Marrying The Boss Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes.
    Spencer pulled in a long breath. He’d
lived in Chicago for some months, several years ago on a medical
exchange and he’d enjoyed working in the city. He began to wonder
if somewhere he and Kate had met before. Maybe that was why she
looked as if she didn’t enjoy seeing him again. As if he’d already
let her down in some way.
    Her clear, vivid blue eyes were regarding
him with an odd mixture of wariness and lurking censure, as if he
disappointed her. How, he had no idea. If they had some kind of
history, surely he would remember. She didn’t seem inclined to
share her thoughts and he didn’t know how to tell her what he
saw.
    Her close likeness to someone else he’d
once cared for was uncanny. He couldn't get past it.
    He lifted a denying shoulder. He fully
intended keeping his distance, so it didn’t matter what she thought
of him. He compressed his mouth, shrugging inwardly as he folded
his arms across his chest and waited for her to speak.
    Talk to him ! Kate inhaled, feeling trapped
in his darkly critical gaze. Her heart thumped against the cage of
her ribs. Stop being ridiculous . He was her boss, nothing more, and he was
waiting impatiently for her reply.
    " Good heavens, what a really strange
thought." She managed a small, light laugh. "I’m not about to run
away. You simply startled me." She extended her hand. "Good
morning, Dr. Stelanos."
    " Good morning." Spencer watched her square
her slim shoulders as he enclosed her slender hand within his
own.
    The satiny softness of her skin he did
remember—too well. And the erratic beating of her pulse, leaping
like a startled bird beneath his questing fingers. His thumb-pad
moved absently against her warm flesh.
    Kate sucked in a sharp breath before
managing to remark brightly, "I’m glad we finally get the chance to
meet. I’m only sorry we haven’t had a more formal meeting before
this."
    Before the incident in his garden, her cool tone
implied.
    He saw the brisk professionalism swamp the
panic in her eyes. She had drawn a curtain, masking everything she
was thinking and feeling. Gone was the wary, winsome woman he’d
glimpsed in his garden.
    So be it .
    He felt a fleeting moment of regret at the
necessary change. But he also needed to keep their relationship
confined to the strictly professional. After all he and Jamie had
been through in the last couple of years, it was for the best.
Involvement with any woman was not on his agenda.
    Kate noticed his gathering frown even as his
long fingers tightened around hers, like he would never let her go.
His idly caressing thumb was doing strange things to her pulse
rate. Her heart went swooping through her chest, leaving her
feeling strangely breathless.
    Don ’t be silly . He’s a married man with a young
child and large responsibilities. She would do well to remember
that fact. Besides he seemed far too arrogant and very sure of
himself, very male and almost overwhelming.
    She felt a renewed desire to pull back and
escape. Before his gaze met hers and he could see the warmth of his
touch was affecting her as it had back in the garden.
    " Well, Dr. Martin." He matched her cool,
brisk tone. "Welcome to Mountaindale. I trust you’ll find
everything in order here. If there’s anything you need, you only
have to ask."
    " Thank you, I will." She knew he must feel
the rapid pace of the pulse in her wrist where his long hard
fingers lingered.
    She jumped, quickly retrieving
her hand from his grasp, a deep shudder running through her. No
man— not even
Eric —had ever
affected her in quite this way, confusing her ability to assemble
coherent thought with a single long look and a warm, devastating
touch.
    The new sensation was unsettling, especially
since she was going to be working with Spencer Stelanos on a daily
basis. She resolved to keep her distance from him as much as their
working relationship would allow. She linked her fingers behind her
back and waited.
    Spencer grimaced and removed his