“Chloe’s father was an inventor too, you know,” Grandmillie said.
This time Chloe wanted to kick her grandmother under the table.
Nathan cast a sharp glance at her. “I wasn’t aware of that. What sort of things did he invent?”
“Consumer products,” Chloe said vaguely. “A better umbrella. That kind of thing.”
“He felt he wasn’t treated well by the company where he worked,” Grandmillie said. “That’s why Chloe likes to work at start-ups. She says they reward their employees’ contributions more fairly.”
What the heck was Grandmillie doing?
“Except the start-ups where I work become shut-downs,” Chloe said, trying to stop Grandmillie from offending Nathan any further.
Nathan’s gaze was focused on her in a way that made her wonder what he was thinking. “Trainor Electronics was a start-up not that long ago.”
“But now it’s just as corporate as Lindell.”
“Is that where your father worked?” he asked.
Chloe realized she’d said more than she meant to, so she nodded and took a swig of port.
Nathan turned to her grandmother with a charming smile. “You’ve relieved my mind, Mrs. Russell.”
Grandmillie looked taken aback. “I have?”
Nathan nodded. “When I was ill, and admittedly not at my best, I sensed a certain attitude of disapproval from your granddaughter. Now I understand that it was directed at my position as the head of a corporation rather than at me as an invalid.”
Chloe wasn’t going to let him get away with that. “It was because you thought all you had to do was throw money at me and I’d drop everything to be at your beck and call.”
“I was hallucinating,” Nathan said.
Chloe snorted. “You were cranky but perfectly clearheaded.”
Grandmillie broke into their bickering. “Chloe worries about me being alone.”
“She’s a good granddaughter,” Nathan said, his tone respectful.
“I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Grandmillie reached over to touch Chloe’s hand.
Chloe felt a surge of tears at Grandmillie’s public compliment. She glanced at Nathan to find him staring at the older woman’s hand lying on top of Chloe’s, his face tight with an emotion she couldn’t identify.
He raised his eyes and met hers. “You’re both very fortunate.” He folded his napkin and laid it on the table. “I shouldn’t impose on your hospitality any longer.”
Grandmillie waved a hand of disagreement. “Sit. Have another scone before you go.”
His strange expression evaporated as he leaned back in his chair with a groan, his hand on his washboard-flat abdomen. “I can’t swallow another bite.”
“You’ll take some home with you, then,” Grandmillie said.
“With pleasure,” Nathan said.
Chloe stood, picking up the basket of scones and her own plate and knife. Nathan also rose, his head nearly colliding with the chandelier hanging low over the table. As he started to clear the dishes in front of her grandmother, Chloe said, “It’s okay. I’ll get those later.”
He ignored her, deftly arranging the cup, saucer, plate, and flatware for easy carrying. “I have to earn my scones.”
“Your mother raised you right,” Grandmillie said.
Chloe caught the shadow that turned Nathan’s eyes flat, as though he was hiding all emotion. She remembered Ed’s description of Nathan’s mother and realized Grandmillie had touched a nerve with her comment about how he was raised.
Wishing she could comfort him but not knowing how, Chloe led the way to the kitchen. “Just put the dishes on the counter,” she said as she pulled a plastic baggie from a drawer.
Nathan carefully slid the fine china onto the Formica countertop. She watched him glance around the kitchen and wondered what he thought of her little house. She’d painted the dated pine cabinets a crisp, glossy white when they moved in, and the Formica on the counters was a cheerful indigo-and-yellow plaid, but her place was like a fiberglass dinghy compared to his luxurious ocean liner of a home.
He leaned a hip against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “The job you interviewed for today is at a good-sized company. Have you rethought your policy about not working for large corporations?”
Chloe dropped several scones into a baggie and kept her voice low. “I don’t have the luxury of that policy anymore.”
“Because of your grandmother?” His voice was soft too.
She nodded. “She’s worth the compromise.”
“I was hoping I had something to do with your change of heart,” he said, moving to stand behind her. He lifted her hair from the back of her neck to press his lips on the sensitive skin as he trapped her against the counter with his body. Shivers of pleasure radiated down her spine.
She poked him in the ribs. “My grandmother is on the other side of that wall.”
He took a step back. “And I haven’t done anything she would disapprove of. In this kitchen,” he added.