Mind Over Matter

she put her hand on the knob, held her breath, then yanked it open. David managed to grab her wrist before she knocked him out cold.
    “Always greet clients this way, A.J.?”
    “Damn it!” She let the paperweight slip to the floor as relief flooded through her. “You scared me to death, Brady. What are you doing sneaking around here at this hour?”
    “The same thing you’re doing sneaking around here at this hour. I got up early.”
    Because her knees were shaking, she gave in to the urge to sit, heavily. “The difference is this is my office. I can sneak around anytime I like. What do you want?”
    “I could claim I couldn’t stay away from your sparkling personality.”
    “Cut it.”
    “The truth is I have to fly to New York for a location shoot. I’ll be tied up for a couple of days and wanted you to pass a message on to Clarissa for me.” It wasn’t the truth at all, but he didn’t mind lying. It was easier to swallow than the fact that he’d needed to see her again. He’d woken up that morning knowing he had to see her before he left. Admit that to a woman like A.J. Fields and she’d either run like hell or toss you out.
    “Fine.” She was already up and reaching for a pad. “I’ll be glad to pass on a message. But next time try to remember some people shoot other people who wander into places before hours.”
    “The door was unlocked,” he pointed out. “There was no one at reception, so I decided to see if anyone was around before I just left a note.”
    It sounded reasonable. Was reasonable. But it didn’t suit A.J. to be scared out of her wits before 9:00 a.m. “What’s the message, Brady?”
    He didn’t have the vaguest idea. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he glanced around her meticulously ordered, pastel-toned office. “Nice place,” he commented. He noticed even the papers she’d obviously been working with on her desk were in neat piles. There wasn’t so much as a paper clip out of place. “You’re a tidy creature, aren’t you?”
    “Yes.” She tapped the pencil impatiently on the pad. “The message for Clarissa?”
    “How is she, by the way?”
    “She’s fine.”
    He took a moment to stroll over to study the single painting she had on the wall. A seascape, very tranquil and soothing. “I remember you were concerned about her—about her having dinner with Alex.”
    “She had a lovely time,” A.J. mumbled. “She told me Alex Marshall was a complete gentleman with a fascinating mind.”
    “Does that bother you?”
    “Clarissa doesn’t see men. Not that way.” Feeling foolish, she dropped the pad on her desk and walked to her window.
    “Is something wrong with her seeing men? That way?”
    “No, no, of course not. It’s just…”
    “Just what, Aurora?”
    She shouldn’t be discussing her mother, but so few people knew of their relationship, A.J. opened up before she could stop herself. “She gets sort of breathy and vague whenever she mentions him. They spent the day together on Sunday. On his boat. I don’t remember Clarissa ever stepping foot on a boat.”
    “So she’s trying something new.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said under her breath. “Have you any idea what it’s like to see your mother in the first stages of infatuation?”
    “No.” He thought of his own mother’s comfortable relationship with his father. She cooked dinner and sewed his buttons. He took out the trash and fixed the toaster. “I can’t say I have.”
    “Well, it’s not the most comfortable feeling, I can tell you. What do I know about this man, anyway? Oh, he’s smooth,” she muttered. “For all I know he’s been smooth with half the women in Southern California.”
    “Do you hear yourself?” Half-amused, David joined her atthe window. “You sound like a mother fussing over her teenage daughter. If Clarissa were an ordinary middle-aged woman there’d be little enough to worry about. Don’t you think the fact that she is what she is gives her an advantage? It seems she’d be an excellent judge of character.”
    “You don’t understand. Emotions can block things, especially when it’s important.”
    “If that’s true, maybe you should look to your own emotions.” He felt her freeze. He didn’t have to touch her; he didn’t have to move any closer. He simply felt it. “You’re letting your affection and concern for your mother cause you to over-react to a very simple thing. Maybe you should give some thought to targeting