Chapter 21 #2
“Your aunt and father asked me to spy on you for them. If I didn’t do it, I was eventually going to lose my job, so I figured I might as well.
But not because I wanted to.” I shook my head and gripped the chair bottom with both hands, as if hanging on would make this easier.
“Argh, that came out wrong. What I meant is that I didn’t know if you were what they hinted you might be…
. Someone who might sabotage his own company, someone who preys on women and uses his wealth and position to intimidate others.
” His eyes widened, and I was sure that was pain glinting from the depths of his baby blues.
I hurried on, not wanting to prolong my admission.
“If you were… that kind of a person, I figured it would be a job well done. But I can see you’re not that person, and I’m sorry I agreed to it.
I really just wanted to keep my job and get to the truth.
” By the end, I was speaking at a million miles a minute.
It was a relief to sit back and let out the infected-with-secrets air.
I only wished I hadn’t hurt Curtis’s feelings in the process.
Was I just another person in a long line who’d let him down?
I might be out of a job, but I wasn’t going to lose anymore sleep.
My days of lying to Curtis were over. The peace of that soothed my heart more than I expected.
Maybe not all rich men were weasels. Considering what his father was doing to him, I’d say only four out of five rich guys were scum. “So, I’m sorry. Really sorry.”
“I appreciate that, Faith. What gave it away?”
“That you aren’t a sleazebag?” I winced. That wasn’t great word choice.
Thankfully, he laughed. And it was glorious, warming my insides, making me want to join in. I’d never seen him laugh before, actual big joy coming from his usual grumpy, serious countenance. “Yes.”
“That brings me to my next piece of information. My best friend, Amy—the one I live with—she’s a lawyer for a huge firm, and they have a great IT security department.
She had someone research the social media account that started the rumor about you supposedly trying to force a young woman into sleeping with you in return for representation.
We found her. Her name’s Cassie Thomas. We can prove she was in another state, and you were out of the country when the supposed incident happened. ”
He raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure? Our legal department was looking into it… or so they told me. They said it was almost impossible to discover who was behind it, but they’d keep trying.”
“Well, they either weren’t trying too hard, or they didn’t think to get your IT security department involved.” My brow tightened. “Did you speak to them directly?”
“No. Margie was dealing with it.” He sat back, frowning, and stared down at his hands in his lap.
He slowly shook his head and met my gaze again.
“She wouldn’t have betrayed me, surely. There must be one damned person I can trust around here.
” He shot to his feet and strode to the window, his jaw set.
Staring at the view must be a way he calmed himself.
I stood and walked to him. I didn’t get too close—I was still probably the enemy in his eyes—but he deserved someone to be there for him.
I wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, give him the comfort he so clearly needed.
“I know it’s crazy for me to say after everything, but there is.
You can trust me. And if you don’t want to, maybe call Jack.
I know he’d want to help. Surely, you can trust him.
” From what I’d seen of their relationship, they were close.
He turned, his tall, broad-shouldered sexiness backlit by dusky, cloud-filtered light.
At the risk of sounding pathetic, he took my breath away.
If only I was someone he could fall for.
Idiot Faith was well and truly alive and kicking.
At least Curtis had enough sense for both of us because if he wanted me, I wouldn’t have the strength to say no.
Is this how the male praying mantis felt when he found the female mantis of his dreams?
He was happy to die for the cause? “Have you told anyone else what you told me?”
“No. Stephanie called me earlier, asking for an update. I told her I didn’t have one.
That was the point I decided I was going to come clean to you.
You don’t deserve what’s happening. Me keeping my job isn’t worth what they’re doing to you.
” Not that I knew exactly who all the “they” were.
The next part made me nervous. He might not believe me.
As annoying as he found Victoria lately, they were old friends.
I was just the lying, spying, donut-squishing loser.
I had the proof in my computer for him to compare, but he might decide she’d done it accidentally.
And maybe if confronted, she’d blame her assistant and chalk it up to a few mistakes.
