A Woman's Touch (7 page)

„How dare you?“ she whispered. „Kyle, that was utterly uncalled for. How could you drag that scene with Rick down to the personal level? How in the world am I supposed to work here if you act like this every time you find a man in my office? Of all the stupid, idiotic, dumb things to do… I
knew
this situation wasn’t going to work.“ A pencil she had picked up snapped in two between her fingers. She tossed the pieces aside. „I just knew it wouldn’t work. I should never have moved in with you. This whole thing is just impossible.“

Kyle was startled by the force of her reaction. His own anger rekindled, but he kept a lid on it as he always did around Rebecca. He paced forward aggressively, tossed the Jamison file on her desk and planted both palms on the wood surface. „This wouldn’t have gotten personal if I hadn’t found Harrison sharing a cozy cup of coffee with you.

What the hell is going on around here? Theresa tells me this is the order of the day on Monday mornings. Who are you seeing Tuesday mornings?“

„Sandra Billings from word processing,“ Rebecca shot back. „Are you going to label that unprofessional behavior, too? You think maybe Sandy and I sit in here and play cards or gossip about our love lives on Tuesday mornings?“

„Don’t try to wriggle out of this by making it all sound perfectly normal.“

„It is perfectly normal. This was the way I worked at Exton and Fordyce. The way my boss, Mr. Carstairs, liked me to work. It’s effective and efficient. You liked the way I handled things there, remember? You said you were very impressed by what Carstairs told you about my performance. You said he raved about me. That’s the reason you hired me when the firm got bought out, if you’ll recall.“

Kyle stomped down an irritating sense of guilt. Carstairs’s recommendation, as enthusiastic as it was, had not been the deciding factor in Kyle’s decision to hire Rebecca but he could hardly explain that now. He sought for another approach.

„I have no objection to your working methods,“ he bit out, „but I won’t have the rest of the staff using you to hide from me. And that’s exactly what Rick Harrison was trying to do this morning.“

„That’s not true!“

„It is true. Damn it, I know Rick and I know how everyone on my staff has started using you when they want to avoid having to face me.“

„Rick and I were discussing your schedule this week, not the Jamison deal,“ Rebecca flared. „You’re trying to make something very innocent appear underhanded and unprofessional.“

„I don’t like the idea of you having coffee every Monday morning with Rick Harrison.“

„Your objections are ridiculous. You sound jealous, Kyle.“

Her words cut deep. Kyle swore and swung away from the desk. He paced to the far end of the room and turned around to confront her. „Maybe I am,“ he admitted quietly.

Rebecca’s expression softened instantly, just as he had known it would. Rebecca couldn’t stand to see people in pain. She would be the last woman on earth who would try to make her lover jealous.

„You have no reason,“ she told him gently.

He looked at the second coffee cup on her desk. „Don’t I?“

„Oh, Kyle, how can you say that?“ Rebecca jumped to her feet and hurried around the edge of the desk, her eyes full of anguished concern. „You know I would never get involved with anyone else.“ She touched his arm as she looked up at him. „You do know that, don’t you? I love you, Kyle. You do trust me, don’t you?“

He gazed down into her anxious face for a long moment and magnanimously decided to let himself be placated.

Kyle’s mouth curved in a faint smile as he lifted his hand and stroked the curve of her throat with one knuckle. „I trust you, baby,“ he growled softly. He bent his head and brushed her mouth with his own. „But I’m not sure I trust Rick Harrison or the rest of the males around here. It makes me nervous to find out you’re spending your mornings in here feeding them tea and sympathy.“

„Coffee and a review of weekly plans are all that get served in here,“ she said firmly. „And I have to know you believe that, Kyle, or I won’t be able to go on working here.“

The small threat annoyed him. Kyle frowned, about to tell her he didn’t want to hear anything more on the subject of her not being able to work for him, when the door opened with the barest of peremptory knocks.

