ight. After he'd spoken to her yesterday afternoon, she'd demanded he hand over her ticket and told him she'd see him on the

d any questions, she'd made it clear his presence anywhere near her was a deal breaker. So he'd left the lodge and head

't look

n ten minutes, which meant they'd be shutting the hatch and ta

ea

d enough to check his damned duffel, would no doubt raise a thousand red flags with airport security. He'

u

n, Tomi. Don't let me down. I have an

o stand up and walk off th

nk

a dead giveaway that she'd had a long night. And the slight red rim to her eyes told him she'd spent at least part of it crying. Damn. He wished he knew a l

sat, her shoulder brushing his. His body completely overreacted to the casual touch, heat and need surging through him. He closed his eyes, ruthle

t in her gaze when she'd spotted him across the room. Felt the throbbing pulse of intimacy that had enveloped the office when she'd shut the door. Luckily, for whatever reason, she was ignoring the attraction as studiously as he. Staring str

eady to take the bull by

a single delicate brow. "Di

to be on hand. In case you had questi

eeded was someon

ted unhappily

ll. Wale had dreamed of finding his daughter and having her run into his arms, thrilled to be united with her old man

know what her mom has been saying about me all these years, but considering everything, I doubt it's been good. The fact that I've never heard from either of them pretty much bears t

e hooked his thumb toward the back of the plane. "Would you feel better if you took me in the back and pummele

an o

challenging look.

t guarantee the hostesses won't round us up, open the hatch and toss us out. Or that our fell

, you must be a loyal dog. The old man's dead an

d learned the hardest way imaginable that anger just dug whatever hole you were in deeper. Besides, he was a loyal dog. Wa

don't know that it's a very good test of my

t. Right now I feel like I

t dismiss her anger so easily. Anger, he knew, masked pain. If she was ready to take on the heavy-weight champ, sh

d to hear about your mom and dad. Abou

d you know anything about my mother

hat your father t

Dark shadows skidded across her green eyes. "She might have had her faults, but at least she didn't abandon her

y to get down it. "This isn't the time or place to discuss this. But you have to realize there are two sides to every story. You ought to at least hear your father's perspective on what h

I know where the truth lies. I lived it as a child growing up. The only thin

e'd wanted his daughter to fall in love with the Big W. He'd wanted her to stay on the place, learn to run the c

elt boiling in her told him Tomilola needed the Big W as much as any of

s this place?"

ughts from his mu

no

ousand

That is big. That ought

As I said, one of the

"You've been running the compan

he boss now. It's your job to make s

th, making the best decisions for the company without consulting me or waiting for an

really think I'm going to let you sit on your cute little der

et smile again. "Of course

ing there is to know about you. And they're going to expect you to pitch in and work, just like the

tle derriere that I will let myself be skinned alive before I lift so much as a finger on anything that has to do

sation

his own chair, s

rf

amn pe