Shakily Kalinda reached out to steady herself with a hand on the edge of the white table. „I… I would never have thought you capable of doing anything like this.“

„Perhaps In the short time we spent together you didn’t get a chance to know me as well as you might have,“ he suggested coolly.

„No,“ she got out, her words barely a thread of sound as she tried to think what to do, how to handle him. „No, perhaps I didn’t.“

„Now you’re seeing another side of me. Do you believe this side is capable of a certain ruthlessness?“ he persisted.

„Yes.“ It was the truth and he must have seen it in her eyes.

„Good,“ he nodded, the hardness in him fading away on the instant as he turned to reach for another interesting tidbit „I think I’ve still got the old shark instincts and talents.“

Kalinda heard the wry satisfaction in his words and blinked, confused more than ever. „What’s going on here, Rand? Are you telling me you were teasing me just then? That you were faking that… that threat?“

She put a hand on the sleeve of his jacket, urgently demanding his attention. His head swung back to her, the white teeth flashing in a reassuring grin that made her want to kick him.

„You believed me, didn’t you?“ he countered pointedly. „For a minute or two you thought me fully capable of blackmailing you into an affair.“

„You sound proud of it!“ she accused, cheeks staining with annoyance and growing embarrassment at her obvious gullibility.

The grin faded into a self-mocking grimace. „No, Fm not proud of it. But it is a useful business skill, Fm sorry to say.“

„What’s a useful business skill? Blackmail?“ she raged heatedly, having difficulty keeping her voice down.

„The skill of being able to make people think I'll stop at nothing when it comes to getting what I want,“ he explained kindly, soothingly. „I just wanted you to have a small demonstration so you can introduce me to your…“

„Introduce you as what?“ she gritted.

„The outside consultant you’ve hired to direct the defenses of Brady Data Processing,“ he retorted easily. He appeared about to add to that when his glance went suddenly to a point beyond her head. The hazel eyes gleamed warmly. „Hey, you really did like the pot, huh?“

„Your conversation is getting more and more difficult to follow,“ Kalinda muttered and turned to follow his gaze. The lovely, wide-mouthed bowl she had bought that first day in his gallery sat in a prominent position at the far end of the table. It held long loaves of sliced French bread which guests had used to build small sandwiches.

He glanced down at her, looking enormously pleased. „I’m glad you didn’t try to forget me completely. I’ve still got a token of your short visit, too.“

„What token?“ she asked warily.

„The earrings I took off you that first night.“

„Oh.“ She’d forgotten about those.

„You shouldn’t have run away that morning after we made love, sweetheart,“ he went on, dark voice turning slightly husky as he regarded her a little hungrily. „Although I understand why you did.“

Kalinda flicked an uneasy glance up through her lashes. „You do?“

„Of course. You thought there was no future for us, didn’t you? You thought I wasn’t the kind of man you should be giving yourself to so completely. And it was completely, honey. You came to my bed without any reservations, didn’t you? For a little while you stopped thinking about the fact that I was an unmotivated, unambitious, undynamic wastrel who had no further goal in life except to fish and seduce bored tourists!“

Kalinda felt her blush deepening and she could no longer meet his eyes, even through the partial veil of her lashes. She remembered her unwise surrender only too well. What really worried her now was the flash of pure happiness she’d experienced when she’d opened her door a few minutes ago and found him standing there.

„You have to admit we do come from two different worlds, Rand,“ she managed a little grimly.

„Which is a polite way of saying you don’t admire my lifestyle,“ he retorted dryly. „I’m here to change all that I’m going to prove myself to you, sweetheart And your ex-fiance has put the tool I need right into my hands. You admire successful, dynamic, aggressive businessmen? Okay, I’ll show you I can wheel and deal in your world with the best of them. Don’t worry, Kalinda, you won’t have to be ashamed of our affair. You’ll be giving yourself to a man who can out-shark anyone on the business street!“

„Rand! This is crazy. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I certainly have no intention of… of continuing what should never have been started up there in the mountains. I do not routinely indulge in affairs, for heaven’s sake! I haven’t been even remotely serious about any man since my engagement with David ended.“

„Except me,“ he pointed out, smiling. „Or are you going to stand there and tell me you weren’t perfectly serious that morning in the mountains?“

Kalinda glared at him, aware that he was deliberately goading her and still too confused and upset by the combination of the day’s events to think clearly enough to flatten him verbally.

