Chapter Nine

Rule for success number nine:

Know your moral compass and stick to it.

JOLIE almost died of embarrassment when she and Heath hastily righted their clothes and emerged from the file room. The rest of the staff lingered near the door, pretending they had business in the vicinity but they were gawking. No, they were judging. And they were entitled to.

Mortification rolled through her. She’d been strict about workplace policies that encouraged maximum productivity, like no in-office dating. Her sister had once called her an automaton, an accusation Jolie had both denied and spurned. But she had to admit that until now—until Heath—she hadn’t understood how people could be so swept away by their emotions. For the first time, she’d behaved all too humanly.

Being fallible, vulnerable was a brand-new feeling for her.

“Hi.” She smoothed her hair, gathering her wits. “You’re all here. Wow. Um . . . You’re probably angry or shocked. What just happened was unprofessional. I owe every one of you a huge apology. I’m deeply sorry.”

No one said a word, merely blinked or stared mutely.

They were shocked. Jolie wasn’t surprised.

Hell, she should lead by example, which meant immediately relieving Heath of his duties. Once, she would have done that without a second thought. But the sex had been half her fault. She couldn’t cast all the blame on him.

But fairness and staff safety were only minor reasons she was choosing to keep him. The truth was, she felt way too satisfied—happy, even—to let him go.

When had she become one of those women who allowed a man or romance to influence her mood? Her choices? Her thoughts? Betti was on the verge of greatness, and nothing else should matter, least of all a relationship that likely wouldn’t last.

She cleared her throat, plowing through the awkward moment with her staff. “If you need to voice your concerns about what happened, I’ll make myself available on Monday. Once this meeting with Gardner is behind me, I’ll obviously be giving some thought to Betti’s policies. I want to be as fair as possible. Again, I’m truly sorry. Anything else?”

More silence, along with a shrug or two.

Well, after such a colossal screw-up, she couldn’t possibly expect open arms. At least no one was yelling.

“Thanks for listening,” she muttered. “And now . . . I guess we should all go back to work.”

“But of course. Good luck with your concentration.” Gerard gave her a conspiratorial wink. Then he eyed Heath speculatively before heading to his desk.

Rohan followed, fighting so hard to keep a straight face, his mouth contorted comically. Apparently, he found the boss being a screw-up humorous.

Wisteria looked teary and envious of the “true love” she was clearly convinced they shared. Jolie didn’t want to think about how uncomfortably beyond infatuation her feelings for Heath had become.

With a sly smile playing at his mouth, Arthur turned his focus to the tablet in his hands. Oddly, her sexual faux pas seemed to have earned her brownie points from the accountant. Or maybe, in his mind, her office romp cancelled out his video game playing.

That left Karis.

Jolie turned to her sister, who silently asked how she was holding up. Jolie gave a nod. Physically, she’d never felt better.

Emotionally, she was a mess.

Forget the dozens of reasons she should still be pissed at herself for allowing Heath to seduce her or horrified that she’d had noisy office sex within earshot of her employees. Thankfully, she didn’t have to deal with any negative blowback from her staff. But that still left the tangle of her feelings for Heath. Somehow, being surrounded by him, impaled and wrapped in his arms . . . She’d felt even more drawn to him today. She was afraid to ask why.

Her sister leaned close, whispering in her ear, “Don’t beat yourself up. You’re human. It’s okay.”

When Karis left to resume her work, relief spilled through Jolie. She took a deep breath to process everyone’s surprisingly accepting reactions when she realized Heath still lingered. A stranger—a seasoned soldier with a buzz cut of golden stubble—stood beside him. When the guy met her gaze, his hard hazel eyes softened with an amused glint.

Heath straightened his shirt and cleared his throat, then dropped a palm to the small of her back. Marking his territory? As if he’d need to at this point . . .

“Jolie, this is Cutter. He’s going to provide personal protection for your sister while we figure out if she needs an asset long term. He comes highly recommended and . . .” He frowned at the other man. “Have you met Karis, then?”

“Yep.” Cutter’s poorly concealed smile deepened. “You didn’t mention to her that you’d be assigning a bodyguard. So that was an interesting conversation.”

“It . . . slipped my mind.” Heath turned the slightest bit red. “My apologies.”

“Clearly you’ve been busy,” Cutter drawled, then turned to her. “Ms. Quinn, your sister will be fine. I’ll protect her, take a bullet for her if necessary, and make sure she lives another day.”

