by Kwan, Coleen
As she reached the bathroom door, Lex’s voice rose from behind her, lazy and amused. “I love the way you shimmy that ass of yours, but take pity on me. I’m trying to work here.”
She bolted into the bathroom. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, showered, scrubbed, and wrapped in a thick white bathrobe, Lex was still at his desk, except now he had a deep line scoring his forehead.
“Is anything wrong?” she couldn’t help asking.
He lifted his head. “It’s nothing.”
But the creases across his brow said otherwise. “If it’s nothing why do you look ready to strangle someone?”
“I do want to strangle someone.”
She sat down in the chair near his desk and frisked her damp hair with a towel. “Not another leak, is it?”
“No.” He snapped the laptop shut before thrusting his fingers through his hair. “It’s just... Can I tell you something in the strictest confidence?”
“Of course.” Trepidation wriggled in her stomach. “What is it?”
“It’s about the company.” He bent and rested his elbows on his knees. “The thing is, some of our bank loans are due for renegotiation soon, and, we’re not doing as well as the market thinks we are.”
“But that can’t be right. You’re a mammoth company. You earn millions each year.”
“We’ve also been borrowing too much, buying assets that don’t match our business and for too much, and now we’re running short of capital. I only started uncovering the extent of our problems when I took over as CEO.”
She leaned forward. “You mean your dad was hiding these shortfalls?”
He pulled a face, avoiding her eye. “Yes. He overinflated the value of some of our assets.”
“And you haven’t told anyone what your dad was up to?”
Frowning, he squeezed his knuckles. “Whatever he did, he’s still my dad. I don’t want him condemned when he’s not here to defend himself.”
Jacinta couldn’t help sighing at the irony of the situation. His father hadn’t trusted Lex with the truth, and yet here was Lex still trying to protect the memory of his dead father.
“You should tell your family,” she said quickly. “Kirk, Holly, Ralph, and your grandmother. They should all know.”
“The hell I will.” He shoved back his chair and jumped to his feet.
“But they’ll find out eventually, won’t they? If the loans are due soon?”
Lex moved restlessly about. “If one of them is the mole, and I tell them the problems, he or she will have a field day with that information. I can’t afford to take that risk. I need to find out who’s sabotaging me first, and I need to know fast, because I’m meeting with the bank in two weeks’ time.”
She drew in a breath. “So that’s why you only gave me three weeks to find the mole.”
“That’s right, and it’s becoming more urgent by the day.”
“What if you just told one of your relatives? Kirk maybe?”
“And if he’s the leak? I’d be handing him a loaded gun to point at me. No, I can’t tell anyone.” He stopped in the middle of the room and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I shouldn’t have said anything to you at all.”
Her heart sank. For a moment there he’d trusted her, but now he regretted it. “But I—”
“Just forget it, will you? And remember that confidentiality agreement you signed.”
“As if I’d tell anyone, regardless of that stupid piece of paper.”
“Well, I’m just reminding you.”
She stood, sighing. “You always do that.”
“Do what?”
“Push people away. What are you so afraid of? That someone might actually be able to help you?”
His eyebrows shot up. “That’s bullcrap.”
“I understand you had a crappy childhood. Your mom ignored you, and your dad failed you, but that’s no reason to cut yourself off and vow never to ask anything of anyone. If you broke your rule and dared to trust someone, you might be amazed by the results.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line. “Are you done?”
She lifted her hands, helplessly aware that she’d achieved nothing except to rile him up. “Lex, people want to help you, if you’d only let them.”
“Oh yeah? People like you? Oh, but wait, I almost forgot. You’re only helping me to help your brother, so I guess you don’t count.”
His accusation stabbed at her. She caught her breath. “That’s...uncalled for.”
“But true.”
“Not entirely. I want to help you because—because...” She lifted her shoulders. “Now that I know about your family, I...”
“Feel sorry for me?” Lex grimaced.
