They worked together most of the morning, dealing with the mail first. If Jonas spoke to her, it was in the form of clipped requests. They had a job to do, and there was no room for anything else. Not a smile. Not a joke. No unnecessary communication. He seemed to look upon her as a necessary piece of equipment, like the telephone. She was there to see to the smooth running of his business—nothing else. This puzzled Stephanie. She knew she was reasonably good-looking, and yet Jonas treated her with the same emotion he would his briefcase. She was both amused and insulted.
Stephanie had learned earlier that the game was played byJonas Lockwood’s rules. In every other office where she’d been employed, she’d seen herself as part of a team. With Jonas, she was keenly aware that she was only a small spoke in a large wheel. Jonas Lockwood was the wagon.
Once back at her desk, she took a minute to contact Jan before tackling the long list of requests Jonas had given her.
“Jan? Stephanie here. I won’t be able to meet you for lunch.”
“Do you want me to bring you back something?”
“No, I’m attending a meeting with Mr. Lockwood.”
“Hey, that’s great. He’s never taken Old Stone Face with him before. You must have impressed him.”
“I sincerely doubt that. The man is unimpressable.”
“Don’t be so sure,” she said, a smile evident in her voice. “By the way, did you give any thought to what I said yesterday?”
Stephanie, could only assume Jan was referring to the challenge of making Jonas Lockwood fall in love. The idea caused her to smother a small laugh. “Yes, I did. You’re nuts if you even think I’d attempt anything so crazy.”
“He doesn’t so much need to be put in his place as to find it. And from what I saw yesterday, you’re just the woman to do it.”
“Maybe.” However, Stephanie sincerely doubted that someone as unemotional as Jonas Lockwood was capable of falling in love. Part of her wanted to rebel at the way he treated her. Rarely had a man been so indifferent toward her. With her even features, smooth ivory skin and soft golden hair, Stephanie was aware that men found her attractive. Jonas Lockwood’s blatant indifference was a surprise. When Jonas looked at her, all she felt was a chill that cut straight through her bones.
“Steph? Are you there?”
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.”
“I hope that means what I think it means. Listen, I’d like to get together with you soon. There’s something we—I—want to talk over with you.”
“If it has to do with you-know-who, forget it!”
Chuckling, Jan said, “I’ll see you later.”
“Right.”
Replacing the telephone receiver, Stephanie wheeled her chair to the typewriter and inserted a piece of paper. She worked with only a few interruptions for the next two hours. A half hour before the scheduled luncheon, she sorted through the list of files Jonas had recommended in order to familiarize herself with the people she’d be meeting.
She felt mentally prepared and alert for the coming luncheon. When Jonas appeared, she stood wordlessly and followed him into the elevator. Knowing that he was a man who didn’t appreciate unnecessary conversation, Stephanie kept her comments and questions to herself. She would have her answers eventually.
A driver was waiting outside the building, and he held open the car door for Jonas and Stephanie as they approached.
Stephanie climbed inside, her fingers absently investigating the smooth velvet interior of the limo. Almost immediately, Jonas opened his briefcase and took out a file.
Sheeyed him curiously. She might have a low opinion ofhim as a human being, but his knowledge and business acumen were beyond question. He was a man born to lead. Just from working with him these two days, Stephanie had witnessed his swift, decisive nature. When he saw something, he went after it by the most direct route. Life had no gray areas for a man of his nature—it was either black or white, with no middle ground.
She found her gaze wandering to his hands. They were large, with blunt nails and short wisps of dark hair curled out from the French cuffs of his shirt. His hands looked capable of forging an empire or tenderly caressing a woman. He could be gentle—his hands told her as much. The thought of his large hands stroking her smooth skin did funny things to her breathing. The ridiculousness of such a notion caused Stephanie to shake her head. A funny sound slid from the back of her throat, and Jonas glanced up momentarily.
Quickly, Stephanie looked out the side window, wondering what was happening to her. She didn’t even like this man.
As the limo pulled up to a huge skyscraper, Jonas announced, “I want you to take notes on the meeting. When we return, type them up and give me your impressions of what happened.”