His words startled Jolie. Would Heath do the same for her? Give his life? It was their job, and Cutter seemed more than adept. But Heath . . . He’d volunteered—no, insisted—that she needed him to watch over her. It had sounded distracting and intrusive. Now it felt so personal.

Of course, it wasn’t the first time he’d agreed to risk his life for another. He’d guarded Mystery Mullins’s body for years. That made something angry rip through her. God, she hated being jealous of a woman she’d never met. And she was afraid of where this angst was stemming from. It felt suspiciously like her heart.

She shoved her hand in Cutter’s direction. “Thank you. I worry about my sister. The mysterious gifts have all been for her and this odd admirer has an uncanny knowledge of what she likes.”

Cutter shook her hand. “No worries. I’ll make sure nothing and no one gets to her.”

Jolie nodded and glanced at her watch to avoid looking at either man. Just past lunchtime. Normally if she’d had a tough morning, she’d splurge on a mani/pedi. No time today. Or she’d go home and take a hot shower. But if she did that, Heath would follow her, watch her, distract her. Seduce her again?

Why had he broken his no-repeat rule? She didn’t think he was the sort of man to act without thought, to be provoked so utterly by the heat of mere passion. He already had too many regrets to risk adding to the list. But he’d gone out on a limb to be with her. No, that wasn’t quite it. To make love to her. That’s what being with him today had felt like. They hadn’t shared mere sex in the file room. He hadn’t had it with her simply because he’d been sure she wouldn’t get clingy or attached.

Jolie sneaked a peek at Heath. He watched her, his dark stare intent, focused, possessive. It made her breath catch, her heart rev.

Damn, damn, damn.

It was too much for her to handle now. She didn’t need distractions. “I’ll be in my office for the rest of the afternoon, making sure tonight goes smoothly.”

Hiding.

Jolie didn’t wait for either of them to reply, she simply headed down the hall. As she passed Wisteria’s desk, she regarded her receptionist, who was tucking away the remnants of her lunch. “Do you need to use the bathroom or get something else?”

“No.”

“Then stay in your seat and don’t let anyone in until I say so. Hold all phone calls unless it’s blood, death, or Richard Gardner.”

“Of course.” Wisteria nodded. “I’ll give you some time alone.”

Jolie was bowled over by the woman’s kindness and understanding. “Thanks. Really.”

She marched into her office and withdrew a piece of paper from her printer. When she dug around her desk and located a black marker, she wrote out in big capital letters: DO NOT DISTURB. Then she taped it on the front of her door before shutting and locking it.

Now what?

No idea. She needed a breather. She needed some peace until she had an answer.

Jolie pulled up her notes and made sure that she’d memorized all the pertinent financial figures for tonight. The Wi-Fi on her tablet worked fabulously, so she could show Richard all the progress on the website. She had cherry-picked a few of the best sketches she and Gerard had already completed. She really was beyond ready. She wasn’t worried that she lacked the necessary ingredients to wow Gardner.

Her inability to focus right now scared the hell out of her.

It was only two. Way too early to go home and dress since Heath would insist on being with her and god only knew what would happen if they were alone.

Out of desperation, she picked up her phone and texted her sister. Was it bad?

From listening, I’m pretty sure it was damn good, Karis responded immediately.

Jolie groaned. So it was loud?

Silence. She took that as a yes.

Can you come to my office?

Her sister answered that straight off. Be right there.

Tiptoeing to the door, Jolie peeked out. She didn’t see Heath hovering but he was here, close. No way would he simply back off to give her some space, much less leave.

Then Karis made her way to the door, Cutter following not far behind. She motioned her sister in, past Wisteria, who nodded in understanding. Cutter took up sentry just outside Jolie’s little office. Sighing, she closed the rest of the world away with guilty relief.

She and Karis stood staring at one another, her younger sister fidgeting. Jolie realized that her sister wasn’t sure how much love or comfort she would accept.

It was a startling thought. Equally discomfiting? She didn’t know the answer. She’d kept everyone at arm’s length for years, and she would still be doing it now if she didn’t feel scrubbed raw, her emotions both rusty and overtaxed.

“I don’t know what to do,” she managed to say. “He makes me feel too much.”

Karis’s face softened. “And you can’t control that.”

Her sister was too smart to phrase that as a question, and Jolie was glad Karis understood. “Yeah.”

