Winds of Heaven (7 page)

“Bad business procedure, Nick. Especially when you go beyond professional matters and pry into personal ones.”

“You’re in a position to influence my employees, Kylie. I wanted to know something about the people who have influenced you.”

“I supplied references,” she snapped, her fingernails imprinting her anger on the palm of her hand. “That was
all
you had any right to check.”

He looked coolly surprised at her irritation. “I disagree.”

It was the height of arrogance, an intrusion she couldn’t ignore. “If that’s the way you feel, perhaps I should conduct an investigation into
your
background. After all, your influence on your employees is far greater than mine. It might be in the best interests of Southwest and my seminar for me to know something about the people who have influenced you.” Kylie paused, letting the idea settle between them before she pushed for an apology. “Have you ever been engaged, Nick? Married? Divorced? Who was she? What was she like? Was she a blonde, brunette, or redhead? Did she have blue eyes or brown?”

“I see your point. Sorry if I offended you. I felt I had a valid reason.” He hesitated as if he wasn’t sure how she would react next. “Will it help if I admit that my reason was more personal than professional? I want to know more about you, Kylie.”

A wry smile pestered her lips, and she sincerely hoped he couldn’t see it. She should tell him to mind his own business, to stay out of her personal life, past and present. At any other time she would have done just that without hesitation. But tonight she felt somehow alone. And Nick was perceptive enough to sense that, and to ask a personal question when she was in an unusually vulnerable mood.

Maybe it was the newness of her surroundings or the quiet solitude of the night. Perhaps it was simply the fragrance of memories in the air. Kylie sighed and knew she was going to tell him about Colin. “It wasn’t my idea to break the engagement,” she admitted. “Colin decided that for me. He married my best friend.”

“I can’t imagine you letting another woman take your fiancé without a fight.”

“I wasn’t much of a fighter then.” Memories suddenly clouded her vision, and Kylie stared at a faraway star, thinking, remembering. She had never had to be a fighter, never had to make decisions. Colin had done that for her, and she had meekly accepted his right to be her guide and mentor. But then he had chosen to marry Susan. A woman with “spirit,” Colin had said, a woman who knew what she wanted in life.

It had been a slap in the face, and Kylie had felt betrayed and hurt and afraid of having no one to depend on except herself. But in the months since, she had faced the fear and conquered it. She had discovered that she liked making her own decisions, liked the positive, assertive person she had learned to be.

“Kylie?”

At Nick’s soft reminder of his presence the memories faded. “Sorry,” she said. “I don’t often talk about the past.”

“Is it past, Kylie?” Nick seemed to hesitate before adding, “Or do you still love him?”

“No.” She could say it easily now without even the tiniest twist of her heart. “Loving Colin was little more than a habit.”

“Why does that make me want to smile?” Nick asked quietly, charging the air around her with electricity.

An ambience of intimacy enfolded her as her gaze covered the distance between them. In the dim light she couldn’t see his expression, but she could feel their thoughts bonding in mutual understanding. The night felt suddenly warm, as something inside her caught and kindled into the first spark of desire.

Releasing her breath slowly, she made herself look away. “It happened a long time ago,” she said to break the mood. “I hardly ever think about Colin anymore. There are still times when I miss Susan’s friendship, though. Times when I’d like to telephone her, even though I know I can’t. I know how awkward and uncomfortable we’d both feel.”

The tightening in her throat choked back Kylie’s words, and she had to blink moisture from her eyes. What was she doing? Talking to a near stranger about things she didn’t even tell her family? She should have kept things strictly business with Nick. At least that was a mistake she could try to rectify. With cool composure she turned toward the house. “It’s getting late. We should start working on the seminar.”

His brows drew together in a puzzled line, as if he was startled by the sudden change in her manner. “There isn’t any hurry. It’s too beautiful a night to spend indoors working. Why don’t we stay here and enjoy the company of that beautiful moon? We can relax and watch the stars play hide and seek with the wind.”

The courtly charm of his words irritated Kylie unreasonably. It was too late now for Nick to notice the moon and the aura of romance around them, she thought. If he’d just had the good sense to steer clear of personal questions.

