Mind Over Matter

thought of the contracts in her portfolio, and of her own doubts. Then she gave in. Clarissa would do precisely what Clarissa wanted to do. In order to protect her, she had to stop fighting it and accept. “I can guarantee the vodka—I bought it myself.”
    “Fine—on the rocks.” David waited while she went to a cabinet and took out a decanter and glasses.
    “She remembered the ice,” A.J. said, surprised when she opened the brass bucket and found it full.
    “You seem to know Clarissa very well.”
    “I do.” A.J. poured two glasses, then turned. “She’s much more than simply a client to me, David. That’s why I’m concerned about this program.”
    He walked to her to take the glass. Strange, he thought, you only noticed her scent when you stood close, very close. He wondered if she used such a light touch to draw men to her or to block their way. “Why the concern?”
    If they were going to deal with each other, honesty might help. A.J. glanced toward the kitchen and kept her voice low. “Clarissa has a tendency to be very open with certain people. Too open. She can expose too much of herself, and leave herself vulnerable to all manner of complications.”
    “Are you protecting her from me?” A.J. sipped from her drink. “I’m trying to decide if I should.”
    “I like her.” He reached out to twine a lock of A.J.’s hair around his finger, before either of them realized his intention. He dropped his hand again so quickly she didn’t have the chance to demand it. “She’s a very likable woman,” David continued as he turned to wander around the room. He wasn’ta man to touch a business associate, especially one he barely knew, in so casual a manner. To give himself distance, he walked to the window to watch birds flutter around a feeder in the side yard. The cat was out there, he noticed, sublimely disinterested as it sunned itself in a last patch of sunlight.
    A.J. waited until she was certain her voice would be properly calm and professional. “I appreciate that, but your project comes first, I imagine. You want a good show, and you’ll do whatever it takes to produce one.”
    “That’s right.” The problem was, he decided, that she wasn’t as tailored and streamlined as she’d been the day before. Her blouse was soft and silky, the color of poppies. If she’d had a jacket to match the snug white skirt, she’d left it in her car. She was shoeless and her hair had been tossed by the wind. He took another drink. She still wasn’t his type. “But I don’t believe I have a reputation for exploiting people in order to get it. I do my job, A.J., and expect the same from anyone who works with me.”
    “Fair enough.” She finished the unwanted drink. “My job is to protect Clarissa in every way.”
    “I don’t see that we have a problem.”
    “There now, everything’s ready.” Clarissa came out to see her guests not shoulder to shoulder, but with the entire room between them. Sensitive to mood, she felt the tension, confusion and distrust. Quite normal, she decided, for two stubborn, self-willed people on opposing ends. She wondered how long it would take them to admit attraction, let alone accept it. “I hope you’re both hungry.”
    A.J. set down her empty glass with an easy smile. “David tells me he’s starved. You’ll have to give him an extra portion.”
    “Wonderful.” Delighted, she led the way into the dining area. “I love to eat by candlelight, don’t you?” She had a pair of candles burning on the table, and another half-dozen taperson the sideboard. A.J. decided the romantic light definitely helped the looks of the meat loaf. “Aurora brought the wine, so I’m sure it’s lovely. You pour, David, and I’ll serve.”
    “It looks wonderful,” he told her, and wondered why A.J. muffled a chuckle.
    “Thank you. Are you from California originally, David?” Clarissa asked as she handed A.J. a platter.
    “No, Washington State.” He tipped Beaujolais into Clarissa’s glass.
    “Beautiful country.” She handed Aurora a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. “But so cold.”
    He could remember the long, windy winters with some nostalgia. “I didn’t have any trouble acclimating to L.A.”
    “I grew up in the East and came out here with my husband nearly thirty years ago. In the fall I’m still the tiniest bit homesick for Vermont. You haven’t taken any vegetables, Aurora. You know how I worry that you don’t eat properly.”
    A.J. added brussels