Louise Fuller – Kidnapped For The Tycoon's Baby (страница 5)
Nola nodded. Anna’s husband had recently been appointed as a consultant at one of Edinburgh’s top teaching hospitals. He was as passionate about his work as he was about his new wife.
‘Anyway, I left them yapping on about central core function and some new scanner, and that made me think of you, slogging away in Sydney all on your own. So I thought I’d give you a call and see how everything’s going...’
Tucking the phone against her shoulder, Nola rolled her eyes. ‘Everything’s fine. There was a bit of a problem this morning, but nothing I couldn’t handle.’
She paused, felt a betraying flush of colour spreading over her cheeks, and was grateful that Anna was on the end of a phone and not in the same room.
There was a short silence. Then, ‘So, you and Ramsay Walker are getting on okay?’
Nola frowned.
‘Yes...’ She hesitated. ‘Well, no. Not really. It’s complicated. But it’s okay,’ she said quickly, as Anna made a noise somewhere between a wail and groan.
‘I knew I should have postponed the honeymoon! Please tell me you haven’t done anything stupid.’
Nola swallowed. She had—but thankfully only in the safe zone of her imagination.
‘We had a few words about the budget, but I handled it and it’s fine. I promise.’
‘That’s good.’ She heard Anna breathe out. ‘Look, Noles, I know you think he’s arrogant and demanding—’
‘It’s not a matter of opinion, Anna. It’s a fact. He is arrogant and demanding.’
And spoiled. How could he not be? He was the only son and heir to a fortune; his every whim had probably been indulged from birth. He might like to boast that he said no to almost everything, but she was willing to bet an entire year’s salary that nobody had ever said no to him.
‘I know,’ her friend said soothingly. ‘But for the next twenty-four hours he’s still the boss. And if we get a good reference from him we’ll basically be able to print money. We might even be able to pay off our loan.’ She giggled. ‘Besides, you have to admit that there are some perks working for him.’
‘Anna Harris, you’re a married woman. You shouldn’t be having thoughts like that.’
‘Why not? I love my Robbie, but Ram Walker is gorgeous.’
Laughing reluctantly, Nola shook her head. ‘He is so not your type, Anna.’
‘If you believe that you must have been looking too long into that big old Australian sun! He’s every woman’s type. As long as they’re breathing.’
Opening her mouth, wanting to disagree, to deny what she knew to be true, Nola glanced down at her notepad, at the sketch she had made of Ram.
Who was she trying to kid?
‘Fine. He’s gorgeous. Happy now?’
But as she swung round in her seat her words froze on her lips, and Anna’s response was lost beneath the sudden deafening beat of her heart.
Lounging in the open doorway, his muscular body draped against the frame, Ram Walker was watching her with a mocking gaze that told her he had clearly heard her last remark.
There was no choice but to front it out. Acknowledging his presence with a small, tight smile, she closed her notebook carefully and, as casually as she could manage, said, ‘Okay, that all sounds fine. Send the data over as soon as possible and I’ll take a look at it.’
Ignoring Anna’s confused reply, she hung up.
Her heart was ricocheting against her ribs.
‘Mr Walker. How can I help you?’
He stared at her calmly, his grey eyes holding her captive.
‘Let’s not worry about that now,’ he said easily. ‘Why don’t we talk about how I can help you?’
She stared at him in silence. Where was this conversation going?
‘I don’t understand—you want to help me?’
‘Of course. You’re only with us one more day, and I want to make that time as productive as possible. Which is why I want you to have dinner with me this evening.’
‘You mean tonight?’
Her voice sounded too high, and she felt her cheeks grow hot as he raised an eyebrow.
‘Well, it can’t be any other night,’ he said slowly. ‘You’re flying home tomorrow, aren’t you?’
Nola licked her lips nervously, a dizzying heat sliding over her skin. Dinner with her billionaire boss might sound like a dream date, but frankly it was a risk she wasn’t prepared to take.
‘That would be lovely. Obviously,’ she lied. ‘But I’ve got a couple of meetings, and the one with the tactical team at five will probably overrun.’
He locked eyes with her.
‘Oh, don’t worry. I cancelled it.’
She gazed at him in disbelief, and then a ripple of anger flickered over her skin.
‘You cancelled it?’
He nodded. ‘It seemed easier. So is seven-thirty okay?’
‘Okay?’ she spluttered. ‘No, it’s not okay. You can’t just march in and cancel my meetings for a dinner date.’
He raised an eyebrow and took a step backwards. ‘Date? Is that why you’re so flustered? I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ms Mason, but I’m afraid we won’t be alone.’
His words made her heart hammer against her chest, and a hot flush of embarrassment swept across her face. She was suddenly so angry she wanted to scream.
‘I don’t want to be alone with you,’ she snapped, her hands curling into fists. ‘Why would I want that?’
He smiled at her mockingly. ‘I suppose for the same reason as any other woman in your position. Sadly, though, I’ve invited some people I think you should meet. They’ll be good for your business.’
She stared at him mutely, unable to think of anything to say that wouldn’t result in her being fired on the spot.
His gaze shifted from her face to her fists, grey eyes gleaming like polished pewter.
‘Nothing else to say? You disappoint me, Ms Mason! I was hoping for at least one devastating comeback. Okay, I’ll pick you up from your hotel later. Be ready. And don’t worry about thanking me now. You can do that later too.’
‘But I’ve got to pack!’ she called after him, the bottleneck of words in her throat finally bursting.
But it was too late. He’d gone.
Staring after him, Nola felt a trickle of fury run down her spine. Any other woman in your position. How dared he lump her in with all his other wannabe conquests? He was impossible, overbearing and conceited.
But as a hot, swift shiver ran through her body she swore under her breath, for if that was true then why did he still affect her in this way?
Well, it was going to stop now.
Standing up, she stormed across her office and slammed the door.
Breathing out hard, she stared at her shaking hands. It felt good to give way to frustration and anger. But closing a door was easy. She had a horrible feeling that keeping Ram Walker out of her head, even when she was back in Scotland, was going to be a whole lot harder.
FROM HIS OFFICE on the twenty-second floor, Ram stared steadily out of the window at the Pacific Ocean. The calm expression on his face in no way reflected the turmoil inside his head.
Something was wrong. He looked down at the file he was supposed to be reading and frowned. For starters, he was sleeping badly, and he had a near permanent headache. But worst of all he was suffering from a frustrating and completely uncharacteristic inability to focus on what was important to him. His business.
Or it had been important to him right up until the moment he’d walked into that backstreet café and met Nola Mason.
A prickling tension slid down his spine and his chest squeezed tighter.
Down in the bay, a yacht cut smoothly through the waves. But for once his eyes didn’t follow its progress. Instead it was the clear, sparkling blue of the water that drew his gaze.
His jaw tightened, pulling the skin across the high curves of his cheekbones.
Two months ago his life had been perfect. But one particular woman, whose eyes were the exact shade as the ocean, had turned that life upside down.