“Nick,” she snapped, more out of frustration than anything else, “I’m here to give a six-week seminar which
you
have cut to three weeks. I don’t have time to waste on romantic drivel!” Kylie pressed her lips together and walked toward the house, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was work on the seminar. With an exasperated sigh she pulled open the door and went inside.

Nick frowned as the door closed behind her.
Romantic drivel.
The words chafed his male vanity and he had to wonder why she fascinated him. He’d known plenty of women as physically attractive, and not one of them had been so volatile.

Kylie was argumentative, illogical, fiercely independent, and totally frustrating. Nick shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and stared at the silhouette of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Frustrating or not, he couldn’t deny that Kylie captivated him; some elusive quality that he glimpsed at odd moments behind the challenge of her dark eyes. He sensed a softness, a vulnerability in her, and he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d discovered the secret of her appeal. He thought of her fiancé and all that Kylie had left unsaid. She had been deeply hurt by that broken engagement, and Nick wished he could tell the man to his face what an inconsiderate fool he’d been. Recognizing the intensity of his feelings, Nick stopped and distanced himself from the emotion. Analytically he examined his sudden violent dislike for the unknown Colin and had to admit there was no logic involved. Just as there was no logical reason for wishing he’d known Kylie then, when he might have been able to protect her from the hurt.

Nick ran restless fingers through his hair. He must be out of his mind! She didn’t need any man’s protection, especially not his. She’d resent any attempt to step between her and her fierce independence, and he had little doubt she’d tell him so, too, without a minute’s hesitation.

Gazing thoughtfully at the house, he made a decision that had been forming in his mind since she had calmly and defiantly challenged him in the restaurant. Kylie was going to be his, no matter how assertive she was. He’d bide his time, but he would master that streak of defiance in her. Even if he had to give her the extra three weeks for her ridiculous seminar.

* * * *

Stifling a yawn, Kylie tried to concentrate on the scribbled notes in her hand. It was impossible to decipher the last few lines, she decided with a surreptitious glance at Nick. He wasn’t watching her, and she took a minute to notice how the blue of his polo shirt changed the color of his eyes. His lashes were dark and thick, but utterly masculine. But, then, everything about Nick was forcefully male. Even the lazy way he was sitting. With his arms stretched along the back of the sofa and his feet propped on the coffee table, he looked disgustingly at ease.

Kylie flexed her legs cautiously and tried to find a more comfortable position on the carpeted floor. Her fingers ached from taking down the pages of notes Nick had dictated, information he was certain she’d need.

If he hadn’t been so polite ever since they’d come inside the house, she might have called it a day more than an hour ago. But as long as he stopped every now and then to ask her in a patient and considerate tone whether she needed him to repeat something, she was determined to match him in endurance if nothing else.

With a concerted effort she forced the pen across the paper but knew she was too far behind to catch up. There was nothing to do now except to admit defeat gracefully and retreat to her room for the night. Nick would be understanding. In fact, she fully expected him to tell her that she looked as if she needed the rest and he would have stopped dictating a long time before if he’d known she was tired,

Kylie tightened her lips to a narrow line, knowing she was being unreasonably annoyed by Nick’s charm, but unable to conquer the feeling. At the moment, she would far prefer a down-to-earth argument over this walking-on-eggs type of treatment.

What was he trying to do to her, anyway? Wear down her resistance with soft looks and smiles? Alex wasn’t the only one who could turn on the charisma, she thought. And, as in everything else, Nick seemed to do it so much better.

Kylie began drawing flowers on her note pad and let Nick’s voice provide the accompaniment to her thoughts. She wondered idly if Nick was like his cousin in any other ways. As far as she knew, Nick could have a live-in blonde waiting back in San Francisco. Somehow she didn’t think so, but she supposed it was possible. He might be simply looking for a diversion to pass the time while he was in New Mexico.

She wrote the name
Nick
on the pad, then scratched through it and printed
Alex.
At the thought of Alex, her gaze shifted to the bouquet of yellow roses on the coffee table before her. Two dozen roses made an exquisite centerpiece, she decided. Noticing that one rose looked slightly droopy, she reached for it.

