Dusky Rose (5 page)

Laura spent the entire night on the couch, rose early Saturday morning and rushed off to care for the plants at Lattimer Corporate Headquarters. She completed her work quickly, although she stopped every now and then to see if David had decided to put in an appearance. She was quite annoyed that she couldn't get him out of her mind. It was totally unreasonable to be so concerned about a person she hardly knew, but she couldn't deny that he held a most compelling attraction for her. She wanted to see him again, yet she knew that his presence would have a devastating effect on her emotions. However, he never came and when she finished her work, she returned to the plant shop where Midge was working on some floral arrangements for a wedding that evening.

"I'm going to take a ride out to Lattimer Lodge and try to make some headway on the landscape design for that atrium I was telling you about. Won't you join me?"

"I'd love to, Laura, but I have to have these flowers finished by three o'clock, and then Steven and I were planning on going to a movie this evening. If you get back early enough, you could join us."

"I'll see. Right now, I'd better get moving on the landscape design. Janine is really progressing with the interior and I don't want the landscaping to be incomplete when Mr. Lattimer is ready to move in. I'll see you this evening; give my love to Steven."

Laura felt herself relax as she drove down the freeway and through the rolling countryside of the peninsula. She used the small plastic card which Janine had given her to gain access to Lattimer Lodge. By inserting the card in a slot near the gate, Laura was able to open the gate without using the intercom.

As she drove up the circular driveway to the entry of the majestic house, she was surprised to see a muddy, red Land Rover parked in front of the house. She smiled to herself as she thought,
at least my little blue van won't feel so out of place now
. She parked the van behind the Land Rover and walked into the house.

"Anybody home?"

There was no answer, so she began walking through the rooms to see if she could discover where the owner of the Land Rover was keeping himself. When she walked into the library, she saw that a beautifully carved ivory chess set had been placed on the marquetry game table at some time since her last visit. She had just picked up a rook and was beginning to examine the intricate workmanship when she heard a voice at the door.

"What do you think of it?"

Laura looked up into darkly brooding eyes. "David! What are you doing here?"

"I delivered the chess set. What do you think of it?"

Laura was too stunned to say anything. She placed the rook back on the chess board and looked toward the open archway where David stood, resting one strong arm against the doorpost. He was dressed in faded blue jeans and sturdy work shoes. The sleeves on his pale blue cotton shirt were rolled up, revealing muscular arms, one of which was decorated by the thick leather band of a digital wrist watch. The shirt was unbuttoned to the waist and the softly curling hairs of his suntanned chest were open to Laura's view.

"Excuse my attire," David said, as he buttoned his shirt, concealing the tawny chest hairs which the open shirt had exposed, "but it was Saturday and I didn't think anyone would be here today."

Laura smiled as she remembered her statement at Lattimer Headquarters on the previous weekend. She realized that David was starting to tease her again and she made an attempt to change the topic of conversation. "Does Mr. Lattimer often make you run personal errands for him?"

"Constantly," said David. "I work for Jonathan Lattimer twenty-four hours a day. There's nothing the man wouldn't ask me to do for him."

Laura wrinkled her nose. "I guess he really is every bit as demanding as I've heard he was. Don't you find it difficult working for him; I mean, not having any time to call your own?"

"Oh, I don't mind it. The pay is good and the work is interesting. You don't mind hard work if you enjoy what you're doing."

"That's true. Time just flies when I'm working with my plants."

David's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Now that you know what I'm doing here, perhaps you'd like to explain your presence."

Laura sat down on one of the small, cane-backed, black leather chairs near the game table. "I've been hired to help decorate this house."

"I see. Well, what do you think of it?"

"It's beautiful. I fall more in love with it each time I come here. I can't understand how the same man can own two such different buildings."

"What do you mean?" David asked, as he came and sat down opposite her.

"The Lattimer Office Building is so cold and lifeless, while this house is warm and romantic. Yet they both belong to Jonathan Lattimer. It's puzzling, isn't it?"

David looked deeply into Laura's eyes; his voice was low and husky. "Maybe he's a very complex person. It could be that his needs are different from most people's. Lattimer Corporation is a huge company. It just wouldn't seem right to have it operating out of some old Victorian mansion, would it? Jonathan Lattimer is actually two different people. He's ruthless in business because that's what's expected of him, but this is the type of place he comes to for relaxation. Actually, he's a romantic at heart, but don't let anyone know I told you that. I don't think he'd want the word to get around; it wouldn't do to have his heartless reputation questioned. This will just have to be our own little secret."

Laura looked at him quizzically. "You're not really a mailroom worker, are you?"

"I never said that I was. Where did you ever get that idea?"

