She didn't want to discuss yesterday. At least, not the part of the day that needed to be discussed.

"I appreciate you coming to the hospital and all the n.o.ble intentions that brought you there." Her words had come out in a rush. She stopped and looked up at him. "Maybe I overreacted about everything.

He knew what she was telling him. That what they both thought was in the kiss hadn't been there at all. But he knew what he'd felt. And he believed he knew what she'd felt, as well. She had responded to him far more than just casually. Still, her denial stung.

His eyes darkened. "Maybe we both did."

Why did that hurt? He was only agreeing with what she had said. Sara set her mouth firmly.

"Good." Her fingers flew over the keyboard, typing gibberish She hoped he wouldn't look over her shoulder when he left. "Another point of agreement. We're progressing, Sinclair."

If that was the case, why did he have the distinct feeling that they were going backward? And why did she sound so brittle, like a drill sergeant complimenting recruits newly liberated from boot camp?

He had no answers, but at least they'd stopped arguing for the moment.

Nik decided to quit while there was a truce in force. He had too many details to see to in the kitchen. They were unveiling a new item on the evening menu and he wanted to be sure everything was ready. A new food critic was coming around to the restaurant at the end of next week. Nik didn't have time for personal matters that went beyond his immediate family.

He certainly didn't have the time to wet-nurse a small woman with a very large chip on her shoulder and eyes the color of melted dark chocolate. Even if she did make his blood run hot.

He crossed to the doorway, and then stopped. "Had lunch yet ? "

"No. I-" She was about to tell him that she hadn't had a chance to eat because she had gone to the hospital during her lunch break. But she caught herself in time. The less " personal details she shared, however minor, the better. I haven't."

His eyes swept over her. She was wearing a green-and white -striped tank top and a skirt that was, in his estimation, not that much wider than a headband. It showed off legs that were longer than a person of her stature had a right to have. Legs that made his pulse rate go up far faster than the house wine did. "Get some. You're too thin. "

And too d.a.m.n attractive.

She raised her coffee cup. Inclining her head, she toasted Nq, "My, but you do have a golden tongue, Sinclair."

She was getting under his skin again in more ways than one. Their truce was in danger of going up in flames.

"People come here for my cooking, not my rhetoric: '

She laughed as she took a sip of coffee. "And aren't you grateful for that one?"

He started to retort. He knew that things would only escalate again, but he seemed unable to help himself. It was almost as if he had no say in the matter. Worse, it was as if he thrived on this constant conflict that was pulsating between them.

But Sara had already turned away from him and toward the screen. She was hastily deleting something, but he couldn't see what.

Nik thought of the reason he had come charging into the office to begin with. They hadn't actually resolved that. At least, he hadn't.

"I'll have Jennifer call Mrs. De Carlo and ask for another advance, "

Nik muttered as he walked out of the offiqe

Sara smiled to herself as she completed deleting the gibberish she had previously typed in.

" " You know, for someone claiming to be such a free spirit , you're just as much of a workaholic as people accuse me of being. "

Sara glanced up to see Nik looking into the office. She hadn't seen him since he'd ordered her to have lunch. But she had antic.i.p.ated him.

She stretched and focused on her watch. It was almost ten. It was hard to believe she'd been in the office by herself for almost five hours. When Kane had come by to col lect Jennifer and Katie, Sara had meant to stay only a few extra minutes.

A few minutes had stretched into hours. Though it was just past the summer solstice, the sun had long since retreated from the office like a servant backing out of a queen's room. Sara had absently switched on the desk lamp and kept going.

Just a little longer. She smiled ruefully to herself.

Leaning back in the chair, she arched her back and ran her fingers through her hair, as if that would help clear away the cobwebs on her brain. She saw the flicker of interest in Nik's eyes and it flattered her even though she tried not to let it. " " This is like a good mystery. " She gestured toward the files. The pile on the floor now exceeded the pile on her desk. She was making real progress now that she understood

Nik's unique method of record keeping. "I want to see how it turns out.

"Besides-" Sara moved the chair around so that she could face him "-I'm not a workaholic. It's just that I'm not going to be here that long. I thought I'd work ahead a little so that you'd feel that you'd gotten your money's worth out of me."

It was a lie, but so what? The simple truth was that she liked accounting and right now there wasn't anything else she had to do. But he didn't have to know that. If he knew , it would undoubtedly make him think that he was right.

He'd qotten more than his money's worth all right. And a h.e.l.l of a lot more than he had bargained for, to boot. She was arguing with him now just for form's sake, he was sure of it.

Nik leaned a hip against the desk, crossing his arms. " " You know, I have a strong suspicion that if I said "day," you'd say "night' just because you don't want to agree with me." He did a quick mental check over the past three days. "I don't think we've really agreed on anything since you arrived."

"That's not true." The protest came automatically. And then Sara grinned ruefully as he eyed her. "Well, not entirely , anyway." She lifted her shoulders and let them fall. The tank top moved with her like a second skin and stirred

Nik's imagination. He shoved his hands into his pockets to soothe the sudden itch that arose. "Besides, a little antagonism 's good for the soul."

And a lot tended to wear it out. "I'm sure you're the g y , , reignin author it on that "

Sara c.o.c.ked her head. Her eyes were amused. Trying to start another fight? "

He shook his head. "

" Trying to agree with something you said. "

She laughed, then began to press a sequence of b.u.t.tons that would store the last batch of data. "Don't start being agreeable now, Sinclair.

It'll ruin that carefully honed image of yours."

Maybe talking to her was an exercise in futility. He picked up the newspaper Jennifer had left for him. He wanted to peruse the food section before going to bed tonight. He liked keeping up on the compet.i.tion.

Nik started to leave, then changed his mind. He didn't want to go straight home tonight. He wanted to look at Sara in the moonlight.

Perhaps someone had subst.i.tuted peyote for the cayenne pepper, he mused, retracing his steps. G.o.d knows he wasn't acting sensibly. A sensible man would have retreated, glad to escape with his skin intact.

Sara looked over her shoulder at him in surprise. "Forget something?

Yes, you.

"You know, when I first bought this place," he began conversationally, as if they hadn't just been at odds a moment ago, "I didn't realize how really great the location was ."

She raised a brow, wondering what he was getting at. Most people were aware of location before they even inquired about the price of a store or restaurant, unless they were stupid, of course. Nik Sinclair wasn't stupid.