Free Conflict of Interest by Jayne Castle Page A

couldn’t the man look like what he was, a roboticist?
    „I’m pleased you’re willing to finally get down to business, Lang,“ Kali began determinedly as he lounged across from her in the library chair which matched her own. „I can assure you that Interactive Automation is…“
    „Later,“ he interrupted with magnificently calm authority. „I never talk business before dinner.“
    Kali arched one brow behind the frames of her glasses but obediently shut up and took another sip of wine. Then she tried another approach. „You have a fascinating collection of furniture in this room…“
    He eyed her for a long moment as if assessing the reason behind the comment. Then he smiled in blatant pleasure. „Thank you. It’s going to get a lot better, though, after I sell those patents. I hate to admit this, but that chair in which you’re sitting is a reproduction. So is that Georgian secretary.“
    „You’re going to replace the reproductions with the genuine articles as soon as you can?“ Automatically Kali glanced around with interest „The credit limits on my credit cards aren’t high enough to allow me to start investing in the furniture I want,“ he drawled.
    „That project will have to wait until I get paid outright for my inventions.“
    „IAI will be willing to advance you…“
    He waved her to a frustrated halt. „Please don’t bring up that name until after dinner.“
    „You started the discussion!“ she retorted, irritated.
    „Did I?“ he asked innocently, sipping his wine. „I don’t know what got into me.“
    „Something about the sight of me makes you think of business, I expect!“ she murmured pointedly.
    „Not quite,“ he contradicted thoughtfully. He hesitated and then asked curiously, „How much do you know about me, Kali?“
    She stifled a flush, terribly afraid for a moment that he knew of the various credit checks and reference investigations she’d done on him. No, he couldn’t possibly „My engineers have explained the revolutionary advances in sensor systems you’ve come up with. I know you worked for a computer software firm for a few years after you graduated from college and that you also have some background in electrical and mechanical engineering…“ she began politely.
    „I don’t mean that sort of thing, I mean what do you know about me personally?“ Legs thrust out in front of him, he leaned back into the depths of the chair, cradling his wineglass in two hands.
    Kali glanced at the glass and her lip twitched. „I know you generally prefer Scotch.“
    He laughed at that, bronze-green eyes gleaming with his amusement. „After the other night I decided a temporary change of pace was in order. I had one hell of a headache yesterday morning, you know.“
    „Did you?“
    „Ummm. And walking out into your living room to find another man there didn’t do much for it!“
    „I did not set that situation up, Lang,“ Kali told him coolly and deliberately. „I had no idea Davis would show up so unexpectedly.“
    „But you were sharp enough to play the situation as interestingly as possible when the circumstances were forced upon you.“ He didn’t seem upset by it any longer, merely somewhat admiring, she decided.
    „You don’t know Davis Wakefield,“ she said quietly. „The fact that he was at my door so early that morning means he had every intention of trying to set up a useful situation of his own. The temptation to turn the tables on him was irresistible, I’m afraid.“
    „I believe you,“ he said unexpectedly, nodding once. „And if I hadn’t been concerned on a future financial basis, I might even have appreciated the little byplay. As it is…“ He lifted one shoulder in rueful resignation.
    „Are… are you going to make another approach to Hadley?“ she ventured.
    „That’s business. I’m not talking business. I’d rather hear something about you, Kali Havelock. Tell me about your relationship with Wakefield. Were you deeply in