Kitabı oku: «When The Lights Went Out...», sayfa 2

Chapter Two

Sharon abruptly folded into the chair from which she’d risen. “Uh, my knees are shaky from the excitement,” she said hurriedly.

“Good,” Kane said with a dismissive nod. “I like your enthusiasm.” Then he looked at Andy again. “Well?”

“Not that I know of,” Andy said, surprised. “Michelle is on maternity leave. She had her baby about six weeks ago. When is she due back, Sharon?”

“Next Monday,” Sharon said.

“Yeah, I know about her,” Kane said. “But it occurred to me that some women might keep their pregnancies secret for a while, and—and the more women we have who are pregnant, the more the child-care center would benefit us. So I thought—Why wouldn’t they tell everyone?”

Sharon blinked and tried to shrink down in her chair. She didn’t want to be a part of this conversation.

“I suppose they’re afraid it will affect their careers,” Andy said, frowning.

“Would it?” Kane asked. “I don’t want my employees punished because of that. What do you think, Sharon?”

“M-me? Uh, no, I don’t think women here are punished because they have a—a family.”

“Good. So if it’s not fear, why would they keep it a secret?”

Sharon knew why she was keeping it a secret. She didn’t want to tell anyone about what happened. She was single, which would raise questions. Besides she’d have to reveal her secret soon enough.

Then there was Jen. Her situation was awkward, too, since she wasn’t married. With Kane and Andy both staring at her, she said, “Maybe some women don’t have husbands, so it’s difficult.”

“Yeah,” Kane agreed, “but what if a woman wanted the pregnancy and, say, went to a sperm bank. Would she hide her pregnancy?”

Sharon thought he looked more intense than ever. What was going on? “I don’t know,” she muttered.

Kane sighed. “No. I don’t either.” He looked at Andy. “Let me know if you hear of any new pregnancies, okay?”

“Sure,” Andy agreed. He and Sharon remained silent while Kane left the office. Then he looked at Sharon. “That was strange.”

“Yes,” Sharon said, still tense.

“Here are the papers about your promotion and how much of a raise you’re getting. Look it over and we’ll talk later.” Andy said, smiling again.

Sharon stood and took the papers. “Thank you again, Andy.”

“Nothing to thank me for. You’ve earned it.”

She moved to the door, still unnerved by everything.

“Oh, by the way, clear your schedule tomorrow. Your project assignment will be ready tomorrow instead of next week. No time to waste.”

She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. Oh, my. Life seemed to be changing at high speed. She was getting her own project, had received a promotion…and she was pregnant. What else could happen?

She dreamed of Jack that night. It wasn’t the first time. After the traumatic experience of believing she was going to die and his saving her mind if not her body, it wasn’t surprising.

In fact, she’d welcomed those dreams, just as she focused on Jack every time she entered the elevator now. Those hours spent with him had changed her life in more ways than the pregnancy. She’d been intimate with him because of the comfort and courage he gave her.

She hadn’t let a man get close to her in a long time. Once she’d let a man get close, but he’d abandoned her, just as her father had, and had only reinforced her opinion about men.

Even though Jack had walked away when she’d needed him desperately, in the elevator he’d been there for her. So she felt him hold her close in her dreams.

But now, carrying his child, wondering what he would think about that fact, she found the dreams disturbing. She needed to shut Jack out of her mind as well as her life.

When she faced the elevators the next morning, she vowed she wouldn’t picture Jack in her mind. She could ride the elevator without his protection. Again she passed up the particular elevator where they’d been trapped. When she entered the next elevator, it was crowded. She tried to stay close to the door, but she ended up in the back because of the crowd.

She concentrated on her breathing, or tried to, but by the time she reached her floor, she was sweating and breathing rapidly. “Out, please,” she called desperately, wondering why these people weren’t moving when it was the top floor.

By the time she emerged, she felt exhausted and disheveled. She leaned against the wall, taking deep gasps of air.

“Sharon? Are you all right?” Maggie asked.

