Surrender to Temptation by Ednah Walters Page A

her.”
    Nikki cringed. How had he known she was outside? Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and entered the room.
    Chase cocked his eyebrows, the phone pressed against his chest. “You make a habit of listening to private conversations, Ms. Savoy?”
    Nikki fought to contain a blush.
    “Only when the door is open and I’m the subject,” she replied. Chase smiled, blue eyes twinkling. “Will you forgive me if I apologize?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “For eavesdropping?”
    “And for my earlier rudeness.”
    “Is that for calling me a baboon or saying I was arrogant and lacked etiquette? Those deserve an apology on your knees.”
    “Can’t. Knee problems.”
    “What about turning my people against me,” he continued, the gleam in his eyes contradicting his disgruntled tone.
    “That’s not my fault. They realized you were being mean and I needed rescuing.”
    “Rescuing?” Chase burst out laughing.
    She smiled and glanced at the phone he still pressed against his chest. “Does your uncle still want to talk to me?”
    “Just a second. Have a seat.” Chase nodded at the chair in front of his desk and went back to talking to his uncle.
    When he chuckled, Nikki’s eyes moved to his lips. He had some seriously kissable lips. Maybe it was the lower sensual curve or the way the right corner of his mouth curled.
    Nikki shifted in her seat, not liking her thoughts. Chase Fitzgerald was gorgeous and utterly male, a combination that was likely to make her forget her objectives. She had expected a man she could charm or manipulate into talking about the past. Chase wasn’t that man. She had to figure him out. She turned her attention to his den as if the room might give her some answers.
    The room was very masculine, the scent of leather and old books in the air. Despite the presence of a desktop on his desk, it had an ageless ambience. Not much light filtered inside, making the jungle green and brown wallpaper and brown draperies seem even darker. Journals on horses and horse breeding filled the wall-to-wall bookshelf, and a large ebony table and black leather chairs took up one corner. The only thing missing was a fireplace and a dog warming itself at the hearth. She had to admit that the room suited him.
    “Why don’t you tell her yourself, Uncle Mo?” Chase thrust the phone toward her.
    Nikki reached for it, and their fingers grazed. She did her best to ignore the heat that slashed up her arm at the contact. Instead, she palmed the small black instrument and covered it so Mo Fitzgerald wouldn’t hear her. “How many assistants have they hired before me?”
    “Three.”
    “All of them females?”
    “Yes and some of them thought it was okay to go beyond their duties.” He rubbed his temple and scowled.
    She didn’t need to know the details, so she raised the phone to her ear. “Mr. Fitzgerald, Nikki here.”
    “I told you to call me Mo, dear. Is my nephew giving you a hard time?”
    He must have overheard their exchange. Her eyes met Chase’s piercing ones. He didn’t look away or act embarrassed because she’d caught him staring. She cocked her eyebrows and received a naughty grin in return. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
    Chase’s eyes narrowed as though she’d spoken to him.
    “I guess by now you know that you weren’t expected,” Mo said. “I apologize for any unpleasantness this might have caused you. I was acting out of love and concern for the well-being of my nephew. He needs your help, Nikki. You see, he had requested a male assistant, but we couldn’t find anyone willing to come out there at a moment’s notice. We were despairing when you showed up at our San Diego offices.”
    She wouldn’t say she’d “shown up”. She had manipulated the situation to get noticed. By their third meeting, Mo was practically begging her to come to the ranch. He’d told her that the ranch was the perfect vacation spot after Nikki faked a reluctance to cancel her “vacation” and fly out to