“I’m ready to quit any time you are,” Nick said, cutting into her thoughts with droll humor.

A thorn stabbed her finger, and she jerked back to frown intently at him.

His smile was easy and amused. “You should always be very careful with floral offerings from secret admirers. When a man sends an excess of roses, you can be pretty sure he’s up to no good.”

Kylie widened her eyes in pretended innocence. “Is that right? Tell me, Nick, when you send roses, are you up to no good?”

“Every single time.”

Fighting a smile, she tilted her head to one side. “Well, I believe I can handle your cousin without too much trouble.”

“Alex?” Nick asked, a sharp edge fraying his smooth voice. “Alex sent these? Why would he send you flowers?”

Her brows arched upward in a haughty angle. “For the usual reasons, of course. He’s obviously up to no good.”

Nick paused, wondering how he could get his foot out of his mouth this time. The thought of Alex and Kylie together made him uncomfortable, but he knew he was simply imagining things. Alex had probably sent the roses because ... Nick couldn’t think of a single platonic reason for such extravagance and finally gave himself a mental shake. He
was
imagining things. Kylie would never be fooled by Alex’s effusive tactics.

Nick tried a disarming grin. “You’re not planning to change your hair color, are you?”

“What makes you think I’d have to do that, Nick? Alex might think he prefers blondes, but it wouldn’t take much effort to change his mind if I wanted to.”

“But you don’t want to,” Nick stated confidently.

Kylie carefully pulled the droopy rose from the vase and held it in her hand. “I didn’t say that. It might be quite a challenge. Would you like to make a small wager that by the end of this seminar Alex won’t be wondering what he ever saw in his succession of mindless blondes?”

Nick looked suddenly as if he wanted to jerk the rose from her fingers, but when he spoke, his tone was casual. “I can’t accept your wager, Kylie. That would be taking unfair advantage of you. Believe me, you won’t change his mind, and it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to try, just to win a bet.”

Nick was right about that, Kylie thought as she studied the velvety petals of the rose. Alex wouldn’t be worth the trouble. “Well, we’ll just have to see what happens, won’t we?” she said absently. “I think I’ll call it a night. Good night, Nick.” She walked to the doorway, already anticipating the release of the evening’s tension in a hot bath.

Nick’s gaze fell from the doorway directly onto the note pad and the sight of his name marked through a half dozen times. He circled the coffee table to examine the pad more carefully. But there was no mistake. Kylie had written his name and then boldly slashed through it—not once but several times.

Alex’s name wasn’t marked that way, he noticed. In fact, Alex’s name was encircled by a wreath of flowers. A flash of unreasonable jealousy raced through Nick as he turned a suspicious eye on the bouquet of roses. If Kylie thought for one minute that she and Alex ...

Before he quite knew his intention, Nick was standing outside her bedroom door. With a peremptory knock he opened the door and stepped inside.

Startled, Kylie whirled to face him, making an inadequate attempt to cover her breasts with one hand as she grabbed frantically with the other for the blouse she’d just discarded.

“Nick! What are you doing?” Her groping fingers fastened on the soft material, and she jerked it up to cover herself, realizing too late that she’d pulled the coverlet from the bed. Angry embarrassment flooded her cheeks with hot color as she tried to adjust the bulky satin spread around her. When she focused her attention on Nick, though, the embarrassment gave way to a different type of heat.

The smoldering appraisal in his eyes took her breath away, and for a pulsebeat her fingers relaxed their grip. But as the satiny material began to ease down the curve of her breasts, Kylie recognized the danger and clutched the makeshift wrapper to stop its willful descent. With as much dignity and poise as she could manage, Kylie squared her shoulders and tipped her chin.

“You’d better have a good reason for barging in here like this,” she stated, trying to recapture her initial angry response.

“I did, but I completely forgot what it was.” His gaze slid slowly upward, lingering at the base of her throat and caressing her bare shoulders before singeing her lips with its intensity. “You look great in a bedspread.”