Sharon whirled around and stared at her friend. “Yes! Of course. It’s just that sometimes I think about—I don’t like elevators.”

“Who could blame you, after being trapped in one. Kane had all of them checked after your experience. I promise it won’t happen again,” Maggie said with a smile, giving Sharon a little hug. “Why don’t you go get a cup of coffee?”

“No, I have—I’m getting my own project to run this morning. I’ve waited a long time for this day.”

“Oh, yes. And it’s an important one. John Waterton is an important client. Good for you.” With a smile, Maggie moved on and Sharon drew a deep breath. She was okay, she was sure. Of course, now that she knew who the client was, her knees were shaking again. Everyone in the company knew about the Waterton account. Kane Haley had signed them on as a small project about six months ago. It had gone so well, Mr. Waterton had used Kane Haley, Inc., again. Sharon had heard rumors that this next project would be a big one.

Hers. It might be hers.

Excitement took precedence over fear, and she hurried to her desk. If Maggie was right, and she was always right, her project would be very important for the entire company. She would work closely with whoever was in charge to set up a budget, supervise the spending and pay out the funds.

She took another deep breath to calm herself. She wanted to be able to speak coherently, not sound like an idiot.

By the time Andy called her, she had developed a professional calm that would allow her to be at her best. She went to his office and entered with a slight smile on her lips. “Yes, Andy?”

“Come in. I’m going to take you to Kane’s office in a minute, but I want to prep you a little.” He had papers spread on his desk.

She pulled up a chair, eager for the details.

It appeared Andy had done a lot of preparation work on the budget and had set up the books.

“Kane wanted me to take this on, but I think you can do a better job. I did some of the preliminary work, of course, but you’ll be able to go on site and verify a lot. It’s just across the street, you know.”

“Doesn’t Mr. Waterton have a foreman who would take care of some of this?” Sharon asked.

“He used us last time because he had two projects going at once. Now he has several more projects going, that his own man is working on, but this opportunity came up. Besides, he has some questions about things his guy has done recently. This project is important to him. It’s big, Sharon.”

Yes, she could see that. And if he didn’t trust his man, she could understand why he wouldn’t want him on this project. But why not fire him?

Mr. Waterton would be a strange developer and builder if he was too shy to handle personnel. She couldn’t wait to meet him.

Andy indicated they were ready, and she followed him out of his office. She gave a prayer of thanks that they were on the same floor as Kane Haley’s office. Since Andy was in a wheelchair, he wouldn’t be able to take the stairs, as she always did between their three floors, and she didn’t want to arrive at such an important meeting with her wits scattered and her appearance less than professional.

When they reached Maggie’s office, she warned them that Kane wasn’t ready for them yet, and asked them to wait, indicating the comfortable sofa and chairs near her desk.

That was nothing unusual. Sharon took the sofa and Andy rolled his chair alongside her.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” Andy asked, like a mother hen hovering over her only chick.

“Not yet, Andy. I feel well-prepared for this job. Besides, if I find a problem, I can always bring it to you, can’t I? You’re not going to refuse to speak to me, are you?”

He chuckled. “You know I won’t. And Mr. Waterton is a good man to work for. I like him.”

A roar of laughter interrupted them, and they both looked at the closed door.

Maggie, with a smile, said, “Kane likes him, too. I think they’re becoming true friends.”

Sharon automatically smiled, but a frown replaced it as something in the two voices, fainter now but still audible, made her pause.

“What did you say Mr. Waterton’s first name was, Maggie?” she asked.

“It’s John,” Andy answered instead. “I told you that.”

“Oh, yes, right,” she agreed, still worried.

“But he usually asks everyone to call him—” Maggie began to add, when the door behind her opened.

“There you are,” Kane called out, obviously feeling good. “Andrew Huffman, Sharon Davies, I’d like you to meet Jack Waterton.”

Jack. The Jack of her dreams. The father-of-her-baby Jack. Thank God she was already sitting down.

