Chapter One
Chapter One Three Months Later McKenzie locked the front door for the last time and took a deep breath. She wasn’t a weak woman or prone to tears — not ever — and closing this door meant opening another one. But … She was still walking away from a building and a career that had changed her life. For the better. Most people would say that career had been immoral, had enslaved women, and catered to the whims of the worst sort of men. She had to disagree. McKenzie had been on the wrong side of a sick man’s lust once, and she’d built her business on saving women, not enslaving them. Her deep desire to rebuild herself had consumed her for years after what her first love had done to her. It was hard to shake the trauma of that time in her life. But…no. She shook her head to clear away the horrid thoughts of her past. She wouldn’t go there, wouldn’t think of those awful days, those days when she hadn’t been able to look in a mirror for fear of what she would see looking back at her. Everyone thought she was experienced, a woman of the world, and that’s what she wanted them to see. Cool, calm, and collected, untouched by anything. But she’d truly been to hell and back. More importantly, she was still surviving the ride she’d been on for fifteen years. And now a new chapter in her life was opening. She’d said her goodbye’s last week, and a part of her would mourn for a long time to come, but a part of her was now free. She tried to suppress the guilt that thought brought to her, but it had been fifteen years, and it was time to let go. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, McKenzie. What’s your next adventure?” McKenzie turned to look at the real estate agent who had helped her sell the building. She was a nice woman in her early thirties, a woman who’d never had a hard day in her life. But then again, how did McKenzie know that? Just because the woman wore a pale blue suit and a small silver barrette in her hair, that didn’t mean she was as nice or as happy or as innocent as she looked. She could have a drawer — or a toybox — full of whips and chains in her apartment, and her fantasies could be of tying men up like dogs and making them bark. Everyone had secrets. It was only a matter of time before others discovered them. “With the profit I’ve made from this sale, I’ll be able to complete setting up the accounting firm I’ve been wanting to open for the past three years, since I finished my degree,” McKenzie replied. Shirley laughed. “Accounting, huh? I wouldn’t have taken you for the type to sit behind a desk and pore over numbers all day long. As busy as you always are, how did you manage to complete a degree?” Nosy woman, McKenzie thought, but that’s not what she said. “I started by taking night classes, then when my work here was more busy in the evening, I took classes at the community college in the day. It took some extra time, but I discovered I have a real knack for numbers.” “Well, I say that you’re far too beautiful to hide in a windowless room,” the agent said with another laugh. “Ah, but looks can be deceiving,” McKenzie told her with a wink. “And trust me, I will have plenty of windows. I like the freedom of opening them and feeling a breeze, even in this rainy area.” She handed the woman the keys and turned to lead them both to the parking area behind the building. “Yes, looks aren’t always what they appear,” Shirley said. That laugh again. It was delicate but oddly pointed. McKenzie began to think she might be right about Shirley. Not so innocent at all. The two women made it to their cars, shook hands, and parted ways. As McKenzie drove off, she knew she wouldn’t have contact with Shirley again. She wasn’t a girl-bonding kind of gal. As a matter of fact, the only woman she’d become close to since she was a teenager was Jewell Weston. Or Jewell Knight, to use her new name. It had taken McKenzie a while, but she’d now admit that Jewell was a friend. Most certainly. And she smiled at the thought, but her lips quickly turned down into a frown. When she’d met Jewell in that cold, rat-infested building last year, McKenzie had thought she’d been saving the young woman. Had she known at the time that Jewell was so innocent — a virgin in fact, and an idealistic one — she never would have brought her to Relinquish Control. Luckily, it had all turned out well, for Jewell at least, since she was now married to a wonderful man — well, a recently changed and now wonderful man. Plus, Jewell was now three months pregnant, and McKenzie had never seen her happier. Not only didn’t McKenzie get into girl bonding in the usual way, but she’d never been a baby type of gal, either. She’d never wanted to hold them, had never felt her biological clock ticking, and had never wanted a white picket fence, kids, pets, and the whole American Dream. Some said that made her abnormal. She chose to believe that it made her focused on what really mattered. But she couldn’t deny that she was excited at the thought of meeting Jewell and Blake’s first child. He or she was surely going to be as beautiful as the two of them were. McKenzie had even found herself shopping with Jewell for baby clothes the week before. They had run into Byron. That memory sent a shudder through her just as she pulled up to a red light. She hit her brake pedal a little too hard, locking her seatbelt against her and making her