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think you should call your friend Connie," he , said quietly but commandingly. There really isn't that much to pack," Toni said as she turned to her desk and put several feet between them. Wow! she was thinking. No wonder Christian Barr was so adored by the ladies. He played the role of
    the gallant protector to perfection. She could just see him, hypnotizing his victims into a state of well-being, then pouncing on them when they least expected it. Well this is one female he won't get a chance at, she cogratulated herself. I've just been exposed to what can happen when a woman gives her heart to a man with a roving eye. And compared to Christian Ban, Steven is still in kindergarten.
    CHAPTER THREE
    Connie, hearing the commotion and becoming concerned for Toni, chose that moment to put in an appearance.
    "Oh, my!" she exclaimed as she stepped just inside Toni's office and looked at the large wet spot on the carpet, the scattered flowers, and the shattered vase. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed again more softly as she turned startled eyes toward Toni and Christian Barr.
    "It's all right, Connie." Toni smiled at her friend. "It looks far worse than it is, I assure you." She opened a drawer and began to take out her personal articles. "Could you possibly find me a box? Oh ... and would you call the janitor and ask him to clean up this mess? I'm afraid the weather's been rather stormy."
    "Of course," Connie replied faintly, then slowly backed out of the room, a look of disbelief stil! on her face.
    "I think you've thoroughly shocked your friend," Christian said with a chuckle. Without asking permission, he sat on one corner of her desk, then locked his hands around one knee and leaned back. "May I be so bold as to ask what brought about this ... er ... altecation between you and your fiance?" "Ex-fiance, and no, you may not ask. Why should it interest you?" Toni asked as she continued to remove her things from the desk.
    "Simple," Christian told her. "You're a beautiful woman and I have a great interest in beautiful women."
    Toni paused, giving him a narrowed look from beneath dark brows. "Somehow, Mr. Barr, that very flat-tering little speech fails to do a single thing for me."
    She returned to her task, either side of her generous mouth bracketed with annoyance. "I appreciate your timely intervention a few minutes ago, but now that you've done your good deed for the day, would you mind leaving? As you obviously heard and can see, I have quite a bit to do and a very short time in which to do it."
     
    "Oh, don't mind me." Christian smiled brazenly.
    "I'll just sit here, quiet as a little mouse."
    "Hmmm." Toni frowned. "Quiet you may be. But litte? Hardly."
    Damn the man! Was he so insensitive as to be getting some perverted pleasure from her present situation? Couldn't he see that she wanted to be alone?
    Connie's reappearance with a box was a much welcomed intrusion. She sat the cardboard container on the desk, her eyes darting from Toni to a smiling Christian. "There was no possible way to work things out?" she finally asked.
    Toni looked pointedly at the end results of the conversation between her and Steven, then shrugged. "I do believe the lines of communication have been irrevocably cut. In fact"—she pushed back her cuff and glanced at her watch—"I have exactly forty-five minutes to pack and leave."
    "I'm in need of a secretary," Christian Barr informed Toni with a devilish grin. "You could name your hours, plus travel extensively."
    "No thanks," Toni said, then regarded him suspiciously. "I've always been leery of jobs with glowing fringe benefits."
    "Maybe you should think about Mr. Barr's offer, Toni," Connie said. "Jobs aren't that easy to come by these days."
    Toni stared at the receptionist, not believing she'd heard correctly. But Connie was dead serious, her face a study of concern as she pondered Toni's future.
    After favoring Christian with a withering look, Toni tried to set Connie's mind at ease. "You do have a