Seven
The DC Insider: What happens when a nice dinner turns into a near fistfight? We’re not sure, either, but we think we came close to witnessing such an event. Rumors have been swirling about Ellie Gold’s last job and her unceremonious firing, but Derrick Jameson set us straight. She’s the innocent party, he insists. We would have asked more questions but he was busy taking his lady home for the evening—his home.
Ellie Gold had him completely rattled. Just when Derrick thought he’d figured her out, she said something unexpected. He’d cleaned her shirt—a random, simple thing—and she’d cradled it in her hands as if it were an expensive diamond.
And that kiss.
Before that first one in her apartment about a week ago, he’d planned to keep things on a friendly, nonkissing level. But then his lips had met hers and his brain misfired. He hadn’t been able to speak or to think. All he’d wanted to do was to hold on and keep going. He told himself it was because Noah had stolen from him and he had to fix this, not because he cared, but even he was having trouble buying that.
He didn’t do overwhelmed. He didn’t believe in rainbows or stars or whatever people claimed to see when they experienced a great kiss. He certainly didn’t get all breathless and confused when a woman’s lips touched his. Not usually, anyway. But with Ellie his body and brain went into free fall.
And it wasn’t a onetime thing. The second kiss today nearly scrambled every bit of common sense he possessed. He had been two seconds away from pinning her to the wall and tunneling his hand up that slim skirt when he forced his body to pull back.
She messed him up. Took his balance and his control and ground them into nothing.
Now he watched her study the dinner menu. She even managed to make that look sexy. Her fingers slid along the edge. She lifted her chin as she scanned the page.
He was beginning to think he was losing it.
They sat at a small table near the window of a wildly popular French bistro near Logan Circle. It hadn’t been hard to get a last-minute reservation because Derrick had a financial interest in the place. A chance he took on a chef he knew with some of the money he’d stockpiled over the years and it worked out. It also meant there was always room for him. He had to assume the position of the table, out in the open, was the overeager manager’s way of capitalizing on his presence there tonight.
People noticed. Quite a few businessmen turned around when he entered the restaurant with Ellie on his arm. Some came over and said hello. One let his gaze linger a bit too long on Ellie’s chest for Derrick’s liking.
Bottom line—he didn’t like being on display. “I feel exposed.”
Ellie hummed as she continued to scan the food options. “You picked the game.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m assuming you chose this place, one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation at right now, to be seen.” She peeked at him over the top of the menu. “I’m not even going to ask how you got us in on such short notice. I’ll assume this is a case of you being ready at all times for a photo op.”
He reached over and lowered her menu so he could meet her eyes without anything getting in the way. “This is dinner, not a photo op.”
“That’s a first.”
“And I’m part owner of this place. The behind-the-scenes money guy.”
Her mouth opened a few times before she actually spat out any words. “Well, of course you are.”
“Sarcasm?”
“More like is there any part of this town you don’t own awe.” She folded her menu and set it on the space in front of her. “You seem to have an interest in everything.”
She was joking but he decided to give her a real answer. “For the record, I am a minority owner in the family business. My father has the largest stake, and likes to hold that over me. I’ve tried to branch out with some other investments so I’m prepared.”
She frowned. “For what?”
“His whims.”
And that’s exactly how Derrick saw it. His father played games. He liked to make his sons prove themselves over and over.
Derrick refused to be pushed aside or run off because he viewed the family business as his legacy. He’d worked there during college summers and all throughout business school. After that, he’d come on board full-time and worked his way up. Spent months in every department.
His father demanded perfection and when he didn’t get it he’d resort to public humiliation. So, Derrick learned quickly not to make any mistakes. Four years ago his father offered more responsibility and Derrick grabbed at the chance. He’d expanded the family’s commercial real estate and construction business and personal holdings.
Ellie watched him for a second then rested her hand on the table. “He’s difficult.”
“Understatement.” Derrick noticed she didn’t ask it as a question, so she must have heard at least some of the rumors about his notoriously demanding father. “He put me in charge of expansion, sure I’d fail. He questioned every decision, every strategy. Made it nearly impossible to move forward then yelled because we weren’t moving forward.”
