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They were certainly an upgrade from James and his burly hands.
She took another gulp of wine. Maybe getting drunk was the answer.
“Brooke, Tyler and I want you to know you are our guest during this arrangement. That’s the most important thing”
“Guest?” she sputtered on the wine. “A guest who can never leave? A guest who didn’t accept an invitation?”
She saw the look that transpired between them.
“We don’t have that level of trust yet,” Lee explained. “The terms of the arrangement are that you are to remain in Tyler’s custody for sixty days. I don’t see why as time goes by you can’t start to have more freedom. That has to be earned of course.”
Her eyes darted to Tyler. “This is your debt Niall has to pay? You wanted a prisoner?”
He nodded. He didn’t bother to hide his smile. “The best game of poker I’ve ever won.”
“Poker? I’m here because of poker? A stupid game of poker,” she muttered under her breath.
Lee shook his head. “Jesus, Tyler. Do you have to be an ass from the get-go?” He traded seats so he could sit next to Brooke. Lee seemed to be the more level-headed one between the two.
“Tyler and I are business partners. Co-CEOs to be exact.”
“I know all about StarCon Global. I hate to admit it, but I used to study your graphic arts department.” She bit her tongue. She had studied more than their graphics, but that was a secret she had to keep.
“Really?”
Brooke nodded. “I said I used to.” That was in the past.
Lee bit the inside of his cheek and turned toward Tyler. “What’s your background Brooke?”
“Are you saying you didn’t get a bid sheet on me?” she mocked. “You don’t have every sordid detail about who I am and what I have to offer? Come on, you had to be more thorough than that.”
“I was hoping for something more personal. Something about you.”
“I’m Niall McIntosh’s cousin,” she answered reluctantly.
“No, not that. What are you interests? Skills? Did you go to college? Tell us something about yourself.”
The wine made her feel fiercer than she actually was. The adrenaline had started to fade and she was nervous. She didn’t know if she could handle these two tycoons.
“Yes I graduated the top of my class with a visual arts degree. Why? Are you trying to figure out if that deducts points because I might have operating brain cells? Does that intimidate you?”
Lee pressed his lips together. “No. I like a smart woman.” He rubbed his chin. “I thought you might be interested in a job while you are here.”
Tyler leaned forward. “Lee, we haven’t discussed this. What did you have in mind?”
The men turned toward each other. “We need an artist to design the logo and complete the interface for the Foundation,” Lee answered.
“But that’s a high-level campaign. I’ve been considering candidates for weeks. It’s the pinnacle of our comeback.”
Brooke leaned back in her chair while they discussed her. It was no different than Niall.
“She’s here. She has a degree. I think we could use a fresh take on the art,” Lee argued.
“This isn’t the type of project that can be completed in sixty days. It’s our cornerstone.”
Lee smiled. “Perhaps, she’s the type of artist who would like the challenge and would stay beyond the requirement.”
His sapphire eyes landed on hers and her heart stilled. As much as she had tried to be unaffected by them, it wasn’t working.