“It happens to all of us at some point, honey. You’ve guarded your heart for so long—”

“I don’t want him near my heart!” But Jolie already feared she didn’t have a choice.

Pity flitted across her sister’s face before she schooled it. “I wish I had something to say that you wanted to hear.”

“I don’t get to choose whether he works his way into my heart.” Jolie began to pace. “I know.”

“You’re not Mom. Hell, I’m not Mom. I may have gotten hurt before. And you may be hurt this time. But you would never sacrifice your future, your loved ones, or your ambitions for the euphoric high of what she considers love. I wouldn’t, either. I know you think I’m guy crazy and believe in fairy tales, but I’ve walked away from relationships with men who were crazy-hot and made me feel so good in bed because I knew they weren’t right for me. I haven’t figured out exactly what I am looking for but I knew those guys weren’t it. I won’t ever get involved with anyone with the hope that I can change them with my love.”

As her mom assumed every time. And Diana Gale had never managed to learn that, no matter how much she sacrificed, her husbands and boyfriends were flawed men who weren’t going to become different people simply because she willed it with her martyrdom. From watching the cycle repeat over and over, Jolie had long assumed there was no such thing as love in the traditional romantic sense. Maybe she’d been right. What had Heath given her besides a whole lot of alpha attitude and his penis?

His support. His belief in her. His unwavering presence and protection. Despite having lost a wife to violence, he was having far less difficulty opening himself to the possibilities between them than she was.

She was pretty sure that said something terrible about her. She’d always seen herself as too driven to pause for a personal life. Now Karis held up a mirror to her soul, and she saw the damaged woman too afraid to attempt anything deeper for fear of ending up hurt and used like her mother. Jolie didn’t like her reflection much at the moment. If she didn’t change something, she knew she’d spend her life alone.

“You would never do that, either,” Karis pointed out softly.

“I wouldn’t.” But that wasn’t the worry that scraped her nerves raw. “I just envisioned filling my life with Betti.”

“Heath is making you see an existence beyond that.”

He was. And she didn’t know how to cope because it absolutely petrified her.

***

“YOU look elegant,” Heath murmured, standing beside her in the foyer of the well-established restaurant on Maple as she adjusted her black sheath and pearls. “Don’t fidget. You know what to say. You’ve rehearsed. If he veers into the suggestive or personal, I’ll be right beside you.”

“I know.” She did her best not to look at him. If she did, she’d only get distracted by how drop-dead sexy he looked in a tailored gray suit. His crisp white dress shirt magnified the hint of olive in his skin. His dark eyes gleamed with a knowledge that something more than sex lay between them. Jolie still had no clue what to do about that. “I can’t believe you coerced the restaurant staff into adjusting the table layout simply to keep an eye on me.”

“It’s not the first time they’ve worked with a bodyguard. They were more than happy to put a pair of two-tops beside one another to accommodate your safety.”

“All this can’t be necessary.”

“Are you willing to take that chance”—he raised a disapproving brow at her—“when your livelihood—maybe even your life—is at stake? And what about your employees? Your sister?”

He was right. But it was more. She hated how much the idea of disappointing him upset her. She’d never once given a shit about a romantic partner’s opinion because she never intended to keep him. Jolie didn’t want to have any desire to hang onto this one.

But she cared too much to let him go.

“Richard and I are in public,” she tried arguing instead. “I’ll be fine.”

“We’ve been over this. I’m staying. That’s final.”

Jolie wanted to be annoyed but his protective instinct melted her. “You can’t hover.”

“I’ll be at the table beside you but I refuse to let you out of my sight.” When she opened her mouth to protest, Heath laid a finger over her lips. “This is my compromise. I don’t want you in public at all, just in case whoever’s broken into your office or given your sister gifts is watching. But since you scheduled this dinner weeks ago, I’m being flexible. I would be far happier if you met in the office. Wouldn’t that be more conducive to serious business?”

Yes. In fact, Jolie had suggested that. Richard had insisted they spend more time “getting to know each other better” before diving into mission statements and income projections. “If this dinner goes well and we agree in both philosophy and principle, that will be our next step.”

“I still don’t like it,” he grumbled.

“I doubt someone has been waiting for me to appear in public simply to kill me.”

