Her Unexpected Admirer Page 0,20

experienced accountant to work with him on this project.”

Davis’ eyes snapped over to Marcus Evans. “I think I mentioned my requirements quite clearly, Marcus.”

Kate’s father looked nervous with that look. Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

Kate had no idea what was going on right now, but she felt somehow comforted by Davis’ last comment. Her father couldn’t intimidate him! What a revelation! Her father’s general operating procedures was to put the fear of the Internal Revenue Service into his clients, telling them that he, and only he, could fix whatever accounting problems they had and save them from an IRS audit. If that didn’t work he would patronize them to the point where they signed on with him. It was an odd process that she’d watched over and over again.

But Davis was the exception and she reveled in the oddness of it all.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around though? Shouldn’t she be a good daughter and be angry that her father was being put into a position of being intimated?

It didn’t matter and she didn’t have time to figure it out at the moment. Because her father was puffing up, trying to look bigger. It didn’t work. The man was scrawny on the best of days but standing in the same room as Davis, who was large and muscular and overwhelmingly virile, Marcus Evans only looked like the bony, mean kid on the playground trying to play tough and failing miserably.

Kate almost cheered, forcing her hands behind her back so she couldn’t clap at her father’s comeuppance.

“So here’s the deal, Kate,” her father turned to face her. “Mr. Alfieri wants an accountant to dig through his company data. You’re to find the source of his problem which he will only tell to you.”

Kate looked up at Davis suspiciously. “What kind of problem?” she demanded. She’d told him repeatedly last night that she wasn’t a good accountant! Why was he doing this? Why wouldn’t he take her father’s help? Her father was a much better accountant. What’s more, he actually liked numbers!

Davis looked at Marcus, then back down at the slender beauty that obviously was nervous and distrustful. He wanted her alone. He wanted to know why she’d left his bed last night. And he wanted her in his arms. Damn, she looked tired. And beautiful. And enticing.

“Perhaps we could discuss this alone,” he said, trying to put her at ease but still get her into her own office.

He watched as Kate looked to her father for direction. When he nodded, Kate took a deep breath and turned back to him. There was something going on between the two of them that he didn’t understand, some silent vibes that were disturbing. For some reason, he wanted to tuck her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Surely her father’s wasn’t the ogre that he appeared to be right now, was he? Davis’ own father cheered his kids’ successes and was always there to offer advice and encouragement. His mother was the soft, gentle type that thought anything her children did, from drawing a purple sun in kindergarten to building their individual business empires, was amazing and inspiring.

So why was Kate nervous around her father?

And more importantly, why did he want to whisk her out of here so she wouldn’t be nervous any longer?

He shifted, never having felt this protective instinct for a woman before.

“Kate?” he prompted, opening Marcus’ door so she could precede him to her office.

Kate looked at the two men again, wondering if her father knew what she’d done with Davis last night. Surely her guilt was written all over her face! But when she looked over at her father, he didn’t appear to be aware of anything other than frustration that he wasn’t to be included in a conversation with what she now suspected was an extremely important client.

She wasn’t exactly sure what to do, but she squared her shoulders, stiffened her spine and pretended like she was a professional accountant, ready to assist a new client. “This way, Mr. Alfieri,” she said and saw the anger in her father’s eyes diminish slightly. At least she was handling this well enough, she thought.

What would her father do? She asked herself that with every step as she made her way down the hallway, painfully aware of the giant man right behind her. She could feel his body, feel the tension that was increasing as they walked down the hallway.