Jack Waterton liked his association with Kane Haley. His company was up and coming and eager to please. He’d talked on the phone to Andrew Huffman and liked what he’d heard. Now they wanted him to work with a woman, but he didn’t have a problem with that.

He stepped forward and shook Huffman’s hand. They’d worked together before. He was a sharp man.

Then he turned to greet the woman. Very attractive, his mind thought, and he felt his body following the same line. His reaction wasn’t abnormal for most men. The brunette had long, light brown hair dancing about shoulders that topped a trim figure hidden behind her conservative dress. At least she wasn’t a siren.

He smiled and offered her his hand.

And saw her eyes.

Pale green. An unusual color. One that he’d seen in his dreams. Because they were the eyes of the mysterious Sharon. The one who’d disappeared after they’d been trapped in the elevator.

She stood and took his hand for a brisk shake. Then she stepped back, as if she didn’t like to touch him.

“Mr. Waterton,” she said stiffly.

“Make it Jack, Miss Davies,” he said in a friendly manner.

Kane slapped him on the back. “Of course she will, and you’ll call her Sharon. We’re casual around here.”

“Sharon?” he repeated, coming to a sudden halt. The woman in the elevator had had her hair pulled back into a bun. Had she been hiding all that silky hair that framed Sharon’s face? Could they be one and the same?

“Come on into the office. Jack has a few problems he’d like us all to discuss before he and Sharon settle in to detail the project,” Kane invited, standing back so they could all precede him.

Jack stared at the woman as she walked past him, cool as ice, never looking his way. It couldn’t be her. Surely she would’ve said something…well, maybe not. After all, what happened had been extraordinary and personal. Very personal. So personal that he hadn’t been able to forget it.

He dated, sort of, occasionally. Or maybe he should say he had liaisons. But the women always understood the nature of their relationships. He didn’t lead anyone on. He’d married once, and he didn’t intend to do so again.

Not that he’d led Sharon on in the elevator. She was frightened and panicky, and he’d tried to help her. He hadn’t intended to—no, he didn’t lose control with women anymore.

But he had that time.

And then she’d walked away.

Had it been a trap? Had she known who he was after all? Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as he’d thought her. She couldn’t have predicted that the elevator would stick. But it wouldn’t be the first time that some fast-thinking woman had used unexpected circumstances to trap a man into thinking with something other than his brain.

“Jack?” Kane prodded him with his voice. “You okay? Ready to talk?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He turned and followed the others into the office. Kane had said the woman had been with his company eight years. If she started just after college, that would make her thirty. She didn’t seem that experienced. In fact, in the elevator, if that was her, he’d thought she was probably twenty. Which left him feeling very guilty. After all, he was thirty-five, considerably older.

He eyed her again as he took a seat across from her. She couldn’t be thirty. Her skin was fresh and…and silky, he remembered, warm to his touch. Her lips were warm, too, luscious, blooming under his, and her body—he shook himself. Many more thoughts like that and he’d have to excuse himself.

In his dreams, he’d made love to her in a soft bed, both of them completely naked, able to take the time to enjoy each other. To repeat the loving, again and again. To—

“Mr. Waterton,” she began, her voice several degrees beyond frozen.

“Jack, please,” he said automatically.

“If you’re uncomfortable working with a woman, there are several men in our department who could handle—”

She didn’t get her offer completed before both Huffman and Kane objected.

“What are you saying, Sharon?” Huffman asked.

“Are you having second thoughts, Sharon?” Kane wanted to know.

“No, but I believe Mr. Waterton is.”

Oho. So she thought she could read his mind? Not likely, or she’d be beet-red from embarrassment. “Forgive me, Sharon. I was momentarily distracted. I have no problem working with you. And my men will be ecstatic when you visit the job.”

“I beg your pardon?” she returned, in even icier tones.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Am I being politically incorrect by noticing how beautiful you are? Don’t worry, my men won’t embarrass either you or me.” At least not if he threatened them. He cleared his throat. “Shall we get down to business?”

