So, tell me, Mr. Rowe. What is an important guy like you doing out at the crack of dawn surfing alone?
I like to surf. And I like my privacy.
But its dangerous. Too dangerous for a man of your stature.
He raised an amused brow. Whats wrong with my stature? Arent I tall enough to surf? She rolled her eyes at him.
He studied her as she moved from the window to stand across the coffee table from him. Tension vibrated through her entire body, and something deep in his gut responded in kind. Damn her. He didnt like being off balance like this.
Although she was an attractive woman overall, the first thing a person noticed when they looked at her were those incredible electric blue eyes of hers. Bright and inquisitive, they looked right through a guy and made him feel a little naked in front of her. He jumped in before she could ask the next question burning in her glorious gaze. And what were you doing on the beach at the crack of dawn, Miss Ellis?
Hauling dead men out of the surf, of course.
Do you do that on a regular basis? he asked dryly.
At least twice a week. Its great aerobic exercise, she snapped.
Touchy, touchy. He asked more seriously, What do you know about Takashi-sans death? His family will be devastated.
You know the family? she asked softly. Careful to keep his expression smooth and give nothing away, he nodded. His first wife died of cancer years ago. Wife number two is a former high-fashion model and quite the wild child. But he seemsseemedhappy with her. Hes got a couple of grown kids from the first marriage.
Any idea whod want to kill him and then dispose of his body in such a fashion?
Youre the reporter. You tell me. She shrugged. The North Koreans and the Russians have every reason to sabotage this summit and properly provoked, theyre both capable of murder. Of course, it could be some business or personal enemy of Andos, maybe the Yakuzathe Japanese mob is still pretty powerful. And then theres always the ubiquitous child who wants to collect an inheritance sooner rather than later.
Tom jerked, offended. Not Andos sons. Theyre both honorable men.
Paige shrugged. Then were left with enemies or politics.
Whos coming to collect the body? Paige pursed her lips and looked prepared to be stubborn about answering. He added gently, I can always call the local police and tip them off to check out your house. In this part of the world, theyd throw you in jail first and maybe get around to investigating the murder later. Or maybe theyd just lock you up and throw away the key.
She did an odd thing. Her eyes became preternaturally intense, and she became very still. Like she was readying herself to do violence. It was something hed expect to see in a soldier, not a girly-girl TV journalist. For make no mistake about it, Paige Ellis was all girl. She wasnt a big thing, maybe five-foot-five. And slender. Not skinny, by any stretch, though. She looked fit. But feminine. And those eyes of hers he was having trouble looking away from them. They were even brighter and bluer in person than on television.
She spoke quietly. I dont take well to being threatened, Mr. Rowe.
That was more like it. Now she was the one on the defensive. He grinned and picked up a plate of croissants. Snack, Miss Ellis?
No, thank you, she bit out.
He sat down on the couch facing the magnificent ocean view and poured himself a cup of coffee. Since he never took anything but coffee and croissants before noon, he assumed the water on the tray was for her. He poured some into a crystal glass already filled with ice. He set it on the low table in front of her without bothering to ask. She struck him as the kind of woman whod answer no to anything he asked of her just to be obstinate.
He enjoyed watching her struggle to corral her temper as she sat down stiffly across from him. Slowly, she pulled out a notepad and a pen. And when she finally looked up at him, her face was calm. Pleasant even.
Impressive.
So, Mr. Rowe. How did you get involved with this summit? Were you approached by our government, or did you approach them?
Ah. Retreating into her reporter persona, was she? Surely she was aware of his reputation with journalists. He was known as the worst interview in America. He made no secret of the fact that he despised anyone poking into his personal life. He was even known for finding questions about his business matters offensive. But suddenly, he was finding it damned hard to be offended when he could hardly tear his gaze away from Paiges tanned and toned legs.
She asked him the usual questions about the global business climate, the outlook for the future, what recommendations he was planning to make at this summit of world business and political leaders. In return, he fed her his usual dodges. He was the master of answering a question with a question, sidetracking the conversation into clarifications of exactly what questions meant and, when she finally nailed him down with a direct question, blatantly not answering it and straying into vague politician-speak about hope for the future.
