through gritted, sparkling white teeth.
His name from her lips hadn’t had quite the sound he had wanted to hear, but, hey, Mitch told himself, anything was better than nothing.Any concession from her, however slight and reluctantly given, was a win.
“I do insist,” he drawled, wondering at the excitement shimmering through him over what was in reality such an inconsequential exchange.
She heaved a sigh, conveying impatience. The deliberate action lifted her breasts into prominence…and Mitch’s excitement level to uncomfortable heights. He swallowed a groan of combined frustration and self-ridicule.
Never, never had he experienced anything remotely similar to the feelings this woman so effortlessly stirred in him. It was damned annoying.
“Will there be anything else?” she repeated, minus the formal address, and his name.
“Just one other thing,” he said, plucking another sheet of paper from beneath the printout. “I faxed your former employer Friday for confirmation of your references.” He glanced down at the piece of paper. “I received this faxed reply less than an hour ago.”
“And?” she asked.
Leaning back in his chair, Mitch raised his head to meet her steady, confident regard. “Confirmation in spades,” he said. “One might even say a rave review.”
Maggie inclined her head. “Thank you.” Though her tone was even, bare of so much as a hint of smugness, her eyes glittered with the gleam of justification.
Mitch allowed her the moment of self-satisfaction, for he had harbored some doubt about the veracity of her credentials, and the verification of them proved she had earned it. Then, the moment over, he moved his hand, just enough to rattle the paper, and threw her a curve.
“Along with the superlatives, your former employer expressed his disappointment, surprise and bafflement at your sudden decision to leave the company.” Watching her closely for any reaction, he caught the slight stiffening of her body, the quick alertness in her eyes. “I must confess to my own share of curiosity as to your reasons.”
“I believe I’ve already explained,” Maggie said, her voice tight, militant.
“Ah, yes,” Mitch murmured, thrilling to the green glare of challenge in her eyes. “Been there, done that.”
“Yes.” Her reply came close to a hiss.
There was more to it than that. Mitch knew it as sure as he knew that winter brought snow to the Dakotas. Too much time had elapsedbetween the date she had left Philadelphia and when she had arrived in Deadwood. His gut feeling was that Maggie was on the run from something…or someone. He opted for the someone, and that the someone was a man.
“Will there be anything else… Mitch?” she repeated for the third time, her tone now hard, her eyes as sharp as shards of green glass.
Cancel any doubts, Mitch thought. It had to have been a man. If it were anything else, something unsavory or illegal, Maggie would be on the defensive, but she wasn’t. Just the opposite, in fact. Maggie was quick to go on the offensive, cool, collected and defiant.
Magnificent.
While Mitch itched to plumb the depths of her defiance, he decided to give her a break and back off for a spell. Besides, if he was a betting man, he’d bet the casino that should he push too hard, she’d shove back, just as hard, very likely with a charge of employer harassment.
The thought made him smile.
Maggie narrowed her eyes.
“You’re satisfied with the apartment?” The change of subject caught her off guard, as he had figured it would. She blinked again, drawing hisattention to her eyelashes, her long, lush eyelashes. “Everything in working order?”
“Yes, everything works.” She nodded. “And I’m completely satisfied with it.” She jerked, as if having just remembered something important, and made to turn away. “If you’ll tell me the rental fee, I’ll go write out a…”
Mitch stopped her with a sharp hand motion. He quoted the figure, then
His name from her lips hadn’t had quite the sound he had wanted to hear, but, hey, Mitch told himself, anything was better than nothing.Any concession from her, however slight and reluctantly given, was a win.
“I do insist,” he drawled, wondering at the excitement shimmering through him over what was in reality such an inconsequential exchange.
She heaved a sigh, conveying impatience. The deliberate action lifted her breasts into prominence…and Mitch’s excitement level to uncomfortable heights. He swallowed a groan of combined frustration and self-ridicule.
Never, never had he experienced anything remotely similar to the feelings this woman so effortlessly stirred in him. It was damned annoying.
“Will there be anything else?” she repeated, minus the formal address, and his name.
“Just one other thing,” he said, plucking another sheet of paper from beneath the printout. “I faxed your former employer Friday for confirmation of your references.” He glanced down at the piece of paper. “I received this faxed reply less than an hour ago.”
“And?” she asked.
Leaning back in his chair, Mitch raised his head to meet her steady, confident regard. “Confirmation in spades,” he said. “One might even say a rave review.”
Maggie inclined her head. “Thank you.” Though her tone was even, bare of so much as a hint of smugness, her eyes glittered with the gleam of justification.
Mitch allowed her the moment of self-satisfaction, for he had harbored some doubt about the veracity of her credentials, and the verification of them proved she had earned it. Then, the moment over, he moved his hand, just enough to rattle the paper, and threw her a curve.
“Along with the superlatives, your former employer expressed his disappointment, surprise and bafflement at your sudden decision to leave the company.” Watching her closely for any reaction, he caught the slight stiffening of her body, the quick alertness in her eyes. “I must confess to my own share of curiosity as to your reasons.”
“I believe I’ve already explained,” Maggie said, her voice tight, militant.
“Ah, yes,” Mitch murmured, thrilling to the green glare of challenge in her eyes. “Been there, done that.”
“Yes.” Her reply came close to a hiss.
There was more to it than that. Mitch knew it as sure as he knew that winter brought snow to the Dakotas. Too much time had elapsedbetween the date she had left Philadelphia and when she had arrived in Deadwood. His gut feeling was that Maggie was on the run from something…or someone. He opted for the someone, and that the someone was a man.
“Will there be anything else… Mitch?” she repeated for the third time, her tone now hard, her eyes as sharp as shards of green glass.
Cancel any doubts, Mitch thought. It had to have been a man. If it were anything else, something unsavory or illegal, Maggie would be on the defensive, but she wasn’t. Just the opposite, in fact. Maggie was quick to go on the offensive, cool, collected and defiant.
Magnificent.
While Mitch itched to plumb the depths of her defiance, he decided to give her a break and back off for a spell. Besides, if he was a betting man, he’d bet the casino that should he push too hard, she’d shove back, just as hard, very likely with a charge of employer harassment.
The thought made him smile.
Maggie narrowed her eyes.
“You’re satisfied with the apartment?” The change of subject caught her off guard, as he had figured it would. She blinked again, drawing hisattention to her eyelashes, her long, lush eyelashes. “Everything in working order?”
“Yes, everything works.” She nodded. “And I’m completely satisfied with it.” She jerked, as if having just remembered something important, and made to turn away. “If you’ll tell me the rental fee, I’ll go write out a…”
Mitch stopped her with a sharp hand motion. He quoted the figure, then
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