Nine Rules of Engagement (Barrington Billionaire's Series Book 9)

by Jeannette Winters

  “I’m not sure how to take that.” Did he mean difficult in general or just difficult to read? Maybe a little of both.

  He reached over with his right hand and covered her left one. “Gia, don’t compare yourself to Vickie or anyone else. Trust me; you’re amazing just as you are.”

  Roger was speaking words, but all she could think about was the hand now holding hers. It wasn’t the first time, but these small intimate touches made her question what was really going on between them. Softly she asked, “You know this how?”

  “It’s my job.”

  She’d been wanting to learn more about him, and this seemed like as good of a time as any. “What exactly is it that you do?”

  “I help people.”

  She waited a few seconds and realized that was it. So you think. She’d opened up to him, and now it was time for him to do the same. “Is that what you do at the beach? Are you a lifeguard?”

  “Lifeguard?”

  “You said you lived near the beach. Since you’re not very forthcoming, I thought I’d try guessing.”

  Roger laughed. “Not a lifeguard. I actually own a business that helps people who find themselves in situations they can’t get out of.”

  “Lawyer?”

  “No. There really isn’t a job title.”

  “You could try describing it to me and I can come up with one for you,” Gia said, smiling to herself.

  After a moment Roger said, “I used to be an undercover agent for the DEA. When I left the agency, I wanted to continue helping people. Although I’m not working on drug related cases, I have gone undercover to help people.”

  She figured there was a good chance he’d been connected to the DEA when they attended the fundraiser last week. But how did the photo fit into that? Gia had a feeling if she asked that question their trip to New York would be cut short. Maybe she’d have some answers after meeting with her friend. Or I’ll have even more questions. Roger had made it clear to not talk about the photo.

  If this was all she was going to get about work, she’d try something else. He hadn’t mentioned any family. Roger definitely had the advantage. What she hadn’t told him, Vickie unfortunately had.

  “I’m sure your family worries about you.” She wasn’t sure how smooth the transition was, but it was all she could come up with.

  “There’s just me,” Roger replied flatly.

  Gia prodded. “No parents or siblings?”

  “My parents were killed in a helicopter crash when I was fourteen.”

  “Oh my God. I’m sorry.” Now she felt horrible for asking. But the door was already opened. Stopping now wasn’t going to change anything. It’d just leave her wondering. “You were so young. Did you end up in the system?” She had friends who had been raised in foster homes.

  “No. I was away at a boarding school when it happened, and the estate continued to pay for it. I guess my parents knew if I had access to the money myself before age twenty-five, I’d probably have gone down a different path.”

  Like doing drugs instead of busting those bringing them into the States. “What made you join the DEA?”

  Roger shook his head. “A close friend of mine at school had gone to a party. We all knew he smoked marijuana, but we never said anything. What no one expected was some bastard deciding to lace it with a hallucinogen.” She felt his fingers tighten slightly on hers before he continued. “Unfortunately, instead of coming back to the dorm that night, he went to the roof of the science building and tried to prove he could fly. From that moment, I always spoke my mind. I guess the DEA gave me an outlet to deal with the pain of losing him.”

  What could she say? He’d lost his parents and his friend. He had told her before money wasn’t everything. She now understood what he meant. She gave his hand a squeeze.

  “It was a long time ago,” Roger stated.

  “They say time heals all wounds. For the record, that’s bullshit. We deal, not heal.”

  Roger put on the directional and took the exit ramp off the highway. “Look who’s getting all serious. And you accused me of taking a psychology course.”

  “Oh yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

  He nodded. “You’re not so bad at it yourself.”

  “You’re going to laugh if I tell you this.”

  “With you, there’s a fifty-fifty chance you’re correct on that.”

  Gia gave him a playful tap on his arm with her free hand. “I am a very serious person.”

  Roger grinned. “Or so you want the world to believe. You don’t have me fooled.”

  There was a part that was true. She didn’t let loose because she wanted to fit in with the dry, boring people she’d been working with. If she’d attempted to crack a joke there, her coworkers wouldn’t have gotten it anyway. Not sure they knew what laughing sounds like.

  “At least I’m a bit more reserved than Vickie,” Gia responded.

  Roger cocked a brow. “A bit? She’s like shaking a bottle of soda pop. When you release the cap, watch out.”

  Gia burst out laughing. “You’re so right. If she hadn’t left when she did, you would’ve had my entire life story according to Vickie. Mind you, she’s added a lot of color to the tale. My life hasn’t been nearly as exciting as she makes it out to be.”

  “Oh I don’t know about that. Remember, you told me there were those wild days when you were younger. A time or two you got a B in class or maybe forgot your homework.”

  “Or the time we were all caught skinny dipping.”

  Roger shot her a look. “You’re really going to tell me that story now when traffic is so busy?”

  “Of course. It’s more fun this way.” Gia smiled wickedly and said, “Maybe its best you don’t know.”

  “You’re pushing your luck. If you think I won’t stop this car right here and wait until you tell me, you’re mistaken.”