unable to move for a moment. “Byron Knight,” she growled. That man had been running through her brain constantly for the past three months — hell, he’d taken up shop there — ever since the night he’d shown up at her door, accused her of ruining his brother’s life, kissed her senseless, and then disappeared as quickly as he’d come in. She’d been furious when the whole disaster began, and she’d even lifted up her phone to call the police. When he started kissing her, her first impulse was to claw his eyes out. Then, after a few seconds, she’d melted against him. When he pulled back, the cocky look in his eyes — the arrogant bastard! — had made her claws come out again. But before she could strike, he was gone. She hadn’t seen him again until last week, and the look in his eyes when their gazes collided had sent strange sensations traveling up and down her spine. Absurd. Why was this man even a blip on her radar, let alone at the controls of what she felt? And what were these feelings? No, she wasn’t a fool. She knew that people enjoyed sex. Some of her “ladies” had even told her that they didn’t always have to fake their orgasms when they were on the job. But for McKenzie, her one and only sexual partner had been…horrific. She shuddered even thinking about it. But why was she thinking of Byron Knight and sex in the same sentence? Just because his kiss had heated her blood didn’t mean a thing. She’d been around overconfident men for years, and they did nothing for her. Byron Knight made no difference in her life, and he never would. Though she might be a friend of the intolerable man’s sister-in-law, McKenzie would run into him only rarely. Certainly not at her new accounting business, which would open its doors on Monday. He wouldn’t know where those offices were, and a man in his income range would have no need for an accountant like her. Big boys like him swam in another pool altogether. With any luck she’d never see him again. So what if she was attracted to the man — where had that come from? She hated herself for feeling that way. Out of sight, out of mind. That was her philosophy. If she didn’t see him, didn’t think about him, didn’t talk about him, then she would soon forget about him. It wasn’t as if he were hanging out with Jewell — he rarely showed up at Jewell and Blake’s place. So McKenzie was just fine. The stoplight changed to green — finally — and she made it to her street, pulled into the driveway, and walked inside her home. It didn’t matter how many times she shut and locked her front door. When she turned and looked at her modest living room, peace washed through her. It was her house, a house that she’d paid for completely. No bank could come and take it away like they had her mother’s home. Yes, McKenzie’s life had been difficult, but the baptism by fire — okay, baptisms in the plural — had made her stronger. She was who she was because nothing had been handed to her. She was strong and independent and there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. It was time to put the finishing touches on her business plan. Next week, her life would change forever.
Chapter Two
Chapter Two I think we’re officially in the black.” McKenzie took a break from staring at her computer screen and looked up at the smiling face of her business partner, Zach Sinclair. It really was too bad that she wasn’t attracted to the man. He was intelligent — one of the most intelligent men she knew, actually — and he could make her laugh. On top of that, he was single. Didn’t matter. She felt nothing but friendship for the fellow. Maybe she was broken. She was twenty-nine years old, hadn’t been in a serious relationship for ten years, and hadn’t been interested in being in one, either. There were plenty of men who had asked her out, but she turned them away. Her ex, whose very name still turned her stomach, had left quite a mark on her. She didn’t need a psychoanalyst to tell her that, and knowing when and how she’d been messed up couldn’t change how she felt. Oh, yes. They were in the black. “Did you ever doubt we would be?” she asked. “No. But most businesses don’t make a profit in the first two months. It usually takes years,” he replied as he propped himself on the edge of her desk. Their doors had been open officially for two months this coming Friday, and business was good — or better than she had pictured at this point. “That’s why we save for the rainy days, Zach. But we still bust our asses so we don’t have to rely on those savings.” “Well, don’t get too excited, sweetheart. We’re only in the black by a very small margin. We need to land more clients pronto.” “We’re new. It will take time for big clients to trust us, and to feel that we are not only competent, but better than all the other accounting firms. Until then, we have a lot to smile about, though, because we already have ten full-time employees and six part-timers. We’re doing better than most.” “Yes, that’s true. And I have meetings with potential clients every day this week.” “I was afraid to take on a partner, Zach — you know that. But you’ve given me reason to hope that some of you men are actually worth trusting.” “Ah, coming from you, that’s a real compliment,” he replied. “And we meshed well when I was your teacher in college. I knew three years ago that you were going places. I’m glad you took me up on the offer to open this