A low rumble escaped Matt’s throat. “Fine. I’ll talk to Phil.”
“That only helps with preventing this from happening again. For now we have a story trending about you sleeping with an employee. It does not look good.”
“So kill it.”
“TBG has new ownership and a whole new editorial team. They’re not about to bend to the whim of a publicist.”
“Then offer them something better.”
That was enough to get Nadia to walk over to where he was standing by the windows, her flawless face full of worry. He did enjoy the way her full lips went slack. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
Matt merely shook his head.
“Access to the Saturday night gala during the retreat?” Shayla asked.
Matt had refused TBG’s request for access. That retreat was meant to be an exclusive weekend-long getaway for the business elite and Matt’s closest celebrity friends. People came to a party like that to have fun outside the public eye. “Is there another way?”
“I can deny the story and make something up. Say there was a work emergency and you had to go straight to your house from the fund-raiser. You needed Nadia’s help and it was closer than the office.”
Matt thought it through for a second. “That could work.”
“Oh, my God,” Nadia said, looking at her phone. She showed him the screen. There was the story. And that horrible headline, plain as day: “Beauty and the Boss?” Whoever had taken the picture of her tiptoeing her way out of his house had used a camera with night-vision technology.
“I need Nadia to sign a nondisclosure agreement before I do this, though,” Shayla said. “Richmond Industries can’t afford to have her turn around and decide to sell her story to the highest bidder.”
Matt’s stomach was done dropping and was now angrily churning. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Do you trust her implicitly? Because I don’t.”
“You don’t trust anyone.”
“A man in your position shouldn’t, either. For all we know, Nadia tipped off that photographer.”
Matt refused to believe Nadia was capable of that. “Just take care of it. Please.” With that, Matt ended the call.
Nadia’s wide eyes were pleading. “Is this why Shayla called?” She glanced down at her phone in disgust and handed it to him. “We have to do something. I don’t want my coworkers knowing that I slept with you.”
Matt hated that the memory of his amazing night with Nadia had now been eclipsed by a pulpy story, but at least he knew that Nadia had not played a role in the photographer’s presence. If she had, she wouldn’t be so upset right now. “I told Shayla to kill it. Don’t worry about it. It will go away.”
“It’s so easy for you to say that. You have all the power here. I’m nobody.” Nadia wrapped her arms around her waist and turned to the window overlooking the falls.
He hated hearing her refer to herself that way. She wasn’t nobody to him. And looking at her right now, all he could think about was how badly he wanted her. It made it nearly impossible to think straight. “Nadia.” He put his hand on her shoulder and watched as she turned and looked back at him, her warm brown eyes inviting him in. “I don’t want you to regret the things we did together. We’re two consenting adults.” Matt knew it wasn’t as simple as that. People would talk. All the more reason for Shayla to get rid of the story as soon as possible.
She sighed and her shoulders dropped in defeat. “I know that, but it doesn’t matter. We can’t let this happen again. There are too many prying eyes. It could destroy us both.”
Nadia was right. Matt only wished he wasn’t so disappointed by the truth. If he could have anything he wanted right now, it would be her. “I won’t let that happen.”
“See? Power. You can control this. I can’t.”
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. He knew he shouldn’t, but the way she subtly pressed against his touch sent the blood coursing through his body. “If you understood how badly I want you right now, you would know that the power is all yours.”
Copyright © 2019 by Harlequin Books S.A.
ISBN-13: 9781488046544
Texan for the Taking
Copyright © 2019 by Charlene Swink
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