Chapter Three
Chynna grabbed Trent’s hand, stopping him before he’d finished the number. "I’m not an intruder," she insisted. "I…I work here."
He cocked a skeptical eyebrow. A face like this he would have noticed. "Identify yourself."
Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze. "I’m Chynna Braden. I’m a designer, doing the decorating in the new day care center. I just started this week."
"Ah." He replaced the receiver, his dark eyes scanning hers. "You’re related to Melinda, aren’t you?"
She nodded, looking stubborn but resigned. "I know she worked for you."
"For a few weeks, yes." His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. They were still filled with the wary cynicism she’d noticed in the picture. "I suppose you were just sightseeing then? Taking a look at where your sister once worked?"
She looked into his face with hope, but immediately saw that he was mocking her. "I’ve told you who I am. You can see that I’m not a threat to you in any way. Why don’t you let me go?"
The fingers that held her arm moved, feeling more like a caress than a punishment. A tiny shiver slithered down her spine. Suddenly his smile seemed dangerous in a whole new way.
"We’re all alone, you know," he said softly. "The night cleaning crew hasn’t even arrived. Except for Security down on the first floor, there’s only you and me."
"That’s exactly what’s worrying me," she retorted, giving him an impudent frown. "You do have a reputation, you know."
He stared at her for a moment, and then he laughed aloud. "I have a reputation," he said, chuckling. "You’re the one I caught rifling through my files." He grinned at her. "Are you trying to say we’re a pair of reprobates? Birds of a feather?"
She wasn’t trying to say anything at all. She was still too busy trying to recover from the stunning effect his laugh had on her nervous system. He was just too sexy for his own good…well, for her good, at any rate. She could see why her sister had been tempted into having an affair with the man. But that very fact made it doubly imperative that she not do the same.
"Well, don’t worry, my fastidious little burglar," he said, his laughter dying away. "I’m not attempting a seduction. I’m only considering a little blackmail."
That startled her. "Blackmail?"
"Yes." His hand slid down to catch hold of her fingers. "Here’s how it works. Do what I want you to do — or go to jail."
She scoffed at him. "No one is going to throw me in jail for visiting your office uninvited," she told him, tugging to get her hand free but having no success. "You think not? Even though the local authorities happen to owe me a favor?"
Her shoulders sagged. She knew very well he came from a wealthy and influential family and she had no doubt what he said was true. If he wanted her inconvenienced for a while, she would be inconvenienced.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked, glaring at him.
"Nothing very terrible," he said soothingly. "All I need is that you come with me to a party I have to attend tonight."
She searched his eyes, looking for the catch. "That’s it?" His slow smile reappeared. "No. There’s one more thing." He raised her fingers to his lips. "You have to pretend to be in love with me," he said, just before he kissed them.
