corrected. ‘Not ordered.’
‘And leave my customers and all the people who depended on my grandfather and now me in the hands of…of…’
‘The enemy?’ he supplied mockingly when she couldn’t think of a word strong enough to describe him.
She chose to ignore his remark and his coldly sardonic smile, relieved that she had finally managed to slip the top button of her blouse securely into place.
‘What did you want?’ she demanded, more ungraciously than she had intended, because the way he was looking at her made every betraying little cell in her body react to him in a way she wasn’t at all happy about.
‘The last five years’ trading figures. Perhaps you could look them out for me, since you’re here.’
She swept over to the desk, jotting down the appointment in her diary with hands that shook. ‘Perhaps you could look them out for yourself since you’ve obviously given yourself licence to everything else in this building.’
‘Not quite everything, Grace.’ The way his eyes swept over her body needed no interpretation. ‘Not yet.’
She stood facing him, trembling with anger and frustration at his audacity. How could he even think he could say such things to her, let alone imagine that she would gladly leap into his bed? Though she was certain most women would. But, while she was battling to find a suitably cutting response, he said, clearly aware, ‘Are you going to fight me every step of the way?’
It was suddenly painful to swallow. Pulling herself up to her full height, which in her stocking-clad feet still left her well short of his six-feet-plus inches, she replied, ‘If I have to.’
‘That isn’t very sensible.’
‘Well, no. We both know I’m rather lacking in that department, don’t we? Or, rather, I used to be,’ she tagged on pointedly. One thing she had learnt from that encounter with him was wisdom, if nothing else.
‘Really?’ A masculine eyebrow cocked in disdainful speculation. ‘And I’ve always believed I was the one lacking judgement in that regard.’
His tone, with his opinion of the fickle creature she had been, still had the power to flay. But if he thought making love to her had been an error of judgement on his part, then it must have meant something more to him than just a feather in his cap, as he’d claimed that day outside the bank, mustn’t it? Grace reasoned wildly. She did not want to dwell on the fact that it was only her actions, and subsequently her grandfather’s in getting Seth dismissed from his job, that had fuelled his determination to make the Culverwells pay.
‘I think it only fair to warn you, Grace,’ he said, his next words emphasising that determination, ‘That if you continue to fight me then it’ll be a fight you’re going to lose. I can turn this company’s fortunes around or I can break up Culverwell’s piece by piece and sell off the most profitable areas at considerable loss to yourself and all those people you claim so depend on you. It’s your choice.’
There was no point arguing with him. He was clearly wealthy and powerful enough to do exactly as he said by stripping the company of its assets. And where would she—and a lot of people who would lose their jobs because of it—be then?
Walking purposefully over to the bank of cabinets on the far wall, she opened a drawer and pulled out the file he had requested before propelling the usually smooth-gliding drawer back hard on its runners.
‘There.’ Ignoring the masculine hand waiting to take itfrom her, she tossed the heavy file down onto the desk in front of him. ‘Is there anything else you’ll be requiring… sir ?’
Thick black lashes came down over steely eyes as he moved to pick up the file. ‘Just for you to control your temper,’ he said. ‘Much as I’m not wholly averse to a fiery nature in a woman, I much prefer it if she keeps such loss of control confined to bed.’
‘That’s just the sort of sexist comment I’d expect from
‘And leave my customers and all the people who depended on my grandfather and now me in the hands of…of…’
‘The enemy?’ he supplied mockingly when she couldn’t think of a word strong enough to describe him.
She chose to ignore his remark and his coldly sardonic smile, relieved that she had finally managed to slip the top button of her blouse securely into place.
‘What did you want?’ she demanded, more ungraciously than she had intended, because the way he was looking at her made every betraying little cell in her body react to him in a way she wasn’t at all happy about.
‘The last five years’ trading figures. Perhaps you could look them out for me, since you’re here.’
She swept over to the desk, jotting down the appointment in her diary with hands that shook. ‘Perhaps you could look them out for yourself since you’ve obviously given yourself licence to everything else in this building.’
‘Not quite everything, Grace.’ The way his eyes swept over her body needed no interpretation. ‘Not yet.’
She stood facing him, trembling with anger and frustration at his audacity. How could he even think he could say such things to her, let alone imagine that she would gladly leap into his bed? Though she was certain most women would. But, while she was battling to find a suitably cutting response, he said, clearly aware, ‘Are you going to fight me every step of the way?’
It was suddenly painful to swallow. Pulling herself up to her full height, which in her stocking-clad feet still left her well short of his six-feet-plus inches, she replied, ‘If I have to.’
‘That isn’t very sensible.’
‘Well, no. We both know I’m rather lacking in that department, don’t we? Or, rather, I used to be,’ she tagged on pointedly. One thing she had learnt from that encounter with him was wisdom, if nothing else.
‘Really?’ A masculine eyebrow cocked in disdainful speculation. ‘And I’ve always believed I was the one lacking judgement in that regard.’
His tone, with his opinion of the fickle creature she had been, still had the power to flay. But if he thought making love to her had been an error of judgement on his part, then it must have meant something more to him than just a feather in his cap, as he’d claimed that day outside the bank, mustn’t it? Grace reasoned wildly. She did not want to dwell on the fact that it was only her actions, and subsequently her grandfather’s in getting Seth dismissed from his job, that had fuelled his determination to make the Culverwells pay.
‘I think it only fair to warn you, Grace,’ he said, his next words emphasising that determination, ‘That if you continue to fight me then it’ll be a fight you’re going to lose. I can turn this company’s fortunes around or I can break up Culverwell’s piece by piece and sell off the most profitable areas at considerable loss to yourself and all those people you claim so depend on you. It’s your choice.’
There was no point arguing with him. He was clearly wealthy and powerful enough to do exactly as he said by stripping the company of its assets. And where would she—and a lot of people who would lose their jobs because of it—be then?
Walking purposefully over to the bank of cabinets on the far wall, she opened a drawer and pulled out the file he had requested before propelling the usually smooth-gliding drawer back hard on its runners.
‘There.’ Ignoring the masculine hand waiting to take itfrom her, she tossed the heavy file down onto the desk in front of him. ‘Is there anything else you’ll be requiring… sir ?’
Thick black lashes came down over steely eyes as he moved to pick up the file. ‘Just for you to control your temper,’ he said. ‘Much as I’m not wholly averse to a fiery nature in a woman, I much prefer it if she keeps such loss of control confined to bed.’
‘That’s just the sort of sexist comment I’d expect from
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