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across her bottom lip. She was too stunned to move.
    “Are you or are you not taking the elevator?”
    “Oh, yes,” she mumbled, hurrying in next to him. She quickly stuck her mirror and lipstick inside her purse, pressing her lips together to even out the pale summer-rose color.
    Jonas placed both hands on his cane. “And how are you doing, Miss Coulter?”
    “Exceptionally well. Everyone I’ve worked with lately has appreciated my efforts.”
    “Perhaps your skills have improved.”
    If it hadn’t been such a drastic idea, Stephanie would have kicked the cane out of his hand. The man was unbearable. “As you suggest,” she said with a false sweetness in her voice, “things have definitely improved.”
    His mouth quirked upwards in something resembling a smile. “I admit to missing your quick wit. Perhaps we’ll have the opportunity to exchange insults again sometime soon.”
    A joke from Jonas Lockwood—all right, an almost joke. Stephanie couldn’t believe it.
    “Don’t count on it.” The elevator came to a grinding halt, and the door swooshed open. “Perhaps in another lifetime, Mr. Lockwood.”
    “You disappoint me, Miss Coulter. I’d looked forward to next week.” The doors glided shut.
    Next week. Once again those words had been tossed in her direction. She’d let Jan get away without telling her at lunch, but she wasn’t waiting another minute. She hurried down the hall to Jan’s office.
    “All right, explain yourself,” she demanded, placing both hands on the edge of her friend’s desk.
    “About what?” Jan was the picture of innocence, which was a sure sign the woman was up to something.
    “I just saw Mr. Lockwood, and he said something about next week. I don’t like the sound of this.”
    “Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, didn’t I?”
    “Tell me what?” Stephanie straightened; a strange sensation, akin to dread, shot up and down her spine.
    “Mr. Lockwood’s traveling to Paris on business.”
    Crossing her arms, Stephanie glared at Jan suspiciously. “That’s nice.”
    “The interesting part is that he requires a bilingual secretary to accompany him.”
    Knowing what was coming, Stephanie tightened her jaw until her teeth ached. “You couldn’t possibly mean...”
    “When Mr. Lockwood first approached personnel, we didn’t have anyone on file who spoke French, but since that time I’ve gone through the applications and found yours.”
    “Jan, I refuse to go. The man and I don’t get along.”
    “When I mentioned you to Mr. Lockwood, he was delighted.”
    “I’ll just bet.”
    “Your flight leaves early Monday morning.”

Chapter Three
    The jet tilted its wings to the right, aligning its narrow bulk with the smooth runway before beginning its descent. Stephanie stared out the small window, fascinated by the breathtaking view of the River Seine far below. Her heart pounded with excitement. Paris. How her grandmother would have envied her. As a young French war bride, Stephanie’s grandmother had often longed to revisit the charming French city. Now Stephanie would see it for her.
    “If you would tear your gaze from the window a minute, Miss Coulter, we could get some work done,” Jonas Lockwood stated sarcastically.
    “Of course.” Instantly she was all business, reaching for her steno pad. This was the only level on which she could communicate with Jonas. Not once since they’d taken off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport had her employer taken note of the spectacular scenery. No doubt he would have considered it a waste of valuable time.
    “I’ve ordered us a three-bedroom suite at the Chateau Frontenac,” he informed her coolly.
    Stephanie silently repeated the name of the hotel. “It sounds lovely.”
    Jonas glanced down at the paper in his lap and shrugged one muscular shoulder. “I suppose.”
    It was all Stephanie could do not to shout at him to open his eyes and look at the beauty of the world that surrounded him. At times like