Page 15 of Masked Secrets
My jaw drops.
10
STUART
I’m almost certain Brooke had no clue who I was when we first met. I decide to ask anyway to watch her reaction. It will confirm that our meeting was genuinely that of two strangers and that our chemistry was real. I’ve been burned before by cunning women seeking financial or social status, so I just need to be certain I’ve read this situation correctly.
What I didn’t expect was for the blood to completely drain from her face. She looks like she may faint. That wasn’t my intention. I’m not even sure what it means.
Her face falls into her palms as she murmurs, “I’ve already considered resigning. I hoped maybe you wouldn’t tell anyone that we kissed, or that I can’t handle whiskey and slept in your bed, albeit alone. At the time, I had no idea who you were. Now, you think I knowingly kissed a client. I’d never do that. The problem is that I have no way to prove it.”
I stare helplessly at her as my stomach sinks. I’ve screwed up again. Most women find me charming, but with Brooke, I keep mucking it up.
Reaching out, I gently pull one of her hands from her face and hold it in mine. “It’s okay. I didn’t think you knew. I was half teasing—just confirming what I already believed. I had noidea that you were so worried about what happened. I thought you might be upset that I didn’t take you straight home. It never occurred to me that the kiss was an issue. I thought we both enjoyed it, brief as it was.”
“Of course, I enjoyed it,” she whispers.
My brows furrow in confusion.
“Then what’s the issue.”
She looks at me with wide eyes as she holds her head up. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a client. Kissing you violates all kinds of rules.”
“Then those rules need to be changed because I’d like to kiss you again,” I say, with conviction.
“No. Never. That can’t happen.” She vigorously shakes her head.
“I’m so confused. You just said you liked it. What’s the problem?” I shrug.
“Itwaswonderful. What you don’t understand is that I could lose my law license and my job. It’s forbidden to do anything like that with a client.”
Her words are firm. It’s the sadness in her eyes that tells me she’s not happy about saying no. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to erase her worries.
“Well, then it’s good I’m not the client. My dad’s foundation is the client. I’m not even formally affiliated with the Foundation. Dad only sent me to LA because he wanted a family member here for the events rather than just the Foundation’s board members.”
Skepticism clouds her features as she asks, “Why was it so important for you to be here if you don’t work with the Foundation?”
“It’s complicated. I’ll try to explain. First, Dad’s quite proud of this work and wants our family to be seen as promoting it.Second, he had concerns with the recent promotion and said he’d feel better if I were here to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
“You’re using one of the best PR teams in LA. What were his concerns?”
“That’s the strange part. He didn’t specify exactly what worried him. He’s been quite ill though. The fever could be to blame for his uneasiness. I’m not sure that he’s been thinking straight. Even if that’s the case, he seemed truly concerned and wouldn’t relax until I agreed to attend in his place. So, here I am.”
She nods. “You’re a good son. Is your dad going to be okay?”
“The doctors assure us he will. He’s already improved quite a bit. It will just take time. Pneumonia is tough, particularly given his age.”
She smiles, reaching over to squeeze my forearm. “It must be a relief to know he’s doing better.”
“It is.”
She nods, straightening her posture as her lips thin into a neutral line and her eyes grow serious. She’s all business now, as she says, “Jason said you would explain more about the problem the charity is addressing. Could you start by explaining how agriculture causes pollution of the water? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
It’s time to focus on the reason my dad sent me here, so I, too, transition to business mode, explaining, “It’s easiest to answer your question with an example. When it rains or when irrigation water doesn’t completely soak into the land, the excess water, which is called runoff, flows into nearby rivers, lakes, and aquifers. That runoff carries chemicals and pathogens from fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste into the water supply. It’s a huge problem around the world.”
Her eyebrows lift in surprise and concern.
“That’s terrible. What’s the solution? Stop farming near rivers?” she asks.
