Shawna Delacorte – Falling For The Enemy (страница 7)

Paige leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, expelled a quick breath and composed her trembling insides. She began to wonder if accepting this job had been a bad idea, not the stroke of luck she had originally thought it to be.

A quick shot of panic raced through her. She needed to escape the mesmerizing aura of Bryce Lexington and the excitement that darted around inside her whenever she looked at him. She shook her head in resignation. As soon as they got back to Los Angeles she would resign from the job. There had to be some other way of digging out the truth about how he ruined her father without being in such proximity to this very disconcerting man.

And whatever it was she had to find it.

She took a steadying breath. She desperately needed to get control of herself. She knew she could not get on with her life until she was able to put to rest the painful chapter concerning her father’s suicide. She had to find closure for that traumatic episode and that meant eventually confronting Bryce Lexington. She took another calming breath, turned her attention to putting things away in the office, then went to her room.

It had been an exceptionally long day. Pangs of hunger battled with her yawns for control of her body. Dinner followed by some much-needed sleep were the only two items on her agenda for that night. Perhaps things would be a little clearer in the morning.

And maybe Bryce Lexington would not turn her reality inside out every time he looked at her. A little sigh of despair presented itself. Sure…and maybe some unknown benefactor would drop a million dollars in her lap, too.

She freshened her makeup and changed clothes, selecting a pair of black slacks with a red and white silk blouse and red shoes. The slacks had a matching jacket. An uneasy nervousness churned in the pit of her stomach. Even though she didn’t feel any concern for her physical safety, she didn’t trust Bryce Lexington any more than she trusted any other man. Trust had to be earned, not freely given.

While waiting for him, Paige took the opportunity to look around the flat a little more thoroughly. She wandered into the kitchen, opening the cupboard and looking into the refrigerator. There was some food, staples only, but not anything that would allow them to have dinner there.

“There’ll be some food here tomorrow morning.”

Again, the sound of that smooth masculine voice sent little tingles up her spine at the same time that it startled her to attention. Why did he persist in sneaking up behind her like that? No, that was an unfair statement. Her mind had been absorbed in her own thoughts and she simply hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen.

He looked devastatingly gorgeous. He wore a turquoise-blue shirt open at the neck almost the exact color of his eyes and charcoal-gray slacks. Her heartbeat increased ever so slightly. She fumbled for some words, anything that would relieve the tension rapidly building inside her. “Who takes care of this place when you’re not here, or do other people also use it?”

“Well, finally a question.” He flashed her a dazzling smile. “I was beginning to wonder if you had any curiosity at all.” He glanced at his watch. “Let’s go, Bradford. I’ll answer any questions you have while we walk.”

He had done it to her again, abruptly changed everything without warning. Why did he persist in doing that? An abstract thought crept into her mind, though she was not sure exactly where it had originated. Was this his way of testing people? Of determining if someone had what it took to be part of his fast-paced world? If so, it was certainly an interesting method.

Paige gathered her determination. She would show him that she was up to anything he chose to throw her way. She grabbed her jacket, then they stepped outside into the cool night air. He set a brisk pace, but not too fast, as they walked down the tree-lined street.

Bryce willingly filled her in on how the London flat, as well as all the corporate properties, were maintained. “I have a real estate management firm who makes sure the place is cleaned on a weekly basis. The flat is used by various company executives when they’re in London on business as well as by a few select clients. Everything is scheduled through Eileen so that there aren’t any embarrassing mix-ups. She notifies the management firm and they stock the refrigerator. I was originally scheduled to arrive tomorrow rather than today, thus no food in the refrigerator yet.”

As long as he seemed to be talkative, she ventured another question, one she hoped would lead her to some information about her father. “How many companies do you own? Your business interests, based on the four files you gave me to read, seem to be quite varied.”

Bryce studied her thoughtfully. He wondered why she would be asking something she probably already knew. Well, he could play that game right along with her. If he encouraged her questions, she just might tip her hand as to what she was really looking for. Besides, he didn’t have anything to hide.

“Ah, yes. My mini-empire.” He laughed. “You’ll find public relations and marketing information about all the companies in the computer. All you have to do is call it up and print it out.”

“You seem to be…well…surprisingly open about your business interests, especially considering that I’m barely more than a stranger to you.”

Bryce stopped walking. He searched the depths of her hazel eyes before speaking. “I like to think that people are basically honest and trustworthy, that they function in an honorable manner.” He could not stop the tinge of disappointment that surrounded his soft words. “But sometimes things happen that prove me wrong.” He shifted his gaze off toward the horizon, then started walking again. His thoughts had been about Stanley Franklin. He had not categorized Stanley Franklin’s daughter…at least not yet.

“From what you’ve said it sounds like ethical behavior is important to you in your business dealings. Does that apply to everything?”

He came to a halt and leveled a serious gaze at her, taking a moment to turn her question over in his mind. It was the second time she had brought up the subject of ethics. Was it a window into her hidden agenda? Something to do with her reason for being there? If it was, he hadn’t put it together with a motive yet.

Bryce finally answered her question. “I have a high regard for honesty in everything, not just business.” He continued down the sidewalk toward the restaurant.

Paige suffered a quick stab of apprehension as they walked along in silence. Was his answer really a warning aimed specifically at her? Did Bryce suspect she had been lying to him, or was it just a matter of her own guilt bothering her? In spite of the deception she had orchestrated, she was not usually a dishonest person. She shuddered at the contradiction between her actions and her beliefs.

“So…you feel that all business transactions should be conducted with total honesty and in a highly ethical manner?”

“Don’t you?”

“That’s a very admirable sentiment, but don’t you find that occasionally it’s just not possible? That sometimes you need to bend the rules a bit in order to get what you want?”

“Rules have the occasional exception,” he told her, “but I prefer to trust that most people are honest and ethical.”

“Hypothetically speaking, what would you do if you found yourself involved in a deal and discovered your trust had been misplaced, that the person you were dealing with was unethical and unprincipled?”

Bryce stopped walking again, stared her square in the eyes and gave a straightforward reply. “I’d break off the negotiations.” Without waiting for her response, he proceeded down the street.

Paige rushed to catch up with him. It was a conversation she was grateful to have ended, even though it was one she had started. There was something about his words that made her regret bringing up the topic of ethics and trust. Bryce Lexington was beginning to seem a little less like the villain she had painted him and more like someone she would like to know. And if the way he made her heart pound and the blood race through her veins was any indication, she wanted to know him intimately…very intimately.

She pursed her lips as she tried to get her thoughts back in order. She needed to reaffirm her dedication to her goal. The truth of what really happened between her father and Bryce rested somewhere with Bryce Lexington and she had to find it. Just because he said the right words didn’t mean he really lived his life that way.

She clenched her jaw. She didn’t believe those words, either. She couldn’t trust what he said without some kind of proof. She couldn’t trust him. No one who had achieved his level of success did it by always being honest and forthright regardless of his attempt to convince her it was true. She would find the proof she needed and would force him to take care of her father’s employees. She would find that chink in his armor no matter what it took to do it.

Three

Bryce and Paige entered a modest building on a quiet side street. It was a charming little Italian restaurant off the beaten path. The aroma of good food floated on the air. Music played softly in the background, just loud enough to be discernible above the buzz of happy and cheerful voices. This was a neighborhood establishment, not one for the tourists.