“What? NO!” I shook my head emphatically. “No, I have no malicious intentions. No!”
He studied me for a while and then nodded. “I believe you.”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said, in a soft voice.
And then he smiled. “I would ask if you’re a corporate spy, but I think I already know the answer to that.”
“What’s the answer to that?” I asked.
“Well, let’s be honest. If you were a spy, you’re not a very good one. And I think if someone were trying to spy on me or the company, they would send someone who was actually good at it.” His smile grew, and I smiled back.
“Maybe that’s part of the plan,” I said. “Maybe I’m just throwing you off the scent by making you think I can’t be a spy because I’m so bad, but actually I’m a spy.”
He laughed and shook his head. “No, somehow I don’t think you’re a spy.” And then his smile faltered for a moment and he looked at me seriously. “Is there something I should know about you? For example, does having you work for me put my company in some kind of danger? Like you’re illegal in this country and I’m breaking the law by hiring you?”
I shook my head. “Nothing like that,” I said.
He continued to look at me with such purpose and intensity. As if he was trying to look inside me. This was it. This was my moment to come clean and stop the lie. I opened my mouth but closed it again. It was obvious he knew I was hiding something, but what would he think if he knew everything?
“Are you going to fire me?” I asked suddenly.
At this he smiled again. “No. Unfortunately not.” He looked back at the road.
“Unfortunately?” I repeated.
What the hell did that mean?
CHAPTERFIFTY-FIVE
Ryan
She looked so vulnerable this time. Her usual smiles were gone and she sat in the seat in a way that made it look like it was swallowing her tiny body up. He knew she had secrets, that was obvious, but for some reason he didn’t seem to care. But he knew heshouldcare—he’d found himself in this situation before, an employee with secrets—well, she was more than an employee, wasn’t she?
If he were an objective outsider looking in, he would tell himself that he was making the exact same mistake he’d made five years ago. Mixing business with pleasure, trusting someone with secrets, who’d only betrayed him in the end. But Doris was so different to his ex, who’d been calculating and ruthless in her lies and betrayal, whereas Doris wasn’t. Maybe he was being naive? Maybe he was trying to convince himself because he felt so damn attracted to her, intrigued by her? And God, he wanted to kiss her so badly right now . . .
“Can I ask you something?” he blurted.
“Uh, depends what it is,” she said.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well, if it’s very personal, I might not answer it.”
He laughed. “Doris, I think we crossed that line an hour ago when we started discussing what bra you were wearing.”
“True,” she said. “So fire away, I guess.” She turned in her seat again, pulling her legs up and making herself comfortable.
“Right.”Where to start?he thought. He took a deep breath. “When you were thirteen, were you, uh, kissing?” he asked tentatively.
“What?” She laughed.
“I’m being serious. I saw an article in one of my niece’s teen magazines on how to make out!”
At that, she laughed even more. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just . . . I don’t know. I guess I never imagined we would ever have a conversation like this.”
“Trust me, neither did I,” he said, feeling amused by it all now too.
“Well,” she said thoughtfully. “At thirteen that’s pretty much all you’re thinking about. Boys, dating them, kissing them, what they think of you, your changing body, hanging out with friends.”