"That Saturday at Lattimer Headquarters, when you said that you had to do some work in the mailroom. I just assumed it was your regular job, but I was wrong, wasn't I? Mailroom employees don't frequent expensive restaurants or wear hand-tailored mohair suits. Also, you seem to know a lot about the personal life of Mr. Lattimer. You must be his Man Friday."

"Actually, I'm his Man-Seven-Days-a-Week. I told you, there's nothing he wouldn't ask me to do. My time is his time, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day."

Laura smiled enticingly. "Even now?"

David answered her in a calm, deliberate voice. "Even now, while I'm enjoying this delightful conversation with you, I'm working for Jonathan Lattimer. I told you, working for him is a full time job. Now then, am I to understand that you've accepted employment with him? Then I guess you'll be at his beck and call like the rest of his employees. Is that going to bother you?"

"I don't know. I suppose everything will be all right if I never have to meet him, but I'm afraid I may not like doing business with him personally."

"You mean that you still think he's an ogre even after seeing this lovely home? Ogres don't live in romantic houses like this, do they?"

Laura shook her head. "That's what I can't understand. No one person could be comfortable in two such diverse structures, I don't care what you say. These two buildings are too extreme. I get cold chills every time I go into Lattimer Headquarters, but I love every minute I spend in this house."

"I'm sure that Jonathan will be happy to know that you like this house even if you dislike his office building. Maybe he can arrange his affairs so that you can conduct all your business with him here, where you're happy."

"I'll be just as happy to complete my work without ever meeting him, thank you. I'm just a plant lady and I've no desire to lock horns with a vicious financier."

"Why do you feel that you'd have to lock horns with him? You like his home. Isn't it just possible that you'd enjoy his company too?"

"Not very. As you said, he's a complex person. I'm sure he'd be far too deep for me to understand. I'll be content to care for his horticultural needs; let someone else cope with his personality problems."

David smiled. "I don't know about that. I told you, when you're on Jonathan Lattimer's payroll there's nothing he can't ask you to do."

Laura shot icy daggers into David's confident eyes. "And I told you that there are some things I just don't do. That includes being subservient to the oh-so-important Mr. Lattimer. Unlike some people, I'm not willing to sell my soul for Mr. Lattimer's money."

David winced. "Ow, that remark hurt. Now I guess we both know what you think of me. And here I thought we were such good friends."

Laura could see that David was teasing her, and enjoying every minute of it. She decided that she was not going to allow him to have fun at her expense any longer. The subject would have to be changed to a safer one before he cornered her in a situation that might prove too uncomfortable for her own good. For some reason, David had the ability to do that to her before she even realized what was happening.

"I don't understand why Mr. Lattimer needs such a large house. He's a confirmed bachelor, isn't he? The so-called Playboy of the Western World." David winced again. "You've really got your talons sharpened today, haven't you? I told you not to believe everything you hear about Jonathan. It may very well be that he's tired of playing around and has decided to get married and settle down. Even the most confirmed bachelor can change his mind when the right woman comes along." His dark eyes fastened onto Laura's and held them tightly, until she looked away, but it was too late. Those piercing eyes had done their damage and Laura felt the hot blush rising through her tense body to flame her soft white cheeks. This situation would have to be ended before it got out of hand.

"Well, I came here to do work and I'd better get to it. I wouldn't want Mr. Lattimer to think he's not getting his money's worth," she said, as she rose from her chair and started walking toward the atrium.

"Wait," David said. "I'll be sure to tell Jonathan Lattimer that you're worth every penny he's paying you. But our conversation has gotten off on such a tangent that you haven't answered my original question. What do you think of this chess set?"

"It's beautiful; I've never seen anything quite like it before."

David kept his eyes glued to her face, as if willing her to stay. "The set is very old and valuable; Jonathan purchased it when he was in India. I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that his chief decorator approves of it. Do you play chess?"

"Not really," said Laura. "My father was quite good at the game, but he and my mother were killed in an automobile crash when Midge and I were very young. His unmarried sister brought us up and though she educated us to the best of her ability, chess was not one of her strong points."

"I see; so most of your time has been spent in the company of females, first with your maiden aunt and now as your sister's partner in the flower shop?"

"Not altogether," Laura said, strangely resenting his implication that she was an unworldly stay-at-home. "My work keeps me quite busy, but I still find time to do some enjoyable things."

"That's true, I recall seeing you out dancing with your friend Roger just last week. That was when you very callously turned me down for a dance and then, once I had finally convinced you to trip the light fantastic, refused to come home with me. It's lucky for you that I'm such a forgiving person or I might not be so friendly to you now. But I'm willing to let bygones be bygones, and since Roger hasn't taught you how to play chess, I hope that you'll let me introduce you to the finer points of the game. I think that you'll find the game very interesting. Chess is a battle of wits you know, and we constantly seem to be engaging in that, don't we?"