„Excuse me, Miss Wade,“ Theresa Aldridge said brusquely as she sailed into the room. „I happened to be passing, and I thought I’d drop off your morning mail.“ She smiled challengingly at Kyle. „Hello, Mr. Stockbridge. I didn’t realize you were still in here. Mr. Harrison is waiting for you in your office.“

„Thank you, Theresa,“ Kyle said dryly as he stepped away from Rebecca. „I’m sure Miss Wade appreciates your well-timed helpfulness.“ He reached out and relieved his secretary of her small burden. „Goodbye, Theresa. Tell Harrison I’ll be along in a minute.“

„Of course. Anything else I can do for you, Miss Wade?“ she asked pointedly.

„I think that will be all, Theresa. Everything seems to be under control now. Thanks for bringing the mail.“ Rebecca

’s golden eyes were warm with rueful amusement as she moved back to her desk.

„Any time,“ Theresa murmured as she backed out of the door. She did not close it behind her.

Kyle watched his secretary depart and shook his head in mocking disgust. „What the hell am I going to do with my staff? Discipline is falling apart around here. It was bad enough when they got the idea they could use you to handle me. Now they’re starting to act protective around you.“

„I think it’s rather sweet,“ Rebecca said as she sat down. Her eyes were full of laughter.

„Sweet, my foot. How am I supposed to stay in charge if my entire staff is on your side?“ As he walked toward the desk he automatically glanced down at the small stack of letters he was holding.

The familiar name of the law firm in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope on top leaped out at him. Shock ricocheted through his whole body. His stomach clenched.
Not now,
he thought. It was too soon. He wasn’t ready for this. He needed a little more time. Just a few more days or weeks.

But his luck had run out.

„Is something wrong, Kyle?“ Rebecca reached for her mail, glancing at the top envelope.

„No.“ The single word felt like a broken fragment of glass. Reluctantly he handed her the small stack of letters, watching with inner anguish as she fiddled with the top envelope.

There was nothing he could do about it now. He would talk to her tonight, Kyle told himself. He would wait until they got home. Then he would pour her a glass of wine and explain everything to her. She would understand. After all, she loved him. „I’d better get back to my office before Harrison starts to wonder if I’m going to let him off the hook.“

„Listen to him before you start chewing on him, Kyle,“ Rebecca said seriously as she glanced up from the mail. „He

’s one of your best men. You owe him the courtesy of listening to his explanation.“

Kyle looked at her. „That’s good advice,“ he said finally. „Remember it when your turn comes.“ He walked out of the office without a backward glance.

Rebecca sat staring meditatively at her empty door. She was making progress, but the truth was there were still far too many occasions when Kyle turned into the unreadable, shadowed man she had first met two months and ten days ago. He was still very much a mystery to her in some ways even while in others he seemed to welcome the warmth and light of her love.

On the whole things had worked out better than she had thought they would. She had been uneasy with the situation right from the start, wary of getting involved not just because Kyle was her boss but because there were so many things she didn’t know about him.

The thing she had fretted about most, namely the reaction of co-workers, had proven to be the least of her problems. As far as Rebecca could tell, everyone seemed to be watching the relationship with a fond eye, as if they had all been involved as matchmakers. There was talk, naturally, but it was amazingly devoid of maliciousness.

Kyle was no womanizer. He had, in fact, an amazingly pristine reputation for a man in his position and with his obvious heterosexual orientation. Rebecca had learned during the past several weeks that his employees respected that. It was probably the main reason they were so fascinated now with the relationship that had bloomed right under their noses.

Sometimes, though, in the middle of the night when she lay awake thinking about her uncertain future, Rebecca wondered if people would be so kind if the relationship exploded in her face.

The risk was definitely present. Rebecca was ail-too aware of the fact that Kyle had never once told her he loved her. She’d convinced herself he would eventually be able to overcome whatever darkness prevented him from being able to give himself completely. She took heart from the fact that he had changed a lot in just the ten days she’d been living with him. It was true most of their intimate conversations still revolved around business, but she was working to change that.

She could only hope that he would someday realize the full depth of his feelings for her and admit them.

But there was always the possibility that she was deluding herself. She knew so little about him. She’d heard rumors of a broken engagement four years earlier, and someone had hesitantly mentioned that Kyle was said to have been married at one time. But Rebecca dismissed the last rumor as pure speculation.

