“May I come in?”
“No.” She avoided his eyes. It took all her willpower not to close the door and be done with him. But she’d decided to play this little charade out. She might not come from a rich, powerful family like Jonas’s, but she didn’t lack pride. “As you can see, I’m busy,” she finished.
“This will only take a minute.”
“I’m surprised you’re lowering yourself to come here,” she added waspishly. “Your message this afternoon came through crystal-clear.”
“I’d like to explain that.” Disregarding her unfriendly welcome and her unwillingness to allow him into her apartment, Jonas stalked past her and into the living room.
“It seems I have no say in the matter. All right, since you’re so keen to explain yourself, do so and then kindly leave.”
“I honestly would like to explain—”
“Go ahead,” she cried. “But let me assure you, it isn’t necessary.”
Jonas leaned heavily on his cane as he walked to the center of the room. Stephanie stubbornly remained at the front door. She’d closed it, but stood ready to yank it open the minute he finished.
He turned to face her, and placed both hands on the curve of the polished oak cane, using it for support.
“I realize the name Coulter may not cause a banker’s heart to flutter, but it’s a good name. My father’s proud of it, and so am I.”
“Stephanie, you misunderstood my intentions.”
“I sincerely doubt that.” Her voice trembled with the strength of her emotion. “I understood you perfectly.”
His eyes were blue and probing as they swept her tightly controlled features. She wondered if a splattering of mud was smeared across her cheek, but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of running her fingers over her face to find out. No doubt he’d view it as a sign of weakness. She was weak, she realized, but only when he held her and kissed her, and she wouldn’t allow that now.
“It wouldn’t matter to me if your name was Getty, or Rockefeller, or Hughes for that matter. Don’t you understand that?”
“Obviously not,” she returned stiffly. “You were putting me in my place, and you did a good job of it, I might add. I’m a lowly, brainless secretary and you’re the big, mighty boss, and I shouldn’t confuse the two. Since I’m not the mature woman you prefer, I would do well to bow low whenever your shadow passes near me. Isn’t that what you meant to say?”
“No. Damn it, I should have known you’d be unreasonable.”
“Me? Unreasonable? That’s a laugh. I’ve worked for Mr. Potter for nearly two years, and we’ve never exchanged a cross word. Two seconds in your company and I’m so angry I can hardly think.”
“Would you stop with this lowly secretary bit? I wouldn’t care if you were the first vice president,” he shouted. “Anything that’s between you and me has to stay out of the office!”
“Of course it must,” she simpered. “It would do your reputation considerable harm if anyone knew you’d lowered yourself to actually date an employee.”
“It’s not me I’m thinking about.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“Stephanie, if you’d get off your high horse a minute, you’d see that it’s good business. Hell, I probably shouldn’t be seeing you now; I’m supposed to be at a meeting.”
She jerked open the door. “Don’t let me stop you.” Stephanie recognized the flash of anger in his eyes and experienced a small sense of triumph.
He ran a hand over his face, wiping his expression clean as he fought for control of his considerable temper. “Can’t you understand that I’m doing this for your own protection?”
“Forgive me for being dense, but quite frankly, I don’t.”
He continued as though she hadn’t spoken. “Some no-good busybody is going to drag your name through the mud the minute they learn we’re seeing each other. The next thing either of us knows, you’ll be the subject of jealous, malicious gossip. You won’t be able to walk into a room without people whispering your name.”
Stephanie swallowed convulsively. “I hadn’t thought of... that.” Her friends were supportive, but they were only a small fraction of the personnel employed by Lockwood Industries.
“A thousand times, I told myself that seeing you would only lead to trouble.” A dark, brooding look clouded his eyes. “Even now, I’m not convinced it’s right for either of us.”
Stephanie had to swallow down the words to argue with him. It felt incredibly right to be with Jonas.
“If you’re seeking my apology for what happened earlier,” he said in a gruff, low-pitched voice, “then you have it. It has never been my intention to offend you.”