A Woman's Touch

right?“ Kyle straightened. „You must have picked a very obscure one. I left messages with most of the big hotels and motels.“
    „Really?“ she asked a bit too brightly. „Why?“
    Kyle’s rush of relief was beginning to fade. In its place was a sense of growing irritation. He began to realize Rebecca might be playing games with him. „Why?“ he repeated carefully. „Because I was trying to locate you, of course.“
    „Why?“ she said again.
    Kyle shot her a ferocious glance and then paced over to the floor-to-ceiling window. He stood looking out at the mountains and tried to figure out what was going on. „Why the hell do you think I was looking for you, Becky?“
    „I have no idea,“ she returned crisply. „But since you’ve found me, shall we go over the weekly report?“
    „No, we are not going to go over the weekly report.“ Kyle swung around to confront her. „We are going to talk, damn it.“
    „About what?“
    „About us. And don’t give me that innocent look. You must have been listening a few minutes ago when I informed my secretary I was not in a mood for games. I meant it. I’ve had a rough week, Becky, and it’s all your fault.
    You’ve put me through enough hoops. Give me a break, lady. I’ve paid for my mistake.“
    She sat back in her chair, eyeing him consideringly. Kyle saw the flash of awareness in her amber gaze and he relaxed slightly. The pose of prim, polite calm was a facade. Underneath, she was as tense as he was.
    „I don’t think I understand,“ she said.
    „You understand well enough. And I think I’m finally beginning to figure it out, myself. You’ve been twisting the knife, haven’t you? Taking all the revenge you can get. It’s not enough that you’re forcing me to become a business partner with Glen Ballard. Oh, no, Becky Wade wants every last drop of blood. She exacts vengeance for two women she’s never even met and then goes on to take some for herself. You’re a greedy female. You must have known what you were doing to me when you disappeared.“
    Rebecca looked down at the notes on her clipboard. „That’s not true, Kyle. I wasn’t at all sure what my leaving would do to you. I only knew I needed time to think. I figured this was the last place you’d look for me.“
    „You know me so well.“
    „I’ve learned a lot lately,“ she admitted.
    He rubbed the back of his neck. „More than I ever wanted you to know.“
    „You were wrong to keep things hidden from me, Kyle.“
    „I didn’t think I had a choice.“ He turned back to the view of the Rockies. „I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know how much you could take. I was afraid that if you knew it all – the fact that I’d gone to such lengths to get Harmony Valley, that I had a failed marriage and a broken engagement behind me – you’d walk away from me. What smart woman wouldn’t? Then, just when I was beginning to hope you might be able to handle everything after all, you went and pulled that stunt with the land. And I finally lost my temper with you. Something I swore I’d never do.“
    „It was bound to happen sooner or later,“ Rebecca pointed out mildly.
    He shook his head firmly. „No. I wasn’t going to let it happen.“
    „A noble objective, but hardly practical. You’ve got the devil’s own temper, Kyle, and while I know you’re capable of controlling it most of the time, there are certainly going to be occasions when it gets away from you. But, frankly, I fail to see what the big fuss is all about.“
    He shot her a quick, searching glance over his shoulder. „I said some terrible things to you.“
    „You called me a sneaky, conniving, manipulative little witch,“ she agreed. „But under the circumstances, I’ll have to admit you had some cause. I did connive to manipulate you and Ballard into working together. I hate to tell you this, Kyle, because I know how much you and everyone else enjoy the legend of the Stockbridge temper, but I’m afraid it’s overrated.“
    Kyle planted a hand against the wall and stared at her. He must have misunderstood, she thought. „Overrated?“ he finally got out.
    She nodded briskly, the office lights causing her neatly bound hair to gleam. „Overrated. As dragons go, you’ll do in a pinch, I suppose. After all, there is plenty of fire when you open your mouth. But you don’t do all that much damage. You’ve got a lot more self-control than you or anyone else gives you credit for having.“
    For