Page 13 of Home to Me (The Andrades 2)
“I’ve spoken to her on the phone.”
“Does she seem to like her job more now that Nick is there?”
Rena picked up the pen and started to doodle on a piece of paper. “I haven’t spoken to her enough to know.”
“Could you? Speak to her, I mean. It would look weird if I started hanging around Nick’s office, but I have to know how they are getting along. Curiosity is killing me. Luke told me Nick likes her, but he won’t say more than that.”
Rena pressed so hard on the pen that it tore into the paper. She threw the pen down. “I don’t understand.”
Maddy said excitedly, “Don’t you think she would be perfect for Nick? She comes from a great family in Connecticut. And she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Janet is one of your plants?”
“Not mine, but I don’t care. She applied for a job at Corisi Enterprises. Marie interviewed her and snapped her up, then we pulled a few strings and sent her over to Cogent. Don’t worry, Marie did a full background check on her and her family. Her mother is an elementary school teacher. Her father works as a hospital administrator. Janet put herself through school by working at a fast-food chain. Everyone there loved her. They all say she has a heart of gold. That’s exactly the kind of woman Nick needs. Someone who can love him unconditionally.”
“Who is Marie?”
“Mrs. Duhamel, Dominic Corisi’s personal assistant. She practically runs his company. I can’t believe you don’t know her. You would love her. Just don’t mess with her boys. She’s very protective of them.”
“Maddy, as interesting as this is, I have to get back to work.” And try to forget that Nick likely took her brush-off so well because he’d already moved on to sleeping with his secretary.
“Don’t hang up. Rena, I know you said you don’t want to get involved, but all you’d have to do is peek in and see how they are together. Janet doesn’t know she’s a plant so she won’t know why you’re there. That’s it. Maybe put in a good word for him to her. Or vice versa. Nothing more than that.”
Rena looked up at the ceiling. Does someone up there hate me? “I’m sorry, Maddy, I told you. This isn’t something I want to be a part of.”
“I get it. You have to be discrete. That’s fine. Keep it simple. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Rena sighed after Maddy hung up. Speaking to her was always a little bit like stepping into a hurricane: You had to fight to keep your footing. Nicole had been right—Maddy definitely had a problem with the word no.
A few minutes later, Rena was still gathering her thoughts when Nick walked into her office. She should be used to seeing him in a suit and tie, but the sight still took her breath away. No matter how many times he came up to see Gio, Rena’s response to him was the same. Her heart beat triple-time and her hands itched to reach out and mess his recently tamed hair.
“Is Gio in?”
“He stepped out for a meeting.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“He didn’t say.”
Rena cursed herself for being angry at Nick for respecting her wish to ignore what had happened between them. He had been completely businesslike each time they’d met since and it made her more confused.
It was probably easy for him since he likely consoled himself in the arms of his secretary.
Bastard.
Rena knew she should be happy that Gio and Nick had come to something of a truce. Nick had come by to talk to Gio almost every day recently, and it looked like Gio was trusting him with more and more responsibility. Gio had even mentioned that he was impressed with how Nick was both coming to him for guidance and bringing his own ideas. If all went well, the two would indeed end up as partners. Nick was surprising everyone.
And looking so damn pleased with himself I want to throw a shoe at his head.
He walked over to the side of her desk and laid one hand down flat, bringing his mouth close enough that he could speak softly in her ear. “I can’t tell if you’re angry with me because I kissed you that night or because I haven’t kissed you since.”
Rena kept her eyes glued to her keyboard. “I’m not angry at all.”
“Is that why you glare at me every time I come in here? I won’t apologize for what I said to you afterward.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “You’re not fooling me, Rena. I know you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did. The thought of repeating it is keeping me up at night. Just being in the same room with you makes me painfully hard. I want to fuck you, Rena. It’s going to happen. How long can you hold out, pretending you don’t want it as much as I do?”
In a voice much more breathy and excited than she’d intended, Rena answered, “I’m not pretending.”
“Look me in the eye and say that, Rena.”
She couldn’t. If she turned her head she wasn’t sure she could stop her lips from seeking his. “I—”
Her denial was cut off by Gio entering her office. “Nick, you’re here. Good. I wanted to update you on our newest client.”
Nick straightened. “Great. Did you mention the stats I gave you?”
“I did and they were a nice touch. Good thinking. Rena, hold my calls for the next thirty minutes.”
“Absolutely,” Rena said, striving to sound unaffected by her exchange with Nick.
Nick followed Gio, but just before he stepped into Gio’s office, he turned and winked at Rena. A deep red flush spread up her neck and face.
She glared at him.
He smiled back at her and closed the door behind him. Rena laid her head on her desk and groaned audibly.
“Is this a bad time?” a woman asked tentatively.
Rena rolled her head to one side and peered at the woman with one eye. She was in her mid-twenties, with long blonde curls that hung wildly around a heart-shaped face and stunning green eyes. If the tiny waist and huge breasts were anything to go by, she had to be Janet.
“No,” Rena answered as she raised her head. “I was reading over some notes.”
The woman glanced down at the empty desk in front of Rena, then shrugged. “Hi, I’m Janet Wagner. We’ve spoken on the phone a few times. I’m Nicholas Andrade’s secretary. Do you have a minute?”
With a sigh of resignation, Rena sat back in her chair, “Sure. What do you need?”
The young woman stepped closer to Rena’s desk. “Nick asked me to type up some summary notes. I did, but I don’t know if they need to be in a certain format. Could you look at what I did and tell me if you think that’s what he wants?”
I know what he wants, Rena thought but didn’t say. And the problem is: I want the same thing.
Ren
a stood and pushed past Janet. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now.” She kept walking until she was in the privacy of the bathroom. Once inside she locked the outer door and stood in front of the sink facing her reflection. Don’t sleep with him. Everything is finally going well for him. Gio is beginning to trust him. He’s actually finding his way here.
Fucking him could seriously fuck that up.
Fuck. Look at what I’m becoming.
I don’t even swear normally.
This is not good.
Pull yourself together.
A glint of satisfaction lit her eyes. He wants me.
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
But that doesn’t change anything.
She opened her eyes, reminded herself that she was not the type to hide in a bathroom instead of conquering a challenge, and told herself to go help Janet with her summary.
I can do this because I know I made the right decision for Nick and for me.
If he wants to fuck her it’s none of my business.
Fuck, I’m swearing again.
She took a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door. She looked up at the ceiling and said, “I don’t know who I pissed off up there, but could you work with me? Just a little? I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
***
Nick sat in one of the leather chairs in front of Gio’s desk. He forced himself into a relaxed pose. Gio hovered beside his desk. For the past two weeks he’d looked down at him from his desk chair like a king tolerating one of his subjects. Something had changed.
“The meeting went well this morning. You were spot-on with how Durkin would respond to our counteroffer. How did you know that?”
“I spent a week at his house in Bali last year. Durkin Senior likes to talk when he drinks. At the time I found it tediously boring, but he bragged extensively about the equipment his company was developing. Sounded like a large investment project. Which implied a possible cash flow issue until they prove their new design works. Two months ago we received a call from one of his people. They were feeling out what our next contracts would be. I figured they were ripe for a lowball offer from us.”