Despite the low odds of being believed, I had to try.
“Anyway, before I leave, I have one more thing. I was going through the campaigns of clients that’ve left, and I might have discovered why you lost those accounts. ”
Before I could explain that Queen V had been swapping out approved assets for subpar ones, the door opened, and the traitor herself came in.
Shit. I quickly looked at Curtis and made as subtle a face as I could to say, “Don’t say anything.
” I didn’t know for sure if she was working against him, but it appeared to be that way.
The last thing Curtis needed was her having more ammunition, and if she was working against him, she might be working with his dad, and she’d tell him Curtis knew something was going on.
Curtis frowned at me and gave me an “I don’t understand” look before turning his attention to the evil, fabulously heeled one.
Queen V, or should that be Queen B for bitch, stopped and peered at him, then me.
“What’s going on here? Nothing inappropriate, I hope.
” Her pink-taloned finger waved from Curtis to me a few times.
“You both look suspicious.” And why did she sound like that would be a juicy piece of information that would work in her favor?
Curtis, please don’t say anything. I’d never wished for telepathy more in my life.
“Of course not. Faith had some interesting news to tell me.” Argh, nooooooo!
He thought he could trust her, but I knew better.
Or maybe he was put off by the suggestion that he would engage in inappropriateness with me and was looking for a way out of an awkward conversation about the fact we were not having sex.
Because we weren’t. No matter how much my vagina voted for it.
“It can wait.” I gave him a strained smile. I’d leave to get out of this, but then he might tell her everything I’d already spilled. How did I warn him not to say anything without verbalizing it?
“No. Please tell us,” Queen B said through a smug smile that grated on every nerve in my tense body. I’d love to rip one of her stilettoes off and shove the point up her ass.
I gave Curtis one last pleading look. He just raised his brows as if to say, “Go on.”
This was an emergency.
One that needed a bomb drop to divert attention from the real issue. If I didn’t give Queen B something good, she’d never believe it till she got to the truth.
I opened my mouth before I could think too hard.
“I was going to tell Mr. Knight that I can’t work for him anymore because I have a crush on him.
He’s just so… hot, with that face, and those eyes, and his pecs…
don’t get me started on those.” My mind rewound to that day in the breakroom.
He really did have fine pecs. The best I’d ever accidentally fondled.
“It’s just too hard for me to come to work every day and keep my feelings to myself.
Especially since office fraternization isn’t allowed.
So… should I just pack my things?” My face burned so hot, my eyebrows and eyelashes were melting and curling up into those little squiggles that happened when you stuck your face too close to a just-opened hot oven to check the food.
Queen B’s eyes widened, but her forehead stayed put.
Maybe Botox was her secret to always appearing cool, calm, and collected.
Curtis, on the other hand, looked discombobulated.
He stood frozen, his luscious mouth slightly parted as he peered at me.
I’d given up trying to fight this attraction.
I didn’t need to impose common sense on myself because the universe would make this situation safe for me.
After today, I’d never see him again, unless it was me stalking pictures of him online.
It also helped that he probably thought I was joking.
Argh, surely he thought that. He wouldn’t think I was telling the truth, would he?
My embarrassment went from an eight to an eleven. I’d hightail it out of here right now, except I didn’t want him telling her anything about our previous conversation, or all of this would’ve been for nothing.
“Well, well, well, how interesting. Can’t say I’m surprised.
I’ve seen the way you look at him, Faith.
It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Half the women in here stare after him like pathetic dogs in heat.
At least you know where you stand. Curtis doesn’t date inside the company, and he certainly doesn’t date beneath his station…
anymore.” Did I detect a hint of frustration in her tone?
She turned to the man of the moment. “I take it, she’s fired? ”
I’d have to call him later and tell him what I discovered about Queen B.
For now, I’d drop the biggest warning hint I could.
“Ah, before you fire me, please don’t tell Miss Worthington about everything I said before.
