"I'd suggest you reconsider, Toni," he said sneer-ingly. "I'm not likely to give a glowing recommendation to an employee who thinks she can walk out on me with only a moment's notice."
Toni wheeled around to face him, sparks of anger visible in the depths of her dark eyes. "Are you by any chance threatening me?" she asked icily.
"Consider it what you will. Just remember, though, you signed a contract that stated you would give two weeks' notice unless some unusual circumstance prevented your doing so. From where I stand it looks as though the present 'circumstance' is nothing more than a temper tantrum," Steven said harshly.
"Oh? Is that what it's called these days when a two-timing jerk is caught red-handed? A temper tantrum?" Toni lashed out, her tiny frame literally shaking with rage.
Steven's face turned beet red at the accusation. "We'll discuss this later, when you've gotten that dam-nable temper under control and have realized that whatever embarrassment you might have suffered is a small price to pay for being Mrs. Steven Crowell." He started to turn away, then paused. "And while you're reconsidering your future, you'd better get with your friend Mark. Karen is ill today and you'll have to do the noon weather spot."
"Weather?" Toni shouted as her fingers closed around a vase of cut flowers Steven had given her a couple of days ago after having broken another date.
" I'll be happy to give you the most current meteorlogical update available. Let's start with rain, shall we?" she cried. then picked up the vase and flung the entire
contents in his face.
Completely out of control now she threw the vase into a corner of the room, where it shattered into a millions pieces. "Did you hear the thunder?" she yell. "I'll be happy to repeat the forecast at noon if you insist."
"Why. you little bitch," Steven snarled. He reached out for Toni, only to be stopped by a commanding voice from the doorway.
" I don't think I'd do that if I were you," Christian Burr said in a menacing tone that brought Steven to an abrupt standstill and had the hair on Toni's neck
Both combatants turned and stared at the huge man whose width and height seemed to fill every available inch of space in the doorway.
Toni saw a pair of blue eyes glittering like steel points as they pinned Steven.
His stance was loose, and long arm was braced against the doorjamb.
He reminded her of some large animal of prey, waiting, biding his time before the attack. She also had a gut feeling that if Steven so much as blinked, Christian Barr would put that incredible force emanating from him into very definite action.
"This is none of your business, Barr," Steven said tightly. His fists were clenched at his sides and his face was livid.
"I agree. But regardless, I don't go in for hitting women. I don't mind a fight, but I've always thought it more challenging if my opponent were less fragile than yours appears to be."
Steven stared angrily at the determined intruder for several seconds, then swung his chilling gaze to Toni. "I'll accept your resignation, Miss Grant," he snapped. "Clean out your desk and be off the premises in exactly one hour." With one last flinty glare at Christian Barr, Steven turned and barreled his way into his office and slammed the door behind him.
Toni briefly closed her eyes and ran a slim hand up to clasp the nape of her neck. She felt as though she'd just gotten off a roller coaster, flying out of control up and down the longest track in the world.
When a large, warm hand clasped her shoulder, she jumped and opened her eyes to find Christian Ban standing directly in front of her.
"Are you all right?" he asked with concern.
"Y-yes." She nodded, staring intently at the striking features of her rescuer. As she concentrated on this close study it flashed through her mind that his face seemed to reflect the sort of exciting cloak-and-daggei life he lived.
There were a couple of tiny niches along the edge o! his square chin, a small scar at his hairline, and an-
other over one dark brow. His nose, which she was
certain had to have been straight at one time, now had a decided bump midway. She could well imagine the sort of "activity" that had produced such a slight disfigurement.
It was his mouth, though, that fascinated her most, with its thin upper lip and the fuller, more sensuous bottom one. Her gaze lingered thoughtfully until some slight movement from Christian broke the spell.
