Part 53 (1/2)
She met his eyes. ”No,” she said quietly, and he kissed her.
Well, Matthew, she thought, t.i.t for tat, and told herself to let it go. Then she remembered how this whole crazy afternoon had started.
She held up the receipt.
”When do I start packing?” she said and gave the form a little shake.
He took it and opened it and smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her chest and lifted her off the ground.
”We're going home!” he hooted.
Then he grimaced and made a pained sound and nearly dropped her.
”Darling! What is it? Your shoulder?”
He nodded, closed his eyes to fight off the pain.
”Oh, you poor thing. When we go we've got to get that fixed for you, first thing. I don't care what it costs.”
He shook his head. ”It's very expensive,” he said.
”I don't care. Now I want you to promise me you'll let me do that for you. Promise?”
”Yes,” he said, ”I promise.”
”Good,” Greta said, and began unb.u.t.toning her blouse.
Chapter 20
After bolting from the boardroom, Matthew called William Harrell's secretary at ICP in New York, and she confirmed what he already knew: William was out of town, and was due back into New York this evening. He asked her for the flight number and departure time from San Francisco, then took off for the airport.
He raced down the corridor of the United terminal, checked his watch as he slowed to pa.s.s through the metal detectors. He found William's flight on one of the departure screens, and to his great relief, the flight had been delayed fifteen minutes. He collected himself and walked quickly to the correct gate.
He spotted William in the gate waiting area, flipping through some notes, a leather garment bag beside him on the floor.
Matthew walked up to him, and William glanced up from his notebook. ”Matthew,” he said, surprised. He snapped his notebook closed and stood, shook Matthew's extended hand with a mixture of curiosity and indifference. ”Are you on this flight?”
”No. I need to talk to you,” Matthew said. He motioned for William to sit, then sat down beside him.
”I know you met with Peter Jones today,” Matthew said, glancing at the binder in William's lap.
”I did,” William said.
Matthew hadn't expected William to deny that he had met with Peter, though now, hearing him admit it, he feared that they had already formed some sort of deal, and that he was possibly too late.
”Look, I'll get right to the point. Today I proposed to the executive staff that I contact you with Wallaby's proposition of merging our two companies, as you originally planned.”
”Really. And why, may I ask, the sudden change of heart?”
Matthew cleared his throat and tried for an open confiding tone.