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ago. He's a very nice man."
    "Yes. Yes, he is," Phil agreed, giving her arm an approving pat.
    Phil gave the maitre d' the name of their party, and they followed the haughtily formal man through the dining room to where the other two couples were already seated. When Dani and Phil reached the table the men rose. ..and Dani's heart gave a little leap then settled heavily in her chest.
    The tall, gray-haired, distinguished-looking man was unmistakably Paul Haggerty. The other was Jason St. Clair.

Chapter 3
    Dani's first instinctive reaction was to turn and run for the nearest exit—and for a fraction of a second, she actually considered it. But even as her body braced for flight, common sense returned. Don't be a fool, she admonished herself, tearing her gaze away from Jason and turning to the Haggertys with a wan smile. You would only embarrass Phil, and he certainly doesn't deserve that.
    "Ms. Edwards! What a nice surprise." Paul Hag-gerty pumped her hand exuberantly. "It's good to see you again."
    "It's nice to see you too, Mr. Haggerty," Dani somehow managed, acutely aware of the tall man on the opposite side of the table. She could actually feel those dark eyes on her. Her heart was booming and she felt horribly flustered, and it was only through sheer dint of will that she kept her expression calm.
    "Oh, please. Make it Paul." He grinned and clapped Phil on the back. "I didn't realize you knew this lovely lady, you sly devil you."
    "Danielle and I go way back," Phil told him with a complacent smile.
    Paul Haggerty introduced his wife, a plump, brown haired little woman in her mid-fifties. Dani lingered over the greeting as long as possible, but finally the moment she had been dreading came. As Paul rattled off the names of the other couple, Dani slowly turned and found herself pinned by Jason's dark gaze.
    "Linda and I have already met Danielle," he said smoothly, giving her a sardonic smile before reaching across the table to shake Phil's hand.
    For the first time Dani's gaze went to the woman seated between Jason and Paul Haggerty, and her spirits dropped another notch when she met the hostile glitter in Linda Hastings's eyes. "Hello, Ms. Hastings," she said, mustering what she hoped was a pleasant smile.
    The other woman merely nodded and looked away, her face sullen.
    When they were all seated, Dani, to her dismay, found herself on Jason's immediate right. They were so close she could feel the warmth of his body all along her side, could smell his cologne and his unique male scent. He leaned back in his chair with easy nonchalance, his forearm braced against the edge of the table. From the corner of her eye she could see him cup a squat whiskey glass, the fine dusting of golden hair on the back of his large hand glittering in the glow from the candle flickering in the middle of the table. For a moment his long, blunt fingers idly rotated the glass, then he lifted it to his mouth, his arm brushing hers. Dani stared straight ahead and clamped her teeth together so tightly her jaws began to ache.
    Phil leaned forward and smiled at Linda and Jason. "So, how is it that you know Dani?" he asked, directing the question at both of them.
    "We met at a party," Jason replied smoothly, giving nothing away.
    "Well, my boy, you ought to hire her to do the make-over on that door and window factory you just bought," Paul put in. "It'll be making money hand over fist in no time if you do, I can personally guarantee it."
    Dani turned her head slightly and slanted Jason a cool look, then switched her gaze to the older man. "Actually, Update is doing the revamping of Mr. St. Clair's company, Paul, but I'm not in charge of the project," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.
    "Well, Frank Manders's outfit is good; there's no disputing that. But if I were you, Jason, I'd insist that he assign the project to Dani. She's the very best there is." Paul smiled proudly at her. "A few years back my bank was sinking in a sea of paperwork, red tape