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Four
At eight the next morning, Violet found JT in the room he’d dubbed his playroom. She paused just outside the door, needing a second to collect her wits before approaching him.
Clad in worn jeans and a black cotton button-down shirt, he was bent over what looked to be an antique pool table. With his left hand, he rolled the eight ball toward the far bumper and caught it as it returned, all the while studying the papers scattered over the table’s beige felt. The briefcase she’d filled with Tiberius’s files sat empty on the floor beside his bare feet.
Being confronted by so much casual masculinity first thing in the morning wasn’t fair. Especially not after she’d lain awake staring at the ceiling until the sun starting lightening the horizon, regretting that she’d kissed him, wishing she’d dropped her towel when he confronted her on the pool deck. Her conflicting desires were tearing her apart. She’d have to choose one path and commit to it.
“Did you get some tea?” he asked without glancing her way.
His question made her realize she’d been silently staring at him for far too long. “Your housekeeper made me a cup. It’s delicious.” She didn’t need to ask why his kitchen was stocked with four different blends of green tea. She already suspected the house saw a lot of guests. While in Miami, JT had been known for his parties. She doubted much had changed in the last six years. “Find anything that might help us?”
“My uncle accumulated copious amounts of information and enjoyed making detailed notes on all his business dealings. Every share he bought is documented. What I’m missing is the informati
on on the family members who turned him down.”
She drew close enough to the table to see that he’d created two lists of names. From past experience she knew how much Tiberius loved to collect information. The files from his home office overflowed with details—some of them helpful, most of them too trivial to waste time on.
“Let me help. Maybe I can speed things up.”
She waited for him to acknowledge her offer, but he remained lost in thought. Had he not heard her, or did he want to handle everything himself? If it was the latter, too bad. She’d come up with this plan and intended to be involved at every stage. Running her gaze down JT’s list of relatives who still owned their stock, she saw he’d notated which ones were definitely in Preston’s pocket.
“You should know Paul and Tiberius had a huge argument three years ago,” she said, indicating his mother’s cousin. “Something about a rare comic book that Tiberius and Paul supposedly bought together using Tiberius’s money when they were eight. Paul kept the comic book, but never paid Tiberius for his half and now it’s worth like ten grand.”
She shook her head. No matter what the comic’s worth, it was silly to still be feuding about it all these years later, but Tiberius wasn’t one to forgive a slight. She glanced at JT’s strong profile. It was a characteristic Tiberius shared with his nephew.
“Thanks.” JT made a note next to Paul’s name and returned to the file he’d been reading.
“You’ve gotten a lot done.” She assessed how he’d organized the files, and then pulled five out to make a third pile. As she finished, she noticed JT’s glare. “What?”
“I had a system.”
“And now it’s better.” She flipped open the top file and pointed to a gossip article about his third cousin. “Casey is in the middle of a nasty divorce. He has a mistress with very expensive taste tucked away and I believe she sees herself as the next Mrs. Casey Stone. Then there’s the problems he’s been having with his investment firm. He’d probably be receptive to an influx of cash.”
JT looked no less displeased. “My father has done several favors for Casey. He has no interest in selling his stock to me, nor would he throw his votes in my direction.”
Violet opened her mouth to argue, but decided from JT’s set expression that she’d be wasting her breath. Instead, she set Casey’s folder aside and opened the next one. She sifted through several documents before arriving at the one she wanted. “Your great aunt Harriet has recently come under the influence of a rather clever con man who has convinced her to fund his charity in New Orleans.” Seeing the flicker of interest in JT’s gaze, she sidled closer. “I can be a big help. No one knew the way Tiberius’s mind worked better than me. Did you know that over the past thirty years Tiberius had collected a storage unit full of Las Vegas history? Some of it was significant. Most of it was trivial nonsense. He left the entire collection to Scarlett for her Mob Experience exhibit.”
“I’m sure that’s fascinating, but you’ve done enough.” He pushed away from the pool table and nodded toward the open door. “Have Pauline fix you some breakfast. I’ll take you back to Fontaine Chic when you’re finished.”
She repressed a protest. Assuming he’d accept her as his business partner just because she’d come up with the idea of getting married was shortsighted. A man as closed off as JT wasn’t going to jump at the chance to work with her. If she didn’t accept that, frustration was going to make her crazy.
“Before we head back to town, there are a few things we should talk about.”
“Such as?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“How would you like me to explain this?” She held up her left hand and indicated the ring with her right pointer finger.
For a moment he didn’t speak, just stared at the ring. “However you’d like.”
Violet gnashed her teeth and tried a different approach. “What are you planning to say about our impulsive wedding last night?”
“If it comes up, I will say we’ve been involved for almost a year, but we’ve been keeping it quiet.”
“And that’s it?”
“I do not expect anyone will press me for details.”
“Truly?” How could he not comprehend people’s curiosity? “You don’t think someone will ask where we met? How long we’ve been seeing each other?”
