Windward Whisperings Read Online Free Page B

for attention. I have to
guard it like a rabid dog. What a hunk.”
“Don’t tell your boyfriend about your fantasies for your boss, Sed.” A sting of jealousy caught
her by surprise. Competition was in her blood, but she needed to be smart. Loup de Mer was a man
of power. In the corporate world, powerful men were tickets to trouble.
Looking very pregnant, Sedona shifted her stomach out of the way of the computer.
“I admire you for being up and around at this point.” Kitzie hoped she didn’t sound too
personal.
“Thanks for thinking of me. I’ve got another two months to go.” She let out a sigh. “Tommy
and I need the income.” As she stood, she gave Kitzie’s shoes a glance. “How can your feet make it
through the day in those heels?”
“As a kid, I liked walking on stilts. These days, I never go beyond two or three inches.
Otherwise, I tend to wobble.” High heels made her feel opulent and unapproachable. When it came
to sharing personal business at work, she was similarly private.
Except a single eyewitness, she never spoke of her parents’ double suicide. Now and then,
memories of that day came over her heart like a dull ache. Talking about it would make others
uncomfortable, and she didn’t want their pity or opinions. With far too many layers of should-haves,
every one stung like an onion from the Bermuda Triangle.
Sedona rapped on the vacationing CEO’s door. “I cleaned out Mr. Biltmore’s office for the
consultant.”
She kept it to herself that chicken-hearted Biltmore had left on sabbatical while Garrett did his
pruning.
Sedona whispered to her, “I think I’ll start strutting around in strappy shoes.”
“Safety first, Sed. Keep wearing those cute ballet flats until after you have the baby.”
Kitzie was intuitive about accidents waiting to happen. Her parents’ “accident” left her with a
definable twitch. She didn’t want anyone to suffer as she had.
Suicide or not, her parents’ white sails had blended with frothy water. No one on the barge had
spotted their sailboat. Maybe someday, if Naiad didn’t go belly up, she’d make her way into the sail
making department. If given the opportunity, she’d slap on reflective material, high up near the
mast.
As a designer, prudence was foremost in her mind. She’d put it to use by testing and choosing
top quality fittings. Other precautions didn’t cost the company a dime. A paddle might be missing
from a bilge. She made sure compasses were tested before being mounted on both sides of the deck.
She knew the marine layer could be heavy with fog. Because of her passion for safety, Edgar had
assigned her to quality assurance. The added tasks never translated to an increase.
For a few seconds, she worried. If she transferred from production, her inroads there would be
for naught. Edgar wouldn’t maintain them, and she’d resent her sacrifice. She closed out that angry
thought beginning to plague her. More than once, she’d dared herself to climb Naiad’s corporate
ladder. It lay ahead. She’d seize the opportunity.
Sedona poked her head into his office. “Miss Piermont is here to see you, Mr. Mackenzie.”
“Thank you, Miss Hudson.”
After Sedona’s announcement, she closed the door with a click.
“Come in, Kitzie.” Garrett’s deep voice resonated through her entire body.
Open windows from the corner let in a breeze, and she stared into a blurry tangle of greenery.
She’d need to impress him with her talent. The side he knew best was a spoiled kitty, always looking
for a place to stretch out in the sun.
Garrett stood, rounded his desk in leather boat shoes, and extended his hand. “You’re right on
time, Kitzie, nine on the dot. I expected you’d be elegantly late.”
She slipped her hand into his warm one. “You’ve thawed.” She’d anticipated seeing him in a suit.
“To my surprise, you knew to dress in khakis and a sweater.”
“Ship manufacturing execs dress casual except for stockholders’