  She looked around and almost called his bluff. But all the vehicles blaring their horns at them would be nerve-wracking. Gia would hold her ground when there wasn’t such a negative effect for doing so.

  “You win. Vickie and I were skipping school.”

  “You cut class?” Roger teased.

  “It was bunk day at school, so everyone did it. Not everyone, but a lot of kids did.” Roger shot her a look. “Okay, Vickie dragged me along with her. She was always getting me in some sort of trouble.” Those were the best times ever. “Anyway, as I was saying, we skipped school. It was hot out and everyone was going to the lake. I’m not sure why I ever agreed to play truth, dare, or double dare with those people, but somehow I found myself having to skinny dip with Vickie and a few others. If you ask me, the boys rigged the game. No way we all lost.”

  Roger laughed. “If the boys made up the rules, then yeah, you were played. What I can’t believe is you actually did it.”

  “Not only did we do it, but we had to climb to the top of a cliff and leap in. Thankfully we didn’t have smartphones back then or I’m sure it would’ve been plastered all over social media.” And I’d never have gotten a compliance position.

  “Damn it!”

  “What?” Gia asked.

  “I was going to ask if there were any pictures.” Gia sat, her mouth gapped open. “What I’d have given to be there.”

  “I’m sure you never would’ve tricked us girls into doing that.”

  Roger laughed. “Boys are boys. When we did it, it was winter and the girls had to make snow angels. So count yourself lucky.”

  Just the thought made a shiver run through her. “That’s horrible.”

  “That’s boys.”

  “And yet we still like you guys. We all must be crazy,” Gia snickered. “Good thing you grow out of it.”

  “We never do. The rules just change.”

  Ain’t that the truth?

  Roger pulled the car up to the front of the library. “I’m almost tempted to drive around the block a few times to see what other little goodies you have to share with me.”

  Gia let
go of his hand and unbuckled her seatbelt. “You’re not getting all my dirty little secrets.” At least not all at once. “Besides, I have an appointment, and I can’t keep him waiting.”

  Roger said, “I really don’t like you meeting him alone.”

  “He’s not a stranger. Just a bit strange. And before you ask, no, he wasn’t at the lake that day. He was one of the kids still in the classroom.” With that she opened the door and got out. “I should be back out in an hour.”

  “I’ll go check us into the hotel.”

  She nodded and watched as Roger drove away. It was funny, she didn’t need him with her, but now that he was gone, she felt his absence.

  Get over it, Gia. This isn’t a vacation. He’s not your boyfriend. He’s a friend and you’re here to help him get answers. With that, she went into the building in hopes of returning with some.

  But even before she made it inside, her cell phone rang. There was no way he was checking on her already. When she looked at the caller ID it said Henderson Towers. Taking a deep breath, she answered.

  “Hello, this is Gia.”

  “Hi, Gia. This is Brittney. We met on Sunday with Lena.”

  No way I could forget. “Yes, I remember. How are you?”

  “I’m good, thanks. Upon reviewing your résumé, I see we have a few positions you might be a candidate for. Could you come in this afternoon to meet with me?”

  She rolled her eyes. Of course Brittney would call as soon as she arrived in New York. The timing couldn’t have been worse. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but even if she left right now, there was no way she’d make it back in time. “I’m actually in New York at the moment. Would it be possible to schedule for another day?”

  Gia held her breath and waited. She could hear Brittney typing.

  “I’m booked the rest of this week, but I can do Monday morning at eight. Would that work?”

  “Yes, that’s perfect. Thank you so much.”

  When the call ended, Gia exhaled. She was a wreck. She couldn’t believe she almost blew a job offer because she was with Roger. But what could she do? She’d promised to help him with this. Asking him to turn around and rush back to Boston wasn’t right. Maybe it’s the right thing to do, but it’s not what I’m doing. This was so unlike her. She prided herself on being responsible to the core. And she had totally forgotten about Brittney’s promise to call her for an interview. What was wrong with her?

  As she entered the library, she knew. With Roger things seemed to go haywire. She had scheduled this meeting thinking she’d take the red-eye bus from Boston and return that night. But now she was staying a few days. And for what? To see New York with Roger? No. She didn’t care where she was. It was time with Roger she’d been looking forward to. New York was just an excuse.

  After this little getaway, she needed to go back home and focus on herself. Not this photo and definitely not Roger. Neither is what will secure my future. And that is what’s important to me. She’d never been unemployed, and she had been now for a week. She wasn’t about to make it two. Not if she could help it. I’ve come too far now to screw it up because I find a guy interesting. Putting a label on it as anything more would only hurt in the long run. It was short lived and, as two mature adults, they both knew it.

  When Gia texted him saying it was taking a bit longer than expected, he wasn’t surprised. If she was meeting up with an old classmate, that meant getting through the good-old-days conversation first. Roger was good at blowing off small talk, but Gia wasn’t. Maybe she missed home more than she let on.

  He knew she enjoyed the big city, but he’d already figured out the traffic and constant noise wasn’t appealing to her. For Gia, the city represented financial security. Her delay provided him the perfect opportunity to touch base with Brice and help that along.