place. We’re going to be the finest accounting firm in all of Seattle.” He’d impressed her with his teaching skills, and he still taught a night class two days a week, but to have his own business had been Zach’s dream. If she hadn’t been in several of his classes over a three-year stretch, she never would have had the confidence in him to go into business together. But she’d watched him do his job well, and then she’d shared a few coffees with him during his office hours when she came by to ask questions. It really was too bad she didn’t feel an attraction for him. But it was great that he’d never shown one for her. He was thirty-five, though he acted younger than she did on most days, and he had slightly wavy blond hair and green eyes. Most women would find him charming. She found him brilliant. The phone rang, and it rang again. “Beth is out to lunch. You’re going to have to take that,” he told her, and she picked up the phone. “Seattle Accounting, McKenzie Beaumont speaking. How may I help you?” “Hello, Ms. Beaumont. Dixie Pedmore here. I’m calling on behalf of someone who would like to meet with you today, if possible.” McKenzie looked down at her calendar, and today wasn’t the best day, but she didn’t want to turn down a potential client. Still, it was good to show people that she wasn’t available at the drop of a hat, that she and her time were in demand. “I’m all booked up today, Ms. Pedmore. Could we do Friday instead?” she asked. Friday was only three days away. The woman paused for a pregnant moment; she clearly wasn’t used to people who didn’t accommodate her requests. McKenzie had a way of reading people, even over the phone. When she hadn’t immediately agreed, Dixie had sucked in her breath, not loudly, but just enough for McKenzie to hear it through the phone line. This piqued McKenzie’s curiosity. Who did Ms. Pedmore work for? The woman hadn’t said. “Hold for one moment, and I’ll see if that will be workable,” Dixie told her, quickly recovering, and before McKenzie could agree or disagree, the woman placed her on hold. “Who is it?” Zach whispered. McKenzie held her hand over the mouthpiece in case Dixie jumped back on the line. “I don’t know,” she replied. “Someone’s secretary, I’m assuming.” A couple of minutes passed and then McKenzie heard the phone click as the woman came back on the line. “Thank you for holding, Ms. Beaumont. My boss said Friday would be fine. Meet him at noon on Friday at Cutters on the Pier.” “Can I get your boss’s name?” McKenzie asked, but the question got her nowhere. The woman had said what she needed to say and had hung up without even asking whether noon would be an acceptable time. “So what’s it all about?” Zach asked. “Who’s the potential client?” “I don’t know. The woman hung up. No contact number, no information. Nothing.” McKenzie shook her head in frustration. “Don’t go if you’re worried about it,” Zach said, a frown marring his normally cheerful face. “You know that’s not going to happen. I want this business to be a success, which means that I’ll meet with anyone and everyone,” she replied, and she took a few seconds to mark the appointment down. “Want me to go instead?” he asked her. “I thought you had meetings all week.” “I do,” he said, the frown still in place. “But I can try to adjust my schedule.” “It’s at Cutters, and I love the food there. And I promise you that I’ll be fine, Zach. I’ve dealt with a lot of less than pleasant clients before. I’m not worried about a business lunch at a public place,” she told him. “But don’t they have private meeting rooms there?” “Yes, they do, but they’re usually for larger parties. Even if I end up alone with the mystery person in one of those rooms, it wouldn’t matter because of the waitstaff.” “I don’t like it, but I’ll trust you to do what you feel is right,” Zach said before looking at his watch and grimacing. “I have to run, doll. We’ll have more time to talk about this later — before you go or don’t go.” She barely had time to tell him goodbye before he was rushing out the door. That was their lives right now. Fourteen-hour workdays followed by more work at home, and no days off. In the end it would be all worth it, though, because she would retire early, and most of the time it didn’t really feel like work anyway. She truly loved her business. Well, she loved it at least eighty percent of the time. Still, it was different from working at Relinquish Control. She couldn’t say she had been unhappy owning her escort service — she had enjoyed her time there, for the most part. But there had been too many girls who had been just like her, lost, afraid, alone. It had begun to really get to her. In this new business, she rarely even caught a glimpse of the people she managed. A client came in to request an accountant for their business, and she dispatched one. Some of the jobs turned into permanent positions, and some were temporary. Some were complicated and some easy. She was good at finding new clients, and excellent at matching up employees to businesses. Time would only make her and Zach’s business that much more reputable. This was going to be her year to shine. Pushing the unusual phone call from her mind, McKenzie looked back down at her computer, and she was immediately immersed in her work. Friday would come soon enough. She had enough to worry about without obsessing over an enigmatic phone call.
