by Zara Chase
The hedge fund did well, but not spectacularly so. She could see nothing in its returns that would tempt a cautious man like Gramps to risk his shirt on an operation based so far from home. But then she hadn’t even been aware that he’d had a shirt to risk, which made her wonder how well she’d actually known him. The only conclusion she could reach was that he’d had a good reason not to tell her. Presumably the people behind the fund had somehow coerced Gramps into parting with his hard-earned cash.
Before she’d even met them she already hated them for exploiting an old man. Nicole was determined to find out what they had on him and make them pay for being so ruthless. And she could only do that in person. She wanted to see their faces when she exposed their crimes to the world.
Already predisposed to dislike these sharks, Nicole wasn’t prepared for the door to the investment fund’s offices to be opened by a shirtless man who looked fit enough to have walked right off the pages of a body-builders’ magazine. Her mouth fell open of its own accord and she gaped at him like a starstruck teenager who’d unexpectedly come face-to-face with her rock star idol. Nicole had sworn off men, period, but there was something about this prime specimen that caused her a moment’s regret.
She might have had her fingers terminally burned, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate the view. The lean, hard muscles in his broad chest tapered to washboard abs and she could have sworn she sensed psychic energy radiating from the man. Her gaze was drawn to the line of chest hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his shorts. The sight fascinated her and it seemed like a long time before she could force herself to look away again.
Get a grip, girl!
His long, tawny hair fell in sleek waves to his shoulders. His face was all planes and angles, giving the impression of strength of character and tough resourcefulness. No wonder he got what he wanted from people, she thought cynically. Beautiful people always did. Judging by his lazy smile as he scrutinized her, this one was obviously aware of his looks and charm and what they could achieve for him.
Well, it won’t wash with me, mister!
His eyes were a striking shade of amber, glowing with amusement as he watched her watching him. Nicole assumed he made this sort of impression on every woman he met. That, and the sound of his voice, brought her to her senses.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We’ve been expecting you for months.”
“Longer,” said another male voice. “We’d almost given up on you.”
Oh my word! Another shirtless male, equally as impressive, peered around the broad shoulder of his tawny-haired companion. This one had long, silver-gray hair, but he wasn’t old—probably no more than thirty. Perhaps he’d gone prematurely gray because his conscience troubled him about swindling old men. It was unlikely. People like him didn’t have consciences, but Nicole held that thought, dismissing the fact that he didn’t look much like a con man. If con men looked the part, all oily and slick, then no one would be taken in by them, would they?
The gray-haired man also had gleaming amber eyes—eyes that assessed her with open curiosity. She waited for the gleam to be replaced with indifference, a reaction which her appearance always created. So it should. She’d spent enough time ensuring that it did.
Annoyingly, neither of these two Adonises seemed the slightest bit disappointed by the way she looked. Presumably she was too insignificant to matter or, having gauged her initial reaction to them, their egos were boosted by her admiration. The thought brought her back to reality with a resounding thump. Besides, she absolutely didn’t admire them. At best they’d talked Gramps into investing with them when he obviously didn’t want to—hence the death bed angst that had blighted his final hours. She’d never forgive them for that. She didn’t even want to think about worst-case scenarios right now. For the time being she’d give them the benefit of the doubt, and the opportunity to explain.
If they could.
“You don’t even know who I am.” They flashed identical sexy smiles but said nothing. Shit, just looking at them made her pussy leak. “I’m Nicole Fox,” she said in a businesslike tone, extending a hand.
“Pascal Channing,” said the first guy, grasping her hand firmly, wrapping long fingers around her palm and taking his time releasing her hand again. “It’s a pleasure.”
Before she could recover from her reaction—a reaction that had nothing to do with business or dislike—the second man proffered a hand.
“Kai Sage,” he said. “You must be Charlie’s relation.”
“Yes.”
“You’re English,” Pascal said.
“Well, duh, like you say, I’m Charlie’s granddaughter and Charlie was as English as roast beef, so I guess that makes me English, too.”
“Don’t stand out here,” Pascal said, moving aside and motioning her in. “I expect you’re struggling for breath. Where did you park?”
“In the lot of a bar, the Cat’s Whiskers, I think it was called. All the parking in this street seems to be for residents.”
“You walked all the way from the Cat’s Whiskers?” Kai looked surprised. “You’re not even out of breath.”
“It’s not that far and I’m not exactly in my dotage.”
“No, but strangers can’t usually hack the thin air around these parts.”
“I’m glad you think I’m strange.”
“Hey, that’s not what I said.”
Nicole mentally castigated herself. She might not like these charlatans, but if she was going to get to the bottom of this mystery she would need their cooperation. “I did read that about this place and its odd atmosphere,” she said in a less acerbic tone. “But it seems I’m immune. My lungs feel a bit tight but nothing too bad.”
“Please sit down,” Kai said, leading the way to a pleasant sitting room with full-length windows overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. “Can we get you something to drink?”
“Just water, please.”