He was going to say more but stopped. He never talked about family stuff with anyone except Jackson and his brothers. Battling for the business he dreamed of running since he was eighteen was a constant frustration for him. He thought he’d earned it, but no.
“But you eventually convinced him.” She leaned in. “You’re the big boss now. Right?”
“I’m in charge of the day-to-day operations, but there’s no guarantee it’s permanent. There are some...things I need to accomplish first.” Derrick pivoted off that subject before he divulged something he didn’t mean to divulge. “The only reason my father isn’t here, picking every move apart, is because he’s in love.”
Derrick heard the snide edge to his voice but didn’t bother trying to hide it. The idea of his father spending his days laughing and drinking after having spent so many years making his sons’ lives a constant competition, pitting them against each other and punishing them for any perceived failure, rubbed Derrick raw.
Ellie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Wife number four.”
“Oh.” Ellie’s mouth dropped open. “Do we like her?”
“Thanks to Jackie, my father is testing out possible retirement far away on a beach in Tortola.” He laughed. “So, yes.”
“Your family is not dull.”
No kidding. “And since you commented on my businesses, you should know I have no financial interest in the gas station across the street. I wish I did because I think my tank is almost empty.”
“You’ll probably buy that next week.”
Since she sounded amused by his comments he played along, happy to move off a subject that kept him up at night worrying. Off the fear his father would show up and take it all away without warning. Derrick would survive, of course, but he wanted the family business and the family that went with it. “If I find some extra time at lunch to buy a multimillion-dollar venture, sure.”
“Ellie.”
Her smile disappeared as she looked up at their unwanted dinner guest. “Mr. Cantor.”
Joe Cantor, Ellie’s former boss, stood at the edge of the table. A guy known to have a wandering eye and a big mouth. He wasn’t half the businessman he thought he was. The only thing that saved him was a mix of old family money and a forgiving wife. As far as Derrick was concerned, the wife could do a lot better than Joe—a man still trying to live off his former reputation as a big-man-on-campus almost two decades later.
Joe glanced at Derrick then focused on Ellie again. “I’ve been reading about the two of you.”
Yeah, Derrick was done. “And I’ve been reading about you.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“I thought you’d like to explain why Ellie was fired.” Derrick didn’t bother lowering his voice. He wanted people to know how little he thought about Joe’s fake dismissal story. “Right here. To my face. In front of her. Let her finally tell her side.”
Joe’s smirk didn’t waver. “Look, it’s over. You two are together now.”
“Clearly.” Before tonight Derrick didn’t think much of Joe. Now he thought even less. This intimidation tactic was a clear misstep. A smart guy wouldn’t have tried it.
“Whatever happened between us—”
“Nothing.” Ellie’s eyebrow lifted as she stared Joe down. “Nothing happened between us. Ever.”
Joe shook his head. “Ellie, it’s okay. It’s done.”
“Not really.” Derrick hated this guy now. “She’s still waiting on your apology.”
For the first time Joe’s mouth fell into a flat line. “What?”
“I don’t like when people make up stories about my woman.”
Ellie made a humming noise. “My woman? Do we like that phrase?”
“Too much?” Derrick asked, seeing in Ellie’s eyes that she was enjoying Joe’s public takedown. Derrick looked at Joe again, who didn’t appear as smug now. “Then ignore the word choice, but the result is the same. One more false word about her coming on to you—which we both know is complete bullshit—and you get to fight me.”
Joe let out a pathetic strangled laugh and did a quick glance around. “Are you threatening me, Derrick?”
“I’m actually threatening your business. I thought that was obvious.” He glanced at Ellie. “No?”
She put her hand over his. “I thought you were very clear.”
“Thank you, dear.” Derrick winked at Ellie then turned to Joe again. “Clean up the misunderstanding about her firing and then keep your mouth shut, and we’re good. Maybe she’ll even decide not to sue you.”
She shrugged. “I can’t promise that.”
Joe glared at Derrick. “You can’t be serious.”