I’d be even more embarrassed because she’d probably tell your aunt and your father.
I think I’ve suffered enough for one day; don’t you? ”
Understanding stuttered to life in his eyes.
He nodded slowly. “Yes, of course. We should never speak of any of this again.” His gaze found Queen B.
His voice was low and vibrated with demand.
“If you say anything about this to anyone, I’ll be sure to let the press know about that incident at college. ”
Wow, he knew how to get to her. She paled, which was quite a feat considering how much foundation she was wearing. Now I wanted all the tea on what that incident was. Not knowing was going to kill me. “Of course, Curtis.” She put a hand over her heart in calculated offense. “I would never.”
“If this ever gets out, I’ll know where it came from.”
Anger jammed her lips together. She did not like being told. I was surprised he’d speak to her like that, though. They were supposedly old friends, and I’d suspected more might be going on until Destiny told me he’d rejected Queen B at a work function. This was eye-opening.
Curtis turned his back on her, going behind his desk and sitting in his bossman chair. His face calmed and turned into his grumpy-boss expression—all business. “So, you’ve come to see me because…?”
Her expression relaxed, and one corner of her mouth twitched as if she was holding in a smile.
She quickly got herself under control, her mouth straightening and sympathy dripping from her eyes.
I didn’t believe it for a second. “How did your meeting with the board go? I’ve been worried about you.
” I was surprised she was asking in front of me.
Or maybe she was so focused on whatever her angle was that she’d forgotten all about the lowly, soon-to-be banished assistant.
Disappointment speared my gut. I’d failed again. Another opportunity turned to crumbs. The person I didn’t want to tell the most was Amy. She was always so supportive and believed in me, the light to my mother’s dark. I’d really let her down.
Curtis leaned back and threaded his fingers together on his flat stomach. He probably had a six-pack under that expensive shirt, a six-pack I’d never get to see. I sighed. The world really was a cruel place. “It was about what you’d expect.”
“Let me buy you dinner tonight. We’ll go to Zesty’s. They have those amazing arancini balls. I’ll cheer you up.” The smile she gave him was hopeful. After how difficult she’d been, what was this about?
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got too much work to do. Let’s raincheck it for when things are less… hectic.”
“Ah, okay, sure.” There was disappointment in her tone. This woman could spin on a dime. Had she popped some kind of nice-person pill while I wasn’t looking?
“If you don’t mind, I need to speak to Faith. Alone.”
Her eyes widened, and she glanced at me, then back at Curtis. “You can fire her with me here. I don’t mind.” Okay, so the pill had worn off already. She should ask for her money back.
I swallowed. Knowing I was going to be fired in the future, even if it was only in an hour or two and finally arriving at that time were two different things. I blinked back the burn in my eyes. I’d chosen this, and damned if I would let Queen B have the last laugh and see me cry.
Curtis stood. “I mind.” He folded his arms, giving her a dark look that said, “conversation over.”
Her tone was cold and dead—like her heart—when she said, “Fine. It’s your funeral.
” She turned and strode out, doing that weird catwalk thing where they put one foot directly in front of the other.
I shut the door that she couldn’t be bothered closing and ignored the forest of hairs that rose on my nape.
I hesitantly turned around. “Before you fire me—”
He held his hand up, his burning, blue gaze shooting heat from my cheeks to my stomach to my toes.
“Before we get to that, tell me the rest of what you were going to say before we were interrupted.” He walked over and sat on the couch, patting the cushion beside him with his sexy hand.
Man, I had it bad. I’d never thought anyone’s hand was sexy before.
Could I ask him to leave it on the couch?
No, don’t do it. “Come and sit. We have things to discuss.”
My mouth was dry, and I licked my bottom lip.
The way he said “things” sounded more enticing than it should.
Heart racing, I stepped toward the couch.
Today, and most days really, I’d been a study in holding myself back, resisting the urge to touch him.
I didn’t know how much more self-control I had.
I guessed I was about to find out.