“Coming right up.”
“We’re sorry for your loss,” Pascal said, sitting across from her and fixing her with a sincere expression. “I never met your grandfather, but we spoke on the phone often. He seemed like a good guy.”
Nicole gulped back the lump that sprang to her throat. “He was the best.”
Kai returned with her water. “So, what brings you to our little neck of the woods, Nicole? Not that we aren’t pleased to see you, of course.”
This was surreal. They were treating her like a long-lost friend, and the odd thing about it was that she felt as though she already knew them. Jet lag had a lot to answer for. Presumably she’d come to her senses by the morning.
“When did you arrive in America?” Pascal asked before she could answer Kai’s question.
“Yesterday.”
“This your first visit?”
“Yes.”
“Then welcome, and we’re glad you chose Impulse,” Kai said with a predatory smile.
It hit her at that moment—the reason why she was getting the full treatment. Gramps had over a million quid invested in their hedge fund. They’d feel the loss of what was now her money if she chose to withdraw it. Well, that solved that little problem. She didn’t want to be flirted with or trade on her femininity—she knew from bitter experience what could happen if she did that—so she was glad, wasn’t she?
“I won’t take up much of your time. I can see you’re busy.” Although she couldn’t. They looked more as though they’d just enjoyed a day on the beach. “I’ve probably interrupted something important.”
“Darlin’, what you interrupted can be done any time.”
Damn it, the way Pascal focused his sexy eyes on her made her nipples solidify and her thoughts diversify into all sorts of inappropriate areas. It had been a while, but she didn’t want to think about that. This was business, nothing more. She was determined to get through it with her dignity intact and not fall for their reptilian charm.
“I’m not your darling, Mr. Channing
. I’m here to discuss my grandfather’s investment in your hedge fund.”
“Sure you are,” Kai said easily. “What do you need to know?”
She managed a tight smile that probably didn’t get anywhere near her eyes. “How long have you got?”
“You didn’t know about this, I take it,” Pascal said.
“The truth is, I didn’t even know my grandfather had any money, much less the amount he invested with you. It’s all been a bit of a shock.”
“I can imagine,” Kai said softly. “You lost a man who obviously meant a great deal to you and now you have to deal with all this. You’re wondering why he didn’t tell you about the money, and what else it is that you don’t know about his past.”
Shit, she absolutely didn’t want their sympathy or understanding. “Yes,” she said, addressing the comment to her folded hands.
“We’re glad you came,” Pascal said. “But it wasn’t necessary. You could have e-mailed or phoned. And if you want to withdraw your grandfather’s money from the fund, we can arrange that right away.”
Ah ha, they obviously thought she fell off a passing banana boat, trying to pretend they wouldn’t feel the loss of Gramps’s money. They were being nice to her, making out it didn’t matter, so she’d think twice about cutting and running. She wanted to tell them that she had their number, but refrained. She’d play the dumb female for the time being and see what shook loose.
“No.” She canted her head. “That isn’t why I came.”
“Then why?” Kai asked.
“Because I need to understand.”
* * * *
“Our mate’s English,” Pascal pheromoned. “Don’t you just lurve that accent.”
“Why is she hiding behind those hideous glasses?”
“For the same reason she’s wearing such shapeless clothes.”
“Okay, Einstein, what reason would that be?”
“Hell if I know, but I’m guessing she’s running from something and needs our help, the sweet thing. I hate to think of her being all alone and helpless.”
“Wish I knew why she can breathe our air.”
“She doesn’t have shifter blood,” Pascal pheromoned firmly, leaning close to their visitor and inhaling her scent. “She’s all human, I’d stake my life on that.”
“And all woman,” Kai agreed. “I can’t wait to see her properly.”
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Sorry,” Pascal said smoothly, realizing that he and Kai had been pheromoning for too long. The silence had stretched and she probably thought they had something to hide. “Now what is it that you need to understand precisely and how can we help you with that?”
“It’s not rocket science. I simply need to know why my grandfather chose to invest over half his money in a small fund such as yours.”
“We haven’t let him down,” Kai said.
“No, I can’t see that he had reason to complain about the returns on his investment.” She furrowed her brow. “My problem is, there are dozens of funds such as yours far closer to home. If he had any connection to this small corner of Florida, or if he even visited America for that matter, then I knew nothing about it.”
“And naturally you’re curious,” Kai said.
“More than curious. It’s downright weird.”
“Seems your grandfather didn’t tell you everything,” Pascal said. “But then everyone has secrets.”
“I’m not questioning his right to privacy, if that’s what you’re implying.” Nicole scowled at them both. “But if you were me, wouldn’t you want to know why he chose to risk so much with your fund? The rest of his investments were blue chip, safe as houses. It was out of character for him to do anything with such a large risk factor.”
“You’re cross because he risked your inheritance?” Pascal asked.
Her scowl intensified. “I didn’t even know that I had an inheritance. Far as I was aware, Gramps was living on his pension.”