Oh God, what exactly did she feel for Lex? He was so stubborn and prideful, but now she had an inkling where that came from, and his isolation made her heart go out to him. She wanted to help him, protect him, fight for him. Feelings she’d never had for him before or for any man. Feelings she couldn’t express when he was in this acidic mood.
“I’m on your side,” she said quietly. “I’m here to help you.”
His face remained aloof. “If you want to help, find out who the mole is. Fast.”
The chasm between them seemed as wide as ever. Suddenly cold, she nodded before pulling the bathrobe tight around her and hurrying away.
…
It was a few hours later before she spoke to Lex again. The place buzzed with activity as dozens of staff rushed to complete preparations for the garden party. She went for a walk to calm herself after the argument. When she returned to the bedroom, she pulled out Lex’s laptop and immersed herself in security logs. Lex didn’t want her advice, so she should stick to fulfilling her end of the bargain. Kevin needed that job, and the sooner she uncovered the mole, the sooner she’d get away from Lex.
A while later, Lex entered the bedroom. He was already dressed for the party in an elegant, lightweight navy suit with a striped tie and pristine white shirt. His freshly shaven face was inscrutable.
“Sorry I was so short with you earlier,” he said straightaway as he advanced on her. “I shouldn’t have burdened you with my problems.”
“You didn’t burden me,” she said quietly. “And you know I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”
“I appreciate that, but let’s just stick to the script, okay?”
“Sure.” Stick to the script. Don’t improvise. Don’t stray. She pointed at the laptop. “I’m in the middle of another scan.”
“Good idea. Don’t let me disturb you.”
She resumed her analysis. Ten minutes later, she leaned forward and checked the screen one more time. What she’d found was...disturbing.
“Why the frown?” Lex was suddenly standing in front of her. “Have you found something?”
“I don’t know.” Reluctantly she swiveled the screen toward him. “VHL, they’re competitors of yours, aren’t they?”
“One of our main rivals. The last management bid we lost was to them.”
Jacinta’s heart sank. “I’ve detected a few emails going between them and...”
His fists whitened on the polished wooden desk. “And who?”
“Kirk.” She peeked at his face. His jaw clicked as he clenched his teeth. “About four emails since Thursday. He used a web mail service, not the company one, but it’s definitely coming from his computer and his login.”
She expected him to swear or growl or smack the desk, but he just stood there, his face a rigid mask. Anxious, she chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Lex? Do you want to read the emails?”
He eyed the screen where she’d positioned the mouse over the incriminating emails. One click was all it would take to open them.
Lex jerked his head from side to side. “No.”
She stared back at him. That wasn’t the response she’d anticipated.
“No,” he repeated. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Kirk isn’t that stupid. He wouldn’t use his company computer to s
end emails to the opposition.”
“But he did use a web mail service.” She wouldn’t be doing her job correctly if she didn’t point out that Kirk’s behavior was suspicious. “Don’t you want to find out why?”
Muttering an expletive, Lex turned away to stare out the window. “If I read those emails,” he said, “I’d be crossing a line I can never uncross. I don’t know if I’m prepared for that.”
Her heart rose. So there was hope after all. If he thought the worst of Kirk, he wouldn’t hesitate to read the emails, so his reluctance spoke volumes. “You don’t want it to be him. I understand that.” She shut down the monitoring program and closed the laptop.
He spun around, still wired. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t read them. Just not today. If we don’t find any other evidence soon, then I’ll have to look at those emails.”
“Okay. Let me know when you’re ready, then.”
“Thanks, Jacinta.” His glacier blue eyes flicked over her. “I appreciate it. If I had to have some stranger, some employee of mine telling me all this...” His knuckles tightened again. “I don’t think I could have handled it.”
He pressed her shoulder, causing her heart to skip at the genuine appreciation in his gesture. “I’m glad I could help,” she murmured.
