“Lynn, hold my calls,” he told his secretary, who looked surprised to see him with his brother’s secretary. Jane wondered if he realized that a move like this could very well blow her cover.
He gestured her into his office and stepped in behind her, closing the door. She actually flinched as it snapped shut. Was it possible that despite what he’d told his partners, he still wasn’t okay with the investigation? Did he intend on giving her a hard time?
He crossed the room to his desk and sat down. “Have a seat, Miss Monroe.”
She did as he asked, sitting on the edge of the chair across from his desk.
“In the interest of getting this investigation resolved as quickly as possible, there are a few things I should tell you about my brother.”
He wanted to help her? “Yes, please. Anything you think would be helpful.”
“I can only assume the agency is aware of my brother’s reputation as a womanizer, and that’s why they sent you.”
“That was the idea.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ve caught his attention. You’re a very beautiful woman Miss Monroe, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s going to take more than a pretty face and a tight skirt to keep him interested.”
Take it the wrong way? A gorgeous billionaire just called her beautiful and he thought she would be offended? If her feet weren’t so darned sore she might be turning cartwheels across his office.
“Do you have any advice as to what will keep him interested?”
“My brother loves a challenge, so don’t make it too easy for him. If you’re too aggressive, he’ll lose interest. Make him work for it. Play hard to get.”
Considering her pathetic lack of experience chasing the opposite sex, she liked the idea of letting Mr. Everette come to her.
“Also, he’ll find you measurably more appealing if you make it clear that you have no interest in any sort of commitment.”
She could definitely do that.
“But probably the most important thing to keep in mind is that my brother has a short attention span when it comes to the opposite sex. He’ll have expectations, and if they aren’t met, he’ll get bored pretty fast.”
Then she would have to work quickly. Because if he was talking about what she thought he was talking about, meeting those expectations was not even an option. She wanted to crack this case, but even she had limits. And even if she was that desperate, if her boss learned that she had slept with the subject of an investigation to get information, her career would be over.
“I’ll be honest, Miss Monroe. My brother and I don’t exactly see eye to eye on most things. The truth is, he can be an arrogant ass, but he’s not a bad person.”
“You protect him.”
He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “For the life of me I don’t know why.”
“Because that’s what big brothers do. I know, I have two of them.” Although in her case, they didn’t just protect. They domineered.
Mr. Everette smiled. He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as she’d first thought. At first glance he seemed so dark and intense, but he definitely had a softer side. “With a sister as pretty as you, I’m sure it was a full-time job.”
Wow, she really liked this guy.
“Well,” he said, rising from his chair. “I’m glad we had this talk. But I should let you get back to work.”
She stood and smoothed her skirt back into place. “Thank you for the advice.”
He reached across the desk to shake her hand. His grip was firm and confident. “Good luck, Miss Monroe.”
She left Nathan Everette’s office feeling a lot less unsure of herself than when she’d walked into work that morning. The first day of her first undercover assignment may have had a bit of a bumpy start, but things were definitely looking up.
She hobbled back to her desk on her poor tortured feet, yet she felt a renewed confidence. If she could maintain her cool in a meeting with the CEO, CBO and CFO of a multibillion dollar corporation, she could handle just about anything.
When she got there she kicked off her shoes and opened her top drawer, fishing out the flash drive. It was time to go get some information.
“Is it my imagination or were you a lot taller the last time I saw you?”
At the sound of Mr. Everette’s voice she gasped in surprise and dropped the flash drive back in the drawer. She whipped around, slamming it shut with her backside. He stood in his office doorway, arms folded, leaning against the jamb. And he must have been back for some time because not only was his coat off, he’d removed his suit jacket as well. “You’re back early.”
“I made it as far as the lobby and got a call that the meeting was cancelled.”
If she hadn’t been called away, he would have without a doubt walked in on her “investigating.” The thought made her knees go weak. Next time she would have to make sure that he’d actually left the building before she set foot in his office.
“Imagine my surprise when I returned to find that my new secretary was already playing hooky.”
“N-no … I wasn’t …” She stopped and took a deep breath. What was the point of making excuses. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
“Where were you?”
Okay, she could handle this. It was all about thinking on her feet, and being prepared. So of course her mind went instantly blank. “The, um … HR office.”
“Human resources?”
“Yes.”
“For …?”
“Paperwork. There was a form they forgot to have me sign.”
“And they stole your shoes while you were there?” he said, nodding to her stocking feet.
“No, of course not. They’re under my desk. They’re new and they were pinching my toes.” At least that much was the truth. “I can put them back on—”
“Oh no. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for your sore feet. Although maybe they would hurt less if you sat down.”
She lowered herself into her chair.
“I need to go talk to my brother,” he said, and before she could stop herself she sucked in a breath. Did he know she’d just been there?
No, of course he didn’t. How could he?
He gave her an odd look. “Problem?”
She gestured to her feet. “Sorry, sore toes.”
“As I was saying, I have to talk to my brother before my mother blows a gasket. But if anyone calls, I’m in a meeting.”
“Of course.”
With one last curious look her way, he walked out.
The man must have thought she was a loon.
Her cell phone started to ring and she pulled it out of the desk drawer, where she had left it again.
And it was her sister, Mary. Again. She pressed the talk button. “Hey Mary, what’s up?”
“You sure are tough to get ahold of,” Mary snapped in lieu of a hello.
Jane sighed. She had half a mind to just hang up on her. She wished she had the guts to do it, but things had been so strained lately already, she didn’t