“Ah, I see.” Pascal nodded slowly. “It wasn’t just a small secret he kept from you and you’re upset that he didn’t trust you.”
“No, I’m not upset precisely, but I do need to know what his reasoning was.” She regarded each of them from behind her unflattering glasses. “That’s why I’m here. Gramps told me to come when he was dying, but I didn’t realize what he meant at the time. I thought he was talking about his pulse.” Tears trickled down her face. “He kept saying he should have told me before now, should have explained.”
Pascal tried to pat her hand, but she shook him off. “Don’t upset yourself,” he said.
“I’m not upset. I just need answers so I can let Gramps rest in peace, and I’m not leaving here until I get them.”
“Good,” Kai pheromoned.
Chapter Four
She wasn’t the only one who needed answers. Pascal was after a few of his own, and not just in connection with her grandfather. He needed to know what their mate-to-be was so afraid of, who she was hiding from that required such a dowdy disguise, and what they could do to help her. The way to find out was to win her trust and not do anything to frighten her off.
“We never ask our clients why they choose to invest with us,” he said.
“I’m sure you don’t.”
“We like to think they recognize our fund as a good thing, but as your grandfather came in right at the beginning, I’m afraid that doesn’t apply in his case.”
“I’d figured that much out for myself.”
“Our fund has been running for ten years,” Pascal said, ignoring her sarcasm. “I wish I could tell you why your grandfather was drawn toward it. He was a financial advisor, so I guess he might have read something about it in the trade press. It’s not as though we launched it on the Dow Jones or anything like that.”
“You two can’t have been running the fund since its inception,” she said, her head shooting up as though that had only just occurred to her. “You’re too young.”
Pascal and Kai exchanged a glance. “We’ve been closely involved from the get-go,” Pascal said.
“Isn’t there anyone still around who actually got it off the ground?”
“No, not exactly.” Pascal wanted to tell her that she was looking at them, but knew she’d never buy it. Even if she did, it would require explanations he wasn’t yet in a position to offer her. She needed to be thoroughly checked out first, just to make absolutely sure she was who she said she was. “Tell you what, I’ll dig back through our records, see if it throws up any clues as to why he chose us. You’ve made me kinda curious about it myself.”
“That would be helpful. Thanks.”
“Our pleasure,” Pascal responded drolly, amused at how much effort it obviously cost her to thank them.
“How long are you staying in Florida?” Kai asked, one leg elegantly draped over the arm of his chair. Pascal wondered if Nicole knew she was staring at the full-on view she now had of the bulge in front of Kai’s shorts.
“As long as it takes,” she replied.
“Don’t you have work commitments?”
“Trying to get rid of me?”
“On the contrary, we want you to stay.”
Nicole expelled a long breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I guess you are just trying to help.”
“She doesn’t sound too sure about that,” Kai pheromoned.
“She’s too busy staring at your cock. Did you know that it’s standing to attention?”
“Can’t help it. It’s the way she looks at me, all angry and schoolmistressish. It’s a real turn-on. She can discipline me for misbehavior any time she likes.”
“I have my own catering business back in London,” Nicole said, sounding reluctant to reveal even that much about herself. “It’s quiet right now and my assistants can cover anything that comes up.”
Kai turned a chortle into a cough. “Not this they can’t,” he pheromoned, presumably referring to his woody. “It’s a definite case of all hands
on deck.”
“I guess you were busy over the Christmas period,” Pascal said, ignoring Kai, anxious to get her talking about herself. “That must have been tough on top of having to handle your grandfather’s death.”
“Actually it helped me get through it, having something else to think about, I mean. Nothing like catering a last-minute dinner party for sixteen of London’s elite to concentrate the mind.”
“I can imagine,” Pascal said softly.
Kai offered her a slow, sexy smile. “I’m glad you weren’t alone in your hour of need.”
She quirked a brow. “Why should you care?”
“God, she’s prickly!” Kai pheromoned. “We’re gonna have our hands full with her.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Just sayin’!”
“Where are you staying?” Pascal asked.
“I’ve checked into a hotel on the beach. The White Sands.”
“I hope Janine’s making you comfortable.”
“It seems fine.”
“You look beat. I guess the jet lag’s catching up with you. Your body thinks it’s the middle of the night.” Pascal stood up. “Why don’t you get some rest? Kai and I will do some sleuthing, see what we can find in our records about your grandfather’s investments, and see you later on. Have dinner with us and we’ll talk through our findings with you then.”
She hesitated, like she was trying to think of an excuse. “Dinner isn’t necessary.”
“You have to eat,” Kai pointed out.
“I think it would be better to keep this on a business footing.”
“Absolutely, wouldn’t have it any other way,” Pascal said with transparent sincerity. “We’ll pick you up at seven and make it a business dinner.”
“Well, okay, I suppose.”
She turned on her heel, opened the door, and let herself out before either puma could say good-bye. Kai fell back into his chair once she’d gone, looking dejected.