Page 147

JT ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “She tracks my phone. In some places we go it’s a necessary thing. I’ll talk to her.” He took a deep breath and groaned. “Shit. I was supposed to stop by the office and sign some contracts. I ignored her calls earlier. I’m sorry, Nina.”

Somehow she thought Deanna showing up was about more than contracts.

JT leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, his mouth kicking in a wry grin before he stepped back. “But I’m pretty sure everyone knows what we’re doing, and that’s a good thing.”

Because of their cover. That was all. He closed the door and she was left alone and almost completely naked.

If only her heart didn’t feel just as bare.

JT strodeout of the dressing room, ready to throttle someone. Not someone. Deanna. He was going to fire her. Everyone wanted him to fire her, well, today was the day they all got their wish. He could handle her sharp tongue, but cock blocking was definitely where he drew the line.

She stood out in the middle of the department, a stack of files in her arms. Deanna was in her early thirties, and he was sure there were men out there who thought she was smoking hot. She had honey blonde hair and she took care of herself, but somehow he’d never been able to look at her as more than a super-competent assistant who could keep the dragons of the industry on their toes.

Attraction had hit like lightning the minute he’d seen Nina. It had been utterly unlike anything he’d felt in his life, and he was well aware that he was in too deep, way too fast, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You want to explain why you’re interrupting me?” It was time to reclaim some of his private life. He hadn’t had much of one for years. Not since his father had backed off traveling, forcing JT to spend much of his life visiting rigs and going to conferences. He didn’t do much beyond work and sleep and take the occasional morning off to play golf, which was honestly usually more about work than play. “You’re going to stop tracking my phone and you’re going to stop it now.”

A huff came from her along with a slow frown. “How am I supposed to keep up with you? Your mother already hates me. If I lost you in a foreign country, she would really be pissed. I know everyone in the world thinks your mother is some darling, wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly-because-she’s-so-classy lady, but she can be very intimidating when she wants to be. I know a cast-iron bitch when I see one.”

He would have protested her calling his momma a bitch, but it was a term of respect coming from Deanna. “How about I’ll stop my mother from tracking my phone? You can both follow me on social media.”

“You don’t ever post anything,” she complained.

“Well, then you’ll both have some troubled nights, won’t you? Maybe she could hire a private detective to follow me around.”

Deanna’s expression went mulish. “Well if she did, she probably would do it because she’s worried about you getting your heart ripped out of your chest by some British skank out for your money. And I know your mother is British, but she had all that Weston money behind her, so we know she married your father because she lost her damn mind, not because she needed money.”

“Nina isn’t a gold digger.” He kept his voice down because they were out in public, and despite the fact that he was sure Deanna had sent the PI, he wasn’t giving anyone moreammunition if he could help it. “She’s my fiancée, and if you can’t treat her with respect then we’re going to have a problem.”

“We’ll have a problem anyway,” Deanna said under her breath.

“What?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You didn’t answer my texts. The stock you wanted to buy bottomed out an hour ago, but I can’t give them the go-ahead to buy without your signature, and the Nikkei opens in a few hours. If we don’t get it at open, we’ll pay a much higher price because the sharks will be circling.”

He took a deep breath. She had a good reason for hunting him down. He held out a hand. “Give it to me.”

She gave him the authorization papers. “Good, because I’m worried Jordy is going to try to undercut us.”

He started to look them over. “Jordy Burton? The asshole on my leadership team who was so worried about my daddy that he showed up in my hotel room this morning? That Jordy?” He knew it shouldn’t surprise him.

“Yep. I’m not entirely certain, but I heard him talking to someone about stock, and he mentioned the company you’ve been looking at. I don’t know how he knows. I wouldn’t tell that massive ass a thing.”

“Then why did you let him in my hotel suite?” He didn’t like the idea that Jordy had somehow figured out his plans to buy up stock on a failing Japanese tech firm. They had some software that JT believed they were underusing. He wasn’t certain so he wanted a deal, but if he was right, Malone Oil would have another technological edge.

So where had Jordy gotten the idea to go after the same firm?

She sighed. “I let them in because I was worried too. The Malone family closed ranks and I was on the outside. I know we’re not exactly friends, JT, but I’ve worked for you for a longtime. I spend more time with you than anyone else in the world. Forgive me for being worried.”

“About me, or the company if my father dies?”

“I wouldn’t worry about the company. You’ve been running it for the last few years. If anything, I wish you would take it all over because your dad is stubborn as the day is long and won’t listen to any idea that doesn’t come from a dinosaur.” She gave him a pen. “Although now I’m worried because instead of dealing with this very important stock purchase you were doing something in the dressing room that made all the salesladies stand outside like they were listening to a sex show. Probably because they were.”

“I get to have a private life.” He finished looking through the documents and signed his name on the line.

“Not in the dressing room, you don’t.” She took the papers back and stepped away. “I hope you’re telling me the truth and you really know this woman because I would hate to see her ruin the good work you’ve been doing. I’ll get this filed and see you in the morning unless you’re planning on ducking work to play with your…fiancée.”

“I’ll be there in the morning.” Though he and Nina did have work to do. “Mid-morning.”