I know more than you think I do, too. I know you grew up poor and insecure, and how you believed that you had to be perfect, or close to perfect, because one misstep and you could lose it all. Your scholarship at Haskell’s. Your friendship with Sophie. And then later, your job with me. Sophie once said that the reason you were so dependable was because you knew life was precarious and fraught with uncertainties. You’d told her that the best way to survive, and maybe the only way to survive, was by being necessary to those around you. So you became Sophie’s rock. And then my rock.”

“You were Sophie’s rock, too,” he continued, “but she’s gone now, and that leaves just you and me.”

She flushed deeply, even as her body throbbed with awareness. Randall’s arm still lay across her thighs, and his hand continued to cup her knee, and her pulse was beating so hard that her head felt woozy. “I don’t like the way you make that sound.”

“How am I making it sound?”

“As if there is something...illicit...between us. But there is nothing illicit. There is just a work relationship, and this—” she broke off, gesturing to the chair and the place she sat “—is not proper or professional and I’m asking you to let me go so that I can return to my chair.”

“Did you not invite Renzo to my wedding today?”

Her stomach rose and fell and she stared into Randall’s golden eyes, stricken. Had Renzo contacted Randall? Had there been communication of some sort between the two men?

But no, that couldn’t be. There was no way.

He was making wild guesses, trying to unsettle her, and it was unsettling, but he didn’t know anything and she could not, absolutely could not, give him details. Let him speculate all he wanted, but it would be disastrous if she confirmed her part in today’s debacle.

Stay calm, she told herself. Don’t panic.

And don’t feel, and don’t think about how warm Randall’s hand is, or how heat seemed to radiate from him to her, seeping into her skin, making her aware of how large his hands were, and how the pressure of his forearm across her thighs made her feel tingly, and tingly wasn’t good. Tingly was dangerous.

“It’s not disloyal to care for us both,” he added after a moment.

“I won’t say more. I’m done talking.”

“I could get you to say more. I could get you right now to tell me everything.” He must have seen her expression because his mouth eased and his eyes warmed. “One kiss—”

“For God’s sake, stop!” Tears filled her eyes and reached up to wipe them away before they could fall. “I know you’ve had a bad day. I know this has to be one of the worst days of your life, but why must you torture me? I love Sophie, and I love you—”

She broke off, horrified to have said so much, to have admitted the depth of her feelings. She closed her eyes, teeth biting into her lower lip to keep it from trembling, and yet she couldn’t stop the tears from falling, one after the other, but she gave up trying to catch them, or stop them.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

“I quit,” she whispered. “I’m done. Consider this my formal resignation. As of now, I no longer work for you and the moment we land, I’m gone.”

CHAPTER FOUR

DAL RELEASED HER, and Poppy returned to her chair, but Dal was fully aware that she didn’t eat anything, choosing to simply stare out the window, the very picture of martyred innocence.

But she wasn’t innocent. She was responsible today for his being on this plane, now, a single man, and he wasn’t just holding her accountable. He fully expected her to solve his problem, saving him from failing his father.

Dal had never been close to his father but he’d made a vow to his father when he was dying, and he fully intended to keep the promise.

Which meant, he needed a wife. Quickly.

Thank goodness Poppy was available.