overconfident when it came to Mariella.
“She’ll show up,” Ian confidently told him only two days before in his office.
“But Mom said she stormed out of your office and you’ve admitted that she didn’t sign anything,” he said, hoping to force his brother to see reason. He wasn’t sure when to tell him about the evidence he’d found against her. He’d use it as Plan B if his brother refused.
“She was just upset.” Ian stroked the top of Sylvester’s head. “Once she’s thought things over she’ll come back.”
“No,” Josh said, grimly staring at Ian’s smug companion. “She won’t.”
Ian clasped his hands together. Sylvester looked at both of them with hope, that maybe they’d acknowledge him and give him his afternoon treat, but when they didn’t he rested his head back down on his crossed paws, resigned. “She stormed out of my office once and returned. She knows how much this contract means to her career. Trust me, she’ll come.”
“Look, she can’t ruin this for us. Did you tell her everything?”
“No.”
“Should I?”
“No. The less she knows the better. Don’t worry. She’ll come.”
But she hadn’t come and Josh knew she wouldn’t.
“Where does she live?” Ian asked, his low voice piercing the quiet of the room.
Josh hit a key on his laptop, his mind racing for the right words to calm his brother’s anger. “I think we need to use a different tactic with her.”
Ian rested his palm on the table. “Where does she live?” he repeated in the same low voice, which could be both frightening and soothing at the same time.
“Perhaps you should buy her something or take her out to dinner. I can think of a few great places.”
Ian slowly stood. “Josh.” He walked over to his brother, closed the laptop and shot him a glance. “Where does she live?”
Josh gave him the address.
Ian looked at the rest of the group. “This meeting is over.”
Everyone hastily gathered their things and scurried out of the room.
“I told you she would be difficult,” Josh said, following his brother out of the conference room. “You can’t—”
“I can handle her.”
“She could destroy this project.”
Ian spun around. “Are you suggesting that she’s more powerful than I am?” he said, a deadly edge hardening his tone.
Josh halted then shook his head, realizing his blunder. “No, I didn’t mean that. I just—”
“Then stop worrying. I underestimated her pride.”
“You underestimated her .”
“Relax. She’ll show up next time.”
“You haven’t even gotten her to sign the contract.”
“She’ll sign it.”
Josh followed Ian to the elevators. “Don’t fall for her ploy. You even had Mom afraid that you were interested in Mariella. You know…as a woman,” he said as though the idea was preposterous. “Fortunately, I know that you’re not. I know that it’s just a strategy.”
Ian pushed the Down button.
“It is just a strategy, isn’t it?” he said, now unsure.
“No,” Ian said softly, staring at the elevator doors. “It’s not.”
“What?” Josh jumped in front of him and waved his hands in his face. “Are you out of your mind?” Ian moved to the side and pushed the button again. “She’s dangerous, not to mention she was Dad’s lover.”
“She said that she wasn’t.”
“She might say it, but—”
“But what?” Ian challenged. “You think she’s lying?”
“Dad never had just female friends. I saw how he looked at her.”
“So?”
“I saw how she looked at him.”
“Yes?”
“And I found pictures.”
Ian paused, then said, “How convenient.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you found pictures, but they’re probably doctored.”
Josh pulled out the pictures determined to prove his brother wrong. “That’s not doctored.”
Ian looked down at the series of photographs of Mariella in intimate lingerie in Jeremiah’s bedroom.
“That’s evidence,” Josh said tapping one very
“She’ll show up,” Ian confidently told him only two days before in his office.
“But Mom said she stormed out of your office and you’ve admitted that she didn’t sign anything,” he said, hoping to force his brother to see reason. He wasn’t sure when to tell him about the evidence he’d found against her. He’d use it as Plan B if his brother refused.
“She was just upset.” Ian stroked the top of Sylvester’s head. “Once she’s thought things over she’ll come back.”
“No,” Josh said, grimly staring at Ian’s smug companion. “She won’t.”
Ian clasped his hands together. Sylvester looked at both of them with hope, that maybe they’d acknowledge him and give him his afternoon treat, but when they didn’t he rested his head back down on his crossed paws, resigned. “She stormed out of my office once and returned. She knows how much this contract means to her career. Trust me, she’ll come.”
“Look, she can’t ruin this for us. Did you tell her everything?”
“No.”
“Should I?”
“No. The less she knows the better. Don’t worry. She’ll come.”
But she hadn’t come and Josh knew she wouldn’t.
“Where does she live?” Ian asked, his low voice piercing the quiet of the room.
Josh hit a key on his laptop, his mind racing for the right words to calm his brother’s anger. “I think we need to use a different tactic with her.”
Ian rested his palm on the table. “Where does she live?” he repeated in the same low voice, which could be both frightening and soothing at the same time.
“Perhaps you should buy her something or take her out to dinner. I can think of a few great places.”
Ian slowly stood. “Josh.” He walked over to his brother, closed the laptop and shot him a glance. “Where does she live?”
Josh gave him the address.
Ian looked at the rest of the group. “This meeting is over.”
Everyone hastily gathered their things and scurried out of the room.
“I told you she would be difficult,” Josh said, following his brother out of the conference room. “You can’t—”
“I can handle her.”
“She could destroy this project.”
Ian spun around. “Are you suggesting that she’s more powerful than I am?” he said, a deadly edge hardening his tone.
Josh halted then shook his head, realizing his blunder. “No, I didn’t mean that. I just—”
“Then stop worrying. I underestimated her pride.”
“You underestimated her .”
“Relax. She’ll show up next time.”
“You haven’t even gotten her to sign the contract.”
“She’ll sign it.”
Josh followed Ian to the elevators. “Don’t fall for her ploy. You even had Mom afraid that you were interested in Mariella. You know…as a woman,” he said as though the idea was preposterous. “Fortunately, I know that you’re not. I know that it’s just a strategy.”
Ian pushed the Down button.
“It is just a strategy, isn’t it?” he said, now unsure.
“No,” Ian said softly, staring at the elevator doors. “It’s not.”
“What?” Josh jumped in front of him and waved his hands in his face. “Are you out of your mind?” Ian moved to the side and pushed the button again. “She’s dangerous, not to mention she was Dad’s lover.”
“She said that she wasn’t.”
“She might say it, but—”
“But what?” Ian challenged. “You think she’s lying?”
“Dad never had just female friends. I saw how he looked at her.”
“So?”
“I saw how she looked at him.”
“Yes?”
“And I found pictures.”
Ian paused, then said, “How convenient.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you found pictures, but they’re probably doctored.”
Josh pulled out the pictures determined to prove his brother wrong. “That’s not doctored.”
Ian looked down at the series of photographs of Mariella in intimate lingerie in Jeremiah’s bedroom.
“That’s evidence,” Josh said tapping one very
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