Chapter Three
Chapter Three Right this way, Ms. Beaumont.” The host was dressed impeccably, and why shouldn’t he be dressed that way here, in a nice restaurant located next to the historic Pike Place Market? When they bypassed the regular dining room, McKenzie’s stomach clenched just the slightest bit. She knew this potential client had money. Or if she hadn’t known it, she knew it now. It wasn’t cheap or easy to get a last-minute private dining room anywhere in Seattle, let alone one with a view Elliott Bay, Mount Rainer, the Olympic Mountains, and the Port of Seattle — all in one. Why would anyone with this kind of money be interested in her fledgling accounting firm? Who in the hell could the person be? The room she stepped into was large, but it had only one small table set up by the impressive windows looking onto the bay, and she knew right then that she had to have whoever it was for a client. This man — or woman — could bring her business out into the open. “I’ll hang your coat for you,” the host said. Excitement teamed up with nerves as he pulled out her chair and waited for her to hand over her coat and sit down. That accomplished, McKenzie wondered how long she would have to wait to meet this mystery person. He — had to be a male — most likely knew that she would wait all day if that were what it took. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten away with putting the person off for three days. It had been a silly power play, and it could have cost her a big client. She’d have to be more careful in the future. Would she have to do some serious sucking up now? “Might I offer you a drink while you wait?” “Yes, an iced tea, please,” McKenzie replied. The man vanished right away, zipped back in, and vanished again, leaving her alone in the room. This level of service was new to her. She’d made a lot of money over the years as the proprietor of a seriously upscale escort service, but the host’s behavior made it clear that the person she was about to meet had a whole new level of wealth, a wealth that only a few possessed. And though she’d made a lot of money, she’d had a lot of expenses. Luxurious meals weren’t one of them. A few minutes later McKenzie knew she was no longer by herself. Her body tensed, and she had a feeling she wasn’t going to be happy when she looked up, but even knowing this, she had to find out who was draining the oxygen from the room. And there walking toward her was none other than Byron Knight. She should have known, and maybe she even had known somewhere deep down inside, but she’d refused to even think he could be the man behind that phone call. Why? Because then she wouldn’t have come, and she desperately wanted this client’s business. Call it her competitive nature, or her will to survive, but all she knew for sure was that she had to make it in Seattle’s business world — in a business not involving sex — and Byron Knight had a lot of wealth that she wanted a piece of. “I see you found the restaurant all right,” Byron said as he walked up beside her, pausing before he moved to the place across from her and sat down. When his knees brushed hers under the table, she cursed the intimate setting and scooted back a couple of inches. Sure, it would make eating a bit more difficult, but if she were touching him during the entire meal, she wouldn’t be able to eat anything anyway. She didn’t bother to respond to his remark about finding the place. It was in downtown Seattle. Even a tourist could find the restaurant. So she cut to the chase. “Why all the secrecy, Byron?” He smiled before answering her question with one his own. “Would you have come had you known it was me?” McKenzie lifted her glass and took a sip before looking him in the eyes. Never show weakness, she said to herself, and she made sure she had on her most businesslike mask. She rarely wore any other one, but she found herself struggling a bit this time. “Of course I would have,” she finally told him. “Very good, McKenzie. I almost believe that.” A waiter now spoke. “Would you like the appetizers brought out, sir?” “Yes, please. And I’ll have iced tea to drink, too,” Byron said, surprising her. “What? No alcohol at high noon?” she said, only the slightest mockery in her voice. But she hoped he remembered his boozed-up condition the last time they met. If he did, he didn’t show it. “I don’t want you to accuse me of being inebriated while we have a business discussion,” he fired back. “And didn’t you know that the three-martini lunch went out of style before you were even born?” “Why am I here, Byron? Are you wasting my time?” Why not be blunt? The waiter set down his tea before disappearing again, presumably to grab the first course, which Byron had clearly ordered in advance. “Not at all, McKenzie,” came his easy reply. “Our head accountant has had an unfortunate accident and is out of the offices for the next thirty days — at a minimum. So I find myself in a pinch, and I’ve heard good things about your company.” Several plates of food appeared magically on the table, and even though McKenzie was tense, she couldn’t help but appreciate the sweet aromas drifting up to her nose. “And you want to hire us?” she asked. “Don’t be afraid to have a little — it’s not as if you have to worry about calories,” he said. “We might as well eat to keep up our strength.” The jerk