“But you don’t know that for certain, and I prefer not to leave anything to chance.” Heath’s phone dinged then, and he glanced at it, then back at her with a thunderous scowl. “Brilliant. Gardner booked a suite at Hotel ZaZa tonight. He’s already ordered champagne chilled as well.”

Jolie didn’t want to know how he’d learned that. “Maybe he has a date later. Or a mistress. It’s possible he plans to celebrate in style alone.”

“Rubbish. He’s using your business pitch to get into your knickers.”

She shoved down her disquiet, hoping that wasn’t true. She needed this deal to go through. Time was running out. “You’re cynical.”

“Normally, you are, too. I know men. I’ll bet every dime you’re paying me for this job that he makes a play for you tonight.”

Before she could reply, the heavy wooden doors opened, and the last of the day’s golden rays slanted in. As Heath melted into the background, Richard Gardner walked in, smiling and looking urbane in a navy suit with a sharp red tie. Of average height, he had a killer smile, complete with a dimple in his left cheek. Despite having equal amounts of salt and pepper in his hair, he managed not to look anything close to the fifty she knew him to be. Normally, she wouldn’t have noticed him as anything but a potential business partner. But Heath had planted the suggestion.

And Gardner was carrying a dozen red roses.

“Hello, Ms. Quinn.” As he handed her the bouquet, he leaned in to kiss her cheek—and lingered. His voice dropped to something just above a whisper. “These are for you.”

She took them because she couldn’t risk insulting him before they’d even sat down. “Thank you. They’re lovely but the gesture isn’t necessary to conduct business. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

“What can I say? I’m a bit old-fashioned. If I go out to dinner with a lady, I think she should expect flowers.”

“I’m here tonight merely as a business owner.”

“You can’t chide the southern gentleman in me.” He winked. “My momma simply wouldn’t have it.”

A glance behind her said that Heath wasn’t pleased. He was probably ready to say that he’d told her so, but Jolie was determined to make Gardner focus on Betti and the investment opportunity, and get his mind off hoping she would do the mattress tango with him.

Jolie opened her mouth to politely put him back on track, but the maître d’ approached to say their table was ready. Gardner gestured her in front of him. She hated to turn her back to the man. The primal instinct that she’d just made herself vulnerable to a practiced predator bothered her. She shouldn’t judge his business acumen by his flirtatious manner, especially since she knew that was his norm. But when he slid his hand down her back, nearly to the top of her ass as he “escorted” her, Jolie stiffened.

She didn’t want him touching her. Worse, she could feel Heath following behind them at a barely discreet distance, radiating a pissed-off male vibe. Jolie flung a cautious glance over her shoulder, around Gardner, and caught a glimpse of the tight fury all over Heath’s face.

As they sat, Jolie took her menu with a plastic smile and tried to focus anywhere but on him sitting at the table beside hers with his back to the wall and a glower on his face.

“I hope you like wine. I’ve taken the liberty of ordering a bottle in advance.” Gardner snapped his fingers at a passing staff member.

Jolie frowned. Was that man even their waiter? Did Richard care or did he simply assume everyone was at his beck and call?

“Yes, sir?” The waiter managed to sound ready to do Richard’s bidding while still conveying a hint of annoyance.

“Could you bring me the Château Lafon-Rochet ’99 I ordered earlier today? And two glasses.” Then Gardner dismissed the waiter utterly and turned to her.

Jolie didn’t like his attitude. She smiled at the waiter. “We’d appreciate it. And if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could I also have a glass of club soda with a twist? Thank you.”

With a smile in her direction, the waiter nodded and left.

“You didn’t need to order wine,” she ventured. “I’d prefer to do business with a clear head.”

He patted her hand. “We’re just having a friendly conversation. I know you’ll tell me all about Betti. But as I said before, I prefer to do business with people I know. Tell me more about you.”

A spark of tension lit the air, and she glanced over to see Heath clutching his water glass in a death grip while glaring at Richard’s hand on hers.

He looked a bit like a wild beast ready to defend his territory.

She swallowed nervously and pulled her hand free. “I’m a very driven businesswoman without a lot of free time on my hands. I’d prefer to begin the presentation I’ve prepared and give you time to ask whatever questions you may have about Betti, our cash position, our EBITDA, and our income projections. I have a mock-up of our coming website to show you and—”

“Whoa. Slow down. We’ll get to all that when we’re better acquainted.” He grabbed her hand again. “Intimate . . . You know what I mean.”

Yes, Jolie feared she did.

