sense, with two such contrasting personalities it was a small miracle that one of them hadn’t killed the other by now.
“He’s assuming too much?” Katrina said.
The sound that escaped Gigi might have been a snort in anyone less ladylike in appearance. “Entirely too much. If he thinks he can manipulate me now as he does everyone else he encounters, he will soon learn his mistake!” She reflected for a moment, then added in a much calmer tone and very dryly, “He won’t, however. The wretched man has a blind spot where people are concerned, particularly women.”
“Why—” Katrina broke off abruptly.
Gigi grinned, and answered the question her young friend had so obviously decided was a nosy one. “Well, you must admit he isn’t
boring
. If I don’t kill him, I may marry him.”
Katrina blinked and looked at Gigi somewhat warily. In a mild tone she said, “Don’t do anything rash.”
Handing the printout back across the desk, Gigi laughed softly. “Child, I made up my mind about him twenty years ago.”
Katrina didn’t know what to make of that, and decided to change the subject. “Do you have a message for Matt? I’m meeting him for dinner in a couple of hours.”
“No, no message.” Gigi eyed her for a moment, then asked calmly, “Does Skye know?”
“Know what?” Katrina was concentrating blindly on the papers lying before her on the desk.
“That you are having dinner with Matthew?”
After a moment, fully aware that Gigi had no compunction about asking nosy questions, Katrina sighed and leaned back in her chair. Lifting her gaze to that grave face, she said, “Not unless you tell him about it.”
“Shall I?”
Katrina hesitated, but she was too good an agent to take the chance of ruining an important rendezvous. “Perhaps you’d better.” She managed a small laugh.
Gigi wasn’t deceived, and said quietly, “He is the man from Germany.”
“Yes.” She had never found it easy to confide in anyone, even her best friend, so her response stopped with that.
With a searching look, Gigi murmured, “Already he has changed you,
chérie.
There is a look in your eyes I have never seen before. This will be painful for you.”
Katrina shrugged slightly and felt her lips curve in a smile. She wondered what her expression looked like to make Gigi’s gaze even more intent. “I’ll survive it,” she said flatly.
After a moment Gigi straightened from the desk, her face troubled. “It is never wise to interfere. But if you need me, Trina…”
“Yes. Thank you, Gigi.”
“I will warn Skye about your meeting with Matthew.” She left the office without saying anything more.
Katrina worked steadily for another hour until one of the assistant managers came on duty for the second shift. Then she went up and got ready for dinner.
—
“Dance with me.”
Katrina halted to face the tall man standing squarely before her, a man who looked almost unbearably handsome in a stark black dinner jacket. His face was masklike, his eyes so completely veiled that she could read nothing in them. His command was an abrupt one, but she had the odd feeling he hadn’t meant it to be.
Matthew had gone almost an hour before; she had been summoned to deal with a minor crisis in the kitchen, and was only now making her way from one of the hotel’s fine restaurants.
This one, unfortunately for her peace of mind, provided music and a dance floor.
When she didn’t answer, Skye took her hand and led her toward the cleared space where several other couples swayed together in time to the slow, romantic music. Katrina didn’t resist, nor did she avoid his shuttered gaze when he took her into his arms and held her far too close.
For several minutes they danced without speaking. Then, in that same taut voice, he said, “So silent?”
“Did you expect a scene?” she returned, her own voice as cold as she could make it.
“No, I suppose not.” His laugh was hardly a breath of sound. “You haven’t
“He’s assuming too much?” Katrina said.
The sound that escaped Gigi might have been a snort in anyone less ladylike in appearance. “Entirely too much. If he thinks he can manipulate me now as he does everyone else he encounters, he will soon learn his mistake!” She reflected for a moment, then added in a much calmer tone and very dryly, “He won’t, however. The wretched man has a blind spot where people are concerned, particularly women.”
“Why—” Katrina broke off abruptly.
Gigi grinned, and answered the question her young friend had so obviously decided was a nosy one. “Well, you must admit he isn’t
boring
. If I don’t kill him, I may marry him.”
Katrina blinked and looked at Gigi somewhat warily. In a mild tone she said, “Don’t do anything rash.”
Handing the printout back across the desk, Gigi laughed softly. “Child, I made up my mind about him twenty years ago.”
Katrina didn’t know what to make of that, and decided to change the subject. “Do you have a message for Matt? I’m meeting him for dinner in a couple of hours.”
“No, no message.” Gigi eyed her for a moment, then asked calmly, “Does Skye know?”
“Know what?” Katrina was concentrating blindly on the papers lying before her on the desk.
“That you are having dinner with Matthew?”
After a moment, fully aware that Gigi had no compunction about asking nosy questions, Katrina sighed and leaned back in her chair. Lifting her gaze to that grave face, she said, “Not unless you tell him about it.”
“Shall I?”
Katrina hesitated, but she was too good an agent to take the chance of ruining an important rendezvous. “Perhaps you’d better.” She managed a small laugh.
Gigi wasn’t deceived, and said quietly, “He is the man from Germany.”
“Yes.” She had never found it easy to confide in anyone, even her best friend, so her response stopped with that.
With a searching look, Gigi murmured, “Already he has changed you,
chérie.
There is a look in your eyes I have never seen before. This will be painful for you.”
Katrina shrugged slightly and felt her lips curve in a smile. She wondered what her expression looked like to make Gigi’s gaze even more intent. “I’ll survive it,” she said flatly.
After a moment Gigi straightened from the desk, her face troubled. “It is never wise to interfere. But if you need me, Trina…”
“Yes. Thank you, Gigi.”
“I will warn Skye about your meeting with Matthew.” She left the office without saying anything more.
Katrina worked steadily for another hour until one of the assistant managers came on duty for the second shift. Then she went up and got ready for dinner.
—
“Dance with me.”
Katrina halted to face the tall man standing squarely before her, a man who looked almost unbearably handsome in a stark black dinner jacket. His face was masklike, his eyes so completely veiled that she could read nothing in them. His command was an abrupt one, but she had the odd feeling he hadn’t meant it to be.
Matthew had gone almost an hour before; she had been summoned to deal with a minor crisis in the kitchen, and was only now making her way from one of the hotel’s fine restaurants.
This one, unfortunately for her peace of mind, provided music and a dance floor.
When she didn’t answer, Skye took her hand and led her toward the cleared space where several other couples swayed together in time to the slow, romantic music. Katrina didn’t resist, nor did she avoid his shuttered gaze when he took her into his arms and held her far too close.
For several minutes they danced without speaking. Then, in that same taut voice, he said, “So silent?”
“Did you expect a scene?” she returned, her own voice as cold as she could make it.
“No, I suppose not.” His laugh was hardly a breath of sound. “You haven’t