"I think you should call your friend Connie," he , said quietly but commandingly. There really isn't that much to pack," Toni said as she turned to her desk and put several feet between them. Wow! she was thinking. No wonder Christian Barr was so adored by the ladies. He played the role of
the gallant protector to perfection. She could just see him, hypnotizing his victims into a state of well-being, then pouncing on them when they least expected it. Well this is one female he won't get a chance at, she cogratulated herself. I've just been exposed to what can happen when a woman gives her heart to a man with a roving eye. And compared to Christian Ban, Steven is still in kindergarten.
CHAPTER THREE
Connie, hearing the commotion and becoming concerned for Toni, chose that moment to put in an appearance.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed as she stepped just inside Toni's office and looked at the large wet spot on the carpet, the scattered flowers, and the shattered vase. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed again more softly as she turned startled eyes toward Toni and Christian Barr.
"It's all right, Connie." Toni smiled at her friend. "It looks far worse than it is, I assure you." She opened a drawer and began to take out her personal articles. "Could you possibly find me a box? Oh ... and would you call the janitor and ask him to clean up this mess? I'm afraid the weather's been rather stormy."
"Of course," Connie replied faintly, then slowly backed out of the room, a look of disbelief stil! on her face.
"I think you've thoroughly shocked your friend," Christian said with a chuckle. Without asking permission, he sat on one corner of her desk, then locked his hands around one knee and leaned back. "May I be so bold as to ask what brought about this ... er ... altecation between you and your fiance?" "Ex-fiance, and no, you may not ask. Why should it interest you?" Toni asked as she continued to remove her things from the desk.
"Simple," Christian told her. "You're a beautiful woman and I have a great interest in beautiful women."
Toni paused, giving him a narrowed look from beneath dark brows. "Somehow, Mr. Barr, that very flat-tering little speech fails to do a single thing for me."
She returned to her task, either side of her generous mouth bracketed with annoyance. "I appreciate your timely intervention a few minutes ago, but now that you've done your good deed for the day, would you mind leaving? As you obviously heard and can see, I have quite a bit to do and a very short time in which to do it."
"Oh, don't mind me." Christian smiled brazenly.
"I'll just sit here, quiet as a little mouse."
"Hmmm." Toni frowned. "Quiet you may be. But litte? Hardly."
Damn the man! Was he so insensitive as to be getting some perverted pleasure from her present situation? Couldn't he see that she wanted to be alone?
Connie's reappearance with a box was a much welcomed intrusion. She sat the cardboard container on the desk, her eyes darting from Toni to a smiling Christian. "There was no possible way to work things out?" she finally asked.
Toni looked pointedly at the end results of the conversation between her and Steven, then shrugged. "I do believe the lines of communication have been irrevocably cut. In fact"—she pushed back her cuff and glanced at her watch—"I have exactly forty-five minutes to pack and leave."
"I'm in need of a secretary," Christian Barr informed Toni with a devilish grin. "You could name your hours, plus travel extensively."
"No thanks," Toni said, then regarded him suspiciously. "I've always been leery of jobs with glowing fringe benefits."
"Maybe you should think about Mr. Barr's offer, Toni," Connie said. "Jobs aren't that easy to come by these days."
Toni stared at the receptionist, not believing she'd heard correctly. But Connie was dead serious, her face a study of concern as she pondered Toni's future.
After favoring Christian with a withering look, Toni tried to set Connie's mind at ease. "You do have a point, but I think I need a change of scenery. Aunt Sara has been after me for months to visit her. It's been over three years since I last saw her. Now seems the perfect time to make my favorite relative happy and take a vacation."
"But Natchez, Mississippi, is such a long way from Richmond," Connie said with a frown. "Will you drive or fly?"
"Drive ... I think," Toni told her, then changed the subject by asking Connie if she would look after her plants while she was away.
Forty-five minutes later, as she placed her purse and the box containing her belongings from her desk on the front seat of her small compact car, Toni looked back toward the building where she'd worked for over two years. She'd made some good friends, and she
woulid miss them, but she knew it was time to move on, to new faces . . . new places.
""I can't beleve it!" Susie cried excitedly. "You're really coming?"
"Of course I am, silly." Toni laughed at her dizzy cousin. "I plan on leaving Richmond around noon to-morrow. I should see you sometime late Friday eve-
ing.
