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“Jess?” The loud piercing cry shattered his earlobe. He almost dropped the cup from his hand.
“What the—?”
It was his sister, Lee, his house guest. He was beginning to have regrets about agreeing for her to stay with him for a while as her house got renovated. She was always on his back one way or the other.
“What are you doing up at this hour?” Her eyebrows furrowed while her dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lee hastily adjusted her pink fuzzy dressing gown and rubbed her hand over her head of rollers and tied scarf. Her matching pink fluffy slippers and matching pink rimmed glasses were quite a sight. But he loved his sister, though sometimes she got on his last nerve.
Is she forgetting this is my house? She is a guest on my turf. I could get up any hour of the night if I want to.
She looked older than her 55-years. Her lips were mostly pinched. She rarely smiled. She always reminded him of a strict old-time school teacher. She pretty much felt more like a strict stepmother who treated him as naughty child than someone who was a grown man who could hold his own court. Heck, he was CEO of his own company.
“I should be asking you the same thing, Sis.” A grin touched the corner of his lips as he pried his eyes open and raised an eyebrow.
She recoiled and narrowed her eyes further. They never really grew up together. His father left Lee’s mother and married a younger woman, Jess’s mother. Somehow Jess got the feeling Lee wasn’t too keen on him from the beginning. Still, he managed to warm up to her and she did defend his honor in that awful scandal.
Lee’s home was damaged in a storm and was going under major renovation. Sometimes, Jess thought that Lee could use a little personality renovation, too! But he didn’t dare say it.
“You’re not still thinking about going down to Tandor Island for that photo shoot, are you? Waste of time.” She pinched her lips, walked over to the kettle, switched it on and turned around to face Jess. Waiting for an answer.
Oh, great. She wants to talk business at this hour.
“Already told you, Sis. That’s not subject to negotiation.” He took a sip of his drink which suddenly tasted bitter rather than refreshing.
“Everything’s subject to negotiation, darling baby brother.”
“Not a baby, Lee,” he forced back, annoyance swept across his face.
“Fine. Fine. But you have to realize Hot Spot and that woman who owns it, is causing us more trouble than she’s worth. Who are you going to have head that new project of hers? That extravagant launch.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Alexa.”
“What?”
“You mean…who?”
“I know what or whom you are talking about,” she fumed, dismissively. “But why? Why her? She’s only a coordinator.”
“Until tomorrow.” Jess swigged down the rest of his drink then placed the cup in the sink. “She’ll be account manager.”
“You’re not going to wash that out? You know how I hate to see dishes in the sink.”
Jess paused. He could not believe his sister. “Need I remind you Lee, this is my house, and my kitchen sink.”
“Whatever,” she dismissed. Once the water in the kettle bubbled up and whistled, she poured herself a cup of tea. “I still think you’re making a big mistake. I don’t think she’s ready. Besides I thought we agreed that she’ll work up to account executive and stay in that role for at least two years.”
“I disagree. Why have her waste her talent and time. Alexa’s very ready. She’s worked damn hard on all those other accounts and she’ll be completing her masters soon. She’s got what it takes. She’s an asset to the company.”
“I don’t think so. She takes way too long on client projects.”
Jess wrinkled his eye brows. “So she’s a bit of a perfectionist. Just where are you going with this, Lee?”
“Never mind. I just want you to be focused on your duties. Not—side tracked by a pretty young face.”
Jess’s lips tightened into a hard line. Shaking his head and narrowing his eyes, he walked over to his sister. “Let it go, Lee. Not every young woman in the firm is out to seduce me. Besides, she’s the last thing on my mind where that’s concerned. Okay?” he said as he lovingly held her shoulders and gave her a hug.
With a peck on the cheek, he said, “Good night, Sis.”
He really didn’t want to go through this all night. But truth be told, he thought about Alexa a lot. He kept that information to himself. She was totally, completely, irrevocably—off limits! Period.
Though she seemed different from the rest, no way in hell was he going to date, or see an employee and risk having his heart slit again and his reputation damaged. His career and reputation were all he had now.
