“And good morning to you, too,” she said coolly, forcing herself to ignore the pull of his physical appearance. So what if he was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt that looked like they’d been born on him?
A lazy moment passed by as Damien considered her, then he placed his mug on the counter behind him. “I phoned the hospital earlier. Russell’s doing as well as expected.”
Her heart fluttered with anxiety at the reminder of her father. “Thank you. I was going to call shortly myself.” She moved toward the percolator on the counter, badly needing her morning cup of coffee. “I plan on going to see him soon.”
“They said not to come until this afternoon. Apparently they’ve got a couple of doctors checking him over this morning.” He must have seen her give a start. “Your mother said it was nothing to worry about.”
Her panic subsided as she poured coffee into a cup. “Then I can go see Keiran instead. I planned on it, anyway.”
“Aah, so that’s why you’re dressed like that.”
Something in his voice made her look up, and she found his eyes sliding over her again, making her catch her breath. She put the coffeepot back with a shaky hand and tried to act casual. “I’m not about to go into my father’s office in jeans and a tank top.”
“Might get some favorable comments.”
“More likely they’d direct me to the janitor’s room,” she quipped, looking at him over the top of her coffee cup.
All at once he smiled. A rare smile that knocked her off balance. For a moment she could only stare at him across the width of the room.
Then that smile faded and something in those eyes darkened and he moved forward, making her heart drop to her knees. He stopped right in front of her, took the cup out of her hand then placed it on the counter beside her.
“It’s been a long time, Gabrielle,” he said huskily, in a voice so Australian, so thick and delicious, it swirled around her heart like a long-lost friend. “Miss me?”
She swallowed. “Does a bear miss a toothache?” she managed to say, the breathlessness in her voice disturbing her.
He gave a soft laugh and slid his hands over her shoulders with an ease that only an ex-lover can have. “Hmm. I like your hair this length.” Provocatively, one finger coiled around some blond strands that curled below her neck. “It suits you.”
She shivered as his warm breath wafted over her and wrapped her in its minty scent. It seemed like only yesterday when she would have leaned into the hard wall of his chest and relished his strength. And only yesterday that they had made love with a passion that had stolen her breath away.
“You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” he murmured, his hands sliding down to her hips.
Up close, his green gaze was a caress, his male scent too enticing, the tension between them building, overwhelming her, restricting her breathing, making her forget that never again had she wanted to be close enough to see into the irises of his emerald eyes…or the grain of his skin as it weaved and dipped its way over a strong nose and lean cheekbones…nor had she ever wanted to touch the fullness of his lips, to know she’d once ached to have them on her body.
“Stop it,” she whispered, hating herself for letting him affect her like this.
“Stop what?”
“Damien…”
“Gabi…”
Gabi. He’d only ever called her that once before. He’d been thrusting inside her and she’d been welcoming each plunge of his body. They’d reached their climax together. It had been the only time she’d felt his equal, and not some young woman who’d been the daughter of his business partner.
All at once she had to get out of the kitchen.
It was too small.
There wasn’t enough air.
She pushed his hands off her and spun away, heading for the door, not even sure if Damien had hired a car yet for her, but willing to catch a cab if necessary. “I need to see Keiran…at the office…in case he goes out.” She was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
He came up behind her, putting his hand on her arm, stopping her but not in a forceful way. “I’m coming with you,” he rasped, the huskiness still in his voice, the desire still glittering from the depths of those green eyes.
His touch sent a tingle along her spine. “There’s no need.”
His mouth tightened and he dropped his hand. “I said I’d help and I will. Don’t underestimate Keiran. There’s power in numbers, Gabrielle.”
She sent him a wary glance. “I know my own cousin.”
“Then you know you need me with you.”
As much as she didn’t want it to be, what he said was true. She abruptly nodded her head. “Okay, but I need to get that rental car later for my own use,” she said, giving in but perhaps not as gracefully as she could, and that was more to do with needing to get away from Damien’s presence than not needing him to help her deal with Keiran.
But in the confines of his car, her mind couldn’t stop from going back to Damien. She realized that being a woman desired by him was more dangerous to her now than five years ago. Now he would want more than girlish enthusiasm in his bed. He’d want a woman’s response, slow and deliberate, not a rushed and naive eagerness. And he’d expect her to be a mature partner, able to handle a sexual relationship without too much emotion. It was a world of difference to five years ago.
She pushed all her thoughts to the side as they walked into the building that housed the head office of her father’s company. The first person she saw was one of her father’s managers she remembered from years ago. He greeted her warmly then expressed sympathy over her father’s condition.
“Thank you, James. I’m glad to see you’re still here.”
The older man’s eyes flicked to Damien then back to her. “Not for long I’m afraid. I’ve accepted a position with another company. I finish up at the end of the week.”
Dismay filled her. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Gabrielle, I’ve got nothing to lose by saying this. I’ve always enjoyed working for your father, but it’s going to be a while before he’s back on his feet. I’m sorry but I can’t work with him until that happens.”
“You mean Keiran?” she said to clarify, but knowing all Damien had told her was true.
James nodded. “I don’t mind saying I think that man’s going to ruin the company with his ideas. And I’m not the only one leaving, either. There are two heads of departments who have put their resignation in and another planning on it.” He clicked his tongue. “They’re men who are going to be taking a whole lot of experience and knowledge with them when they go, I’m afraid.”
She tried to look confident. “James, that’s why I’m here. My father wanted me to take over if anything happened to him and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Relief flared then died in his eyes. “Keiran isn’t going to step aside so easily,” he warned.
She squeezed the older man’s hand. “Keiran won’t have a choice.”
But when Damien opened the door to her father’s office and Gabrielle saw her cousin sitting behind her father’s desk like he owned the place, every instinct inside wanted to tell him to get the hell out of there.
Keiran glanced up at the interruption and for a moment looked like an animal caught in the headlights. Then he went rigid. “Well, well. If it isn’t my long-lost cousin.” He pasted on a false smile as he stood and came around the desk. “Gabrielle, how nice to see you