Page 16 of Masters of the Game: Colton
“Same here, Sherelle.”
**
An hour later Sherelle had just finished unpacking when she heard her cell phone ring. She smiled, recognizing the ring tone and quickly crossed the room to pick it up. “Hi, Eric.”
“I had you on my mind, baby. How was the trip to Boston?”
“I guess it was okay. The turbulence wasn’t so bad this time,” she said, easing down to sit on the side of the bed.
“Have you seen that Perkins woman?”
She had hoped Eric had put that issue behind him. Apparently, he hadn’t. “Yes, I saw her. She and Colton were leaving the hotel for dinner.”
“How cozy.”
“It was a business dinner, Eric. But…”
“But what?”
There was no reason to tell him what she suspected, that something was going on between Colton and Kelly Perkins. The chemistry she’d sensed between them had been strong. Either they’d been involved before or were headed that way now. Kelly Perkins was a very attractive woman, and she could see Colton Masters being taken with her. Not that that was in any way relevant. Awarding the contract to Kelly’s agency had been Lake Masters’ decision, not Colton’s. And she had seemed friendly.
“Sherelle?”
“Yes, Eric?”
“What were you about to say?”
“Nothing. I just finished unpacking and was planning to go grab something to eat,” she said, trying to steer their conversation in another direction.
“Pretending it’s nothing more than a business dinner might be a cover-up,” Eric said, not taking the bait. “What if Colton Masters and Kelly Perkins are involved, and that’s the reason her agency got the job over mine. If that’s the case, it’s unethical and a conflict of interest. I need you to find out what’s really going on.”
Sherelle rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her lie was escalating into something that was getting out of hand. Now was the time to tell him the truth. “Eric, I have to tell you something.”
“Okay, but I need to ask you something before I forget. Which do you prefer? White or yellow gold?”
Sherelle smiled, knowing why he was asking. “Yellow gold.”
“Okay. Now, what do you have to tell me?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. If she came clean now, he would get upset with her, and she couldn’t risk not getting that ring. “It was nothing important.”
**
“I’m impressed with all the information you’ve gathered so far,” Colton said, as Kelly closed her laptop.
“Thanks. I’ll send you a copy of this report. The first of others.”
He nodded. “Choosing between New York and Los Angeles won’t be easy. Of course, the final decision will be Lake’s.”
Colton and Kelly had shared a nice dinner and the conversation hadn’t stalled. She had no problem talking about the brothers she adored, the men he’d gotten to know over recent years. She told him that since Hansen worked for the FBI in Dallas, she didn’t see him as much as she did Pratt, who was a doctor at Emory in Atlanta. Colton knew that she and Pratt had even been roommates for a spell while she’d been finishing up her PhD.
“Do you have a preference?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He glanced over at her and met her eyes. That had been the only difficult thing about dinner. Each time their gazes had connected, there had been a sizzling awareness between them, something they both obviously tried hard to ignore. He would watch as she drew in a deep, calming breath while he was sure she observed him do the same. It didn’t help matters that he had requested a private room that fronted the Boston Harbor waterfront so they would be free to discuss business.
Once he was certain he could respond to her question without breaking out in a sweat, he asked, “A preference for what?” At that moment, he couldn’t recall what they’d been discussing.
“New York City or Los Angeles? Which do you prefer?”