He picked up some papers he’d left nearby that Huffman had prepared. He had a few adjustments to make. He noted that Sharon, woman-in-the-elevator Sharon, had her pen ready and made careful notes as he talked. Andy, as he had asked to be called, made several suggestions, but Sharon amended one of those, improving it. She wasn’t afraid to put forth her ideas.

Good for her. Good for him. She’d do a good job…if she didn’t drive him crazy.

When they’d covered all the problems he could foresee right now, Kane wished them all luck and escorted them out of his office.

Jack looked at the other two. “How about I buy both of you a cup of coffee? My throat’s kind of dry.”

“That’s a good idea,” Andy agreed.

Andy wasn’t the one he wanted to talk to. He looked at Sharon for her agreement.

“I really need to get back to the office but you two go right ahead,” she said with a small smile directed to her boss.

“Nonsense,” Andy corrected. “You work too hard and it’s important to get to know a client. We’ll both join you, Jack.”

Jack was impressed with how quickly she recovered, but he’d caught the frustration and distaste in those remarkable eyes.

“Of course. Go ahead. I’ll stop by the office and leave this material. Then I’ll meet you there.”

Without waiting for a reply, she circled him and Andy and walked out of the office.

Jack led the way to the elevator.

“I’m glad we’ve got a minute alone,” Andy said as the two of them entered an empty elevator.

“Oh, why?”

“You worried me with your remark about her beauty. It’s not going to be a problem, is it? I mean, you’re aware of the sexual harassment laws, aren’t you?”

Jack gave the man a rueful, lopsided grin. “Yeah, I’m aware of them. I was momentarily overcome, she’s so damned beautiful, but I’ll be careful. You don’t have to worry about your baby.”

Andy chuckled. “I guess I was pretty transparent,” he admitted as the elevator door opened on fifteen and they got out. “But she’s worked for me since she got out of high school, and I’m protective of her.”

“High school? I thought she had a degree.” She might be beautiful, she might fill his dreams, but he expected a certain level of competence.

“She has her degree. She earned it at night while she worked here during the day. She has both experience and training, Jack. She’s the best I’ve got.”

Jack nodded. “With an endorsement like that, Andy, how can I go wrong?”

The man nodded in satisfaction as Jack opened the door to the cafeteria so Andy could roll in.

“You can’t, Jack. She’ll do a good job. Very detail-oriented.”

“You’ve convinced me. By the way, your prep work was quite impressive, too. If things turn out the way I think, I may turn over all my accounting work to Kane Haley, Inc.”

“Your suspicions are confirmed?”

“Not yet, but, unfortunately, I believe they will be. I guess the temptation was too great for Roger. I pay him a good salary, but he wanted more. I believe he’s falsifying the amounts and skimming. I just can’t prove it yet.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah. How about here? There’s room for your chair at this table. I’ll go get the coffee.”

He brought two cups back and was turning to go back for a third when Sharon appeared. It startled him when his heart seemed to leap with pleasure. It was those dreams, nothing more. “Sit down, Sharon. I’ll go get the third cup.”

“No, thank you. I’ll have fruit juice.” As he turned to discover the location of juice, she added, “I’ll get it myself. Go ahead and drink your coffee before it gets cold.”

She left before he could argue with her. “Is she always this independent?”

“Yes, she is. And did I mention hard-working?”

“You’ve sold her, Andy, I promise,” he told the man with a grin.

Andy gave him a serene smile. “Good.”

Sharon took a long time to get her juice, but she finally joined them. As she sat down, the loudspeaker announced, “Mr. Huffman, you have an important phone call.”

Jack watched her eyes widen in apprehension, so he wasn’t surprised when she offered to take the phone call for her boss.

“No, I’ll get it. You two go ahead and get acquainted.” Andy rolled toward the door to the cafeteria. Sharon watched him go as if she’d just lost her best friend.

Jack waited until she faced him again. Then he got straight to the point, afraid she’d run away before he did. And took hold of her arm to be sure. “We need to talk.”