“We’re done here.” Derrick slid his hand out from under Ellie’s and picked up his menu again. “You hungry? I am.”
Joe closed in on Ellie. “Tell him the truth.”
She didn’t even flinch. “Your wife went out of town, you came on to me, I kicked you and then I got fired.”
“That’s not—”
“Illegal?” More than one table of restaurant patrons was watching now. The manager even made a move toward the table, but Derrick gave a small shake of his head to keep him back. He had this handled. “Yes, Joe. I think it is.”
She shrugged. “My lawyer says it is.”
Fury flashed in Joe’s eyes. “You can’t outlast me and you know it.”
Ellie deserved better and this show. Even though they kept it respectable, Derrick knew the gossip would make the rounds. They’d proved their point. Now it was time for Joe to get the message and slink away. “For us, it’s a date. For you? This is a chance to move without increasing your liability. I’d take it.”
Joe gave them one last stare then turned and walked off. He was smart enough to not cause a bigger scene or to storm away. He slipped through the tables with a smile on his face as if they’d been having a nice dinner talk.
The second after he was gone the restaurant’s noise level rose again. People seated nearby returned to eating and servers ran around getting food and drinks to the crowded tables.
When Derrick finally glanced across the table again he saw Ellie staring at him. A smile played on her lips. A sexy smile that jolted through him.
“That was thoroughly satisfying,” she said.
“Now that’s the sort of thing I like to hear from a date.”
* * *
The rest of the dinner consisted of talking and some verbal sparring, but the fun kind. Ellie finished her meal in a satisfied haze. She enjoyed letting her guard down and ignoring all the stress for an hour.
After her parents died she’d juggled college and Noah. She’d waded through their mess of an estate. All those failed ventures her father had started and driven into bankruptcy. All the debts that had to be paid and the questions people had looked to her to answer.
She’d handled all of it. Put her personal life on hold, limited dating to brief flings and friendships to a minimum. She’d worked hard, kept her head down and never expected anything from anyone. That’s why her friendship with Vanessa meant so much.
Vanessa was the kind of best friend you could call in the middle of the night and she’d come running. She was smart and supportive. They could sit in silence for hours and watch movies. Gossip. Ellie was comfortable around Vanessa when Ellie wasn’t all that comfortable with most people. Not on a deep level. Not enough to trust.
It’s why Derrick’s near automatic defense took Ellie by surprise. For the first time in ages, she had someone other than Vanessa looking out for her. Willing to stand up to someone else and protect her from the fallout. Willing to take care of her. It was a heady and humbling feeling.
That was the only explanation she had for why she stood in the middle of his kitchen at after nine that night instead of in her apartment. That and the fact she wanted to be there. Wanted to spend time with him. Wanted to know more about the man who fought so hard against his father.
She’d seen the stark ache in Derrick’s eyes at dinner as he talked about the business. He tried to joke about finances, but she’d heard the roughness in his voice. She tried to imagine what it was like to be the oldest son of a man who enjoyed demeaning people, including his own children.
They’d walked in from the garage with the lights clicking on as they’d moved through the high-ceilinged, expertly-carved-moldings, man-this-is-expensive Georgetown house. Even in the dark she had seen rows of impeccably kept brick town houses as they’d driven through the tree-lined streets. The whole area dripped with wealth.
By the time they’d pulled off a narrow street and into Derrick’s garage—a thing she didn’t really think existed in this part of town outside of huge mansions—she’d confirmed she was way out of her league.
Now she looked around the pristine kitchen with the gray cabinets and swirling white-and-gray-marble countertops that looked like they should be on the cover of some fancy home magazine. Not a pot out of place. Not a glass in the sink.
For the fourth time since they’d left the restaurant, confusion crashed into her. She’d been riding this emotional roller coaster for most of her life but with Derrick the ride turned wild. She flipped between interest and frustration. One minute she wanted to kiss him. The next, punch him.
They were supposed to be in a business arrangement and nothing more. But those kisses and the way he touched her, looked at her...how her heart thundered in her ears when he smiled. How she wanted to peel away the layers and peek beneath to see the real man.
