feeling through Anne so intense it robbed her of her breath.
Jerking her eyes away, she forced herself to finish her soup and reach for a piece of sandwich she didn't want.
"Why don't you get up and walk around awhile, Anne?"
Concentrating on eating the unwanted food Anne hadn’t Jud move away from the window and his voice, so close beside her, made her jump.
Impatience laced his tone as he snapped, "For God's sake, will you relax? From the look on your face, anyone walking in right now would think I had hit you."
Anne glanced up as he moved around the desk, his face and body taut with anger. He filled the mugs with coffee, picked up the cream, and raised his brows in question, his hands pausing over the mugs. She nodded as she stood up. "I'm sorry. You startled me, I thought you were still at the window." He handed her one of the mugs without speaking, his eyes, hard and cold, searching her face. Unable to withstand his intent gaze, Anne took the mug with a murmured "thank you" and turned away to retrace his steps to the window.
Anne gulped her coffee, tears stinging her eyes when the hot liquid scorched her mouth. What have I let myself in for? She thought frantically. How can I work with him if every move he makes, every word he utters unnerves me like this?
Jud moved to stand behind her, making deliberate noises as he walked across the room. Even so, when his fingers lightly touched her arm she could not repress a small shiver. He sighed softly, then said quietly, "Anne, look at me."
Anne stiffened, then forcing her unseeing eyes from the parking lot in front of the large factory building, she turned to face him.
"We're never going to be able to work together if you tighten up like this every time I come near you, Anne." Jud's tone was still soft, but a definite firmness underlined his words. "I realize this isn't easy for you, especially after my behavior earlier. But if you intend to stick to your word and stay, you are going to have to push your dislike of me to the back of your mind at least here in the office."
"Jud—" Anne began, but he raised his hand and interrupted, all softness gone now.
"Let me finish. I'm going to be under a lot of pressure during the next few months. Besides the work here I have a number of things on the fire in connection with my clothing business. I'm probably not going to be the easiest man in the world to get along with and I can't have you around if you're going to be this uptight all the time. I've admitted I need your help here, so I'll leave it up to you. If you can't handle it, tell me. If you're going to stay, you'll have to bury your resentment." He paused, his cool eyes raking her face. Then he snapped, "What is it going to be, Anne, go or stay?"
"I told you before I'd stay, Jud. I haven't changed my mind," Anne answered steadily.
"Good." His right hand was held out as he added, "Peace?"
Anne hesitated, then placed her hand in his, felt a tiny shock run up her arm as his hard fingers clasped hers, but managed a calm, "All right, Jud, peace."
The afternoon flew by even faster than the morning had and when Jud's phone buzzed around four thirty Anne was grateful for the opportunity to stretch while Jud answered it. She heard him say, "Who is it, Lorna?" then, "Okay, put it through." Then he held the receiver out to Anne. She gave him a surprised glance, but he didn't say anything, just smiled—mockingly, she thought.
"Hello?" She spoke uncertainly.
"Anne? Is that you, darling?" Andrew's voice came warm over the wire.
"Yes, Andrew. When did you get home?" Somehow Anne infused some warmth of her own into her tone, wondering why it should be so difficult.
"Just now, who answered your phone?"
"Jud's secretary." Anne said without thinking.
"Jud?" Andrew's voice had sharpened. "Jud Cammeron? When did he get back and what's he doing in your office?"
Anne sighed. Of course Andrew wouldn't know about the will and, by the way Jud's face was tightening in anger
Jerking her eyes away, she forced herself to finish her soup and reach for a piece of sandwich she didn't want.
"Why don't you get up and walk around awhile, Anne?"
Concentrating on eating the unwanted food Anne hadn’t Jud move away from the window and his voice, so close beside her, made her jump.
Impatience laced his tone as he snapped, "For God's sake, will you relax? From the look on your face, anyone walking in right now would think I had hit you."
Anne glanced up as he moved around the desk, his face and body taut with anger. He filled the mugs with coffee, picked up the cream, and raised his brows in question, his hands pausing over the mugs. She nodded as she stood up. "I'm sorry. You startled me, I thought you were still at the window." He handed her one of the mugs without speaking, his eyes, hard and cold, searching her face. Unable to withstand his intent gaze, Anne took the mug with a murmured "thank you" and turned away to retrace his steps to the window.
Anne gulped her coffee, tears stinging her eyes when the hot liquid scorched her mouth. What have I let myself in for? She thought frantically. How can I work with him if every move he makes, every word he utters unnerves me like this?
Jud moved to stand behind her, making deliberate noises as he walked across the room. Even so, when his fingers lightly touched her arm she could not repress a small shiver. He sighed softly, then said quietly, "Anne, look at me."
Anne stiffened, then forcing her unseeing eyes from the parking lot in front of the large factory building, she turned to face him.
"We're never going to be able to work together if you tighten up like this every time I come near you, Anne." Jud's tone was still soft, but a definite firmness underlined his words. "I realize this isn't easy for you, especially after my behavior earlier. But if you intend to stick to your word and stay, you are going to have to push your dislike of me to the back of your mind at least here in the office."
"Jud—" Anne began, but he raised his hand and interrupted, all softness gone now.
"Let me finish. I'm going to be under a lot of pressure during the next few months. Besides the work here I have a number of things on the fire in connection with my clothing business. I'm probably not going to be the easiest man in the world to get along with and I can't have you around if you're going to be this uptight all the time. I've admitted I need your help here, so I'll leave it up to you. If you can't handle it, tell me. If you're going to stay, you'll have to bury your resentment." He paused, his cool eyes raking her face. Then he snapped, "What is it going to be, Anne, go or stay?"
"I told you before I'd stay, Jud. I haven't changed my mind," Anne answered steadily.
"Good." His right hand was held out as he added, "Peace?"
Anne hesitated, then placed her hand in his, felt a tiny shock run up her arm as his hard fingers clasped hers, but managed a calm, "All right, Jud, peace."
The afternoon flew by even faster than the morning had and when Jud's phone buzzed around four thirty Anne was grateful for the opportunity to stretch while Jud answered it. She heard him say, "Who is it, Lorna?" then, "Okay, put it through." Then he held the receiver out to Anne. She gave him a surprised glance, but he didn't say anything, just smiled—mockingly, she thought.
"Hello?" She spoke uncertainly.
"Anne? Is that you, darling?" Andrew's voice came warm over the wire.
"Yes, Andrew. When did you get home?" Somehow Anne infused some warmth of her own into her tone, wondering why it should be so difficult.
"Just now, who answered your phone?"
"Jud's secretary." Anne said without thinking.
"Jud?" Andrew's voice had sharpened. "Jud Cammeron? When did he get back and what's he doing in your office?"
Anne sighed. Of course Andrew wouldn't know about the will and, by the way Jud's face was tightening in anger
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