Web of Deception Read Free Page A

as many times as you like,” she said. “That doesn’t make it true.”
    “Then why don’t you leave right now? The door’s not locked. You can simply go, and prove to me you don’t feel anything.”
    She sure as heck wasn’t leaving just because he told her to. She leaned back against the desk and settled in for the duration, sliding her hands along on the desk’s smooth mahogany surface.
    “What? And leave half way through a good argument? No, we haven’t finished.”
    Daniel grinned. “So you’ve never had a relationship based on instant attraction?”
    “Absolutely not.”
    She was acting more indignant than she should. She often responded that way when she thought she was being backed into a corner. Sometimes she simply couldn’t help herself.
    “Y ou’re an attractive woman, Kate,” he said. “You must have had lots of relationships. What have they been based on?”
    “Lots of things. ” Darn it, she had to think quickly. “Mutual respect, companionship, common interests. There’s plenty to base a relationship on other than this thing you can’t even describe.”
    He was still grinn ing as he turned to face her, leaning against the desk with one hip. “And love? I assume you believe in love. Most women do. What do you base that on?”
    “The same kinds of things. You can’t base a deep, meaningful relationship on chemistry. It would never work.”
    “Wouldn’t it?”
    “Love doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you have to work at. You start with the seed of a relationship and nurture it, help it grow. You work at it together.”
    He slid along the desk and leaned closer. She smelled the hint of alcohol on his breath. It cut through the air and went straight to her head.
    “That might be true for some people,” he said, “but I think you’re underestimating yourself. Sometimes there’s a deep, physical attraction between two people, a spark. It’s instant and it’s there.”
    Damn it, an hour ago she would have told him outright he was wrong but she couldn’t say that now. Not when she suddenly knew exactly what he was talking about.
    She didn’t just know it.
    She felt it.
    “It’s no excuse,” she said feebly.
    “No excuse for what?”
    “Even if people sometimes have those feelings, it doesn’t mean they should act on them. What kind of way is that to live your life? On a whim?”
    He laughed. “Don’t tell me you don’t trust your own instincts.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with my instincts. I’m just saying some decisions should be made with the mind, rather than on impulse.”
    “Sometimes your feelings and intuition are more reliable than your mind.”
    He was wrong. He had to be.
    There was no sharper instrument than the human mind, especially not when emotions could be so fallible. They could lead you astray, let you fall for the wrong man. She’d done that before and promised herself it wouldn’t happen again.
    She held his gaze. “Daniel, you’re a very rich, very successful man.” He shrugged in response as though it was nothing to him. “Don’t tell me you got where you are today by using your feelings over your mind. Surely in running a huge business, you must balance up the facts and figures and make your decisions based on that.”
    “Often, yes.” He nodded. “But you might be surprised how many decisions are based on my gut reaction.”
    “That’s not how you run your business.”
    “I’ll tell you one thing. It’s been a rocky road to where I am now and not every decision I’ve made has brought in big dividends.”
    “So your instincts are wrong sometimes?”
    He shook his head. “I’ve learned a lot along the way. And my gut is never wrong. Never.”
    He might be a slave to his instincts and feelings, but she wasn’t going to be a victim to hers.
    So what if the bare skin on her arms was tingling with anticipation and the little hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end? That didn’t mean she had to give in to