Page 78 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée

It’s just so freeing.

“This is important,” Clark says.

“She knows it’s important,” Rex says.

I turn my hard gaze back to him.Too little too late, Sternpants—that’s what my gaze hopefully says at this point and not,I’ve only replayed thatAm-I-stern in bed? You-would-be-rightmoment twenty-eight times.

Erp—twenty-nine.

And the knowledge that he’s a control freak who keeps his clothes on during sex. I hate that I know that, and also, I hate that it’s hot.

“It’s Marvin,” I say. “Marvin was completely conspiring on the phone with somebody. Which, if you’d paid attention to my soap opera wisdom, wouldn’t surprise you all that much.”

“What did he say?” Rex asks.

I take a leisurely sip of scotch. The truth is, I’m pretty surprised the soap opera thing came true. I do think most wealthy families have shady things going on, but I didn’t expect anything like this. And it’s not all that likely that Marvin faked the DNA, but what if? The thought is kind of exciting!

After I feel they have waited long enough, I re-create the conversation best I can.Followed by my dramatic escape, which I recap to sound more stealthy than crab-like, because I still have some pride.

Chapter 13

Rex

I rarely worryabout people’s feelings. Why should I? People will have their feelings whether I worry about them or not. If I sat around worrying about it, I’d never get anything done.

But Tabitha pissed off? A thing of beauty.

But underneath that, I know there is so much hurt. I really screwed up with that list. So instead of focusing on this potentially serious evidence of a corporate enemy, my mind is spinning on how to fix things with her. How to soothe her feelings, how to apologize.

I’m not sure what to make of my feelings about Tabitha, but they’re not hate.

I didn’t realize it until she had the list in her hand. Why the hell won’t she believe me when I tell her that it’s not hate? My mind spins on ways to apologize, how to get her to laugh again. How to get back to us as a team. I loved us as a team. I loved that strange, delicious friction we had.

I tell myself to focus on the important issue at hand. I tell myself that I should feel relieved—our relationship is more clearly defined than ever as the economic transaction that it is: Tabitha fits a job description, she’s accepted the job, and she’s getting great pay.

“You’re sure that’s what you heard,” Clark says.

She glares at him.

“She wouldn’t be saying it if she didn’t hear it,” I say to him. The fact that Clark asked that shows he doesn’t really see how sensitive and perceptive she is. Maybe nobody does. She doesn’t make it easy with her bubbles and sparkles. Why? What is she hiding? Or more like, what is she hiding from?

Tabitha glowers at me now. Her gaze cuts to my core, and I can’t look away. I don’t want to look away. Fun Tabitha is mysteriously compelling, but furious Tabitha is a force of nature, burning with sexy glory, and I want to pull her against me and feel her delicious skin against mine.

“But maybe she misheard,” Clark says, skeptical.

“Pull the trigger on Bellcoreis not a thing you mishear,” I say.

“But why would Marvin want to see Bellcore tank?” Clark asks. “Even if he wants us to look bad in the review, we’ve got Gail heavy into Bellcore, and Gail’s his family.”

I steeple my fingers. That’s the million-dollar question. The portion of Driscoll funds we control is a drop in the bucket for Gail, but it’s not nothing. If Bellcore tanks, Gail would lose a lot of money. And we’d look bad for the review.

Tabitha tilts her head and I know what she’s thinking—isMarvin truly family?

“The fake nephew,” I say. “Just say no.”

She sniffs angrily. “You’re that sure? As I told you before—scratch the surface of any wealthy family and you’ll find secrets and subterfuge. That is something that the soap operas teach us and it turns out to be true. A fake DNA test isn’t such a stretch anymore, is it?”

“Actually, it’s still a stretch,” I say. “But Marvin could be in league with a competitor. Any chance you heard any names? Pete Wydover? Randal Ackerman? They’d be the other ones Gail’s looking at. They could handle this kind of account.”

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