thrust a plate toward her even though she could have easily reached it by herself. But a woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do. She took a little of the calamari misto, some of the fried cheddar curds, and a few mussels. With so many hors d’oeuvres, she wouldn’t have any room left in her stomach for anything else, but this meeting might not last long enough for her to reach the main course anyway. It all depended on what sort of game he was playing. Byron filled a plate for himself and devoted a little time to nibbling before he spoke again. “I want to hire you, McKenzie.” She didn’t miss the emphasis on you, but she chose to ignore it. Or to pretend to. “Why don’t you tell me about the project? I can tell you then if I think our company would be a good fit,” she said. She was proud of herself, and of her composure. If she was bewitched, bothered, and bewildered, she knew she wasn’t showing it. The story of her life. For the next few minutes, Byron explained the needs of this branch of the family business, and McKenzie’s mouth practically watered. This was the perfect sort of job. It was filled with challenges, and Knight Construction was so diversified — it had its hands in so many pieces of the corporate pie — that it wasn’t just run-of-the-mill accounting work. It would take a sharp mind to cut through everything, and she had that in spades. “Our company is more than qualified to help you,” she told him. “It sounds as if these last few months have been…difficult…in some parts of the family firm.” “Not at all. But my brothers and I tend to go out to a lot of the job sites, where we can swing a hammer and get back to the basics. We do it on the assumption that we’ve hired a responsible enough team to do their work, and when we come back into the offices, things sometimes haven’t gone as well as we’d hoped. That’s why I’m stuck at the desk for a while. It doesn’t help that our accountant had a boating accident. But that’s what your company is there for, correct? To come in and perform when needed?” The way he said the words, she was sure there was a double meaning, but his tone stayed level and his expression didn’t change. She wanted to call him on it, but then she would look petty. Instead she sat there silently for a moment while she thought of a proper response. “Yes, of course. We can come in when you need a temporary accountant while another goes on vacation, or we can solve problems, or we can come in more permanently. Whatever the needs are, my goal at Seattle Accounting is to ensure you will use us each time.” She nearly flinched at that last line, especially when his eyes twinkled. She really needed to be a lot more careful with what she said, and how she said it. “Well, with all the challenges of new projects, and overseas operations, our accounting team has been working nonstop. Because the head of the department has been out for the past week, it’s gotten chaotic, but it’s been like that for a while anyway with the turnover I mentioned in the department. I really hate to say this, but at some of our operations we’re not even sure who we can trust.” I know that feeling, McKenzie said to herself. “So I need you to start on Monday,” Byron told her, “and it will be a very long week.” “I know the perfect person to send over. He’s been able to solve problems that uncountable high-level clients deemed unsolvable, and he’s saved their businesses and their reputations.” This would be the answer! McKenzie actually felt excited about things. She would be helping behind scenes of course. There was no way she didn’t want to get her hands on this. “That won’t work for me,” Byron said, and he took a bite of his salad. His voice didn’t change. It was firm, but not unkind. “I haven’t even given you his résumé yet. I can fax it over right after lunch,” McKenzie said. What was going on here? How could he turn down her accountant without knowing the fellow’s qualifications? “I said I want you, McKenzie.” She paused as she heard what he was saying. “I don’t go to work sites, Byron. Of course I am involved in all operations, but I have my own business to run,” she told him. “That’s why I hire capable employees and place them where they’re needed.” He just shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll have to go somewhere else.” She paused before speaking, not wanting to sound desperate, but also not wanting to lose this job. “Why don’t you just look over Jim Dallinger’s dossier? I assure you, Byron, he’s as qualified as I am, if not more so.” “I won’t argue this point. Either I get you or there’s no deal.” The waiter could probably feel the tension rolling off of her in waves as he replaced her barely touched salad with a cup of clam chowder. “Did you order the entire meal?” she asked. She expressed enough vexation in her voice to show him she wasn’t pleased, but she was always careful. She knew better than to become over-the-top rude. Always keep them guessing. “Yes, I did,” he replied, a challenge in his tone. “Luckily, I’ve enjoyed the meal…so far,” she said, and she took a spoonful of the soup. She’d lost her pleasure in the food, though, as her irritation levels grew. The SOB’s appetite wasn’t ruined in the least. “I don’t think they serve anything that’s less than stellar here, McKenzie.” After throwing her an annoying grin, he dug into his own