, her nerves were jumping. She had not saidanything to Zach about where she was off to at this time of the nightwhen the club was at its fullest, and he had not asked. Goes to showhow much their relationship had deteriorated. She had to fix it. Butfirst, she was going to have to get through this meeting, with a manwho brought out the worst in her.

She had seen photos of the corporate officeon the internet and in magazines of course, but her first up-closesight of it had her breath strangling in her throat. Her firstimpression was of hundreds of glass and stone. The parking lot was asweeping space that disappeared around the back of the building. Palmtrees fluttered theirleaves in thewind, and flowers bloomed in extravagant colors in contained spacesat either side of the towering glass doors.

Sitting behind the wheel, she contemplatedhow different it was to have tons of money. The patch of land wherethe bar sat on was practically a square, and she had been coaxingsome rose bushes as well as wild irises to life over the past weeks,and they were finally coming to bloom.

But this was so far from her own effort tobring color to their building. This was in a league of its own. Shehad been overwhelmed when she took Jason home, but this was entirelydifferent. This brought home the fact that she was up against agiant. It was taking wealth to an entirely different level.

Realizing that her palms were sweating andthat she was strangling the steering wheel, she eased her hands offand sat back to take a deep breath. He was just a damn man, andbesides, hadn't David defeated the giant in the Bible? Wiping hersweaty palms over her jeans, she bolstered herself up and shoved thecar door open. He was just a man, she repeated to herself. And a rudeand lousy father.

"No." Shaking her head, shesecured the car and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I must putthat out of my mind. I will not go there. I am here to apologize, andthat's what I am going to do. Five minutes tops. And then I will beon my way." Pressing her lips together, she headed for theentrance.

From his vantage point in his office, Jackwatched her through the one-way glass. His meeting had run a littleover, and the participants had left a few minutes ago. His assistanthad also gone for the day. With a drink in hand, he stood therewatchingher apparently fighting aninternal battle as she sat behind the wheel. He should not haveagreed to the meeting. He should have told her to go to hell, but hiscuriosity was piqued, and he could not wait to hear what she had tosay.

He watched as she exited the vehicle andlooked around as if trying to get her bearings. And he could swearthat she muttered something to herself. Lifting the glass to hislips, he continued to monitor her movement through narrowed eyes.Things were not going well with his son, but at least the boy had nottried to slip away and tried to see her.

His eyes were unwillingly drawn to theseductive sway of hips and her confident strides before he was awareof it. The animal in him stirred before he tamped it back. He wasgoing to have to get rid of her and fast.

The lobby was even more impressive than theexterior, with its gleaming marble floors, high ceilings, and modernartwork adorning the walls. She approached the reception desk, wherea brawny uniformed guard greeted her with a professional smile.

"Good evening, I'm here to see Mr.Jack Hadley," she said, her voice steady despite her rapidheartbeat.

"Of course, Ms. Bennett. He'sexpecting you. Please take the elevator to the top floor."

As the elevator ascended, she watched thenumbers light up, counting down the seconds until the inevitableconfrontation. When the doors slid open, she stepped into a sleekhallway lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a breathtakingview of the city skyline.

Taking a deep breath, she walked brisklytowards the large mahogany doors at the end of the corridor.

"Come in," he said, his voicesmooth and controlled.

She entered the spacious office, taking inthe luxurious decor and the sense of power that emanated from everycorner. He was seated behind a massive baronial desk, in what sherealized was a deliberate position of power. He had shed the ash grayjacket, and the top two buttons of his shell pink shirt wereloosened, revealing a strong tanned throat. His shirt sleeves wererolled up to the elbows.

---