Silk on the Skin: A Loveswept Classic Romance Read Free Page A

See.”
    Cass stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Where did you learn that?”
    “The local library,” Dallas said, smiling at her. “Which isn’t easy to find in a shore resort. Since canon law was the only conversational topic allowed at this lunch, I thought I better brush up. By the way, that little ditty on taxes came from Boniface the third.”
    “And now I suppose you can name all the popes,” Cass commented mirthfully.
    “Peter, Linus, Anacletus, Clement, Evar—”
    “Okay, okay,” she interrupted, chuckling at his recitation.
    He gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I’m glad I don’t have to do all the rest. I tend to get lost around the tenth century. Now for my next trick …”
    She watched as he set the edge of his fork against the edge of the spoon. He hit the spoon, and the fork flipped up in the air. He caught it in mid-flight and proceeded to scoop out another clam.
    Cass burst into laughter again as several nearby diners applauded. She admitted that it was hard not to like a man who went out of his way to memorize all the popes and flip forks for a woman. Still, popes and forks couldn’t have anything to do with the reason he had invited her to lunch. The sooner she knew why he wanted to talk with her, the better. She’d avoided it long enough.
    “Leaving the topic of canon law for the moment,” Cass said, “why don’t you tell me the real reason behind this lunch?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “People with a common interest have lunch together every day. We both have a common interest in M & L, and we’ve never met before.”
    “You joined the company six months ago and never bothered to look me up before this,” she said, keeping her gaze steady on him. She felt as if she were fencing with Captain Kidd—a very attractive Captain Kidd. Ignoring the thought as best she could, she added, “I wonder why that is.”
    Dallas gazed at her for a long moment. It was hard not to when she was wearing a jump suit that molded to her every curve. Her hair was pulled up into one of those artfully untidy buns so that wispy, incredibly sexy-looking tendrils caressed her slim neck and shoulders.
    The measuring expression in her green eyes was hardly that of a spacy, lost-in-the-past girl, and he reminded himself that he would have to be careful with her. It was important that he plant the seed that would start her thinking. If she was anything like her grandfather, she’d be chairman of the board before the year was out—and never realize he’d maneuvered her into it!
    At last he responded to her. “I was brought in as president because I’ve turned around several faltering companies. It’s what I like to do. M & L’s been taking heavy losses for several years now.”
    Cass frowned. “I know the profits haven’t grown. But that’s no reason to call them losses, certainly not heavy ones. And anyway, there’s been a recession, most companies’ growth rates are slower—”
    “Most of M & L’s profit
loss
,” he pronounced softly, “is the result of bad judgment on the part of its chairman. Nothing more.”
    Her jaw dropped, and she stared at him in clear astonishment. “Are you saying that Ned has been causing faltering profits?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then why are my dividend checks still what they’ve always been?” she shot back triumphantly. “If the company’s profits were falling off, that would be reflected in the dividends it pays out.”
    “Because I think Ned is paying the difference out of what cash flow the company has to cover his mistakes. Certain things just aren’t ringing true at M & L.”
    She set her fork down on her plate in a deliberate motion. “I don’t believe you.”
    He dipped his head once. “I expected that. You know about the Basicwear line, right?”
    “Yes,” she said in a near hiss. She was becoming defensive, and he was pleased by it. It meant she was unsure. “It’s a fairly new line that M & L is putting out for the