Free Interview with a Playboy by Kathryn Ross Page B

now against the wooden rail.
    ‘I’m talking about the fact that you seem to need to hide behind a businesslike attitude at all times. And it seems to be a pretty negative one as well where I’m concerned. Tell me, are you like this with all men, or is it just me?’
    The lazily amused question made her temperature soar. ‘I just know the truth about you, that’s all.’ As soon as the wordsslipped out she desperately wanted to recall them. She didn’t want to make this personal.
    ‘Do you care to explain what you mean by “the truth”?’
    There was a tense stillness about him, and as Isobel stared up at him she felt her nerves twisting.
    ‘Not really.’ Her voice was a mere whisper. ‘Marco, I think we should leave things as they are—I think we should call it a night.’
    She tried to move past him but he just reached out a hand and caught hold of her arm.
    ‘On the contrary—you are not going anywhere until you enlighten me.’
    The touch of his hand against her arm made her heart thud heavily against her chest.
    Their eyes clashed, and she knew he wasn’t going to let her go until she said something. ‘OK, I just…think you are arrogant and…and ruthless in business.’ He was looking at her with that impassive look that fired her blood—as if he was not taking anything on board and as if she were just an irksome little reporter talking rubbish. ‘You buy companies and strip them of their assets,’ she continued, a little more forcefully. ‘You play God as you fire people and tear their lives apart.’
    ‘You certainly hold very biased views about me, don’t you?’ He shook his head lazily.
    The observation made her blush. ‘The truth is important to me, Marco—I wouldn’t say those things without first-hand knowledge to back up the accusations. And I know that when it comes to business you are in for the kill.’
    ‘I’m a businessman. I have to make tough decisions sometimes when I take over a company.’ He shrugged. ‘But as for your accusations that I fire people without thought and tear companies apart—I don’t know where you are getting that from.’ His eyes were hard for a moment. ‘Where possible I try to move people around within my organisation. I’m in thebusiness of building up strong companies, and I employ a hell of a lot of people.’
    ‘You make it sound so reasonable.’ She tipped her head up angrily. ‘But I know how you use your power, Marco. I know how you can force small companies into selling to you.’ The charge fell from her lips with raw emphasis.
    He stared into the blaze of her green eyes. ‘Izzy, I have never forced anyone into selling to me.’
    ‘Well, now I
know
you are lying.’ With determination she held his gaze. ‘And I know that because you forced my grandfather into selling his company to you.’
    There—she’d said it! She’d confronted him. But even as the words tumbled out she was regretting them.
    Her job was on the line here—she needed to get him on side, get her stupid gossipy interview and just leave. And here she was, raking up stuff that no one except her cared a damn about!
    ‘Your grandfather?’ Marco frowned. ‘What company would that be?’
    She shook her head. ‘Look, Marco, I’ve said too much already. We should leave this subject—because you and I will never agree on your business practices.’
    But Marco wasn’t even listening to her; instead he was looking at her with that intensity that she found so unnerving. ‘Keyes…’ He murmured her name as he ran it through his memory banks and then shook his head. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about…’ Suddenly his voice trailed away as he remembered the photo on the shelf in her bedroom. He’d recognised the guy. Like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle the name suddenly flashed into his mind. ‘Hayes…David Hayes—that was the man in your photograph. Was he your grandfather?’
    He watched the telltale flush of colour on her cheekbones.
    ‘Well,