Perfect Partners

the loop. You may own Thornquist, but you don’t run it. That seems to be a distinction you haven’t quite grasped. I told you yesterday that the staff has to have a clear idea of just who is in charge around here.”
    “You’ve certainly taken pains to make it clear to everyone, haven’t you?”
    “Letty, you make terrific lasagne, and I think you’re sexy as hell, but you do not run this company. I do. Around here, things get done my way or they don’t get done at all.”
    Sexy as hell? Letty refused to examine that remark too closely. She would deal with it later. “I told you yesterday that I respect the fact that you are the CEO , Mr. Blackstone. But you keep forgetting that I own Thornquist Gear.”
    “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten that fact for one minute.”
    “I insist on being kept informed. I insist that my secretary, at least, take orders from me and me alone. I insist that I be allowed to make my own decisions on whom I talk to, and I insist on being included in important meetings. Stop trying to pretend good old Great-Uncle Charlie still owns the place. Because he doesn’t. I do.”
    Joel sat forward suddenly, his eyes igniting with temper. “Goddamn it, Letty—”
    “Ms. Thornquist in the office, if you please.”
    “Goddamn it,
Ms. Thornquist
, if Charlie were still around, he’d be making arrangements to sell Thornquist Gear to me right now. Today. That was the plan. That was the way it was supposed to go down. Thornquist was supposed to be mine.”
    “Well, it’s not. It’s mine.”
    “Don’t you think I damn well know that?”
    Letty realized her fingers were trembling. All the ferocious restless energy she had sensed the first time she met Joel was blazing in him now. “Look, I don’t like confrontations. I don’t want to argue with you.”
    “Then don’t. Get the hell back to your own office and rewrite tent instruction manuals. Let me run Thornquist Gear.”
    “I want us to work together.”
    “We will, just as long as you stay out of my way and let me do my job.”
    She sucked in her breath. “You don’t want me here at all, do you?”
    “I’ve told you what I want. I want you to sell the company to me.”
    “I’m not prepared to do that.”
    “I realize that. You want to use Thornquist to
find
yourself, don’t you?” He surged to his feet and stalked to the window. “You want to use the business I’ve sweated blood to build up over the past ten years to put a little pizzazz in your life. You want to find passion and adventure. You want to amuse yourself with my company.”
    Letty was horrified. “Joel, that’s not true.”
    “It is true, damn it. Don’t bother denying it. We both know you decided to take up the reins of Thornquist only because you were bored with life back in Indiana.”
    Letty suddenly felt queasy. “Joel, I have to ask you something.”
    “Go right ahead. You’re the boss.”
    She winced under his heavy sarcasm, but forced herself to ask the question she desperately needed answered. She moistened her lips. “I have to know if the reason you came to dinner last night—” She broke off and went straight to the point. “If you kissed me and let me think you were interested in a relationship with me because you thought you could control me with sex.”
    “Jesus,” he muttered, not turning around.
    “I have to know, Joel. Was it just one more control tactic, like manipulating my office procedures and giving orders to my secretary? Because, if so, I can save you a lot of trouble by telling you up front that it wouldn’t have worked.”
    “Is that so?” He slanted her a chilling glance over his shoulder.
    “Yes, it’s so. Just ask Philip.” Letty got to her feet, afraid that she was about to burst into tears. She refused to lose control of her emotions in front of him.
    Joel swung around and caught hold of her arm as she started for the door. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    “Never mind.” She wished she had kept her mouth shut.
    “Lady, you are not getting out of here until you tell me what you meant by that remark.”
    She looked up, saw his expression, and she believed him. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and glared at him. Her cheeks were burning. “I meant what I said. I am not vulnerable to that particular approach. Sex is not high on my list of priorities.”
    He looked incredulous. “You expect me to believe that after that kiss last night?”
    “I’m not saying I’m totally