Free Soft focus by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

said.
    "Yes."
    "You always do. Not just when it comes to dealing with Angela but on the board, as well." He sounded as if he were making an observation about rain in Seattle. It was expected, it was routine, it was predictable. Still, it warranted comment. "Why?"
    She was almost amused by the question. "You and I have our differences, but I've never quarreled with the fact that you are very good at what you do. If Excalibur has any chance at all, it lies with you."
    "In other words, your decision to back my decisions as CEO is just a business move on your part," he said neutrally.
    "What else could it be except a business move?"
    "Damned if I know," he said. He looked at her. "We've both got a mutual interest in recovering Soft Focus. Since you insist on coming along for the ride—"
    "I'm not along for the ride," she said tightly. "I'm a full-fledged partner in this thing."
    "All right, partner, what do you say we try to cooperate until we get our hands on that damned crystal?"
    "Define cooperate."
    "I figure it's like porn," Jack said. "You know it when you see it."
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
    The timbered house was designer rustic. With its burnished wooden walls, steeply sloped roofline, and expansive windows angled to capture the view, it looked like something off the cover of a high-end resort-and-travel magazine. Night had fallen, but there was sufficient golden light pouring through the windows onto the deck to illuminate a hot tub. It looked large enough to hold half a dozen people, provided they were feeling friendly. There was a massive, high-tech, state-of-the-art stainless steel outdoor grill next to the tub. Thickly padded loungers and a table completed the outdoor furnishings.
    And this was just the outside.
    Trust Elizabeth to land digs like these on short notice in a sold-out town.
    Jack glanced again at the covered hot tub. An image of Elizabeth sitting naked in the bubbling water flashed across his brain. He took a deep breath of the very crisp, impossibly pure mountain air and counted backward from ten. When he got to zero he realized he was still semi-erect. He was also a little light-headed. He reminded himself that it took a while to adjust to the altitude.
    He forced his attention away from the hot-tub fantasy and concentrated on the problem at hand. No matter how he played it, he was going to look less than brilliant. He dropped his duffel bag in front of the door and banged the brass, bird-headed knocker. This was not going to be easy.
    He planted one hand against the wall while he waited for Elizabeth to respond and studied the view. The lights of the expensive condos and homes that climbed the hillsides above the village of Mirror Springs twinkled in the night. Down below he could see the glow of the shops and restaurants housed in the carefully restored Victorian-era business district. The brightest lights of all were those that marked the entrance of the Silver Empire Theater, one of the focal points of the film festival activities.
    "Who is it?" Elizabeth's voice was muffled by the heavy wooden door.
    He steeled himself. "Jack."
    There was a short pause. He made the mistake of holding his breath again. Then he heard the sound of the dead bolt being disengaged. The door opened.
    Elizabeth stood in the cozy glow of the fire. She was dressed in a black cowl-necked sweater made of some soft, cuddly-looking material. It fell to a point just below her hips. In addition to the sweater she wore a pair of snug black velvet leggings. Her dark hair was brushed straight back and secured at the nape with a silver clasp.
    She gazed at him with that cautious, watchful expression that made him want to grind his teeth.
    "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought we agreed that we would meet for dinner somewhere in the village after we each got unpacked. You said we could go over our game plan then."
    "A problem has arisen."
    The caution in her eyes turned to suspicion. "What kind of problem?"
    "When I tried to