chowder. “How long are you expecting me to be the one working in your offices?” McKenzie finally asked when it was obvious he wasn’t going to speak again until she did. “Until the job is finished.” “That isn’t telling me much. What if this emergency ends up going over a month? I can’t leave my business that long. I could possibly fill in for a couple of weeks, maybe even a month, but there’s no way I would be able to work past that,” she said. If he wanted more of her time, she’d just have to turn down this job. What good would her company’s reputation be if it fell apart because she was working for him and not herself? “I think thirty days would be sufficient,” he said. It was his first compromise of the day. “And if your current head of accounting isn’t in better health by then?” she pushed. She needed him to agree to thirty days max, or she wasn’t going to go along with this. “At that time, I suppose, I’ll consider having one of your employees come in.” “Is there a chance that one of my employees could come in sooner than the thirty days?” He paused for several moments as he looked at her. “Anything is possible, McKenzie,” he said before giving her a wicked smile. “If my goals have been accomplished sooner, we will discuss other employment options.” What in the hell did that mean? She wanted to shout out, Then why not now? But again, a tantrum wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Something in his expression really pissed her off, but she didn’t want to go there. So her voice dripped honey when she said, “Thank you.” If only she could attract the bees to come and sting him. His smile widened as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Damn him. “Now that the initial hard work is done, I will order some wine to go with our main course,” Byron said, holding up his hand. And the waiter practically appeared in a puff. Their soup was taken away and placed before her was grilled Alaskan king salmon and a glass of fruity Pinot Noir. With the possibility of gaining a big client but not being locked to Byron’s side for an unlimited time, her appetite returned, and she thanked the waiter. It was too much of a stretch to thank Byron. She hated presumptuous men like him. Where did the guy come off thinking she wasn’t intelligent enough to order her own meal? She happened to like salmon — wild salmon, of course — but what if she hadn’t been a seafood fan? Did he expect her to eat the meal anyway? Most likely. That was what men like Byron Knight always expected — for a woman just to give in to what they wanted. The two of them filled the next little while with more precise questions and answers about his accounting problems, and then it was finally time to go. Even though the meal had been fantastic, the company hadn’t been exactly pleasant, and McKenzie had a whole heck of a lot to do the rest of the day and all weekend, for that matter, if she wanted to get any sleep at all while working in the Knight brothers’ building instead of her own. She really should have turned him down, but having a client like Knight Construction would look very good in her advertisements. This would mean she could hire more employees, could make a lot more money, and could build a solid reputation in Seattle for being the best of the best. She’d been working toward that goal for seven years, and this time it would be in a respectable business. She stood up, not caring if she should have waited for Byron to stand first. She was done with business and more than done with him as company. Byron didn’t take long to stand after she did. When he held up his hand again and had the waiter bring her coat over to him, she pushed back more irritation. But why was the man giving her coat to Byron instead of to her? Okay, the guy was just doing his job, so she chose not to snap at him. “Thank you,” Byron said, dismissing the man. “We’re finished here.” And McKenzie was left alone with the enemy. “I appreciate it that you came to us for your needs,” McKenzie said, and she held out a hand. “You know why I came to you, McKenzie.” His tone had changed, and his eyes were burning into hers. “Because I’m the best at my job.” She refused to play any games with this man. She considered herself worldly and experienced, but he made her feel like… Like what? Like a kitten? A little kitten with claws she didn’t know how to use yet. “Yes, and because I have unfinished business with you,” Byron said. “What unfinished business are you talking about?” He stepped up close to her, his lips a firm line. He didn’t touch her, but he didn’t need to. This man commanded a room no matter where he was or who he was with — just as he was commanding her feet to stay firmly planted right there where they were. She didn’t like it one little bit. “You messed with my family,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to figure you out and find out if you have an ulterior motive for screwing with Blake.” McKenzie gasped, too stunned for several moments to say a word. When she was finally able to speak, the words came out barely above a whisper. “Is this job fake?” She was finally able to take a step back. “Not at all. If you please me in your work, I’ll back off. But I want to know what makes you tick. I don’t believe in lying and I’m not the easiest person to work for. So, if you can’t take the heat…” He left