“Sure, you keep telling yourself that. And while you’re at it, ask yourself why, when you encountered a problem, the first person you came running to was me.”
He got up from his chair and walked past her and out of the den, leaving her standing there, seething in silence. She refused to let the cruelty of his words sink any deeper. She had enough worries on her plate now. Our People, Our Homes had a fiduciary duty to report the theft of the money from their coffers to their donors and to the necessary authorities. Even though she’d been the innocent dupe, she had made her computer password available to Mark, and by doing so had given him access to the file where she’d kept the charity’s banking password and access code, as well. Both those actions had been in breach of her user agreement, which had been designed precisely to protect that kind of data.
Tami turned and made her way out of the house, barely even acknowledging Sanders’s polite “good evening” as he let her out the front door. What on earth was she going to do? For now, she still had a job to do at Richmond Developments, but in all honesty she couldn’t keep her initial intentions secret from Keaton anymore. If he knew the lengths to which her father was prepared to go to win whatever it was that he’d set his sights on, even going so far as to use his daughter, then maybe he could find out exactly how her dad had finagled their tender details so precisely. She had to tell him about the person her father had positioned in HR for a start. And who knew how many other spies he’d positioned within the company?
And then there was Our People, Our Homes. She had to tell them she couldn’t make good on her promise. Suddenly, the meeting she’d just had with her father seemed like child’s play compared to what she had yet to face.
* * *
Keaton was at his office long before the sun began to rise as he had been every day for the past week. He cradled his mug of coffee in both hands and stared out the window at the awakening city. He loved this place—the city, the state, the country. But most of all he loved Richmond Developments and he hated to see it crumbling on his watch. It didn’t matter that the responsibility was shared between himself and his siblings. It didn’t matter that it was circumstances beyond their control that had started the downward slide—it mattered that it was happening while he was at the helm and he was going to do whatever it took to make things right again.
And it mattered that they were still no closer to discovering exactly who had been behind the leaked information that had rocked them to their very foundation. As anticipated, the media had been having a field day with speculation about what had gone so wrong here at Richmond Developments.
He heard a sound in the outer office. It would be Tami. He wasn’t surprised she’d come in early. She’d been in early every day this last week, even over the weekend. At least that shell-shocked look she’d worn the day they came home from Sedona had finally left her, and each day she had done her best to offer as much support as she could. He thought about the way he’d spoken with her lately. He’d been abrupt on most occasions, which had been unfair. It wasn’t her fault that things had gone pear-shaped. He turned away from the window, set his mug on his desk and went through to the outer office.
She was settled at her desk, looking immaculately groomed in the dark navy suit she’d worn on her first day here. Corporate Tami was quite a change from the jeans and casual tops he’d grown accustomed to seeing her in while they were in Sedona, but no less attractive from his point of view, either. He snapped his mind back to attention. He was not going down that route. They’d drawn their line in the sand. Regrettably, his body hadn’t gotten the memo.
Even from the back, she stirred him. She’d swept her hair up into a tight roll at the back of her head, which exposed the slender, elegant line of her neck—a neck made for nuzzling, his libido teased him. A neck made to be ignored, his more pragmatic brain responded promptly. It would be best to face her, he decided, so he walked quickly around her desk. She looked up immediately.
Keaton felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. She looked terrible. Her skin was pale and there were violet shadows beneath her hazel eyes that spoke of yet another rough night. She was taking this hard. Guilt tore at his chest. Or had he done this to her?
“What can I do for you, Keaton?” she asked.
Even her voice sounded weary, and although she smiled there was nothing of the vibrant, cheerful character she’d demonstrated as they’d tackled challenge after challenge during their outdoor pursuits.
“Are you well, Tami?”
“You mean, I look like something the dog dragged in, right?”
There was a sardonic twist to her mouth that was out of keeping with the woman he’d come to know. The woman he’d kissed. The woman he’d wanted with every cell in his body, but denied himself.
“I won’t lie—you’ve looked better.”
This time her lips curved into a more genuine smile and a snort of laughter escaped her.
“Well, thank you, I think. I had a bad night is all,” she said, glossing over her shattered appearance. “Now, I imagine we have plenty of work to do today. Where do you want me to start?”
He was both relieved and disappointed that she was all business. The practical side of him started dictating a list of orders. Contracts that they needed to follow up on, tenders they were awaiting responses on, suppliers they needed to woo to ensure they received the best prices. By the time she got through the list he would hopefully have a stronger handle on where Richmond Developments would be heading in the next few weeks.
“Oh, and Logan and Kristin will be in shortly. Can you get someone to rustle up some coffee and breakfast bagels for us?”
“Of course. Is that all for now?”
He blinked. Wow, she was all business all right. “Yes, thank you. That will be all for now.”
Feeling as if he’d missed a golden opportunity, but unsure exactly as to what that opportunity was, he returned to his office and closed the door. She was different. Untouchable. No, that wasn’t the right word, she was eminently touchable, but there was a fragility about her right now that made him feel as though if he did touch her, she might shatter into a million tiny shards.
