Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest Read Free Page B

Book: Conflict of Interest Read Free
Author: Jayne Castle
Tags: futuristic romance
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victory. „Take me home now and I give you my word not to nag further.“
    „It is a measure of the power of your nagging ability that I’m even tempted by that proposition!“
    „Perhaps it is a vision of your successful future which is tempting you,“ she hazarded cheerfully.
    „For some reason I’m finding it difficult to look beyond this evening,“ he sighed, still leaning a little precariously over the staircase banister.
    „Try, Mr. Sterling. It will be worth it, I promise you. In any event, your immediate future is going to look quite bleak if you decide to continue on your present course of action.“
    He closed his eyes briefly in an expression of anticipated pain. „I had a feeling you were going to say something like that.“
    „Consider the fact, Mr. Sterling, that anyone involved in a scene such as the one you’re about to precipitate will come out of the mess looking very foolish. It isn’t only your host’s career which might suffer. It isn’t only your hostess who will be mortified. You are going to come off appearing like an overly macho idiot no matter how many heads you bash or how many women you carry off into the night. I am offering you a neat, efficient way out of the situation; one that will enable you to keep your pride intact and one that will start you on the road to a wealthy, established future. Furthermore, Amanda Bryant will be forever grateful for your self-control. She’s well aware of the provocation you’ve had tonight. Her gratitude will rub off on her husband, of course, and there’s no telling where Sam Bryant may end up in politics.“
    Lang shook his head a little dazedly. „Is that it for the Prosecution? Are you resting your case?“
    „Only if I’ve presented enough evidence to convince you to come back down those stairs.“
    He drew a long breath, his eyes never leaving her composed face.
    „I trust, Miss Havelock, that IAI pays its vice-presidents very well?“
    „IAI always pays well for talent,“ Kali assured him meaningfully.
    „I wonder how many companies have need of people who can successfully talk drunken roboticists down from stairways,“ he mused, straightening.
    „Have I accomplished that feat?“ Kali inquired politely, trying to analyze his state of mind. He was definitely at some inner turning point, although he still didn’t move on the stairs.
    „I believe you have, Miss Havelock,“ he allowed, starting slowly and deliberately back down. „For some strange reason you’re beginning to fascinate me. Rather like a snake fascinates a rabbit.“
    „Are you saying I’ve hypnotized you, Mr. Sterling?“ Kali hid her cool moment of triumph very well. She had, after all, been expecting success. Still, when she withdrew her fingertips from the top of the newel she was aware of how much tension there had been in her light grip on the post.
    „Perhaps,“ he agreed with a mocking, narrow-eyed sadness. „It’s not nice to go around taking advantage of drunken macho idiots, Miss Havelock.“ He halted on the step above her, one hand on the railing. „Tell me something: Am I going to hate myself in the morning?“
    Kali smiled benignly up into the craggy face. „You’re going to congratulate yourself in the morning, Mr. Sterling. Trust me.“
    „I think,“ he declared quite forcefully, „that I would be a fool to trust you. Look how easily you’ve just manipulated me.“
    „No, Mr. Sterling,“ Kali denied gently. „I only outlined the options involved. You chose the best one.“
    „We’ll soon find out, won’t we?“ he retorted with a sudden, flashing grin. He took her arm in a surprisingly firm grip and started her toward the front door. „Let’s go, Madame Vice-President. My future, or at least the remainder of the evening, awaits.“
    Kali cast a quick glance back toward the double doors, wondering if she should notify Amanda that all was safe.
    „She’ll figure it out for herself when there’s no major scene conducted on

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