the sentence unfinished. He moved a step closer to match every step she took back until she found herself against the windows. “Why should I take this job? From what you’ve said, it’s a losing battle, at least for me.” She sounded angry, but she was angriest at the slightly breathless quality in her tone. “If you’re who I think you are, then, yes, you’ll lose.” At least he was straightforward. But so was she. “Then I shouldn’t take the job,” she said. “The choice is yours.” She firmed her shoulders. “I don’t play games, Byron,” she told him. Managing to step around him and free herself from his gaze, she looked out at the picturesque view over the bay. “Neither do I,” he said. His hand came up to her shoulder and he turned her around to face him again. Her heart was in her throat. She had no doubt that she should walk away, but the pay was great, and the reality was that she had nothing to hide, so there was no way for this man to hurt her. So, he would be the one losing this battle here, not her. If she backed down now, he would think she was up to something. Why was it that when a person looked at you as if you were guilty, it made you shift on your feet, even when you hadn’t committed the crime? She’d probably never have the answer to that. Looking him in the eye, her back straight, she made her decision. “Then we have an understanding.” Her voice was firm. “I guess we do. Let’s seal the deal.” McKenzie knew exactly how he planned on sealing the deal, and she was damned if she was going to let that happen. Stepping sideways, she managed to get away from his grasp, and after putting an appropriate distance between them, she stuck out her hand. Byron smiled, though that smile certainly didn’t show up in his eyes, and finally he reached out and took her fingers. But instead of offering a handshake like a normal person did, he held tightly to them and then he was raising her hand to his lips and placing a kiss on her palm. “I look forward to Monday,” he said, still holding her hand close to his mouth. “You can release me now,” she said, her face blank, though she refused to break eye contact. “Are you sure you want me to?” “You’re an arrogant bastard, aren’t you?” she asked sweetly, her lips turning up in a mocking smile. His eyes widened just the slightest at her remark, and then a true smile flitted to his glorious lips, shocking her more than anything else he’d done. “That I am, Ms. Beaumont; that I am,” he said. He released her at last, and she fled the restaurant before he could say or do anything else. When she felt she was far enough away to breathe, she stopped and leaned against a wall. What in the world had she just gotten herself into?
Chapter Four
Chapter Four Had she ruined the tile in her accounting firm’s foyer? McKenzie had definitely given it a beating when she walked inside. She blew past her secretary and was thinking about slamming her door shut. It took all her legendary self-control to keep from doing so. Still, she got a measure of satisfaction as she took out her foul mood on her purse by tossing it into one of the empty chairs with a little extra vigor. She stormed around her desk and sank into her seat. She leaned forward and closed her eyes, resting her forehead on her hands and taking a deep breath. She was out of sorts, to put it mildly, and more than a little frustrated. She knew she should have turned down the job, but it was too good to be true. Which meant that it probably was going to come back and bite her in the ass — hard! “Meeting went well, I see.” McKenzie growled before she looked up and tried to give a semblance of a smile to Zach as he perched on her desk. The guy had never even heard of knocking. “I do have chairs, you know,” she told him, but it was something she had said many times before. He didn’t seem to like chairs, and that was just one of his many endearing quirks. “And how’s this for another hint, Zach? I don’t want to talk about the meeting.” “You know, darling, that we’re going to banter back and forth for several minutes while you pretend you don’t need anyone, including me, and then you’ll finally cave in and tell me all about it. So why don’t we just skip the routine? It won’t kill you to come right to the point. Inquiring minds want to know.” She growled again. She knew he was right, but knowing he was right didn’t make her want to share anything with him. But if she didn’t get this off her chest, she might just go out of her mind. She reasoned with herself that he was her business partner and therefore had a right to the information. It wasn’t as if she were acting weak by telling him what was happening. Plus, she didn’t have to fill him in on the sexual-tension part of the story. Everyone in the business world knew that the Knight brothers had a reputation for being a pain in the ass to work with. Those men thought they were gods. “Come on, McKenzie, how did the meeting go? Who was it? Please tell me that we are going to bring in more riches than we could ever possibly spend in our lifetime.” “It was a horrible meeting,” she grumbled. “Well, we’ve had failed meetings before. Just because we didn’t get this one client doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. My meeting went well, even though it was just a mom-and-pop place. We will make this work.” Zach was ever the optimist. “We did get the