Surely, she wasn’t this invested in Richmond Developments already that losing the Tanner project had impacted her to this degree? Or maybe she really was. She’d certainly been interested about expressing her ideas when they’d discussed it during their first dinner in Sedona.
But all that bright enthusiasm had very thoroughly been quelled. Was that his fault? Had he been too harsh when he’d stepped away after that kiss? Of course he had. He’d been angry at himself for not resisting the temptation she offered—angry, even, at her for simply being there and tempting him in the first place. All of it had been unfair and unreasonable. They’d kissed. No one died. He could have handled it way better. He should be pleased about her obvious professionalism, given the fact that he’d been the one to reach for her and kiss her like a man starved of a lifetime of affection.
He picked up his coffee mug again and took a sip, then twisted his mouth in disgust at the now cold brew.
He’d been the one to pull back. He’d been the one to say he’d overstepped and that it wouldn’t happen again. She’d agreed. That was that. Done, dusted, over before anything could begin.
So why did he feel like he’d lost something special now? He had exactly what he wanted. Didn’t he?
Eight
Things were beginning to show promise, aside from the fact that they’d lost several more key staff members in the aftermath of losing the Tanner project. There was always more work to pitch for, even in a depressed market, and while things weren’t as buoyant as they would have been if they’d taken on the Tanner job, they weren’t exactly heading to the financial wall, either.
The main fly in Keaton’s ointment these days was the complete lack of so much as a thread of information to lead him to whoever had
fed their tender details to Everard Corporation. And that lack of information made Keaton edgy. Who could be trusted? It didn’t create the best working atmosphere, no matter how many teams they’d sent to Sedona. That said, at least they’d managed to patch up the wrenching hole that had opened up between them and their half siblings. And that had put them in an even stronger position when it came to pitching for projects nationwide. Their joint reputations counted for a lot and Keaton was eternally grateful that, for all that their father’s deception had destroyed, his children had had the grace and strength to pull everything together cohesively.
He and Tami were working late, again. Each day he’d given her the opportunity to leave on time, but she’d been dogged in her determination to match him hour for hour at the office. The shadows under her eyes remained, but were slightly less noticeable these past couple of days, but something still clearly troubled her. In those moments when she wasn’t one-hundred-percent focused on her work, it was as if her mind would drift somewhere else and she’d get a deeply worried expression on her face. If he asked her if anything was amiss, she’d merely cover it up, smile and say everything was okay.
But everything was very definitely not okay. With every day they worked together, he only wanted her more and that knowledge was like a thorn in his side. Other people made office romances work, but Keaton didn’t want to lay himself bare like that again. Trouble was, no one but Tami interested him in that way. Not a single other woman drew him to her, as she did. And when he thought about it, he hadn’t even felt this way about Honor. Their relationship had been convenient on every level, but not passionate. Not spontaneous. It had been structured and balanced and about as boring as a spreadsheet, now that he came to think about it.
Oh, sure, they’d have made things work, if they’d stayed together, but seeing her glow under Logan’s care and attention showed Keaton exactly how little they’d offered each other. He was glad for Honor now, even though it had meant her cheating on him for them to discover they weren’t right for each other. Occasionally, watching Honor and Logan together, it still stung just a little, but that was more a matter of pride than anything else.
With Tami, however, he’d struck a wall he had no idea of how to get through. A wall of his own making, he reminded himself as he looked up to see her enter his office. Keaton cast a look at the ornate hanging clock and was shocked to see it was already 9:00 p.m.
“Here’s that data analysis you and Fletcher asked for. Would you like to go over it first, before I send it through to him?”
“No, send it to me and I’ll go through it with him tomorrow. It’s late, we both need to call it quits for the day.”
“Are you sure? I still have those figures to run on the—”
“Tami,” he interrupted. “Stop. Sit.” He waited until she sat down in the chair opposite his desk. “Now, take a breath.”
“I take breaths all the time.”
“But you, and I, have been working double time in this past week. I think we both need to think about cutting back to normal hours.”
“Seriously, Keaton, that report will only take me a minute to—”
“Tomorrow,” he interrupted again. “Now, how about we go and grab something to eat together somewhere. I know you haven’t had dinner yet and I’m starved. How about it?”
For a moment he thought she’d refuse, but then she nodded.
“You want to go now?”
“It’s as good a time as any,” he said with a shrug.
“I’ll just go freshen up and I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
She was true to her word, and on her return he escorted her down in the elevator and out the front of the building.
“Good night, Stan,” he called to the late-shift security guard at the main counter.
“Good night, sir, Ms. Wilson.”
Tami smiled and gave the man a slight wave before turning to Keaton. “Are we going somewhere in walking distance?”
“No,” he answered and gestured to the car waiting outside. “I made a booking and called a ride. We deserve to go somewhere special after how hard we’ve both been working.”