Exhaling, he straightened his shoulders. “Let’s forget this spy business for now. It’s my grandmother’s birthday today, and I don’t want to ruin it with a bad attitude.”
She stood and gestured at her casual clothing. “I guess I’d better get changed before the guests arrive.”
He nodded. “I’ll wait for you downstairs in the conservatory.”
It took her just a few minutes to change into the cream embroidered silk dress that she and Lex had both agreed suited the occasion. She completed her makeup and swept her hair into a classic chignon. In her brand-new high-heeled shoes, she made her way downstairs carefully. Lex was in the conservatory as he’d said, together with his grandmother.
“Oh, you look absolutely charming.” Nana Alice nodded her approval at Jacinta before turning to Lex. “Doesn’t she look charming, Lex?”
“Almost as charming as you, Nana.” The corners of Lex’s lips edged up. He seemed calm and assured, the stress of a few minutes ago masked.
Eyes sparkling, his grandmother clasped his arm. “You are a one. Oh, I’m so happy. You two, well, I couldn’t have a better present on my birthday.” She beckoned Jacinta closer and drew the two of them toward her. “Yes, it’s wonderful.”
Over the elderly lady’s snow white hair, Jacinta met Lex’s stare, as baffled as he was by his grandmother’s babbling. He lifted his eyebrows in silent query, but she could only shrug her shoulders. “Nana,” Lex said, slowly drawing back. “You’re being very mysterious.”
She chuckled. “Yes, it’s a big secret, but I’m sure all will be revealed quite soon. Won’t it, Jacinta?”
Jacinta shook her head. She was about to ask what she meant, but before she could do so, Nana Alice glanced toward the terrace outside the conservatory.
“Ah, I see Nancy has just arrived.” She looked up at her grandson. “I thought you and Jacinta might keep an eye on her from time to time. Make sure she’s looked after.”
“I think she’s capable of looking after herself,” Lex replied.
Peering through the glass doors, Jacinta blinked in surprise at the sight of Nancy Bird trailing behind a fresh group of guests approaching the house. She wore a prim gray dress with a small cameo brooch pinned at her neck. A number of company executives had been invited to the party, but she hadn’t expected Lex’s personal assistant to be one of them.
“You know Nancy isn’t comfortable in these sorts of social events,” Lex’s grandmother gently chided him. “I’m counting on you, dear. After all, you are her boss these days.”
“Fine, Nana.”
Nana Alice bustled off to greet the guests, leaving Jacinta to raise her eyebrows at Lex. “Did you invite all your administrative assistants?”
“I didn’t invite Nancy. My grandmother did. Nancy’s been with the company for so long she’s practically part of the family. She put up with a lot of long, unsociable hours when she was working for my dad. I guess Nana wanted to show her appreciation.”
“She doesn’t look too comfortable.” Jacinta observed Nancy’s pale face with some sympathy.
“It’s probably the long car ride. Let’s go outside. I see Carl and Brooke have arrived too.”
Jacinta drew in a breath as she stepped into place at Lex’s side. Showtime. Time to go out there and play the part of the adoring girlfriend. Except it was beginning to feel more real than make-believe to her.
Chapter Ten
Jacinta had anticipated it would be difficult to pretend to be Lex’s girlfriend in front of three hundred illustrious guests, but she found it surprisingly easy, and all because of Lex. As the crowds swelled, he stayed by her side, introducing her to dozens of guests and easing the conversation whenever required. He touched her lightly and easily, his hand on the small of her back as he ushered her from one group to the next. His attentiveness helped her to relax as she chatted with the guests. In some, she sensed a curiosity about her status, which she put down to Lex’s superb acting ability. He played the considerate boyfriend so perfectly even she was partway convinced.
Halfway through the party, he was called away by his uncle to prepare for their speeches. Jacinta had just set down her champagne flute when Carl walked up to her.
“My first chance to talk with you all afternoon,” he said with his easy smile.