***

“WHAT a fucking disaster!” Jolie took another long pull from the ridiculously expensive bottle of wine Gardner had ordered and kicked her shoes off, discarding them onto the floorboard. She pulled her sheath up around her thighs and propped her toes on his dashboard.

She looked ready to spit nails and cry—at the same time.

Heath speeded down the virtually empty freeway and tossed Jolie another glance. “You did everything possible to focus him on business.”

“You told me.” She shook her head angrily. “You told me exactly what he wanted. Stupid me believed that a man with Richard’s business acumen and supposedly progressive views would care about both profit and the gender equality gap, so of course he’d want to get in to business with Betti. Nope.” She took another long swallow from the bottle. “He just wanted to get into bed with me. Do you think I scalded his penis when I dropped the steaming pea soup in his lap?”

Despite the disastrous evening, a smile tugged at the corners of Heath’s lips. He was proud of his spitfire. “I’d rather you not think about Gardner’s penis.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Good call. I just . . . no.”

“You made that quite clear to him, love. And I believe the answer to your question is, yes. Let’s hope for blisters.”

Jolie sighed. Her mojo seemed to leak out of her, along with her breath. “He can ruin me. He has the connections. He knows all the big-money people. Now my best option is to go to a bank. If they listen to me at all, they’ll want so much control that it will ruin everything.”

“Perhaps not,” he consoled, wrapping a gentle hand around her knee. “But even if that’s true, would you sleep with Gardner for the money? Because he made that ultimatum quite clear.”

“Never. That’s not who I am, despite whatever moral compass Carrington Quinn thinks I inherited from him.” She took another long swallow from the bottle as if wanting to drown out thoughts of the man.

“Your father?”

She glared, her mouth in a stubborn line. “I prefer sperm donor.”

Leave it to Jolie to say things as bluntly as possible. Then again, Heath rather liked that about her. “All right, then. When did you last see him?”

“Until recently, I hadn’t seen him since I was five. Then about three months ago . . .” She gulped more wine, and booze began softening the edges of her words. “He showed up. It wasn’t long after the D Magazine article naming me one to watch in Dallas came out. I was speaking at a local Rotary Club function. When the presentation ended, I headed to the ladies room. He was waiting for me in the hall. Seeing him was such a shock, and I didn’t know what to say. All the careful speeches I’d planned in my head over the years evaporated.”

“Of course. You weren’t braced.”

“That shouldn’t matter.”

He frowned. The woman was so damn hard on herself sometimes. “But it does.”

She shrugged off his consolation. “He told me it was time to expand. I knew that but I resented the crap out of him telling me how to run my business.”

“He’s some sort of executive mogul, isn’t he?” Heath had done his research.

“Oh, yeah. Big ol’ bigwig. Upper East Side real estate coming out his ass.” She giggled. “Well, not literally. But that would be funny.”

Jolie was a bit beyond slightly tipsy. Normally, Heath would stop her from imbibing more, but he suspected that she’d never confess why her father impacted her so much if she was completely sober. If he wanted to understand her, he needed to hear what came next. Besides, she’d earned a little mental vacation from all her stress, and if she chose to get pissed . . . well, he’d rather she do it where he could watch over her and keep her safe.

“Comical, indeed,” he agreed. “So he told you to expand?”

She snorted. “Yeah. Fucking bastard. First, he told me that I’d been delusional to believe that men smart enough to make hundreds of millions of dollars would invest in a pretty young woman expanding into a complex global operation. Most, of course, would just want a piece of my ass. So unless I didn’t mind whoring myself, he said I would never accomplish my expansion without him. He told me the glass ceiling wasn’t a myth and that, without spreading my legs for others or putting him at the helm, I had no hope. Either way, I was a foolish girl and I should stop swinging for the fences.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Heath wanted to wring the misogynist’s neck.

“Of course it is. Women have successfully helmed companies like Kraft, PepsiCo, and DuPont. They’ve led countries. I told him I didn’t see why I couldn’t be a leader simply because I didn’t have half my brains dangling between my legs.”

Heath smiled, picturing it. “What was his reaction?”

“To ignore me, just like he has for the last twenty-five years. Where was he all that time, while Mom worked three jobs to make ends meet? When I was little, she used to stock shelves at a grocery store down the street from midnight til five A.M. She left me alone in our crappy little trailer to do it. A lot of people have judged her for that. But we didn’t have family who could watch me. We needed the money to eat. Carrington Quinn sat fifteen hundred miles away in his posh apartment, sipping Cristal—or whatever the hell he drinks—not caring one whit if I was unsupervised all night or starving. So he can kiss my ass.”

