Marrying The Boss (14 page)

It was on the tip of her tongue to
politely refuse. She thought belatedly of the telephone call she'd
forgotten to make, excusing herself from this very
situation.

Spencer must have seen it in her face
because he forestalled her smoothly. "I think another time would be
better. Kate has been in the garden all day. She must be tired. I
don't think—"

"
I would love to come over," Kate replied,
as if he hadn't spoken. She smiled at Jamie's brightening face.
"What time do you want me?"

What demon of perversity
prompted her to accept the invitation, Kate
couldn't say afterwards. Maybe it had
been the look of dismay evident in Jamie's unhappy expression. His
own mother had already let him down badly, not seeming to care
about her son. Now Kate didn't have the heart to deny his innocent
request as well.

But to step willingly right back into the
confusing morass of emotions and desires was at best unthinkable.
At worst impossible.

So she couldn't back out. However much her
logical mind told her foolish heart it was the right thing to do
given the circumstances. Jamie had grinned from ear to ear, and was
expecting her to appear at his house in a few hours. She would have
to make the best of it.

Kate showered quickly before tossing through
her wardrobe, going from a dress to jeans and back again without
resolution until she felt quite ill. Giving up the unequal
struggle, she finally settled on a peacock blue silk blouse and
cream linen trousers that were demure enough not to get her into
any serious trouble.

Besides, once
she'd eaten, she
could quickly make her polite excuses and leave. She wasn't
expecting the evening ahead to be too taxing on her social
skills.

As she walked along the moonlit path
through the trees her heart suddenly stumbled. What she wasn't
expecting was the taciturn escort silently waiting for her at the
first bend. Spencer loomed up out of the shadows, startling
her.

"
Jamie was worried you wouldn't come," he
explained roughly. "He doesn't find it easy to trust adults. I've
been sent ahead to scout. Make sure you turn up."

"
I make a habit of keeping my promises."
Kate maintained her distance as they fell into step together. She
was remembering the careless behavior of Jamie's mother.
"Especially to small children."

In the semi-darkness she felt Spencer's
narrowed gaze run over her. He appeared about to speak, but then
seemed to change his mind. His hand closed over her elbow, helping
her over a branch that had fallen across the path.

Kate shivered at the vital warmth of the
impersonal contact. She pulled gently away. "Where is Jamie?" she
managed to ask in a voice that wasn't quite steady.

"
Waiting for you up by the first fence.
Don't worry, Lobo's keeping guard. He won't come to any harm. He's
so impatient to see you."

"
You care deeply about your son."

Spencer pushed his hands into the pockets
of his jeans. "Katerina never really wanted to have children. She
certainly didn't want Jamie. In her view his advent was an
inconvenience to her lifestyle."

His bleak tone sharpened, became crisp,
completely devoid of emotion. "She had an extremely busy career in
medical research when we first met and she was well on the way up
to a high position in management. Both our families approved and it
seemed the right thing to do, getting married."

He blew a frustrated breath. "Jamie's
appearance took us both by surprise. I guess we were too involved
with our respective careers to notice the signs, until it was too
late for Katerina to take steps to prevent it."

"
I'm sorry." Kate glanced up at his grimly
set profile. The words of his last sentence carried a bleak
finality. Spencer was obviously talking about abortion.

Biting her lips together she knew she
didn't want to get into this with him. Into anything so deeply
intimate and personal with this man. But she seemed to be
constantly drawn in nonetheless. Maybe he just needed someone to
talk to.

Now she simply couldn't help herself. "I'm
sorry she thought that way. Children are gifts to be
cherished."

"
Yes, I agree. I've always wanted
children." Spencer's warm breath fanned the back of her neck as he
passed behind her, pushing aside a leafy overhanging branch. "But
you don't have any yourself. Is that another lifestyle choice
you've made for the advancement of your career?"

"
We're not talking about my choices."
Kate's heart contracted painfully, her breath hitching as she
thought of Eric.

He hadn't wanted children. He told her
they had each other, they didn't need anyone else, the old adage
about three being a crowd. Now she could see that he hadn't wanted
the complications involved in bringing up a child; monetary
complications.

And the fact he already had two children of
his own. After all this time the stark truth about her failed
romance still possessed the power to sharpen her breathing with
regrets that had nothing to do with Eric.

"
You've gone very silent. Are you thinking
about what might have been if you'd chosen family over
career?"

"
Oh no, nothing like that." Kate denied a
shade too quickly. She attempted to lighten the tone of the
conversation. "I guess, maybe it wasn't in my stars to be a
mother." And now it was too late. She felt familiar regrets
squeezing her heart. "There never seemed to be time."

Beside her Spencer
frowned
. "You
would make a good mother. Surely there's still time." He hesitated
for a moment. "Or don't you wish to have any children?" It would
explain a lot about her.

The bleak question hung between them as
they walked. Kate hesitated. It would be so easy to say yes. To let
him go on thinking she had put her career first. That she didn't
have time to become involved in romance. Or any kind of personal
life. It would save her a lot of heartache and confusion, a small
voice whispered.

"
No," she said finally. "I love children.
There doesn't seem to be enough time. Or the right time. I don't
think I will ever get married."

"
Or, perhaps, the right person?" Spencer
asked then, very quietly.

"
Yes." Kate tried to gauge his expression.
But they had stepped from the moonlight into shadow. "I certainly
believe children shouldn't be brought into the world without
love."