That was the sum total of what Rebecca knew about Kyle’s past.

Not much.

Rebecca sighed and picked up her mail. The envelope on top caught her eye. Few people welcomed letters from lawyers or the tax people. Warily she slit open the envelope wondering if she’d done anything recently that could get her sued. Doubtful. If Kyle’s reputation was clean, hers could only be labeled pure to the point of dull. Getting involved with Kyle Stockbridge was the most adventurous thing she’d done in her entire life.

So why would a lawyer be trying to contact her?

She scanned the contents of the letter and learned two things immediately. The first was that she was not being sued. The second was that she was the sole heir of a distant relative she’d never even heard of until that moment – a certain Miss Alice Cork. The law firm handling Miss Cork’s estate wished to discuss the terms of the will with Rebecca.

Rebecca sat dazed for a moment and then leaped to her feet and dashed out of her office.

„Hello, Theresa. Is Kyle in?“ she asked as she breezed through the reception area of Kyle’s office.

„He is, but he’s still dining on Mr. Harrison. Care to wait?“

Rebecca grimaced.
„I
guess not. I have a weak stomach and there’s no telling what that office will look like when Kyle’s through with Rick. Would you leave a message for Kyle to call me when he’s free?“

„Sure thing.“ Theresa eyed the letter in Rebecca’s hand. „Good news?“

Rebecca laughed. „I don’t know yet.“

She went back down the hall, disappointed at not being able to share the excitement with Kyle. She phoned the law firm’s office and made an appointment for later that afternoon.

„We’re so glad to have finally located you, Miss Wade,“ the firm’s secretary murmured. „Mr. Cramwell has been looking for you for nearly three months.“

She learned very little over the phone, but she did manage to confirm that she was the right Rebecca Wade. There had been no mistake. Rebecca hung up the phone and determined to call her Aunt Beth later that evening. Aunt Beth was the family genealogist. She might know who Alice Cork was.

Kyle did not call all morning. By lunchtime Rebecca was practically bubbling with eagerness to tell him the amazing story. She picked up her purse and went down the hall to meet him. They had been having lunch together every day for the past ten days.

Kyle was just emerging from his office as Rebecca walked through the door. He was frowning, clearly preoccupied.

He glanced at her as he shrugged into his jacket. „Oh, there you are, Becky. I was just going to have Theresa give you a call. We’ll have to skip lunch today. I’ve got a meeting with Jamison at his club. I’m going to try to salvage the deal.

See you later.“

Rebecca blinked as he strode past her. Kyle paused long enough to drop a short, hard kiss on her mouth and then he was gone. „Good luck,“ she called after him, but she doubted if he’d heard.

She turned back to find Theresa studying her thoughtfully. Rebecca was disconcerted by the odd look in the secretary’s eyes. „Well,“ she tried to say cheerfully, „did Rick survive?“

„Rick’s alive and well as far as I know,“ Theresa said mildly. „But I can’t quite figure out what’s wrong with the boss.“

„Something’s wrong with Kyle?“ Rebecca was startled.

„Beats me. All I know is that there’s no meeting scheduled with Jamison. Not unless Mr. Stockbridge set it up by mental telepathy.“

„Oh,“ said Rebecca. She retreated to the company cafeteria and wondered if the honeymoon was over already. Of course, she reminded herself bravely, one could hardly have a honeymoon if one wasn’t married.

At two o’clock she took an hour off from work to meet with Alice Cork’s lawyers. When she left their offices fifty minutes later, she was feeling stunned. She was now the proud owner of a fair-size wedge of land in the Colorado mountains.

At five o’clock Kyle finally showed up at her office door. He had his jacket slung over one shoulder and a bleak, challenging expression on his face, as if he were about to go into battle.

„Ready?“ he asked.

Rebecca hesitated. „I’m not sure,“ she said honestly. „You look as though you’re about to meet the sheriff at high noon out in front of the saloon. Is something wrong, Kyle?“

„Yeah, but we’ll get it straightened out. Let’s go.“ He turned away and started down the hall.

Rebecca seriously considered not following. The excitement of the news she had received earlier that afternoon was wearing off. Apparently she had bigger problems.