  “Roger, I stopped by your hotel on my way into the office today. I was surprised to learn from the front desk that you would be out for a few days. Did you forget what I asked you for?”

  Brice was just as damn demanding as his brothers. None of that bothered him. He did things his way. If Brice didn’t like it, he could find someone else.

  “You need to know the results, not my every move,” Roger replied.

  “And do you have any?” Brice asked.

  “I’ll let you know in a few days. But I didn’t call for that. I want to talk about Gia.”

  “Again? I already told you Brittney will be contacting her for a position.”

  “I know. But I think it’d be best if you could find something . . . not so mundane.”

  “She’s a compliance specialist. What else do you want with that job?”

  “Brice, don’t go by her résumé. I need you to find her something requiring research.”

  He laughed. “I’m a scientist, research and development is my job. I can tell you she is not working in my lab. I don’t care how good of a friend you are to my brother. No one fucks with my lab.”

  Roger shook his head. “Not that kind of research. How about your brothers? Maybe Dean could use her?”

  “He researches investment opportunities. Is that what she’s looking to move into?”

  No. Damn it. It seemed so cut and dry when he’d thought about it. Caydan was out. Logan was a surgeon, so he was off the list. Alex was a novelist; they create their own worlds. Shaun was a financial guy, just as fucking boring as compliance. At least to Roger anyway.

  “Can’t you create something that is not in the lab, yet still working for Hendersons?”

  “It sounds like you have something in mind. What exactly does she want to do? From what she told Lena and Brittney she was open to anything that fit her skill set.”

  “I know what she said, but that’s not what makes her happy.”

  “She told you that?” Brice asked. “Because the last thing I need is a person coming on board that really doesn’t want to be here. I fire those types of people.”

  “Not in so many words. I just know what would suit her better.”

  Brice laughed. “Roger, let me give you some advice. A woman isn’t one of your jobs. You can’t fix them, mold them, or hell, change them. All you can do is love and accept them for who they are. If you try anything else, trust me, it will blow up in your face.”

  Slow the fuck down, Brice. Who said anything about love? All Roger was trying to do was help Gia find her dream job. “You’re missing the point, Brice. I’ve gotten to know her and she’s missing her calling.”

  “And you’re missing mine. Roger, I’ve only known you for about a year, but I know enough to realize one thing. You like control. No different than I do or Caydan or a lot of others I won’t mention. I can do as you ask and make up some job we don’t have. But women always find out. I’m not sure how, but they do. Shit, if we could connect to what data source they have, we wouldn’t get ourselves in so much trouble.”

  This wasn’t getting him anywhere. It might not be the job he’d envisioned Gia doing for the rest of her life, but it would hold her until that one came up. Roger laughed to himself. Hell, I’m starting to sound like her now.

  Turning the conversation, Roger said, “I’m hoping to have more information about who is in the picture within the next few days. Is that all you’re going to want?”

  “Guess that depends on what you find.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know.” He ended the call as he saw Gia leaving the library and approaching the car. When she got in he said, “I thought they were going to lock you inside.”

  “I’m sorry. I never thought I’d spend the day there. If they weren’t closing, I might still be sitting at the desk.”

  “Were you with your friend the entire time?” He was only asking because . . . hell, because he wanted to know. Six hours had passed. No way could a guy sit there and talk for that long. Not unless he was interested in her.

  “No. He gave me the information I needed and showed me where I had to look. Then he went off to work, and I’ve had my nose in books
since. I didn’t even stop to eat because I was so focused.”

  Roger had no idea why that pleased him so much. It had nothing to do with the photo either. “Should we find someplace to eat, and you can tell me what you learned?”

  She looked at him and asked, “I know this is going to sound like an odd request, but do you think we can go to the hotel and order room service?”

  “Tired?”

  “No. I don’t think I want to discuss this in public.”

  She definitely piqued his interest. “The hotel it is.”

  Roger had booked them a suite with adjoining rooms, not that they were going to need it. Once inside they ordered their meal and went to sit down on the couch. She brought her laptop with her as well as a few books she must’ve borrowed from the library.

  “Productive day I take it?”

  She nodded. “Yes and no. I have news I’m not sure is good or bad.”

  “Might as well just spill it.”

  “Can I ask you a question first?”

  Roger cocked a brow. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer it.”

  “I understand. But are you doing this because the Hendersons asked you to or because you want to know?”

  How was it that she’d put those two together? Answering that was going to be difficult. If he said for himself, would that mean she felt more comfortable sharing what she’d learned? Or was it the total opposite and she’d worry he was invading the privacy of her potential new employer. Fuck. Which one? He had no choice but to go with the truth.

  “This was a personal favor for Brice. But no one can know about your involvement. Not even Brice.”

  “So he is the one looking for this information?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m confused,” Gia stated.

  “Maybe if you tell me what you learned, I can connect the dots for you.” With the Hendersons, that wasn’t always as easily done as said.

  “What do you know about their grandmother?”

  Roger shrugged. “She was divorced with one child, James. And she died when the other kids were young, so they don’t know much about her either. Why?”