After about ten minutes of cat and mouse, she sighed and laid down her pad and pen. Mr. Rowe. If youre not going to cooperate at all with this interview, why did you agree to it in the first place?
He leaned back, grinning openly. I give an uncooperative interview every few years just to make the point that I still dont talk to reporters. And when I heard you were coming back to television, I thought youd enjoy the welcome back gift.
Chagrin flitted across her face. Uh-huh. She thought shed landed the big catch that would launch her comeback. Sorry. He was nobodys trophy fish.
A cute little frown wrinkled her brow as she pressed. Seriously. Why me?
Now there was a loaded question. With more loaded answers to it than he cared to examine closely. His gaze narrowed. Two could play that game. I wanted to see if your eyes were as blue in person as they are on TV.
Only the barest flutter of her eyelashes gave away that she was flustered by the innuendo in his voice. She was really very good at what she did. It was just that he knew her reporters game all too well and had no intention of playing along. Women tried to use sex as a weapon against him all the time. He was rich, single, reasonably good looking and still in his thirties, which was to say, he was the Holy Grail to women like her.
And are they?
Are they what, Miss Ellis?
As blue in person?
It was his turn to hide his surprise. He got the distinct impression that was a personal question. Purely off the record. Was she flirting with him?
He studied her, letting his gaze range from head to toe and back until she squirmed once, ever so slightly. Then he answered casually, Actually, I was more curious whether theyre that blue in bed.
In your bed? she asked shortly.
He shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
That is something youll never find out, Mr. Rowe. This interview is over. I shall, of course, be happy to make it known to my colleagues that you are still as stubborn and arrogant and obnoxious as ever.
His grin broke free. She was magnificent with her eyes snapping cobalt fire like that and her cheeks bright with color. She leaped to her feet in agitation as he rose casually to his. So. Shed turned down his fairly unusual offer to bed her, had she? A fascinating first.
Give me a call the next time you find a dead guy on a beach and need help, he drawled at her ramrod stiff back.
She paused deliberately at the door and looked slowly over her shoulder. She said pleasantly, Good Lord willing, Mr. Rowe, the next dead body I find on a beach will be yours.
He laughed heartily as the door slammed shut behind her. He was still chuckling a few minutes later when Gretchen stepped into the room, frowning.
Whats up, Gretch?
She handed him a sheet of paper with an e-mail printed on it. We received another threat against you, Mr. Rowe.
He sighed. I get death threats all the time. Tell Nils. He knows what to do. Nils Olson was his chief of security and a former Swedish Special Forces commando. Theyd met when they got caught in a blizzard, helicopter skiing on a mountain in Austria. The big Swede had found him snow-blind and half-frozen. Theyd made it down that mountain together and been fast friends ever since.
Heres your schedule for today, Mr. Rowe.
Hed tried for years to get Gretchen to call him Tom, but shed never budged. He was the boss, and would forever remain Mr. Rowe to her. He knew everyone thought they were sleeping together. But he also knew that she was hopelessly in love with Nils, and Nils was hopelessly focused on his job, completely unaware of her feelings. Tom tried to respect her privacy as much as she respected his, however, and stayed out of the whole thing. And in the meantime, he had a great security chief and an equally great assistant.
He sighed and took the typed schedule. His day was packed with meeting various members of the sixty delegations at this summit, then he had an hour to work out, an hour to rest and shower, and last on the list, the opening ball this evening.
Have my tuxedo steamed and my black dress shoes shined, will you, Gretchen?
Of course. She moved to the coffee table to collect the tray. How did your interview with Miss Ellis go?
Actually, it went fantastic.
That made Gretchen look up. She knew as well as anyone how much he despised reporters.
He grinned. She only lasted ten minutes before she stomped out in a huff.
The last one made it nearly a half hour before she gave up.
The last one was hoping to get me in the sack.
Gretchen tsked. Still. Only ten minutes? You must have been particularly unpleasant today. Either that or this one wasnt the least bit patient.
Youre right. Shes not the least bit patient, our Miss Ellis. Not patient at all.