She was desperately trying to concoct a suitable response when Harold Sebastian and his wife emerged from the crowd with pleasantly expectant expressions.

„Kalinda, my dear, you must introduce us to your new guest“ Tall, stately, and silver-haired, Harold beamed complacently down at her. While she was his superior at Brady Data Processing, his long association with her father had given him a decidedly paternalistic air toward the new president of the firm. It was an attitude Kalinda encountered from many of the longtime employees of the firm. They gave her their loyalty and even admired her ability, but they never quite let her forget they all considered themselves honorary uncles and aunts.

„I’m afraid my arrival was something of a surprise for Kalinda,“ Rand said smoothly, thrusting out a polite hand. „I’m Rand Alastair.“

„Harold Sebastian. This is my wife, Edna,“ Harold said genially. „Alastair,“ he repeated with a thoughtful look. „That name sounds familiar. Have we met?“

„No, I don’t believe so. But I can assure you the name is going to sound a lot more familiar in the future. I’m going to be working for Kalinda.“

Kalinda froze as Harold’s inquiring, interested gaze switched to her. „I see. In what capacity?“

„I’ll, uh, be explaining Mr. Alastair’s role to everyone tomorrow morning,“ she got out weakly, feeling trapped. „He will be with us in a very limited, short-term capacity,“ she added spitefully as Rand shot her an amused look.

„Well, well, I’ll look forward to having you with us, Rand. You won’t find a nicer boss in town!“ Harold assured him with a vast chuckle.

„Like father, like daughter,“ Edna Sebastian added warmly. „Everyone at the company is delighted that she took over the reins two years ago. Just ask anyone in the room!“ Edna waved gaily at the crowd behind them.

„I’m sure I shall thoroughly enjoy my association with her, also,“ Rand said glibly, his eyes still on Kalinda’s studiously composed face.

He grinned down at her as the Sebastians faded back into the crowd. „You seemed to be well-liked by your staff,“ he drawled.

„It’s positively feudal at times,“ she sighed, acknowledging the truth. „We’re a publicly owned company but somehow everyone still thinks of it as a family firm.“

„How long ago did you go public with your stock?“ he asked, suddenly serious.

„Almost as soon as I took over. We needed capital and we needed it badly. I had to convince everyone that it was a clear turnaround situation, make investors think that they could get in on the ground floor of a company that was about to make a big comeback. I’ve never worked so hard in all my life!“

„I’ll bet,“ he nodded assessingly. „The stock is now widely held?“

„Yes, I’m afraid so.“ She winced. „Not so long ago I was glad of that!“

„Now you realize that it just makes it easier for Hutton to buy up shares. You don’t have any large controlling blocks sitting in friendly hands.“

„You needn’t look so superior. I had no choice at the time! 1 couldn’t get the loans I needed from the banks. There was no choice but to raise capital by selling shares in the firm!“

„You don’t have to defend your actions to me, sweetheart,“ he murmured caressingly. „I understand completely.“

She fixed him with a narrow glance. „Just how much do you understand? Who are you, Rand? Why does Harold think he remembers your name? How do you come to have contacts high enough in the business world to find out what Hutton’s doing even before I do?“

„It’s a long story, honey. Remind me to tell it to you later. For now, though, I think we’d better circulate. People are beginning to notice that I’m getting your undivided attention!“

He put a hand firmly under her elbow and waded into the crowd. Kalinda felt herself helplessly swept along, her thoughts in a turmoil, her heart beating a little too fast and her nerves singing a tune on the ragged edge of an emotion she didn’t want to admit to feeling.

But she knew how to deal with a crowd of business-oriented people. By the time the last of the guests had regretfully taken his leave, Kalinda would have been willing to wager that none of them had guessed at her inner uncertainty and confusion. She was aware, however, that more than one knowing glance had absorbed the fact that Rand seldom left her side during the evening. She saw the assessing look in Colin Wayne’s eyes although he was cordial when he, was introduced. Rand paid him no particular attention, apparently oblivious to the querying glance in the other man’s gaze.