wanting
to decipher. “Tell you what. Why don’t you get to know me and form
your own opinion?”
Get to know him? Annie swallowed. Now there was certainly a
dangerous prospect. Nonetheless, she nodded. After all, it was only
fair.
Mitch pushed the door open and ushered Annie
inside. Entering the cozy cottage made all of her reservations
concerning Mitch and this silly competition resurface in her mind.
She took a few halting steps toward the back of the cottage and
glanced at Mitch. “I’m beat. I think I’m going to go ahead and turn
in.”
Mitch nodded, seeming to sense her
skittishness. “Sounds like we’re going to need our rest. Les said
they’re expecting us at the packing plant at seven in the
morning.”
Recalling Les’s enthusiastic description of
what actually took place at the packing plant made Annie want to
lose her dinner. She winced and managed a wan smile. “You’re right.
See you in the morning.”
With that remark, Annie beat a hasty retreat
down the hall to the relative safety of her room. She shut the door
and sagged against it. Mercy, but this was awkward. How on earth
was she going to spend the next two weeks in this house with that
man? How could she possibly sleep knowing he was in the next
room?
Better yet, how would he? Annie recalled the
tiny couch in the living room and felt a pang of guilt. Even though
Mitch had kindly volunteered to sleep there, fitting his huge frame
onto that couch wouldn’t be an easy task.
In fact, Annie imagined he’d be more
comfortable if he gave up that idea altogether and made himself
some kind bed next to it on the floor. For an instant, she
entertained the idea of telling him just that, but then thought
better of it. Advising Mitch Hightower on how to sleep wasn’t her
concern. He was a grown man. Surely he’d figure it out.
Annie opened a drawer and retrieved a gown,
then padded quickly to the bathroom to begin her nightly ritual.
Knowing Mitch was just a few yards away made the otherwise mundane
task of washing her face and brushing her teeth nerve-wracking. She
hurriedly finished, then escaped back to her room.
With a yawn, she drew the covers back and
slid into the sumptuous bed. This was heaven, she thought dreamily,
her body relaxing into the cloud-like mattress. Considering the
hell se was likely to go through over the next couple of weeks,
Annie decided getting the bed would be her one perk. She frowned at
herself.
Why had she felt sorry for Mitch? It if
wasn’t for him, neither one of them would be in this position.
She’d be the head of Hightower Advertising, and Mitch would be back
at his computer company, working on his tan or whatever it was he
didn’t do there.
Well, Annie decided, remembering her promise
to get to know him, that was hardly fair. She happened to know that
Micronet was a Fortune 500 company. If he’d owned half of it, then
surely he couldn’t have been the idler the papers made him out to
be.
Still, Annie didn’t want to
entertain any good thoughts about him. Charming though he may
be—and she had to admit he was—unfortunately Mitch was still the
enemy. He was after her job. Her position. And, if he won his uncle’s cockamamie contest, then
she would be forced to start over somewhere else. Despite William’s
wishes, Annie would not stay on with Hightower if she lost this
campaign. It would simply be too hard. She let out a deep,
shuddering breath, and hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
As long as she watched herself with Mitch,
she would be fine. Deciding her best course of action would be to
ignore him, Annie resolved to do just that. Granted, it would be
difficult, but she’d had to do things that required much more
determination. Ignoring Mitch should be a piece of cake.
Mitch crammed the little pillow under his
head, muttered a hot oath, and searched unsuccessfully for that
elusive comfortable position. Why had he told her he would take the
couch? he wondered again. What warped personality had
to decipher. “Tell you what. Why don’t you get to know me and form
your own opinion?”
Get to know him? Annie swallowed. Now there was certainly a
dangerous prospect. Nonetheless, she nodded. After all, it was only
fair.
Mitch pushed the door open and ushered Annie
inside. Entering the cozy cottage made all of her reservations
concerning Mitch and this silly competition resurface in her mind.
She took a few halting steps toward the back of the cottage and
glanced at Mitch. “I’m beat. I think I’m going to go ahead and turn
in.”
Mitch nodded, seeming to sense her
skittishness. “Sounds like we’re going to need our rest. Les said
they’re expecting us at the packing plant at seven in the
morning.”
Recalling Les’s enthusiastic description of
what actually took place at the packing plant made Annie want to
lose her dinner. She winced and managed a wan smile. “You’re right.
See you in the morning.”
With that remark, Annie beat a hasty retreat
down the hall to the relative safety of her room. She shut the door
and sagged against it. Mercy, but this was awkward. How on earth
was she going to spend the next two weeks in this house with that
man? How could she possibly sleep knowing he was in the next
room?
Better yet, how would he? Annie recalled the
tiny couch in the living room and felt a pang of guilt. Even though
Mitch had kindly volunteered to sleep there, fitting his huge frame
onto that couch wouldn’t be an easy task.
In fact, Annie imagined he’d be more
comfortable if he gave up that idea altogether and made himself
some kind bed next to it on the floor. For an instant, she
entertained the idea of telling him just that, but then thought
better of it. Advising Mitch Hightower on how to sleep wasn’t her
concern. He was a grown man. Surely he’d figure it out.
Annie opened a drawer and retrieved a gown,
then padded quickly to the bathroom to begin her nightly ritual.
Knowing Mitch was just a few yards away made the otherwise mundane
task of washing her face and brushing her teeth nerve-wracking. She
hurriedly finished, then escaped back to her room.
With a yawn, she drew the covers back and
slid into the sumptuous bed. This was heaven, she thought dreamily,
her body relaxing into the cloud-like mattress. Considering the
hell se was likely to go through over the next couple of weeks,
Annie decided getting the bed would be her one perk. She frowned at
herself.
Why had she felt sorry for Mitch? It if
wasn’t for him, neither one of them would be in this position.
She’d be the head of Hightower Advertising, and Mitch would be back
at his computer company, working on his tan or whatever it was he
didn’t do there.
Well, Annie decided, remembering her promise
to get to know him, that was hardly fair. She happened to know that
Micronet was a Fortune 500 company. If he’d owned half of it, then
surely he couldn’t have been the idler the papers made him out to
be.
Still, Annie didn’t want to
entertain any good thoughts about him. Charming though he may
be—and she had to admit he was—unfortunately Mitch was still the
enemy. He was after her job. Her position. And, if he won his uncle’s cockamamie contest, then
she would be forced to start over somewhere else. Despite William’s
wishes, Annie would not stay on with Hightower if she lost this
campaign. It would simply be too hard. She let out a deep,
shuddering breath, and hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
As long as she watched herself with Mitch,
she would be fine. Deciding her best course of action would be to
ignore him, Annie resolved to do just that. Granted, it would be
difficult, but she’d had to do things that required much more
determination. Ignoring Mitch should be a piece of cake.
Mitch crammed the little pillow under his
head, muttered a hot oath, and searched unsuccessfully for that
elusive comfortable position. Why had he told her he would take the
couch? he wondered again. What warped personality had
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