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Saber’s large frame into shadowy relief.
    He was reclining in a chair near the window, apparently enjoying the view of the town at night.
    „I came to see you,“ he informed her in a deceptively simple tone, turning his head to glance at her. Even in the
    poor light she could see the coolly assessing glitter in those gray-green eyes. „You weren’t home,“ he continued,
    lifting a hand apologetically, „so I let myself in and settled down to enjoy your view while I waited for you.“
    „Of all the nerve,“ she began heatedly, moving forward to snap on a lamp. „Of all the arrogant, nerve! You can just
    remove yourself immediately!“ She came to a stop in front of him, hands on her hips, amber eyes glaring.
    Logan’s gaze ran over her from her sandals to her jeans and on up to the cream-colored shirt. „That’s a nice scarf,“
    he said softly, his eyes settling on the brilliantly patterned scrap of silk, the only touch of color in her attire.
    „Get out of here,“ she snapped, ignoring his lazy appraisal.
    „I haven’t answered your question yet,“ he retorted easily.
    „What question?“ she blazed. „The one about what I’m doing in your home,“ he reminded her.
    „I’m sure you haven’t got a good answer, so there’s no point in pursuing it,“ she told him. „I want you out of
    here!“
    „Not yet. We need to talk, you and I,“ he said quietly. „Why don’t you have a seat,“ he added politely, as if it were
    his home.
    „I prefer to stand.“
    „Suit yourself,“ he sighed. „But good manners demand 1 do the same if you insist on staying on your feet.“ He got
    slowly out of the chair until he was standing in front of her, towering over her smaller frame. The point was clear.
    Standing over her like this he was all the more intimidating.
    „Say what you want to say,“ Hilary groaned, flopping angrily into the nearest seat, „and then remove yourself. Did
    my father send you?“
    „You insist on blaming your father for my presence anywhere near you, Hilary,“ he said, frowning. In the lamplight
    his mahogany-brown hair gleamed richly and the hard planes of his face seemed to have been carved with a blade. He
    was dressed in a casual, open-necked shirt and slacks which looked expensive, if a bit conservative.
    „Sorry,“ Hilary retorted flippantly. „Habit, I suppose. I’d forgotten you wanted to pretend this was all your idea.“
    „Being here tonight is most definitely my idea,“ he said coolly.
    „Why?“ she asked bluntly, watching him with narrowed eyes.
    „I had to know how fierce the competition was,“ he informed her with a shrug.
    Hilary looked blank for a moment and then his meaning became clear. „The competition for my favors?“ she
    clarified, finding it an effort to keep her temper under control.
    „What else?“
    „You might be more concerned about the competition for the restaurants!“
    „In your mind it’s one and the same, isn’t it?“
    „True,“ she admitted, wanting to hit him. This was ridiculous! She must get herself under control. With a deliberate
    effort of will, she smiled with a frosty curve of her lip. „How important are the restaurants to you, Logan? Important
    enough to fight another man for me?“
    „I would, naturally, prefer a less violent solution to the problem of dealing with competition,“ he said smoothly.
    „How sad,“ she pouted mockingly. „And here I was hoping I’d finally found myself in the romantic position of
    having two men ready to do battle over me! Julia would have been so envious!“
    „Julia?“ he frowned briefly and then relaxed. „Oh, yes. The dashing blonde. The one you used on candidate
    number two, if I recall correctly.“
    „Candidate number three,“ she said kindly. „Candidate number two was the insecure one.“
    „The one you terrified with your super, high-powered career woman approach,“ he nodded. „Whichever one it was,
    let’s return to the business at hand.“
    He fixed Hilary