* * *
Paige looked around the grand ballroom, scoping out who was present and if her light blue satin gown was too horribly out of fashion. It felt weird to be wearing high heels and jewelry and have her hair piled on top of her head like this. Shed spent so long crawling around in mud, wearing fatigues and toting an assault rifle that shed almost forgotten what it felt like to get dolled up.
The crowd ranged in more or less concentric circles around the room, with the people growing progressively more financially important as she walked toward the heart of the party. Her gaze swept the innermost circles of power here tonighta whos who of the worlds most influential business leaders. Her stomach leaped at the sight of a familiar silhouette, a tall, athletic form shed recognize whether dressed in surfing trunks or a designer tuxedo.
Of course, he had to choose that exact moment to look up. Their gazes locked. Damn him! He would have to catch her ogling him in a fancy tux that made him look like a cover model. He smirked at her and her palm got a sudden itch to swipe the expression off his face. But rather than give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her, she instead pasted on a pleasant smile as she veered away from him and his companions.
Paige snagged a flute of champagne from a strolling waiter and downed the thing in a single gulp. When the next waiter passed, she exchanged the empty glass for a full one and sipped this one a little more temperately. Although shed been gone for two years, the faces were mostly the same. She had interviewed many of the dignitaries in the room and made polite small talk with them as she cruised the ball.
A number of her fellow journalists were clustered around a bar at the far end of the huge room, but she avoided them. They had an alarming tendency to reminisce about Jerry with her, and frankly, she avoided those memories whenever possible. She might have come to terms with her role in Jerrys death, but it didnt mean she wanted to wallow in her lingering guilt.
She felt eyes on her and glanced up, her gaze colliding with the dark, amused one of Thomas Rowe halfway across the room. Jerk. She looked away pointedly. But she couldnt resist peeking his direction a minute later. Dammit! He was still staring at her!
She yanked her gaze away, vowing to herself not to look at him again tonight. But then the darnedest thing started happening. Shed glance innocently at something or someone, and there hed be, smack-dab in her line of sight. It was like he was trying to make her look at him. Surely he wasnt that juvenile.
And then he started moving in on her. Oh, it was a gradual thing, and to the innocent observer would undoubtedly be completely undetectable. But she was aware of every foot closer to her that he came. Was he stalking her? She actually had to curb an impulse to sidle away from him. Double jerk.
The annoying game was interrupted when she overheard his name mentioned among a group of women clustered just to her right. Paige recognized one of them as the wife of the American ambassador to China, a woman shed interviewed before.
Paige moved in smoothly. Mrs. Carrillo. You look fabulous! Tell me, are you still working with that international womens rights group?
Why, hello, Paige. Yes, I am. Youre looking lovely yourself.
Youre too kind. I didnt mean to interrupt you ladies please, dont stop on my account.
A woman Paige didnt know but who sported a thick European accentFrench, maybelaughed. I was just telling them about Mimi Andos rather sordid past.
Paige said winningly, Im sorry. I thought I overheard you mentioning Thomas Rowe.
The Frenchwoman replied, You did. He and Mimi were quite an item a few years back. They had a scandalous relationship, even by Parisian standards.
Curbing her eyebrows, which seemed to want to sail upward, Paige encouraged the woman. Do tell.
Well, they partied their way across Europe and had spectacular fights in the most inappropriate places. And then she met Takashi and dumped Rowe cold. He hasnt dated another woman seriously since. Rumor has it that she broke his heart.
Indeed? A jilted lover, was he? Funny he hadnt shown more reaction to Andos body this morning, then, even if to show a certain satisfaction at a rivals death. But hed acted entirely unaffected. Not even surprised, come to think of it. Had he known what was in that bag? Was it possible? Had Thomas Rowe murdered Takashi Ando? Over a woman? Her instinct was to reject the notion as absurd. But her training, both in journalism and things military, demanded that she consider every possibility, no matter how outrageous.
She risked glancing around the room in an attempt to spot Rowe. There he was, speaking to a very tall brunette with the kind of body that made other women feel completely inadequate. Whos that Rowes talking with over there? Paige asked.