Home to Me (The Andrades, Book 2) (10 page)

“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.

Rena 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.”

“You figured right.” Gio surprised Nick by sitting down across from him. He cleared his throat. “That deal will make a substantial difference in the profit margin. You did good.”

Nick tensed at the praise. His family knew exactly how to soften someone up before cutting them down. He and Gio hadn’t spoken about anything personal since he’d returned to Cogent, but it appeared that was about to change. “And?”

Gio ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

Nick sat forward. “What? You obviously have something you want to say to me.”

Gio looked at him silently for a long moment. “I didn’t know what to do when Father died. I was angry with him when I discovered his mistress in Venice. At that time, I didn’t know about Gigi. I swear, Nick, that wouldn’t have been a secret I would have kept.”

“Why did you keep any? Didn’t I have a right to know the truth?”

“I thought I was protecting the family. I was wrong.” Gio punched his thigh in frustration. “I was wrong about a lot of things. Mother was devastated by the revelation that Father had another family. That was followed by a realization that he hadn’t been honest with anyone about the state of the company. Cogent was sinking. We were one contract away from closing our doors. I remember feeling like everything was spinning out of control. I thought if I could get Cogent back on track everything else would return to normal. I didn’t want you to know how bad things were. I see now that by keeping you out of the loop I blocked you from becoming an effective team member.”

“You sound like you’re making a deathbed confession. I don’t buy it.”

Gio accepted that with a nod. “I don’t expect you to trust me immediately. I thought the worst of you when you were determined to work here. Luke said you’re here seeking the truth. I don’t have all of the answers you’re looking for, but I have some. Whatever Mother has against Victor and Alessandro, it has something to do with Isola Santos.”

“Our family’s private island?”

“Yes. It should have gone to me, but Mother made sure it didn’t. She gave the deed for it back to our uncles and lied about it.”

“Do you have proof of that?”

“Victor told me the deed had been in Mother’s possession before Father died. Which made sense since it always goes to the oldest male child in the family.”

“The uncles have lied about many things over the years. They never accepted her or us.”

“I used to believe that, but not anymore. As soon as they knew I was interested in Isola Santos, they offered it to me. No, someone has been lying to us, but I don’t believe it was them.”

Nick stood and shook his head.

Gio stood also and continued. “None of this is easy for me to say. I love our mother, too. And she is ill, just not in the way she’d like us to believe.”

“You’ve never told me any of this before. Why say it now?”

Gio held out a hand for emphasis. “You and I have been at odds for a long time, but these past two weeks have proven it doesn’t have to be that way. We can be on the same team.” A sad expression entered his eyes and he lowered his hand. “You don’t believe me.”

“I didn’t say that.” Nick sat immobile while his mind raced. Gio seemed forthright, open, and almost earnest in his desire for Nick to believe him. Which either meant what he said was true, or there was something Gio was afraid he would uncover.

Gio went to his desk and returned with a folder. “Take this. It’s the Durkin file. I had planned to meet with him and Congressman Blasett next week to facilitate the site testing and formalize the government approval. Why don’t you lead that meeting? Rena has all my notes. She can bring you up to speed on everything we’ve done so far. If you need her, take her with you to his office. She knows all the players involved. This will free me up to check out a potential site in Canada.” He held the folder out to Nick. “Are you ready for the challenge?”

Nick took the folder and met Gio’s eyes. This wasn’t how he’d imagined the morning going at all. “You’re asking me to work with Rena? Didn’t you warn me to stay away from her?”

Gio laid a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “I overreacted to that stupid photo. You’ve known Rena as long as I have. If something was going to happen between the two of you, it would have happened a long time ago. I should have trusted you.”

Nick frowned. Whether or not Gio was being entirely honest with him, Nick wasn’t about to lie to him. “Gio, I can’t guarantee . . .”

Misreading what Nick was about to say, Gio gave him a supportive pat on the back. “You’ll do fine. Especially if you work with Rena on this. The framework for the deal has already been banged out on all sides. All you have to do is get it in writing.”

Nick nodded and left Gio’s office with folder in hand. The deal wasn’t the part he was worried about.

He stopped in front of Rena’s desk and said, “It looks like the two of us will be working together. I’m taking over the Durkin project. I realize tomorrow is Saturday, but I need to get up to speed on it as soon as possible. So, my place or yours?”

Rena’s eyes rounded and she licked her bottom lip nervously. “I don’t think either is a good idea. How about here?”