LITMIR.BIZ

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stared at him. ‘You’re good.’

      He grinned at her. ‘Thanks. It’s going to be a lot easier for both of us now that you’ve realised that.’

      She felt her lips twitch. ‘It’s a good thing I have, then. Now, what do you need from me, Mr Owen?’

      ‘Blake,’ he said, and shrugged when she frowned. ‘I feel like my father every time you call me that.’

      ‘Fine,’ she said, and forced herself to say his name without feeling anything. ‘Blake, what do you need from me?’

      There was a pause as the question settled between them, and it made her feel as though she’d said something inappropriate. And the way he looked at her made her feel like she wanted to give him whatever he thought he needed from her—even if it wasn’t something that was strictly professional. She exhaled slowly, and hoped that the tension inside her would seep out with her breath. It did—but only because he finally responded.

      ‘Well, we need to start working on a proposal. But, since I’m still at the stage of securing possible investors, please start drawing up a list of places you think we can include in the tour portion of the proposal. Include your motivations for why you think we should visit them. We can take it from there.’

      ‘Okay,’ she said, and then frowned when he grabbed his coffee and hung the tie that had been carelessly thrown across his chair over his shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’

      ‘To work in Connor’s office for a while. Just so we don’t disturb each other while I’m busy with my calls.’

      He nodded at her, and then left her wondering why he had asked her to work with him in the conference room when he wouldn’t even be there.

      * * *

      ‘Welcome back,’ Callie said later, as Blake entered the room.

      ‘Thanks.’ He nodded, and opted for a glass of water instead of the coffee he knew he should take a break from. Especially since his throat was nearly raw from all the talking he had been doing for the last few hours.

      He had been successful—had spoken to many of the parties who had contacted him—and he could no longer justify staying away from the conference room. Not when he had insisted Callie work with him and that they should do things together.

      ‘What do you have so far?’

      Callie gave him a measured look, and immediately he felt chastised that he hadn’t made small talk first. But he didn’t trust himself to do that just yet. Not while he was still trying to convince himself that working with her had been a business decision, and had nothing to do with the way she made him feel. Especially after he had told himself that he would stay away from her.

      Even now, as she sat poised behind the table, her white shirt snug enough for him to see curves he didn’t want to notice, he could feel a pull between them that had nothing to do with business.

      And it scared him.

      ‘Well, I’ve done exactly as you asked. I’ve drawn up a list of must-see locations that I think we should consider for your proposal.’

      She stood and handed him the list, and he saw that her black trousers were still as neat as they had been that morning, when she’d first walked in. She looked pristine—even though, based on the papers in his hands, she had been working extensively on her planning.

      ‘You can have a look at them and let me know what you think, but I don’t think there will be a problem with any of them. I’ve also tentatively set up some tour ideas.’

      Blake struggled to get over the way her proximity threatened to take over his senses, but he forced it to the back of his mind and listened to her explain some of the ideas she’d had. As she did, his own began to form. A business proposal that would complement what she had in mind. But he didn’t know if it would work without seeing it first.

      ‘Okay—great.’ He put down his glass of water and gestured towards the chair where her jacket lay. ‘Grab your things and we can go immediately.’

      ‘What?’ Her eyes widened.

      ‘I want you to show me these must-see locations. I mean, what you have is great—theoretically—but I need you to show them to me so that I know they work in practice.’

      ‘And you want to go right now?’

      ‘Yes.’ He walked to the door and opened it for her. ‘The longer we wait, the longer we delay finalising plans. And that’s not the way I work.’

      Callie stood staring at him, as though at any minute he was going to say, Just joking! When she realised that it wasn’t going to happen, she grabbed her jacket and handbag and walked past him through the open door.

      Her scent was still as enticing as it had been that first night, and for a brief moment—not for the first time—Blake wondered if he was making a mistake. He had asked her to work with him on impulse, although he had known it was a logical, even smart way of approaching the international investor angle once he’d had a chance to think about it. So why was it that he’d avoided working with her for the entire morning if he was so convinced that it was all business between them?

      It didn’t matter, he thought, and shook away any lingering doubts. He had a job to do. And that job would come first.

      * * *

      Callie waited as John, the parking valet, pulled up in Blake’s silver sedan. This evidence of his wealth jostled her, though she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Of course her boss had money, she thought, and watched Blake thank John and wave him away when the valet moved to open the door for her. Instead, Blake did it himself, and she got in, her skin prickling when she brushed against him by accident.

      She ignored it, instead focusing on the car. It was just as luxurious on the inside as it was on the outside—as she’d expected—with gadgets that she didn’t quite think were necessary. But, then again, she drove an old second-hand car that made her arms ache every time she had to turn the wheel. Perhaps if she had thought about gadgets, she wouldn’t have to worry that her car might stall every time she drove it.

      Nevertheless, she was proud of the little thing. It was the first car she’d ever bought, and she’d worked incredibly hard since leaving high school and saved every last rand to buy it. Granted, she’d worked for her parents, and she knew they had been liberal in their payment.

      She smiled at the memory, and caught her breath when he asked, ‘What’s that for?’

      She hadn’t realised he was paying attention to her. She should have known better. Always be on guard, she reminded herself.

      ‘I was just admiring your car. And comparing it with mine. It doesn’t,’ she said with a smile when he gave her a questioning look.

      ‘I bought it when I knew I was coming to Cape Town. I had no idea how long I was going to be here, and I didn’t want to impose on my father and use one of his indefinitely. I’ll probably sell it as soon as I know where I’m going next.’

      Though her heart stuck on the information that he would be leaving, she asked, ‘You didn’t own a car before?’

      ‘I did. But I sold it a while ago—when I realised I would be travelling a lot more.’

      ‘But don’t you need one for when you’re at home?’

      He took a right turn and glanced over to her. ‘I don’t have a home.’

      For some reason Callie found that incredibly sad. ‘I’m sorry.’

      ‘Don’t be. It’s a choice.’

      She wanted to ask him why, but the silence that stretched between them made it clear that he didn’t want to reveal the reasons for that choice. She respected that. There were things she wouldn’t want to reveal to him either.

      ‘Blake, shouldn’t I be driving?’

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