job.” Why she was fighting a panic attack she didn’t know. Byron was a dirtbag — a true kick-you-when-you-are-down sort of man — but he wasn’t going to force her into doing anything she didn’t want to do. Maybe that was the problem. She was worried that she would want to do lots of things with him. Things she most certainly would regret. “All right, sugar britches. I’d never even try to decipher the female mind, but I have to ask you this: Why aren’t you a lot happier about obtaining another client? Until now, I thought it was just small-potatoes stuff that you considered a waste of our time.” “He has demanded that I work there personally,” she groused, finally making eye contact with Zach. His jaw dropped and he was for once silent, if only for a moment. “How in the world will this place run if you’re working at a job site?” he asked her. A bit of worry had crept into his usually bright eyes. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m frustrated,” she said, her voice rising and her hands lifting into the air. She’d barely fought back the urge to yell. “Um…do we need this client that badly? Who in the heck is it?” Zach asked, rapidly regaining his composure. Good for him. “Knight Construction.” She didn’t need to add more. The name was powerful in itself. Her partner was quiet as he thought over the different options. She could practically see the wheels turning. If one of the Knight brothers wanted McKenzie to work there in person, that’s exactly what would happen. You just didn’t turn down clients like them. And she and Zach both knew it. “We do have very good employees, McKenzie. Did you point that out to him?” “Of course I pointed it out to him, dammit.” “I just had to ask,” Zach said in self-defense. She had to tell him something or he was going to be spinning for a while. This wasn’t their typical situation. “I…uh…kind of have some personal business with him from a previous job. I guess he figures he’s killing two birds with one stone.” Was she giving anything away in her voice? She hoped not. She didn’t want Zach to go from point A to point Z in a matter of milliseconds with his own fantastic conclusions. “Personal…or business?” he said slowly. McKenzie Beaumont never shared anything personal with anyone. Okay, except for maybe little tiny snippets with Jewell, but even that was rare. Zach very much knew this, so she was a bit peeved with his pushing the personal and business words she’d hurriedly put together, but she had sort of opened up that jar. “Does it really matter?” she said with a huff. “He thinks it’s personal. I don’t.” “Okay, you’re going to play things close to your vest. That’s what you always do, but I think you should really think about this. Yes, we could use the boost we’d get from having a client as powerful as Knight Construction, but it could also kill us if this man has some private agenda against you. If he disses our business, we’ll be royally screwed.” Zach was always the voice of reason, and McKenzie thought about his words for a moment before speaking. “Byron Knight is an ass of the highest order — or lowest order.” Damn. She really didn’t want to be thinking about his ass. “And though he’s gunning for me, I don’t think he’s unethical in business. If I do the job well, which of course I will, I seriously doubt he’ll slander us. My working there will bring us in a lot of money for the actual job, and then word of mouth will help our company immeasurably,” she said. And she tried not to think about Byron’s mouth. “Well, then, I guess you are going to take the job,” Zach said, his smile back in place. “And I’ll work nights on business here,” she promised him. “I can handle things here. You already don’t sleep enough. I’ll bring in a temp employee to keep up with the crap work, and you just worry about securing us a good full-time position with Knight Construction,” he said, springing down from her desk. “I can’t just walk away from the work here, Zach.” McKenzie felt pushed out, but that was absurd. “You can take a break from here with daily and nightly emails and phone calls from me to assure yourself we aren’t going under. This will build our business,” he told her, looking more professional than she’d ever seen him. Gone was the carefree look that he wore so well. “I don’t know how I would do this without you, Zach,” she said in a rare moment of open affection. “Of course you don’t, sweetie. You wouldn’t survive a day without me,” he told her, then surprised her when he moved around her desk, knelt in front of her, and grabbed one of her hands. “Don’t let this upset you. You’re McKenzie Freaking Beaumont, badass businesswoman.” She couldn’t help but smile at the combination of serious tone and almost flippant words. “I really do appreciate you, Zach,” she said while tugging against his hold. She didn’t do well with casual touching. Zach knew exactly what she was thinking. He threw her a brilliant smile, and then stood up and walked from the room. McKenzie didn’t allow herself to dwell any further on Byron Knight. She had a lot of work to do before Monday, and there was no time like the present. She would prove to herself and to Byron that she knew her stuff. And, more importantly, she would survive the challenge Byron was throwing at her. Not only survive it, but excel at it.
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