Gerald dialed the phone number attached to the profile photo and waited, barely breathing, while ringing.

     'Hello,' she answered on the fourth ring.

     'This is Gerald Anderson. I'd like to speak to Miss Kim Chiu,' he said.

     Silence was followed by muffled words spoken to someone else as she apparently covered the phone with her hand. A female voice answered her,mostly likely her sister. They didn't sound like they were in agreement on what to do and her ability to muffle their conversation slipped as their exchange became more heated.

     He cut into their conversation. 'Although your suggestion sounds entertaning, it's not necessary to have your sister pretend to be you, Kim, I know all about your little ruse.'

     'Crap,' she said, 'you heard that?'

     Unexpectedly, he found himself chuckling again. He dropped his feet to the floor and rested an elbow on his desk. 'Let's just say that you made a good choice when you went into education rather than episonage.'

     'How did you find me?' she asked. 'And how did you know that I'm a teacher?'

     'That's not important. I am calling about...'

     She interrupted him. 'Oh, my God, you paid someone to ask questions about me! My neighbor said someone had been asking about me tonight and  she thought the questions were rather odd.'

     So much for Aldred being discrete. He'd have to mention that to them, but he supposed that they weren't often given such a short time frame to gather personal details on someone.

     'You left without even giving your name.  Can you blame a man for wanting to know who he had dinner with?' he asked.

     'So you grilled my neighbors?' That's not like like lloking me up in the phonebook,; she countered.

     I think we both know we have some unfinished business,' he said running a finger over the lip of his still full glass.

     'You make it sound like more than it was. It was nothing,' she argued.

     'Because you ran,' he said.

     'I did not run.'

     'Oh, yes, you did. Did you really think I'd care that you were a teacher not the regular housekeeper?'

    'Did you really think I'd have with you for money?' she asked sharply.

     'I wasn't sure,' he said honestly and realized his mistake when he heard her harsh intake of breath. 'After reading over your life story, I can see how that might have offended you.'

     'Might have? Reading over my life story? There is nothing about this conversation that is changing my original impression of you as an arrogant .'

     'And yet you kissed me.' Just saying the words sent his blood rushing downward in anticipation of a pleasure he knew he'd enjoy again and soon.

     'You kissed me,' she corrected.

     'I don't remember you exactly fighting it off. In fact, I distinctly remember you making a soft moan when the kiss ended. It made me wonder what other noises you'd make for me.'

     He wished he could see her expression. By her labored breathing, he could tell his comment had hit the mark. She was furious with him. Unrepentant, her anger just made him want her more. He could barely focus on the conversation as he imagined how he would redirect all that emotion if he were there.

     Before she began to question his own heavy breathing, he said, 'A limo will pick you up at your house tomorrow at 11 in the morning. Wear something nice.'

     She gurgled with anger. 'Are you insane? I'm not going anywhere with you.'

     'You know you want to see me again,' he challenged.

     In a wasted, desperate attempt to evade him, she said, ;What if I have a boyfriend?'

      'You broke up with your last one,  months ago,' he said smugly.

     Another indignant gasp. She sounded gloriously flustered. 'You think you have all the answers, don't you?'

     However amusing this was, he was beginning to lose patience with her continued resistance.' The limo will come for you at 11-'

     'I don't care if you send a fleet of limos. I'm not going anywhere with you tomorrow. Have your investigator bring a camera so you'll have a nice photo of my door not opening.'

     Enough.  'You will get in the limo I send.'

     'Try me.'

     Something in him snapped. The possibility of her refusal hadn't occurred to him, nor was it now an option. 'You will come -- or is your sister's job now unimportant to you?'

     'You're not seriously suggesting that you would blackmail me into going somewhere with you, are you?' Is that how rich men get dates? Isn't that a bit over the top?'

     Unlike almost everyone else he knew, she wasn't intimidated by him or his threats and that just added to his attraction to her.

     She paused and seemed to consider something. 'Or is this about your car?'

     What the hell?  He stood to look out the window at his vehicle. 'What about my car?'

      'Oh, nothing. Nothing. Forget I said that,' she said with her first hint of nervousness.

     Strike two for Aldred. Their report had missed an apparent bout of vandalism. Even in the dim illumination of the street lights he could see the damage to his bumper. He shook his head in amazement.

     None of this conversation had gone the way he'd planned it in his head. He'd meant to cordially request her company and he'd expected her to readily accept.

     She was delightfully, unexpectedly difficult to predict or control. Her resistance would make the win that much sweeter, but her guilt was just the edge he was looking for.

     'Do you realize how expensive that car is?' he asked, using her discomfort to his advantage.

     'I have no idea what you're talking about,' she hedged.

     His Kim is a poor liar. Confident that they'd reached a resolution he ordered, 'Be ready fo 11.'

     'Go to hell,' she said and hung up.

     Which was an apt description of what the following day promised to be, but he had no intention of going there alone. If she thought she'd won, she'd grossly underestimated the lengths he'd go for something he wanted.

     One call would get her in that limo. He said, 'Helena.' into his phone. It rang exactly twice before his PA picked up. Without waiting for a response, he sadi. 'I need you to do something for me. Consider it a personal favor.'