“A cup of coffee would go fine.”
“Black and two sugars, wasn’t it, sir?”
“Good memory, Stockton.”
“I try, sir.”
He rolled over and kissed her. Very thoroughly. “I like the way you try, Stockton,” he said.
Then he heaved himself off the bed, picked up his clothes and walked out of the bedroom. Which was not the bedroom designated for either of them. Tessa recollected her wits, which had been shattered by his kiss, and told herself to get moving, as well. If he could wander off naked, she supposed she could, so she picked up her clothes and made her exit from the bedroom. She didn’t see him on her way to her own room.
The hotel provided bathrobes, which was handy because she hadn’t packed her dressing-gown. She put on the terry garment and went to the kitchen to make the coffee. Having done that, she found Blaize seated at the computer. In his bathrobe. He certainly had fantastic legs.
“Thank you, Stockton,” he said as she placed the mug on the table. He didn’t look at her. He was concentrating on the monitor screen. Totally switched to business, she thought wryly, now that he was nicely relaxed.
“You can go to bed if you wish,” he said. “It’s been a very tiring day.”
“Thank you, sir. It certainly has been tiring!” she said, with truly marvellous aplomb, particularly since she had a maniacal urge to hit him over the head with the nearest blunt object.
She took a deep steadying breath instead. She knew this was how it was. There was no point in wanting anything different from him. It wasn’t going to happen. That was raw reality! But at least he wasn’t pretending anything different, like Grant Durham! With Blaize Callagan, what you got was what you got. However, she did have the satisfaction of knowing that he would be more careful about underestimating her from now on. She was not just a handy female body.
Tessa picked up her glasses, her hairpins and rubber band, collected her suit jacket from the chair and went to her bedroom. She hung up her clothes, washed her face and went to bed. All of a sudden, she was very tired. She was asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow. Either she was totally exhausted or her mind was at peace. Her sleep was deep, uninterrupted and dreamless.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Time to rise and shine, Stockton!’’
Tessa’s eyelids flew open. Blaize Callagan stood in the bedroom doorway, resplendently handsome in a navy pin-striped suit, emanating the air of command that she had come to associate with him. For one fuzzy moment Tessa thought it had to be a dream. Then memory slashed across her mind, sparking a tide of heat that clothed her bare skin in a rosy flush.
His lips moved into that quirk, which she could now identify as amusement laced with knowingness. “It’s seven-fifteen,” he said. “Eight o’clock breakfast. I let you sleep as late as seemed viable.”
Tessa found her tongue. “Thank you.”
He looked at her for a few moments longer, gave that small decisive nod of his head, then moved off towards the living room.
Tessa wondered if she had passed his standard for how a woman should look the morning after. She shot out of bed, wrapped herself in the towelling robe and raced to the bathroom. The vanity mirror reflected a wild mane of rich brown hair, a face that was ironed free of fatigue and blooming with colour, and eyes that looked brighter and larger than usual. But since she didn’t know what Blaize Callagan’s standard was, she couldn’t make any meaningful judgement.
Besides, it was irrelevant anyway. It wasn’t as if he had any intention of making her a fixture in his life. Tessa told herself sternly that she mustn’t lose sight of that. It was important to act accordingly. Pride and dignity and self-respect were all at stake here. Having never had an encounter before, Tessa wasn’t too sure of the rules, but she suspected that one didn’t refer to it unless the other party did.
Nevertheless, it was nice of him to let her sleep in, she thought, as she crammed her hair into a shower cap. It showed consideration. On the other hand, he probably hadn’t needed her for anything. She mustn’t fall into the trap of reading what she wanted to read into Blaize Callagan’s actions or manner towards her. Any kind of emotional involvement was out.
She had had four years of emotional involvement with Grant Durham, and where had that got her? Betrayed, that’s where! Betrayed and put down. She was going to keep her head around Blaize Callagan, no matter how lethally attractive she found him. She had only let him use her because she had wanted to use him. That was equality. She wasn’t losing to him. She was finished with being a loser. From here on in, she was going to be a winner.
Tessa turned on the taps, tested the water temperature, then stepped under the stinging spray. A lot of very physical memories came flooding back as she soaped her body.
Two nights, Blaize had said.
Tessa had to admit to herself that she was now abandoned enough to want another experience with him. Totally shameless it might be, but a woman could be pardoned one encounter in a lifetime, couldn’t she? So far she didn’t have any regrets.
On the other hand, it was better not to take two nights for granted. He might have only said that to win his way last night. Be content with what you’ve had, Tessa admonished herself. Expect nothing. She who expecteth little is seldom disappointed. Much nicer to be surprised.
Satisfied that she had worked out the correct attitude to adopt for the day, Tessa turned off the taps, stepped out of the shower and set about producing a professional image.
Twenty minutes later she stepped into the living room, every hair wound into an immaculate topknot, makeup subtly perfect, glasses on, her three-hundred-dollar dark red business dress making the most of her figure with a simplicity of line that shrieked class, her black high heels freshly shined of every speck of dust.
“Ready, sir,” she announced.
Blaize Callagan was standing in the doorway to the verandah, his back to her. He swung slowly around, a look of deep introspection lingering on his face before his eyes flicked into an acknowledgement of her presence.
“I trust you understand you are in a confidential position, Stockton,” he said, the dark eyes boring into hers with commanding intensity.
Pride tightened her face and lifted her chin. Did he think she was going to blab to everyone that she had been to bed with him? Fiery indignation sparked a glittering resentment at him, but she disciplined her tongue to the terse little reply that gave him nothing to be critical about.
“Yes, sir,” she said.