The Tycoon's Tender Triumph Page 0,4

real.

“Are you going to invite me in?” his deep voice asked. Instead of waiting, he simply pushed his way through the door, making Chloe plaster herself against the wall as he passed by since there wasn’t enough space in the tiny hallway.

“What are you doing here?” she breathed, following behind him, her mind unable to figure out a way to circumvent his invasion into her precious sanctuary. Her only thought was to karate chop him somehow that would knock him out, then she could drag him to the door and kick it shut, with him on the other side.

The only problem with that little scenario was that, number one, she didn’t know karate. And number two, if he fell onto the floor, he’d still be there when he woke up because the man was just too huge for her to drag. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder and he had muscles everywhere, adding bulk to his height. Not an ounce of fat, she noted silently. The man definitely kept in shape.

She arrived just in time for David to be rising from the loveseat, shock on his face as he registered who was now in front of him. “Sam Marchant?” David said, his voice filled with awe and reverence.

“Evenin’,” Sam said, his Texas drawl making the word come out more lyrical than normal. He stuck out his hand. “And you are?” Sam asked.

Chloe was confused. Was that hostility in Sam’s voice? Impossible, she told herself as she snuck around to stand beside David, wanting to show Sam that she’d moved on and he had no business coming here.

“Good grief,” David was saying, shaking Sam’s hand with embarrassing enthusiasm. “Chloe and I were just talking about you earlier.”

Sam looked down at Chloe, his expression unreadable. “Is that right?” he asked when she started squirming under his intense gaze. “What was the conversation about?” he asked.

“The letters,” David said, pointing lamely towards the counter where they were now neatly stacked.

“Nothing,” Chloe said at the same time, hoping to find out what Sam wanted and get him out of her apartment. She’d always thought it was tiny but with Sam in it, his broad shoulders and enormous height seemed to take up all the remaining space. He overwhelmed her with his presence and made her feel uncomfortable, irritated. “Sam, what can I do for you? I know you’re extremely busy and probably have to get back to Texas quickly, don’t you?”

“We have business to discuss.” He glanced at David and continued, “Privately.”

Chloe hated the way his voice felt on her skin. It was like liquid chocolate, melting and taking her breath away. Shaking her head, she said, “Sam, I don’t know what it is, but David and I have no secrets from each other.”

Sam’s gaze slid away from hers and focused on David who quickly got the message. “Um…Chloe,” he said, obviously nervous of Sam’s intimidating gaze, not to mention the seemingly threatening body language, “I’ll just call you tomorrow.” He quickly picked up his coat from the chair where he’d thrown in earlier. “You obviously have things to discuss and I’ll just be in the way.” He bent down to peck her cheek, then hurried out the door.

As soon as the door closed, Sam pulled off his coat, then turned to face her, his arms crossed over his massive chest. “You’ve been ignoring me, Chloe,” he said. His voice was calm, soft even, but she heard the note of steel in his tone. He was reprimanding her and she bristled at the implication.

“Yes. I have,” she said, and because she needed something to do with her hands, she picked up the two cups of barely touched coffee and carried them to the kitchen, dumping the contents down the sink.

“Why?” he asked.

She shrugged, not willing to turn back to face him so she dumped the coffee from the pot down the drain as well, hoping he’d get the message that he wasn’t welcome here.

“You didn’t read any of my letters,” he said and it was a statement, not a question. Chloe then realized that David had probably left the letters on the counter instead of tucked into her stack of papers she kept on the corner. Glancing behind her, sure enough, Sam had all of his unopened letters in his large, dark hand.

Trying to feign indifference, she shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t gotten around to them yet. Are they important?”

“And my phone calls?” he asked, pressing the button on her answering