Page 9 of Love is Fake

I frown up at the man. “Ummm…what red tape?”

“Well there’s some paperwork, some things for you to sign, some information you’ll want to study -”

I hold my hand up and Declan stops talking. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to be rude, but have I missed something? From Mr. Gray’s reaction, I’ve assumed I wouldn’t be working here.”

Declan looks between me and Kai and I notice Kai sending him a shrug, giving him some kind of unspoken approval.

“Nox doesn’t like being blindsided. He’s used to being in charge of every situation so between the car accident and him not expecting you and the anniversary today…let’s just say it wasn’t the best combination of events.”

Anniversary? What anniversary?Not your business, Izzy.

“So he’s a control freak.” The words are out of my mouth without missing a beat. Dammit, Iz, engage brain to mouth filter. I curse myself for not thinking before I speak. Kiara calls it just another one of my endearing qualities. I call it a sure-fire way to end up looking like an idiot.

Kai smothers a laugh, turning it into a choking sound when Declan gives him a flat stare.

“He likes things how he likes them,” Declan corrects me democratically. “But I’m sure I can talk him round to working with you. If you’re as good as Michael says, you’re our best bet to get him back to full strength.”

Do I want Declan to ‘talk him round’?

Do I want to work with someone as volatile and as difficult as Lennox Gray?

Am I willing to believe that I have him pegged all wrong?

And do I really want to have to explain to Kiara that I turned down our biggest client in history because he hurt my feelings?

The answer to the last question is a ‘hell to the no’, which pretty much trumps all my other concerns. I can’t do that to Kiara, she deserves better from me - not just as her employee but also as her friend. And, dammit,Ideserve better. Lennox Grumpy Gray may be a tough client, but if I’m going to proveto everyone, and to myself, that I’m as good as Michael believes, then who better to be my trial by fire?

“Alright.” I nod in the affirmative, sneaking a quick glance at Kai who gives me a discreet thumbs up before Declan leads me away down the corridor to a huge study.

When I’m done gawking at the rows of books on the shelves, Declan guides me over to a sprawling desk, gesturing toward a ring binder on the table.

“You didn’t know who your client was before you got here, so I figured you’d want to read up on his injury before you get started. You’ll find everything you need in there.”

I grab the binder and just about resist the urge to not dive into it head-first to find out about Lennox’s mystery injury. But Declan keeps hold of it. I frown up at him, asking myself if any part of this job is going to be straightforward.

“There’s also the matter of the confidentiality agreement we require.” Declan hands me over a contract as thick as a novel. I don’t hide my surprised expression at the size of the thing.

“You want me to sign this now?” It’ll take me a week just to read it.

Declan nods. “If you don’t sign it, I can’t let you take the binder with you. Lennox’s medical history is private, and he wants it to remain that way.”

I feel myself bristle at the inference that I can’t be trusted to standard client privacy without signing my damn life away. “Allmy clients have complete confidentiality when it comes to their treatment and anything else that we talk about. I can’t do my job if we don’t have that level of trust.”

A flicker of something like respect passes across Declan’s waspish features. “I’m not questioning your trustworthiness, Isabella, anyone we employ has to abide by the same rules.”

“Fine.” I hold my hand out. “Got a pen?”

Declan blinks at me, his turn to be surprised. “You’re not even going to read it?”

“You said everyone has to sign one of these things, right?” I slap theWar & Peacesized NDA on the table. “So my boss would have had to sign it too,” I look at him for verification, and he nods. “If she was happy to sign it and I’m sure her lawyers looked it over far more thoroughly than I’ll be able to, then I’m okay to sign it.” I scrawl my name at the bottom of the last page and date it, pushing the pile of papers back to him.

“What if I’d slipped something else in there without telling you, like a requirement for your first-born child if Lennox doesn’t make a full recovery?” Declan looks at me, his expression serious. For a split-second I’m not sure if he’s joking or not and then his dark-blonde eyebrow quirks up in amusement.

“Ha – preppy and funny, the girls at the country club must love you,” I tease back, glad to feel the ice thawing a little.

I get the impression Declan is the serious one in the house, balancing out the moodiness of Lennox and the easy-going nature of Kai. The three of them must be an interesting dynamic to observe.

Declan barks a laugh and he seems as surprised as I am by the unguarded sound. He recovers his uptightness quickly though.

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