Free Knowing You by Maureen Child

that, are you?”
    â€œNot quite. I caught the latest issue of
People
,” he said. “You look good.”
    â€œThank you, sir, and on that lovely compliment, I have a favor to ask you.”
    â€œAsk away.”
    â€œAre you busy tomorrow night? I could use an escort to this tedious party in the hills and…”
    She kept talking, but Paul had stopped listening. He liked Anna. Really did. If they were still together, life would be a hell of a lot more peaceful than it was at the moment. But when she left for Hollywood three months ago, they’d ended what they had, and there was just no point going backward. Especially now.
    â€œI can’t,” he said softly, interrupting the flow of musical speech. “Work.”
    â€œDarlin’,” she said on a sigh of disappointment, “you work way too hard.”
    â€œIt’s a curse.”
    â€œUh-huh. But if you get tired of ‘work,’ you give me a call, okay?”
    â€œYou’ll be the first,” Paul said, leaning back in his chair. “Now why don’t you tell me all about what a splash you’re making in Hollywood?”
    Behind him, the door opened and a soft hush of noise slipped into his office. Fingers danced on keyboards, filtered music sighed from speakers, and the smell of coffee burning on a hot plate stained the air.
    â€œPaul?”
    â€œHold on,” he said into the phone, then spoke to the woman standing in the doorway. “Max, I told you I don’t want to be disturbed.”
    â€œWell, pardon the hell out of me, Your Majesty.”
    Paul sighed, dropped his chin to his chest briefly, then looked up again at his secretary. Maxine Devlin. Iron gray hair, narrowed blue eyes, bright red business suit, a ramrod up her spine, and a defiant tilt to both of her chins. Happily married to a Marine for the last thirty-five years, Max took no crap from her colonel husband
or
the Corps, so she sure wasn’t intimidated by a man she considered young enough to be her son.
    If she wasn’t so damn good at running his world, he’d have fired her. With her permission, of course.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    She glanced at the notepad in her hand, though Paul knew it was just for show. The woman had a memory like a steel trap. Nothing escaped her. Nothing went unnoticed. Nothing was ever forgotten.
    â€œGeneral Halliwell called this morning to set up a phone conference for two this afternoon. He needsmore information on the program you’re working on for the DOD.”
    The satellite-tracking program. When it was finished, it would be the best thing he’d ever done. And doing something for his country made him proud. But he was in no mood to talk to the general about it today. He shook his head. “Cancel it.”
    â€œI will not.”
    There she stood, in the office doorway, a pillar of bright color in an otherwise drab room. She faced him down with a steely gaze he imagined could have sent entire Marine battalions running for cover.
    â€œWho’s the boss here?” he asked, tightening his grip on the phone receiver.
    She gave him a brief smile. “You’re the boss. But I’m in charge.”
    He’d argue with her, but what was the point? She was right. His office—hell, the company—would crumble into dust without Maxine and they both knew it.
    â€œFine,” he said, surrendering to the inevitable. “Tell me when it’s time.”
    She glanced at her watch, then back up at him again. “Time.”
    â€œShit.” Then, uncovering the mouthpiece of the receiver, he said, “Anna, I’ve got to go.” He hardly heard her say good-bye as he hung up and scraped one hand through his hair. He didn’t even notice when it fell back across his forehead an instant later. “Max, why didn’t you tell me?”
    One gray eyebrow lifted and the toe of her right shoe tapped against the battleship gray