Family Man

Gilchrist,” Katy announced as she stepped into her panties and tugged on her pantyhose.
    “All right,” he said equably. His eyes followed her every movement with lazy possessiveness. “Next time I'll think of something to use besides the desk. Although I thought it worked just fine myself.”
    Katy felt herself responding to the expression in his sorcerer's eyes. “I think I had better get out of here.”
    “Don't forget that I'll be over for dinner tonight.”
    “Believe me, I'm not likely to forget.” Katy straightened her skirt and fled toward the door.
    “Right.” Luke walked around behind his desk and sat down. He picked up a gold pen and smiled. “Tell Darren I'll talk to him now.”
    Katy paused in the act of unlocking the door. She glanced anxiously around the office. “Do you think he'll know that we, uh, did something in here?”
    Luke shrugged. “Like I said, as long as he refrains from commenting on the subject, I don't really care.”
    “Well, I do,” Katy muttered. “You Gilchrists are entirely too blasé about this sort of thing. You thrive on passion and drama. No sense of decorum whatsoever.”
    “Relax, Katy. If cousin Darren dares to make any tasteless remarks, I'll tear off one of his arms and beat him over the head with it.”
    Katy gave up. There was no reasoning with Luke. She went out the door and down the corridor to the nearest bathroom. When she emerged she felt much better. In control. Her hair was neatly brushed and her clothes looked presentable.
    She had been right about one thing, however. Her damp panties took forever to dry.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN
    T he following morning Katy sat with Justine in her suite drinking tea in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The good news as far as Katy was concerned was that the older woman no longer seemed withdrawn and depressed the way she had before Luke's arrival. She looked much more like herself this morning. She was wearing a crisp black shirtwaist dress that gave her a jaunty air, and her expression was resolute.
    The bad news was that Justine was annoyed.
    The problem in dealing with Gilchrists was that one did not always like what one got when their moods altered any better than what one had before. On the other hand, Katy told herself philosophically, she was accustomed to dealing with Justine's anger. It did not alarm her the way the older woman's depressed spirits had.
    “Yesterday I asked Luke for a simple, straightforward report on the status of my company. That was all.” Justine's teacup clinked loudly when she set it down in its saucer. “What I got was some nonsense about collecting data. It sounds to me as though he's accomplished absolutely nothing since his arrival.”
    Katy winced. She was the one who had asked Luke not to tell his grandmother any of the real news about Gilchrist, Inc. She searched for something bright and reassuring to say. “He seems to be having a very positive impact on management.”
    “I do not care what sort of impact he's having on management. That report he delivered to me was an insult. Who does he think I am? I won't be treated as if I'm feebleminded. I want results.”
    “I'm sure he'll get them, Justine.”
    “I wish I could be as certain as you are.” Justine sat brooding silently on that for a moment. “Katy, I must ask you something. I want your honest opinion.”
    “Of course, Justine.” Katy mentally crossed her fingers behind her back.
    “I know that initially you weren't in favor of my efforts to persuade Luke to join the family. Do you still feel I made a mistake?”
    Katy was startled by the hint of uncertainty she sensed in Justine. “No,” she admitted cautiously. “I don't think it was a mistake. I think Luke knows what he's doing and that he's quite capable of saving Gilchrist, Inc.”
    “If he wants to save it,” Justine said grimly. “I'm beginning to wonder if he does.”
    Katy was surprised. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean I am not at all certain he came back to help us. After that ridiculous report I got yesterday I have to wonder if perhaps Hayden and Maureen were right when they claimed he had returned to destroy the company.”
    “Justine, I'm sure that's not the case. If Luke was a bit vague in his report, it was only because he's still gathering information. He's a great believer in having all the pertinent information he can get before he acts. He seems to organize everything with a computer.”
    “I don't know, Katy. I just don't