into a far more passionate situation than she had ever known with David and with a man she barely knew.
How even as she stood there in the bathroom doorway letting the steam escape Kalinda recognized the depths of her feelings for the man standing complacently under her shower. She had let him in last night because she had taken one look at him and realized the strength of the bonds he had forged that morning in the mountains. She had gone to bed with him last night and let him strengthen those intimate bonds until by morning she had no alternative but to acknowledge them.
„Come on in and close the door, you’re letting all the heat out!“ Rand called from behind the shower curtain. „About time you got up. I was just about to come in and wake you!“ He stuck his head around the curtain, water plastering the chestnut hair to his head, the hazel eyes gleaming with remembered satisfaction as he took in her robe-covered figure.
Kalinda found herself responding to his obvious good mood in spite of her newfound resolution to have a serious talk. „Were you going to wait until you’d used all the hot water before you called me?“
„I’ve been saving some for you,“ he retorted imperturbably. „Come on in.“
„I’ll wait,“ she declared firmly. „Rand, I want to talk to you…“
„Come a little closer, it’s hard to hear over the noise of the water,“ he remarked innocently, ducking back behind the shower.
Uncertainly Kalinda moved forward. „I suppose it can wait until you’re finished,“ she began and then belatedly tried to step backward as a long, wet arm darted out to snag her wrist An instant later he reappeared from behind the curtain, a teasing grin slashing his tanned face.
„Come on in, honey. The water’s fine.“
‘ ‘Rand, this is serious,’’ she began earnestly and then had to stop her argument in order to push away his fingers as they reached for the belt on the robe. „I need to talk to you.“
„I’m listening.“ He pulled her closer, slipping the robe off her shoulders and, still holding her, plunking the green shower cap down on her head. „You look cute in the morning,“ he murmured, surveying her with a satisfied nod. „Rather like a grumpy cat“
„Are you always in such a lively mood at this hour of the day?“ she demanded caustically as he tugged her into the stall beside him. The full force of the water struck her and she found it pleasantly reviving in spite of her mood.
„You’ll have a chance to do a statistical analysis on the subject and find out, won’t you?“ Rand reached for the soap and, cradling her with one arm against his slippery side, began to lather her back.
„That’s… that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,“ she said breathlessly, violently aware of the uncompromising maleness of him. It was entirely disconcerting to have him taking over her bathroom and her life and Kalinda fought for a means of self-defense.
„First my good-morning kiss,“ he intoned, bending his head to find her lips as his hand slid possessively down her back and over the curve of her hip.
„Rand, please listen to me. This is very serious…“
„Ummm,“ he growled against her mouth, tasting her with evident enjoyment. „Just what a man needs to get the day started properly!“
Beneath the warm water streaming over them his mouth moved even more warmly on hers, probing deeply, lazily, possessively. Kalinda found herself clutching his glistening shoulders, aware of just how much he was telling her with this proprietary good-morning kiss. It was very clear that as far as Rand Alastair was concerned, she was now his. Kalinda wasn’t sure how to argue with that overwhelming assumption, especially since her whole being longed to agree.
The hand on her hip began gliding upward, fingers spreading briefly across her stomach before continuing the journey to her breasts. He caressed her with slick, sensuous motions that made her tremble against him.
But when she unconsciously moaned a throaty response and moved her own hand down to his waist and beyond, it was Rand who lifted his head and turned her firmly around to break the contact.
„Enough of that wantonness, Miss Brady. You and I have work to do today,“ he chided bracingly. „None of which is going to get done if you seduce me here in the shower!“
„1 wasn’t seducing you,“ she began wrathfully, feeling the laughter in him. „I was the innocent victim!“
„It’s all in one’s point of view, I suppose,“ he shrugged philosophically. „Now, what was it you had to tell me?“ Briskly he finished soaping her body.
„I’ll… I’ll tell you during breakfast,“ she sighed. Then she realized there had been no scrape of morning beard when he had kissed her. „How did you manage a shave?“
„I had my things downstairs in the car. I threw on my slacks and went down to get them before you awoke.“
„You really came prepared, didn’t you?“ she muttered.
„A man has to look his best first day on a new job.“
„You meant what you said last night? You’re really going to help my company fight off David’s takeover bid?“ she asked uncertainly.
„Don’t worry, honey. One way or another I’ll see to it Hutton doesn’t get the firm.“
It was only later over the breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast she prepared that Kalinda finally found the courage to bring up the subject which had been on her mind since she awoke.
„Where did you plan on staying while you’re in Denver, Rand?“ She didn’t meet his eyes as she set the plates down on the table.
There was a heavy pause from the other side of the table. Unwillingly Kalinda finally looked up from her eggs. Rand was regarding her with a rather enigmatic speculation.
„Is this the opening volley in your small war to make sure I don’t stay here with you?“
She held onto her determination. „1 think that as long as you’re intent on working for Brady we ought to maintain a… a more businesslike association.“
„I’m supposed to prove myself worthy of the affair before you’ll continue with it?“ he murmured mildly.
„I’m not asking you to prove anything, Rand. You’re the one who showed up unannounced on my doorstep last night in the middle of a party and said you were coming to work for me!“ she flared.
„I didn’t come back to Denver only to work for you.“
Kalinda felt herself go warm under the caressing glance he poured over her. „Do you always follow your latest female interest in order to pursue an affair?“ she whispered.
„I haven’t been out of those mountains for eighteen months,“ he said evenly.
„Then why have you come after me?“ she managed tightly.
His face gentled. „I thought I made that obvious last night.“
She shook her head. „Rand, we knew each other for only a couple of days…“
The edge of his mouth turned upward and he said carelessly, „As you are soon going to learn, I am nothing if not a first-rate strategist and decision-maker. I know what I want, Kalinda.“
„And you think you want me?“
„I know I want you. 1 also want to show you I’m fully capable of the business skills you seem to admire so greatly. I saw the disapproval in your eyes when you commented on my rather easygoing way of life in the mountains. You admire men from your own world. So I’m going to show you I can handle myself in that world.“
„There’s no need…“
„There’s every need. But if it will make you less fretful this morning I’ll tell you I have a place to stay. You don’t have to worry about giving me room and board.“ He dug into his eggs with gusto.
„Where?“ she asked, wishing it didn’t seem so right having him here sitting across from her at breakfast But she had to know more about him, more about his motives. She simply could not believe he had followed her just to take her to bed again.
„An apartment here in town,“ he smiled. „Now eat your breakfast, sweetheart, we have a lot to do today.“
It wasn’t until later that morning when Kalinda convened an emergency meeting of the highest-ranking members of her staff that she realized she wasn’t the only one with a profound wariness of Rand Alastair’s motives.
But the hard chill in the air that greeted her as she walked into the conference room with Rand at her side
