Since I Saw You (Because You Are Mine #4)(32)
Author: Beth Kery

“Something must have upset him after the Gersbachs left, since as you mentioned, everything went so glowingly well at the meeting,” Ian said.

“I suppose, yes,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even and her expression impassive. “I can’t imagine what.”

“You can’t?”

She shook her head, holding his stare, all expression carefully ironed out of her face. It took a monumental effort on her part.

“Because I got the impression he was very irritated by your leaving,” Ian said.

“Really?” Lin asked uneasily.

“Yes. He seemed concerned about you and annoyed by your absence.”

She couldn’t stop her blush. She felt like a bug under the microscope of Ian’s piercing stare. Suddenly, she couldn’t take it anymore. She stood abruptly.

“Lin?” Ian asked sharply, sitting forward in his chair. “Is Kam making you uncomfortable? Is he being . . . inappropriate in any way?”

“No,” she blurted out. “He’s not.” I’m the one who is being inappropriate by lusting after him because he resembles you, she thought wildly.

“Would you rather not continue to work with him?” Ian demanded.

She stood there, wavering in her heels, unsure of how to reply. This was her chance to back out. Ian could ask another Noble executive to support Kam during his stay in Chicago. Kam wouldn’t like that, though. She just knew it. He may have his own personal motives for agreeing to these meetings, but they did still make him uncomfortable. It would be unfair to toss him to someone else just because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

“I want to keep working with him,” she said.

“You’re sure,” Ian prompted.

“Absolutely.”

“All right then.”

A flash of guilt went through her at his quiet show of complete confidence. Ian respected her decisions. She’d earned that respect from him. She prayed she wasn’t throwing his hard-earned trust to the wolves with this thing between her and Kam.

Whatever this thing was.

“Since we’re on the subject of Kam’s discomfort, he came to the penthouse with Francesca and me last night. Two things Francesca was able to . . . ‘pry out of him,’ as you put it, is that he’s very uncomfortable at the hotel, the other is that he misses his dog.”

“His dog?” Lin asked incredulously.

Ian nodded, his amusement easily read in his gleaming eyes. “Yes. Angus. Kam seems to imagine that Angus is a vicious guard dog, but in reality, Angus is a sweet golden retriever that doesn’t know an enemy and was happy to be a lapdog for Elise and Francesca whenever they visited Aurore. Angus also has the distinction of being Kam’s first and longest-standing test subject for his biofeedback timepiece. While we were at Aurore, Angus wore one of the most sophisticated, technologically advanced watches in the world around her left front leg. Even while Kam looked like the wild man of the Aurore Woods and forgot to eat because he’d get so caught up in his inventions, he kept Angus clean, extremely well-groomed, and gave her better food than he ever consumed himself. Yes.” Ian added when he saw Lin’s eyes widen in amazement. “The fierce Angus is a girl.”

Lin burst into choked laughter.

Well, she had said Kam never ceased to surprise, hadn’t she? Ian uncharacteristically joined her, chuckling quietly. The idea of scowling, primal Kam behaving so fussily about a dog that he imagined to be as intimidating as him was too priceless.

She was glad Ian had revealed this tidbit about his brother. The information made her less anxious about their next meeting, something she’d been dreading after her second instance of impulsive, rampant promiscuity with him last night.

A little less anxious, anyway.

It did her heart good to see Ian laugh. He really was fond of Kam, she realized in wonderment as their mirth faded. She’d guessed it before by his actions, but seeing his full-out smile as he recalled his brother’s idiosyncrasies really brought it home.

“There’s an available furnished apartment in my building,” Ian continued. “I’ve discovered the owner is agreeable to renting it out on a week-to-week basis until he gets a permanent lease. He’s also all right with a well-trained dog, so . . .”

“You’d like Kam to move there and have arrangements made for Angus to come to Chicago?” Lin finished for him. “Kam is interested?”

“Yes. He gave me a check last night for two weeks’ rent and I’ve had it delivered to the owner. The staff at the building has the keys ready for him at the front desk. Let’s stock up the place for him with food, any appliances he might need, and dog food, I suppose. I thought we could surprise him with Angus,” Ian said, picking up a piece of paper and handing it to her. “Here’s the address in my building, along with the name of the woman watching Angus in France. I don’t have her number, but she lives in the village. It’s tiny, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find and contact her,” Ian said, opening his laptop and tapping out his password.

“I’ll have one of the administrative assistants see to the details,” she assured, glancing at the paper he’d handed her and turning to go. “Oh, and it’s Friday, so I have dance practice. I’ll have to be out of here by five,” she reminded him. It was the only day of the week she routinely left the office before eight or nine in the evening, and that often was true for weekends as well. Too often.

“I remember,” he said, and by the distracted tone of his voice, Lin knew he was already absorbed by whatever he was studying on his computer screen. She had long ago become used to Ian’s ability to shut everything out as he focused, including her.

•   •   •

At five that evening Lin headed for the door, her packed briefcase on her shoulder. Her gaze lingered on the phone on her desk. She paused.

She’d been telling herself to call Kam, but had managed to put it off for one reason or another. They had a lot of details that needed to be addressed for the Klinf meeting for Saturday and the Gersbach demonstration of his mechanism, plus she’d scheduled another facility tour for him with one of Noble’s technology suppliers early next week. Now the day was done, and she still hadn’t called.

Had she been half hoping he’d be the one to call, or even show up at Noble Enterprises wanting to speak with her?

She sighed irritably and exited her office. On the way out, she passed Maria Chase’s desk and heard her talking rapidly in French. Among the four administrative assistants that worked for both Ian and Lin, they covered the gamut of the majority of languages spoken on the globe. Lin’s French was spotty, but she recognized enough of what Maria said to slow in front of the admin’s desk, listening. Maria noticed her and smiled as she signed off and hung up.