Family Man

“I'm sorry if I misled you in any way. I realize I shouldn't have let you kiss me. If you feel that what happened back at your cottage was my fault, then I can only say I regret it very much. I realize Gilchrists tend to get very intense about everything.”
    Luke planted a hand against the door frame and leaned close. He wanted to be certain she could see the anger in his eyes. “Let's get something clear here, Katy Wade. What happened back at my cottage was my fault. I take full responsibility for it. I started it, and one of these days I will damn well finish it. Now go to bed and think about that before you fall asleep.”
    “But Luke—”
    “And stop assuming that I'm just like every other Gilchrist you've ever known.” He reached out, caught hold of the doorknob, and yanked the door shut before she could react.
    Zeke looked up at him inquiringly.
    Luke raked his fingers through his hair. He glanced up at the starry sky. The moon was full tonight. It cast a broad swath of silver on the sea.
    “Come on, boy. Let's go down to the beach. I need a long walk.”
    Zeke bounded forward, heading toward the path that led from the top of the bluff to the rocky beach below. The chilly breeze whipped at Luke's windbreaker as he followed the dog down to the water's edge.
    Luke strode swiftly along the coarse, moonlit sand for a long while. He focused on letting the brisk, tangy air drive the remnants of passion out of his system.
    When he finally came to a halt at the far end of the beach he had himself firmly back under control. His mind had calmed to the point where he could think clearly and coldly again.
    He had been asking himself why he had come here to Dragon Bay ever since he had made the decision. He had tried telling himself he was after the Pacific Rim restaurant. He had played with the idea of vengeance against the rest of the clan. He had wondered if perhaps it was sheer boredom that had driven him to accept the challenge of saving Gilchrist, Inc.
    Now Luke realized with grim self-awareness that he finally had the real answer to his question.
    He was here because of Katy.

    The following morning Katy walked into the office and put a small plastic container down on Liz's desk. Liz leaned forward expectantly as Katy opened the container and reached for a knife. She dipped the knife into the pesto and spread the green paste onto a cracker.
    “Okay, tell me what you think,” Katy said as she handed the cracker to Liz. “I want your honest opinion.”
    Liz took the cracker, popped it into her mouth, and munched thoughtfully. “Good. Very good.”
    Katy frowned. “Are you sure?”
    “No. I can't be absolutely positive with just one bite. Better let me have another sample.”
    Katy spread pesto on another cracker. “This one is made with basil and spinach. I've been experimenting with the amount of pine nuts to use in it.”
    Liz bit into the next cracker and grinned. “I think you've got another winner here, Katy.”
    “You really like it?”
    “It's terrific,” Liz assured her. “Mind if I just help myself to the rest?”
    Before Katy could respond there was a soft sound from the office doorway. The hair on the back of her neck stirred in primal reaction. She knew who stood there even before he spoke. He had been on her mind all night, hovering at the edge of her dreams like a dark, dangerous, all-too-exciting phantom. He was the last thing she had thought about before she fell asleep and the first thing that had popped into her head this morning when she opened her eyes.
    The Bastard was haunting her.
    “Don't you think you need more than one opinion before you reach any conclusions in this consumer survey?” Luke asked.
    Katy forced herself to remain outwardly calm as she glanced over her shoulder. Luke stood there, one shoulder propped against the doorjamb. He was dressed in his customary black. This morning it was a pullover and black trousers. There was no sign of a jacket or tie. Apparently he didn't plan to drive into Seattle this morning.
    “Would you care for a taste?” Katy asked politely.
    His sorcerer's eyes gleamed. “Yes.”
    She clutched the knife handle tightly as she obediently spread pesto on another cracker. “Spinach and basil. I'm still experimenting with it.”
    Luke straightened and came forward to take the cracker from her fingers. His eyes never left hers as he took the offering. His teeth flashed for an instant as he put the whole cracker into his mouth. He chewed