For Services Rendered by Patricia Kay Page A

It was bad enough he'd lied to her about the magazine article. He'd always intended to be straight with her about his marriage proposition. Knowing where they both stood was the only way a marriage between them could work anyway, because he meant every word he'd said about the kind he wanted. It would have been stupid to lead Claire to believe he was in love with her because he wasn't, and he would never allow himself to be. Falling in love would negate his edge. And if there was anything he'd learned in the past twenty-odd years, it was the cardinal rule of business: You never allowed your edge to be weakened by personal emotions. His one failure in life—his marriage—had been directly attributable to his forgetting that rule.
    So, he had done the right thing by telling Claire the truth. Still ... he wished she hadn't been so upset when she'd left the suite. He hated thinking he was the cause of adding more stress to her life. Surely, after she calmed down, she'd begin to see the sound reasoning of his proposal, the benefits to both of them. He hoped by tomorrow morning, when they were scheduled to leave for Houston, she'd be ready to talk to him again.
    But the next morning, when they met downstairs as arranged, he knew his hope was in vain.
    "Good morning," he said. "The limousine is here. Are your bags on the way down?"
    She nodded, her green eyes frosty.
    He studied her. She looked beautiful, as always, but she also looked as if she hadn't slept well the previous night. Once again, there were shadows under her eyes, and Nick felt a twinge of conscience. She also looked remote. She'd twisted her hair into a severe chignon and her mouth was set in a determined line.
    During the ride from the hotel to the airport, she kept her eyes straight ahead or she looked out her window. Not once did she glance his way, and Nick, although he still felt guilty about adding to her worries, began to be amused. It wasn't often that anyone ignored him. He wondered how long she'd keep it up.
    When they were on board the company plane and she was settled into her seat, he said, "Would you like some coffee?"
    She unbuckled her seatbelt.
    "I'll get it," he said.
    "Thank you." Her eyes were green ice. "I prefer to get my own."
    Nick's amusement grew as she studiously ignored him throughout the entire trip. Even her body language was aloof. She sat upright in her seat, with her chin raised and her face turned away from him. He felt a surge of admiration for her. She was a woman of principle and she was not afraid of him. He was even more convinced he'd made the right choice with her.
    But how was he going to convince her?
     
    * * *
     
    Claire knew he was watching her. A couple of times she was tempted to look at him, but she forced herself not to. Finally, though, she couldn't resist taking one peek. As luck would have it, he was looking at her but the look in his eyes confused her. She had expected to see that same confidence he'd displayed the night before, or perhaps even irritation or anger. Instead, his blue eyes had been filled with an uncomfortable warmth and unmistakable admiration. Claire hurriedly looked away. But her awareness of him intensified and she couldn't wait for the flight to be over.
    Finally, they reached Houston. Gordon and the limousine were waiting, and now all Claire had to endure was the twenty-minute ride to the office. She was acutely aware of Nick seated beside her in the back seat of the limo. But, thank goodness, he didn't make any attempt at conversation. Claire knew she couldn't refuse to answer him if he talked to her, not if she hoped to keep her job, anyway. So, she was reluctantly grateful to him for his consideration of her feelings.
    When the limousine pulled up in front of their building, Gordon was the one to help her out and she smiled warmly at him.
    "You want me to put your bag in your car, Miss Kendrick?" Gordon asked.
    "Thank you, Gordon. That would be a big help." She dug into her purse and