Her attraction to him in more than an objective “oh, he’s good-looking” way was unexpected and kind of unwanted. It clouded everything. They were from different worlds and using each other. But the glimpses she’d seen weren’t of a thoughtless playboy who liked to throw money around. He was deeper than that. Far too likeable. Very tempting.
She sat on the stool at the massive kitchen island then stood again. “I feel like we’re inviting trouble being here alone.”
“You’re going to be moving in here soon.” Derrick took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. Next he reached for one of the big double doors to the refrigerator and brought out two bottles of water. “You should get used to the place.”
“Not that soon.”
He set the bottles next to her on the countertop. “I’m thinking within days.”
“I’m saying within weeks.” She tried to mentally slam the brakes on all of this. The move, the engagement, the agreement. If the attraction she felt for him was real, should she really mix in the parts that weren’t? She really didn’t know anymore.
Life whizzed by her so quickly since she’d met him. Her brain rushed to keep up, but when that failed, her emotions took over. Her wants and needs won out. She wanted him to touch her again. To give in and take something for herself for a change.
“You really do thrive on being difficult,” he said.
She thought they were well matched on that score, but she didn’t bother to argue since that would only prove his point. “Maybe, but I’m still grateful.”
He put his hands on the counter on either side of her, trapping her there in a warm cocoon. “For what?”
Tension spun up inside her. She knew she could break out of his hold but the problem was she didn’t want to. That’s how little it took. He moved in, close enough for her to smell the soap on his skin, and her heartbeat took off in an all-out race. She wanted to run her fingers over the light stubble on his chin. Feel his mouth on hers.
She fought for breath as she pretended to stare at the white farmhouse sink behind him. “Look at this kitchen. My entire apartment would fit in here.”
His gaze searched hers until she looked at him again. “For what, Ellie?”
“What you said to Joe. How you stuck up for me without making me prove my side of the story.” She gave in to the need to touch him then. Let her fingers trail over his tie, follow it to the end and hang there. “For the nice dinner.”
“I don’t want your gratitude.”
Her stomach took off on a frenzy of somersaults. “What do you want?”
“You.”
The deep voice, having that laser-like focus trained on her, the combination pushed the fight out of her. She’d been running and making excuses and coming up with arguments. But there, staring up at him, seeing the intensity in those eyes, she gave in.
She tugged on his tie and brought him in even closer. The air between them burned with a new energy. His mouth met hers and the rest of the world blinked out.
Heat roared through her as his lips crossed hers. Firm kisses. The sweep of his tongue over hers. One minute she stood there and the next he lifted her onto the counter. Her tight skirt bunched high on her thighs as he pushed them apart to stand between them.
His hands roamed over her back then to her neck. Fingers slid through her hair. His touch managed to be soothing and demanding at the same time. Heat radiated off him as she unknotted his tie. And when his mouth moved to her cheek then to her ear, a shiver stole her balance. She fell hard against him as his tongue traced a line down her neck.
They both made hungry, growling sounds and she ached for more. Her heels closed around his thighs, tightening his body against hers.
“Ellie?”
“Yes. Green light.” She caught his mouth again. The kiss seared through her, destroying her worries.
His hands skimmed around her body, over her breasts. She almost sighed in relief when she felt his fingers on her shirt buttons. The voice inside her head screamed for him to hurry, but a part of her wanted to savor every minute. Every lingering touch.
“Oh, damn. Sorry!”
The deep male voice rang out in the kitchen. Ellie heard it but it took her another few seconds to realize what was happening.
Someone was there, in the house. As soon as that thought registered in her brain, she shoved against Derrick’s chest. Their legs tangled together and his hand got caught in her shirt. When he stepped to the side, turned around and stood in front of her like a human shield, he almost ripped her silk blouse.
Derrick’s shoulders went from stiff to relaxed as he looked at the intruder. “Spence?”
She didn’t have the same reaction as she worked in double time to line up her shirt buttons and get them closed again.
The other man held up a hand but he didn’t try to hide his smile. “I can leave.”