"Oh, Toni, this is fantastic. Aunt Sara hasn't been feeling well lately, and I'm sure this will be just the thing to perk her up."
"Aunt Sara's ill? What's wrong?" Toni asked.
""Nothing so bad that she would cancel her weekly dicsucon of tea with Miss Louella Rutherford."
""You're kidding."
"Not in the least. Aunt Sara considers Miss Louella a merre child, since she's only eighty and our dear aunt is a very spry ninety-six. But enough about your relatives- . . Is Steven going to join you during your vist?"
"I doubt it, Susie. He's very . . ." She hesitated, then decided to go on and get it over with. "Steven and I have broken up. As a matter of fact, I handed in my resignation this morning."
"Well, I hope you made the right decision," Susie said after a slight pause, concern evident in her voice.
" Would you like me to fly to Richmond and keep you company on the drive?"
" No "' Toni smiled. "You stay put and get all your little projects out of the way so that when I arrive, we can gossip for days and days."
After the conversation ended, Toni sat back and stared thoughtfully into space, a slow, gentle warmth stealing over her. She needed her cousin Susie and Susie's fun-loving husband, Brent. She also needed and wanted to be near Aunt Sara, wanted to hear the acid comments from her aged relative that always kept her laughing.
Yes, Toni decided as she roused herself and began to think of the plants she'd need to take over to Connie's, going to Natchez was probably the wisest decision she'd made in months.
Toni parked her car as close as possible to the entrance to Connie's apartment. She got out of the car, then reached for the two ferns nearest her. By the time she got to the door, her arms seemed ready to snap. By shifting her burden so that her view was blocked, she managed to get a finger free and pressed it against the doorbell.
Almost immediately the door opened. "Thank heaven," she muttered as she attempted to juggle the luxurious fronds tickling her nose. "These things weigh—"
Toni stared, speechless. It wasn't Connie who was reaching out and relieving her of the two potted plants, but Christian Barr. He was still wearing the same dark pants and matching knit shirt she'd noticed while he'd been lounging on her desk. But what on earth was he doing at Connie's apartment?
"Why don't you come in?" Christian asked as he stood with a flowing fern balanced in each large hand like some huge landmark, a grin of amusement on his face.
"Oh, no. I ... that is . . ." Lord! What had she stumbled upon?
"Connie's in the bedroom changing into something
more comfortable." He turned and looked helplessly around the room, then back at Toni. "Where am I supposed to put these things?"
Now that her initial surprise was fading, Toni stepped inside the living room, her eye immediately going to the glass doors that led to the minuscule patio, "Just set them over there." She nodded toward the doors, "The evenings have gotten too cool for them to be outside."
Christian did as she instructed and then straightened to his rather formidable height and walked back to where she was standing.
"Are tbere more?" he asked, still smiling, his gaze running appreciatively over Toni and the close-fitting jeans and baggy sweatshirt she was wearing.
I wonder how long it's taken him to perfect that smile? she thought. Maybe his mind is programmed so that even in his sleep he has that seductive expression. "Are there more pots . . . plants . . . whatever in your car?" he asked again, then had the unbelievable gall to chuckle when he saw Toni's lips become taut with annoyance.
"Two more," she said coolly, "but I can get them,
Mr. Barr, there's no—"
"I'll get them, Miss Grant. Why don't you have a seat? You look as though you aren't feeling well," he said innocently, then left before she could reply.
"I can't believe this," she muttered. "Connie and Christian Barr? She has to be out of her mind."
But at that moment it was a very happy Connie who swept into the room, clad in a soft, clinging jumpsuit with a plunging neckline that caused Toni's jaw to
drop. "Toni!" she cried excitedly. "I'm so glad you finally
got here. I was afraid you'd decided to let someone else look after your babies."
"No ... I didn't. I ... Connie," Toni said in a rush, "what on earth is Christian Barr doing here? Are you crazy? That man collects women like small boys collect marbles. Not only that, he admits it."