Spencer brought them to a halt with a hand
on her arm. "So what about you, Kate? Have you ever been in love?"
His voice sounded strained.

Kate's
heart hammered within her chest. "I
really don't believe that's any of your business, Dr. Stelanos,"
she managed to reply, around the obstruction in her
throat.

Spencer's
head went back. He frowned as he
dropped his hand. "No, I guess not. Sorry, forget I asked. Chalk it
up to the moonlight."

"
I think it would be best," Kate said
stiffly.

She could almost hear his mind working,
sifting through all the alternatives; making his assumptions. But
she wasn't about to enlighten him about her love life. Or the
complete lack of it.

Had he been about to question her again over
her ex-fiancé?

She turned away from the stark look in his
eyes, increasing her pace. Ahead she could see a small boy and a
dog waiting together. Kate's heart contracted further with a
deepening sense of loss.

In another time Jamie could be her own
child. She shook her head at the fanciful thought, hurrying forward
to answer the boy's greeting and to take his outstretched hand in
hers like a lifeline.

"
This is something I brought back from
Australia. My father's most prized specialty." Spencer held out a
glass of pale amber wine towards Kate. "Tell me what you
think."

"
Thank you." Kate took the glass, careful
to avoid his touch.

Now that she was actually here in his house,
her courage was ebbing rapidly. Almost defensively she took a
mouthful of wine, feeling its warming effect sifting through her
empty stomach.

"
Why, it's delicious," she murmured in
surprise.

Spencer flashed a wry smile. "My father
would be deeply offended if you found it in any way unpalatable.
His is a very exclusive label and he's very proud of
it."

"
I can understand why." Kate inhaled the
wine's unique bouquet before taking another sip.

She shut her eyes. Against her closed
lids, she could almost see the rows of sun drenched vines lining
the hillsides in neatly ordered rows. And an older version of
Spencer standing among his grapes, his strong, handsome face turned
up to the sun, dark eyes flashing, and his strong teeth gleaming in
a wide carefree smile.

Kate swallowed tightly, a slight shiver
traveling down her spine. She snapped her eyes open on a tiny gasp,
looking up to find Spencer watching her, his expression
challenging.

"
Just the sort of reaction my father would
expect."

"
Then I'm glad I haven't disappointed
him."

She raised her glass to her lips again.
"Something certainly smells delicious."

"
Baked beans and toast are off the menu
tonight. We can offer beef with olives and a dish of chicken and
then a chilled dessert."

"
It sounds interesting." Kate felt her
stomach rumble with anticipation.

She took refuge in her glass. The potency of
the wine seemed to be going straight to her head. An odd sense of
unreality began to float up through her senses as she watched
Spencer work.

Inside her chest, her heart was doing odd
things. She tried to suppress its sudden leap of breathtaking
excitement. She couldn't afford to lose her wariness around this
man. It could lead to disaster for both of them.

But dressed in black trousers and a cream
open necked shirt, Spencer was undeniably handsome and attractive,
more potent that the heady wine in her glass. And his slow smile
when he looked up at her was disrupting her ability to keep her
thoughts in order.

She was beginning to lose track of which man
was the real Spencer Stelanos. The charming pirate standing before
her once more tonight, or the thoroughly professional physician
with the no nonsense approach to all he did. Either man was going
to confuse her ability to think straight if she allowed him to
settle permanently in the secret recesses of her mind.

Kate looked around, wishing she had
perfected the art of making small talk about inconsequential
things. "Where's Jamie?"

It was a relief to have Spencer's son
appear at her elbow. The boy had been outside kenneling his
dog.

"
Come on, Auntie Kate. Let's set the
table." He took her hand, drawing her into the large adjacent
dining room.

She caught her breath. "Oh, how
lovely."

The table was set with candles and a low
bowl of water that floated delicate, intensely colored tuberous
begonia flowers. Spencer had obviously been busy.

Good heaven;
the man certainly
knows how to impress
.

"
I helped too." Jamie looked up at her.

Kate
ruffled his curls. "I'm sure you did."

"
Do you like your cottage, Auntie Kate?"

She saw the little boy watching her with
wistful eyes and her heart contracted. "I'm only going to be at the
cottage for a few weeks. Then I need to find a place of my
own."

The boy hitched a sigh. "I know, Papa told
me that. He said you can't stay all the time. Said you had other
plans."

"
No, Jamie. I can't stay there forever."
Kate didn't know what else to say. "Soon, I'll need to find
somewhere of my own."

She found the simple task of helping him to
set out place mats and cutlery all she could handle. It kept her
hands occupied, if not her mind. At the edge of her vision she
could still see Spencer moving purposefully around in the
kitchen.

To her surprise, he turned out to be an excellent
cook.

"
That was delicious. Thank you." Unable to
eat another bite of the chilled fruit dessert she finally pushed
her plate away. "When did you find the time to make
everything?"

Spencer reached to pour her another glass
of wine. "I'm grateful you didn't make the assumption I bought it
ready-made from the supermarket."

"
Wouldn't dream of it." Kate couldn't help
smiling as she sipped her wine. Its heady warmth curled through her
senses, making her feel decidedly light headed. Just as well she
wasn't driving tonight.

She tilted her head to one side. "And did
you? Buy it from the supermarket, I mean?"