“Of course not.” Derrick glanced at her over his shoulder. His gaze bounced to her shirt and he nodded before stepping to the side and helping her from the counter. “Ellie Gold, this is one of my brothers, Spencer.”
She grabbed for her skirt and tugged it down before she gave his brother an unexpected show. “Right.”
Heat flamed in her cheeks. She could only imagine the force of her blush, but she pushed through and gave him eye contact. She should have done that first because she would have known the two men were related.
Spencer was a slightly stockier version of Derrick. They both towered over her and were blessed with that’s-almost-unfair good looks. The Jameson family had a heck of an impressive gene pool. Their father might be a jerk but he churned out dark-haired hotties without trouble.
Spencer’s smile reached his eyes, which made her think he did it more than his brother. That might also explain the lightness about him. Derrick walked around as if he carried the responsibility for the world on his shoulders. Spencer didn’t give off that vibe.
“I’m Spence.” He held out his hand. “The middle Jameson brother.”
Derrick snorted as they shook hands. “The one with the shitty timing.”
“I didn’t know... See, Derrick never really brings... Okay then.” Spence made a hissing sound. “I’ll stand here and not talk.”
His stumbling eased her discomfort at having been caught like a naughty teen on prom night. “What were you trying not to say?”
“He’s pointing out that I’m not in the habit of bringing women to my house,” Derrick said.
Spence nodded. “Yeah, that.”
“Ellie is different.” Derrick picked up one of the water bottles off the counter and offered it to her. “She’s moving in.”
Spence’s eyes grew even wider. “Really?”
She waited for Derrick to explain about the agreement and Noah and all the trouble they were trying to fix. When Derrick didn’t say anything, she glanced over at him. “And?”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We’re still fighting over the date.”
Her mind jumbled again. “Wait...”
“Ah, now I get it,” Spence said.
That made one of them. She was still lost. “Want to explain it to me?”
Derrick moved then. He put down the water and reached for his suit jacket. His keys jangled in his hand a second later. “Let me run Ellie home then we’ll catch up.”
Spence frowned. “She’s the one who should stay.”
She wanted some air...and an explanation. “No, it’s fine.” She glanced at Derrick, sending him a we-need-to-talk glare. “You ready?”
If she knew her way around the house she would have taken off without him. Instead she followed him along a hallway and a set of stairs to the bottom level of the grand three-story home.
Her head was pounding too hard for her to concentrate but as soon as they were in the garage with the door shut behind them, she spun around to confront Derrick. “Your brother doesn’t know.”
He had the nerve to stare at his keys and not her. “About what?”
She put her hand over his. “That this is a fake arrangement, Derrick.”
“It didn’t feel fake a second ago.” He hit her with intense eye contact. The kind that made her breath catch in her throat.
“I refuse to regret that.”
“I hope not since I’m planning on finishing it very soon.” He blew out a long breath. “Look, if you can’t tell your brother, I can’t tell mine. That seemed fair to me.”
He said it as if the logic made perfect sense. She didn’t buy it. Jackson knew. She had every intention of telling Vanessa when they met for lunch tomorrow as planned. She had no idea how she held it in this long, except that Vanessa had gone away on a work trip for four days.
No way did Derrick’s brother need to be kept in the dark about something this big. He should know he wasn’t really about to get a sister-in-law. “I hate when you sound reasonable because it convinces me you’re hiding something.”
“I think our agreement makes it clear we both are.”
It was hard to argue with that. “Okay, but when it comes to this agreement and what we both get out of it, we’ll be honest with each other, right? We need each other, and I’m not talking about the kissing.”
“I’m happy to talk about the kissing.”
Her stomach did a little tumble. “I’m not kidding, Derrick.”
“Trust me.”
He made it sound so easy, but he had no idea. Her father used to say that, too. We’ll be fine, Ellie. This time the plan will work. You won’t have to switch schools. Then he broke the promises almost as quickly as he made them.
“You’ve been in charge and getting your way for too long.” She’d thought that from the first minute she’d met him and she still believed that was true.
“I have a feeling that’s about to change.”
Sounds as if he was finally getting it. “Count on it.”