"My money is on you, Nik."

Let's hope that's enough, Nik thought.

As he approached the office Nik forced himself to calm down. Sara had taught him things about himself he hadn't realized. In arguing against the need for her services in the first place, and then resisting the revamping of his accounting program, he'd finally been forced to see that he'd been too obsessive about controlling all facets of the restaurant. The grasp he had maintained on it had been his way of coping with his parents' death. it was his way of trying to be in control of life in general. The restaurant was his microcosm and he was the ruler.

But it wasn't that easy. Nothing ever was.

He realized that he couldn't control his own fate. But he sure as h.e.l.l had an option in choosing the path he took through life.

And he wanted it to be with Sara.

It was time to smell a few roses. Nik fully intended to smell them with her at his side.

His temper sufficiently under control, Nik looked in. Sara was still in the office. She was just sitting at her desk, staring at the computer screen. The computer wasn't on.

Here goes everything.

Nik walked in. "That was me, four weeks ago." He swept his hand to include both Sara and the dormant computer. "Except at the time, there was this miserable white line running across the screen." He dragged his finger along the monitor to ill.u.s.trate. "Telling me that I had killed the program"

She had barely refrained from jumping when Nik walked in. She managed to compose herself. She had to.

If she just kept talking about business, she could get through this.

"I don't think you can kill this one. It's geared for the busy executive who doesn't have time to fool around with a lot of steps."

"Nothing like not having to fool around with steps." He eyed her for so long she almost screamed. "You about ready to go? "

Was he going to push her out the door? Had she hurt him that much that he wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible ?

Sara searched his face. There wasn't a single trace of hurt evident.

Her heart sank even deeper into the abyss it had fallen into.

But there was something there, in his eyes. Something she couldn't quite understand.

Nameless, it made her nervous.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." She pushed away from the desk.

"Everything's all here, just the way I found it." She indicated the file cabinet. "Just neater."

Fumbling inwardly, Sara picked up her purse. She clutched it against her like a poultice whose function was to suck out the poison from a wound.

She cleared her throat. "Well, I'd better go tell everyone goodbye."

Sara turned toward the door. Nik caught her arm, stopping her. Sara looked at him quizzically, confused. There were so many signals bouncing within the confines of the room she didn't know which one to believe.

Nik's expression was mild, as if he were talking to a casual acquaintance. "Why don't we take a walk on the beach first?"

It was dark on the beach. Dark and intimate. Just like the first time. Sara knew she should just refuse. "Why?"

Nik shrugged carelessly, glancing over his shoulder at the window. His hand remained on her arm. "It's a nice night."

Sara tried to dig in. She knew being strong was her only hope. She shook her head. "I don't have the time, Nik-"

His fingers moved along her arm, creating tidal waves within her.

Resistance began to drown.

"After tonight-" he looked at her meaningfully "you'll have all the time in the world. We both will."

Maybe he wasn't as unscathed by her leaving as she'd first thought.

Panic began erecting building blocks of trepidation within her.

Sara bit her lip uncertainly, torn between common sense and needs. " "

Nik. "

If nothing else, he still knew how to goad her. "Afraid?"

She raised her head, her eyes narrowing. "No," she lied.

"Good." He ushered her out into the hallway. The faint shuffle of retreating footsteps told Nik that Antonio had eavesdropped on them. He didn't care. Privacy wasn't an issue. Winning Sara was. "Then let's go."

Rather than walk through the restaurant to the front door, Nik led Sara out the back entrance. Maybe privacy was an issue, he thought. He didn't want to share her with anyone else.

He wasn't saying anything, just walking. The quiet was making her crazy. She felt like a settler waiting for the Indians to attack at dawn's first light. Nerves were tangling into an intricate web within her.

Say something, d.a.m.n you.

He just continued walking beside her.

Sara swallowed. She shouldn't have come. "I also arranged your files so that it will be easier for you to pull up records when you have to pay taxes."

Nik didn't even look at her. His profile was impa.s.sive. "Very efficient of you."

Sara looked down at the sand beneath her feet. Tiny drifts swarmed around her sneakers with each step. "I thought so."

The conversation fell, stillborn, right next to her feet in the sand.

She wanted to hit him. She wanted to run back and get into her car. I She didn't know what she wanted.

The silence hung on as they walked. The sea, mildly restless , teased the sh.o.r.eline like a flirtatious Southern belle, lifting skirts of foam before retreating. Somewhere in the distance Sera heard a girl giggle.

She squinted, trying to discern shapes in the moonlight.

She saw two teenagers, a boy and a girl, running on the beach some distance from them. The boy was chasing the girl. Laughing, she was no match for him. When he caught her they both tumbled down on the sand, oblivious to everything but each other.

Aching, remembering, Sara looked away.

Moonlight outlined her profile. It had been all he could do not to take her into his arms from the first moment they had been alone. Nik continued walking and stared straight ahead. He'd hoped that some sort of magic words would occur to him to make her change her mind.