Heath couldn’t agree more. And he understood now precisely why Jolie had sought a silent partner, so that when she succeeded, her father would know all the brain power behind Betti had been hers.

“He didn’t pay child support?”

“The bare minimum. When he and my mother divorced, he had all the high-powered attorneys. She’d signed a prenuptial agreement, so what little she got went to pay her lousy lawyer.” Jolie rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe he had the nerve to tell me after that Rotary meeting that he was proud of what I’d managed to accomplish as a mere female.”

Despite his ancient views and lack of tact, had the man meant to make amends? Or had he merely sought to belittle her in the hopes that she’d second-guess herself enough to turn over her budding empire to him? Either way, Heath was furious on Jolie’s behalf.

As he pulled into Jolie’s condo complex and killed the engine, he turned and watched her tip the wine up to her mouth again, the bottom of the bottle nearly brushing the roof of the car’s interior.

She’d polished off the whole bloody thing?

Yanking it away, she slumped back against the seat and tried unsuccessfully to slot the bottle in the too-small cup holder. When she cursed, he took it from her and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“I’m sorry he was an ass. But anything he said would have been too little too late, right?” At her miserable nod, his heart went out to her. “C’mon, let’s get you inside.”

Heath climbed out of the car, then helped Jolie back into her shoes and onto her feet. She staggered, and he eased her across the lot, toward her unit.

“Way too late.” She emphasized her point with a nod. “Saying he was proud, despite the fact I lacked a penis, was probably the nicest thing he’d ever said to me. Of course, he killed any warm fuzzies I had for him by telling me next that I was in over my head. But he’d do me the ‘favor’ of investing in Betti so he could take over. I could still be in charge of creative, of course. But since I wasn’t equipped to run with the big boys and ensure my company reached its fullest potential, I would probably crumble without him.”

Prick. Jolie had built this company from the ground up, with the leftover funds from her student loans and the money she’d scraped together while working odd jobs in school. She had more than enough intelligence and gumption to grow her company and fulfill her dreams.

Heath opened the condo door, then eased her inside, locking up behind him and flipping on lights before he herded her toward the bedroom. She tripped on her own feet. He caught her, but she righted herself. Fury probably kept her going.

“I take it you turned him down?”

She scoffed. “Oh, I told him to go fuck himself. I promised I’d take Betti to the next level without him or a dime of his money.”

As they made it into the bedroom, she stripped off her dress and tossed it to the floor. She stood before him wearing a bra, a thong, and a killer pair of heels. It was completely the wrong time . . . but Heath couldn’t stop the bomb of desire from detonating inside him. Yes, he always wanted her. Had from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. But this was different. He wanted her not merely because she was beautiful—though she was. He wanted her not merely because he knew how explosive the chemistry between them was—more powerful than he’d ever imagined. No, he wanted her because he was seeing the real her, the vulnerable woman underneath the businesslike facade. He understood now where her ambition had come from. He could see the determination and moxie not just to succeed but to thrive, to be her most successful self. And he admired the hell out of her for that.

“I can’t fail. I can’t,” she wailed, her frame crumpling. “A-all my life, I told myself that I would succeed, that I wouldn’t have to scrape by like my mother, that I would someday prove to Carrington Quinn that he was wrong about me.”

As Heath rushed to pull her into his arms, Jolie lifted her face to his. The sight of her tears hit him like a visceral blow to the chest. She never willingly made herself vulnerable. Was it an indication of their growing bond . . . or just her momentary vulnerability? Heath ached to make her world right. “You’re the smartest, most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”

Her face fell, her bottom lip trembling. “Why did I have to prove that I had potential? Isn’t a father supposed to love his daughter? I tell myself that he was the deficient one. He had to be, right? What sort of man tells a five year-old that she was his stupidest trailer park mistake?”

Until now, Heath thought Quinn had merely ignored Jolie over the years and she’d resented him for it. But this was so much worse. Fury fired in his belly. “Whatever he said to make you feel unworthy is utter crap. Do you hear me? Despite the way he phrased his acquisition proposal, you earned his respect—”

“I don’t want it!”

