An odd expression crossed his face. “No. I trust you.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to leave, but there’s a meeting I really can’t miss.” He put a warm hand on her bare arm and the heat seemed to transfer instantly into her belly, curling there and making her shiver. His effect on her upset her equilibrium. Having him out of the penthouse to give her some time to regain her balance would be just the thing right now.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Go on. Shoo.”
*
The meeting took an hour, hashing out how Global Strategies was going to deal with new government regulations that would affect Damon Defense Engineering, one of its subsidiaries. Afterwards, Ethan went to his office, put his feet up on his U-shaped mahogany desk and stared out the window, switching gears. He wished he were with Kerri. He could think of better things to do with her than having her unpack suitcases and look at corporate data. There was nothing wrong with The Lloyds Development’s financials. The only pressing matter facing the company was locating its derelict CEO, which Pattington was already working on.
Once Alex was back in town, Ethan could cut back and spend more time with Kerri. Make sure she wouldn’t have time to find some other man she’d rather be with.
The possibility galled him.
No other man would get Kerri. If no one had managed to snare her in all these years, it was their loss, not his. He played to win.
A man less attuned to his instincts and desires might have resisted her allure, but Ethan didn’t believe in fighting himself. His gut never pointed him in the wrong direction, and he wanted her. Partly, he was honest enough to admit, because she’d eluded him before.
Women came easily to him. He was usually the one who had to break things off, but Kerri required pursuit. If she truly hadn’t liked him he would’ve let her go. But he could tell she was fighting her own attraction, and his hunter’s instinct reveled in the chase. As well-educated, civilized and modern as he was, he couldn’t deny that aspect of his nature existed.
And how about her sad eyes? They have nothing to do with your interest?
Ethan quashed the thought. Kerri had looked a bit blue at the christening party all those years back, but maybe she’d been having a bad day or something. She no longer looked sad—nope, not at all—and Lisa was an old story. He wasn’t into Kerri because of some messed up need for redemption after what had happened with Lisa. It had torn him up and hurt his family greatly. He wasn’t crazy enough to go for a Lisa Number Two, no matter how hot she was.
He wrote a quick email for his administrative assistant. The second he hit “send,” his cell phone buzzed. With a frown, he picked it up. “Alex, what’s up?”
“Hey,” his best friend said, sounding tired. “I don’t think we’ll be back in town today.”
Ethan swung his feet off the desk. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing too bad, but Natalie got food poisoning.”
“Ah, that sucks. Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. Just in no condition to travel right now.”
“I can imagine.” With her stomach roiling, the last thing she’d want was a trans-Atlantic flight. “Well, no worries. I can man the fort a little longer.”
“Sorry. Oh, and we may get delayed a little bit beyond that. I just got off the phone with Rossi, and it looks like I need to take a look at operations in Rome and Paris before heading back.”
“Okay.” Rossi had sent an email to everyone in upper management, impeccable and professional underneath the dramatic Italian flair, and Ethan had seen it already. “Natalie doesn’t mind the working honeymoon?”
“It’s just for a little bit. I could deal with the matter from the States, but we’re already here.”
Nothing beat being someplace in person to close things ASAP. “You’re lucky. Most wives would’ve been pissed.”
Alex chuckled. “I always get the best. Anyway, let Kerri know that we’ll be delayed, but even with the work issues, we should be back in Virginia in the next two, three weeks. I’ll get my secretary to arrange for something better than a hotel suite. Natalie’s worried because she thinks Kerri might be returning to Hong Kong before we get back. Of course, I guess we could just fly out to Hong Kong to see her if we have to.”
“Ah, about that.” Ethan cleared his throat. “Tell Natalie to rest easy. Kerri isn’t leaving anytime soon.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Is that so?”
“For a couple of months at least.”
“Indeed,” Alex said in that “What have you done, my friend?” tone.
“Kerri’s working for TLD.”
“When did this happen?”
“This morning.”