Jacinta smiled back, glad to see a familiar face. “Hi, Carl.”
He nodded toward Lex’s retreating back. “Looks like he’s been stuck to your side all day.”
“It’s a bit overwhelming for me to meet three hundred strangers.”
Carl was still watching Lex, who was standing in a huddle with his uncle, Kirk, and Holly. “Good to see him getting along with his relatives for a change.”
She swiveled to Carl, curious as to how much Lex had confided in his friend. “You know about the tension between him and them?”
“Oh, sure. But what can you expect from a bunch of Rochesters? Except for Nana Alice, they’re all difficult in their own way.”
“I think things would be much easier for Lex if he could just trust them a bit more,” Jacinta said. If only she hadn’t found those questionable emails of Kirk’s.
“Hmm, well, that’s probably true, but after the stunt his dad pulled on him, it’s no wonder Lex has a few trust issues.”
“What stunt?” she asked, knowing she wouldn’t like the answer.
“It happened when Lex was put in charge of one of our subsidiaries in Seattle. He went there thinking he had a chance to show his old man what he was capable of, believing he had a free hand. Turned out, his dad planted a mole in his office to report back to him everything that Lex was doing.”
Jacinta rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah. Lex thought he was finally earning his dad’s respect and getting a chance to do things his way, but old Philip Rochester never liked letting go of any control. He didn’t trust Lex not to screw things up. To make matters worse, the mole was a personal friend of Lex’s, someone we both knew from college.”
What a horrible trick to pull. No wonder Lex found it hard to confide in people. “What did Lex do when he found out?”
“He fired his friend, of course.” Carl pulled a grim face. “The bastard deserved it. Thought he’d suck up to the CEO by going behind Lex’s back. Lex had a big argument with his dad, demanded he have a free hand with the subsidiary. I think that took Philip by surprise. Didn’t expect his son to stand up to him. So he backed off, and Lex turned a loss center into a big moneymaker.”
So Lex had succeeded, but his achievement had come at a high price. Little wonder he’d looked sick when she’d showed him Kirk’s emails. But still, he hadn’t read them.
“I didn’t k
now any of this,” Jacinta admitted. “I’m glad you told me.”
If only she’d known Lex better ten months ago. She would have understood more about what drove him, and perhaps she wouldn’t have been so quick to condemn him. Maybe if she had known then what she knew now, she wouldn’t have judged him so harshly, and they might still be together...
Lex returned. His glance flickered curiously between her and Carl, making her wonder if she was giving something away.
“Having a good time?” Lex asked.
“Oh, sure,” Carl answered breezily. “I was just telling Jacinta that you two make such a cute couple. You can’t bear being apart.”
Jacinta’s face grew warm as Lex put his arm around her and squeezed her to his side. “That’s right,” he said. “We’re inseparable, aren’t we, sweetheart?”
He leaned in and feathered a kiss on her cheek. His blue eyes held hers, a flirtatious gleam in them, and she knew he was thinking about last night, when they had definitely been inseparable for several hours. Before she could say anything, they were joined by Nana Alice and a group of relatives that included Uncle Ralph, Kirk, and Holly.
Lex kept his arm around Jacinta’s waist as everyone chatted. She was hyperaware of his possessive hold, announcing their intimacy to everyone present. If she could only believe he meant it, how different things would be.
“I hear Alex Connelly has arrived,” Kirk said. “He’s getting ready up at the house.”
“Ooh, he’s such a great singer,” one of the women gushed. “I love his romantic songs.”
“Maybe he’ll take requests. We could all do with some romance,” Nana Alice said, looking pointedly at Lex and Jacinta.
“Yeah, Lex.” Carl nudged him with his elbow. “You could ask him to sing ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ for Jacinta. It’s her favorite song, isn’t it?”
Lex’s hold on Jacinta slackened.
“Is it?” Holly threw them a skeptical look.