He suspected that, deep down, she did. And the fact that she’d even unconsciously sought it only upset her more. But he wasn’t about to refute her. The elder Quinn wasn’t important. Jolie was.

“I know, love. Forget him. Forget Gardner, too.”

“I can’t. Carrington called me last week to say that he intended to visit me in the next two weeks to discuss a takeover. He can’t have Betti. That’s my dream. I’ve worked damn hard for it.”

Quinn had stripped away her dignity as a child, making her feel undeserving and unwanted. She’d spent twenty-five years overcoming his slight. And now the man intended to take her dignity again?

Over Heath’s dead body.

“You don’t have to sell to him.”

“I’ve already started some of the expansion plans and now I’m a bit overleveraged. I knew it was a risk, but if I can work it out, the rewards will be amazing. I just need a year or two to realize Betti’s full potential.” Her shoulders slumped again, and this time he read defeat. “Since Gardner wanted what he saw as easy vagina more than he wanted to make a profit, I have no idea where my capital injection will come from now.”

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow, love. Why don’t you lie down?” He angled her onto the bed, and for once, she did as he bid without argument. “How’s your stomach? You didn’t eat a thing. Can I get you a bite?”

She didn’t answer, just looked at him with a puzzled expression. “I was a bitch when you first came to work for me because I wasn’t sure how to respond when the attraction between us was so strong. Why are you being nice?”

Because she could use a break. Because she deserved it. Because he wanted to give her the world. “I like to see you smile. And maybe I’ve discovered that I quite like a bit of bitchy in my woman. Would you eat soup, if I promise not to make it split pea?”

She shook her head and tossed a careless arm above her head, onto her pillow. “I don’t need food. Would you . . .” She sighed and looked as if she grappled for words. “Would you just lie here with me?”

“Of course.” Heath shucked his shoes and shrugged out of his suit coat, draping it across a nearby chair. Then he lifted her sheet and slid in beside her, bringing her soft body against him. “That better?”

“Yeah.” Jolie laid her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and relaxed against him. “I have to come up with a whole new plan. I have to shake some trees, find some investors—”

“Don’t worry about it tonight. Why don’t you take a shower and get ready for bed? I’ll find you some water and an aspirin because I think you’re going to have a doozy of a hangover.”

“You said ‘doozy.’ That’s funny.” She laughed. “You know you’re wonderful.”

“I try.”

“You’re good at everything. I mean everything . . .”

Now she amused him. Heath didn’t imagine for a moment that this debacle was over. In the morning, she’d be on a rampage to combat Gardner if he tried to discredit her, as he’d threatened. And to counter whatever nasty tricks Carrington Quinn might have up his sleeve.

For now, Heath parried in a tone that matched her lightness of mood. “That’s nice to hear. Let me know whenever you need a reminder of some of my more singular talents.”

Her smile turned wry. “I’ll bet when you came to work for me you never pictured crazy crushes, sister drama, lecherous investors, or a crying boss.”

“I’m afraid those are generally out of my wheelhouse, yes. But it’s good to know I’m keeping up.”

“You don’t regret anything?”

Heath knew she meant the two of them. Jolie must be feeling off-balance, indeed, to expose her tender heart enough to ask that question. She was too smart not to realize he might say something terribly crushing. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d endured verbal cruelty. Yet she simply kept showing him her backbone.

“Not one thing,” he vowed softly.

“Good.” She curled up to him like a kitten, and Heath had no illusions about how often she showed any man her soft side. He understood perfectly well why.

He curled his arms around her tighter.

“Me, either,” she added. “Well, I regret letting my sperm donor get under my skin so that a stupid cocktail conversation I had with Richard Gardner a few weeks back made me decide working with him would be a great idea. And I regret that I hurt Karis’s feelings by having sex with you the first time. I’m probably really going to regret the bottle of wine tomorrow. But even if this ends badly—you and I—I don’t think I can regret you.”

From Jolie, those were words of affection. He wasn’t quite sure whether knowing she reciprocated his feelings should make him happy or scare the hell out of him. But like everything else about this connection with her, his heart decided for him.

Heath skated his fingertips down the lean curve of her shoulder, then made his way to her waist and glided over her hip. “You really should sleep, love.”

She sighed and lifted her head with a seeking stare. She wanted something and he wasn’t quite sure what. Affection? Reassurance?

“Sleep will be nice . . . eventually. Right now I’d rather you take your pants off and get inside me.”