Casually, he crossed one foot over the other and looked, she thought, not just amused, but bored by her arguments. “This has nothing to do with your father. I have to be back at the office to help run the launch of the new game—”
“So, go,” she told him quickly, both relieved and somehow disappointed to know he was leaving. But she’d get over it. “Happy trails.”
He snorted and shook his head as he watched her. She wished for an interruption. But that wasn’t going to happen.
They were alone in the hotel, with the crew and her father having left more than a half hour ago. Kate had lingered behind to make sure everything was safely tucked away for the night. Tools, extension cords, coffeepots, radios. She’d checked every window on the ground floor and every door lock. They were far enough out in the country that they probably didn’t have to worry about thieves or vandals dropping by, but it didn’t hurt to make sure things were safe.
Naturally, Sean had stayed, too. As he’d promised earlier, she’d been unable to shake him loose. Now she knew why. He’d waited until they were alone to spring his ridiculous idea.
Outside, the light was going soft and pearly as the sky deepened toward the coming night. Inside, there were only a few lights on, keeping the shadows at bay.
“Oh, I’m going, and you’re coming with me.”
He looked so sure of himself, Kate wanted to kick him. “The job—”
“Is at a stage where you can leave your crew working without supervision for a few days.”
“Days?”
“Maybe a week.” He shrugged as if unconcerned about the time he was demanding she take.
“It’s business, Kate.” Before she could argue again, he said, “I want you out there to meet with our artists. They’ve had some ideas on the new cabins, and you can consult with them and meet with the architect in person.”
“It’s not necessary,” she argued, already feeling as if she’d lost this battle. He looked calm and in control, and she felt the ragged threads of her control sliding from her fingers, but she made one more try. “As long as I have the plans, we’ll get it done.”
Sean sighed and shook his head. “You’re going to lose this one, Kate. This is my job, and I want my contractor in California for a meeting.”
He was right. She couldn’t win here. He was not only the man currently driving her insane, but he was also her boss. Refusing to go with him just wasn’t an option. But whatever he said, this wasn’t only about business. He had an ulterior motive. She just wasn’t sure what it was. To get her out of her comfort zone? To show her the difference in their lifestyles? To prove that if he wanted their baby, he had the money and power to take it?
Anxiety rippled in the pit of her stomach, and she had the distinct feeling it wouldn’t be dissipating anytime soon.
“Pack for a week,” he said casually, then glanced around the great room as if the subject was closed. “You were right about these floors,” he mused. “Sanded and refinished they look brand-new and old at the same time.”
Automatically, her gaze dropped to the floorboards. In the dim light, they shone golden, with a soft gleam that caught the light and held it. Yes, the hotel was looking good. Walls were painted, floors refinished, ceiling beams stripped and sanded until they looked as they had when the place was first built. But at the moment, she didn’t feel like admiring her crew’s work.
“Yeah, oak will do that. But back to the point—”
“The point is,” he interrupted her neatly, “we leave day after tomorrow. Be ready.”
Eight
It started with a private jet.
The minute she walked on board, Kate knew that she would never be happy flying coach again. There were luxurious leather seats, plush carpeting so thick her shoes sank in it and a flight attendant whose sole duty was to ensure that Kate enjoyed the trip to California. Sadly, the very efficient woman couldn’t ease the knot of nerves in Kate’s stomach.
That knot only tightened once they landed, and Sean drove them to his penthouse condo on the beach. Stepping into that expansive space was a revelation. Sean gave the impression of being a regular guy who liked surfing. She had known, of course, just how rich he was, but his home really defined the difference between her life and his.
The living room was wide and furnished with tasteful comfort in mind. Polished wood floors were dotted with thick rugs in neutral tones. Couches and chairs were overstuffed, inviting visitors to drop down and be comfortable. A wall of windows provided an amazing view of the Pacific, and with the French doors opened to a terrace that stretched the length of the building, a sea breeze drifted lazily into the room.
Anxious, Kate wandered through the condo and let the silence inside her, where hopefully it would settle the nerves clawing at her. She was alone now, as she had been the night before, sleeping in one of the guest rooms in this palace. Sean hadn’t pushed for her to join him in his bed, and a part of her had been disappointed in that.
This morning when she woke, Sean was already gone. But he’d left her a note in the living room.
Went surfing. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a couple hours and we’ll go to the office.
So Kate made coffee in the incredible kitchen and tried not be envious of the six-burner stove, the sub-zero fridge and the miles of black granite. She was willing to bet the man never cooked anything more than a cup of coffee and maybe toast. No way he could really appreciate this kitchen for the incredible work space it was.
Sighing, she took her coffee onto the terrace and sat down on one of the cushioned chairs arranged there to enjoy the view. In June, gray skies covered the coast of California every morning, keeping the heat down and giving the Pacific a leaden look. The ocean was immense and frothed with white caps. Boats, their brightly colored sails billowing in the wind, skimmed across the surface of the water, and near the shore she could make out a handful of surfers riding the waves.
“Is one of them Sean?” Kate watched, thought about the man who’d brought her here and wondered what the hell she was going to do for the next few days.
Having him on her turf was hard enough, but being on his, completely pulled her out of her comfort zone... She kept losing her mental balance and wasn’t sure how to get it back—or even if she would.
When her phone rang, she answered gratefully. “Molly, hi.”
“Hi, yourself. How’s it going?”
“Well, I’m sitting here on the private terrace of a truly awesome penthouse, staring out at the ocean.”
“Wow,” Molly said on a sigh. “Sounds rough.”
Kate laughed shortly. Trust Molly to put things in perspective. “Okay, his home is beautiful and looks like a spread in a magazine. You should see the kitchen.”
“Uh-huh, unlike you, I really don’t care about kitchen goodies. What about Sean? What’s happening with you two?”
“Nothing.” Kate sipped at her coffee and sighed. “I don’t know why I’m here. I swear, even though he insisted this trip was about business, there was a part of me that figured he was just trying to get me out here and into his bed.” Well, boy, that sounded egotistical. “You know, keep me happy long enough that he could find a way to get our baby.”
“Come on, Kate...”
“But he didn’t try anything last night.” Frustration jumped into life and held hands with the anxiety inside her. “Nothing. He just showed me the guest room.”
And that fact, she was forced to admit, had bothered her more than a little. She’d lain awake half the night, imagining him in the room across the hall and wishing that she was lying next to him, which made her...what? Pitiful? Crazy? Masochistic?
“Well,” Molly sympathized, “that’s just sad.”
“It really is. But more than sad,” Kate told her, “it’s out of character. He’s been flirting with me and trying to seduce me since we met. Now all of a sudden, nothing? He’s been really quiet, too, and that’s really not like him. Plus, I keep finding him watching me.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”
“Not that kind of watching. This is more studying, like I was a bug under a microscope and he’s trying to figure out exactly what species I am.”
“You’re overreacting, honey,” Molly said, and Kate could almost see her shaking her head slowly.
But Molly didn’t know Sean like Kate did. Okay, they hadn’t known each other for very long, but their relationship had been pretty intense right from the beginning. Being with Sean made Kate feel more alive than she did without him. She liked arguing with him, liked laughing with him and she loved being held by him. Loved?
That word sneaked in there unexpectedly and for the moment, Kate was going to ignore it.
“I think he’s up to something.”
“Paranoid much?” Molly asked, laughing.
“Molly, he told me he wants the baby.” She looked over her shoulder into the living room of the condo. “Judging by this place, the private jet, if he wanted to, he could go for custody and I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Instantly her friend’s attitude shifted. “Don’t do this to yourself, Kate. Don’t go looking for trouble. Wait for it to find you if it’s coming.”