“Okay,” she answered warily. “But I’m not dressed for anywhere too high-end.”
“It’s not, don’t worry. It’ll be good food in a great setting.”
When they pulled up outside the lakeside restaurant, he saw Tami’s lips curl up in a smile of approval.
“Oh, I love this place!”
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites, too. I love Asian fusion. The best of everything.”
They went into the restaurant and were quickly shown to their table. It was cramped quarters, but the glittering view out over the lake was second to none, and if the aromas from the kitchen were anything to go by, they were in for a treat. They didn’t waste a lot of time on the menu—both of them were hungry and ready to order the moment their server returned. Both of them eschewed wine, opting instead for mineral water.
“You’ve been working really hard, Tami,” he said as he leaned back in his chair as they waited for their dishes to arrive. “I really appreciate how quickly you’ve settled into your role.”
“I try my hardest to fit in.”
There was a hint of sorrow in her eyes and he hastened to assure her that she was doing great.
“Seriously, it was a lucky day for us when you started as my assistant.”
She didn’t hold his gaze, but fiddled with her napkin as if it was the most important thing on the planet right now.
“I can’t help noticing that you’re not yourself, though. Is everything okay?” he pressed.
As he expected, her lips lifted in an approximation of a smile. But he could tell that while she assured him everything was fine, something was still bugging her. Was it the kiss they’d shared that last night in Sedona? Or something else?
“Tami, you’d tell me if there was something bothering you, right? I mean, I know I can come across as a bit single-minded about things, but you can always approach me if you need to.”
“I know. And everything’s fine, just fine.”
* * *
If she said it often enough, maybe it would be true, right? The investigation had begun into the missing funds from Our People, Our Homes, and she’d been given an appointment time to go into the police station and answer questions. It wouldn’t be long before the news got out that she was involved, and once that happened, she’d no doubt be fired from Richmond Developments. It was strange, she thought. She’d been so nervous about her role working for Keaton, and thought she’d miss her work with the charity much more, but she found the cut and thrust of Keaton’s work fascinating from a peripheral perspective. And her support role was something she enjoyed and knew she excelled at.
Watching Keaton work was something in itself. He attacked things with purpose and with a clear result always in sight, and he wasn’t afraid to change direction if something wasn’t working. The support of Logan and Kristin in their roles as joint CEOs made the three of them even stronger and their style was so different to anything she’d witnessed before. Success-driven, but always with an eye to the social benefits their work would produce. She could see Richmond Developments and DR Construction rising from their current funk and reassuming their position among the strongest players in the construction and development markets. It felt great to be a part of that and she wanted to remain there. And the fact it was a metaphoric middle finger to her father gave her no small amount of satisfaction.
There was also the fact that working there paid very well and with limited savings and no other income to speak of, she needed the funds. She knew it wouldn’t last forever. Not when the truth came out, and as much as she wasn’t looking forward to it, she knew she had to come clean. Even if she hadn’t been the person who’d actually given her father the information, she had intended to. Living each day on tente
rhooks was taking its toll on her, but she also knew that if she’d just up and left immediately when they’d returned from Sedona it would have made her look even guiltier. No, she would tell him the truth, in her own time.
Her attention returned to the man sitting opposite her. She admired Keaton on so many levels and felt herself drawn to him more every day. It was all she could do to keep her head down and focused on her work each day, when all she wanted to do was relive that kiss they’d shared, right before he’d rejected her. No, that wasn’t fair. Even then, he’d done the noble thing and taken all the blame for their kiss. A kiss that lived in her subconscious and plagued her fractured sleep with the memory of his touch, his taste, his warmth. At least by doing her job to the best of her ability, she was making herself indispensable, proving she was capable of being an adult about their embrace and that she could carry on as if it hadn’t totally rocked her world. And that way, his suggestion that she either leave or take on another role within the company, away from him, would not come to pass.
And when he found out that her father had been responsible for her appointment? She swallowed against the fear that threatened to close her throat. She hoped that when she eventually told him that he’d listen to the truth that she never wanted to be a spy and that she wasn’t the cause of the loss of the Tanner project. But when her involvement with Our People, Our Homes became public knowledge...? She swallowed again. Living with the fear of him discovering her secrets was just about giving her a stomach ulcer. She could only hope that her diligence would speak volumes as to her dedication to both her job and to him.
Thankfully, their dishes began to arrive at the table and she was saved from further discussion as they started on their meal. Conversation fell away as they began to sample the dishes. Keaton ate the same way he kissed, with great attention to detail and savoring the minutest aspects. A swell of desire flowed through her, making her shift a little in her seat. She had to stop thinking about him like that, she growled at herself as she bit into a succulent shrimp and let the flavors dance along her taste buds. He’d made it clear there could be nothing between them, and given what had happened with Honor Gould, she wasn’t surprised.
Scandalizing the CEO--A Workplace Romance Page 9