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ChapterSixteen
“We’ve got a problem.”
Gage looked up as Matt walked—stomped, was probably more accurate—into his office.
“We really need to work on your greetings. Because that one’s not only old and tired, but it’s also inaccurate. Every time you saywehave a problem, what you really mean isIhave a problem.”
“Or youaremy problem,” Matt corrected.
“What did I do this time?” Gage asked, hoping his brother, who seemed too damned omniscient, hadn’t found out about his…affair with Penny. Gage hated the wordaffairthe second he thought it, but he was incapable of giving it any other name.
“I told you to take care of the Penny Beaumont issue weeks ago.”
It took him a second to realize his brother was talking about the headhunters, and he hadn’t come here to bitch about the sex lessons. Gage scowled. “And I did.”
“Is that so? I just got back from a late lunch with John Kelly.”
John was as close to a friend as Matt came, the two men rooming together in college. In anyone else’s world, John would be the equivalent to the buddy a guy met up with every six months or so for a golf outing, even though any common bond between the two had long since died and all they had now was a brief shared history. In John’s case, Matt wouldn’t spare the four hours for a golf match, so he had to settle for the occasional lunch.
Gage figured the only reason John was even still a blip on his brother’s radar was because the two men were both successful businessmen with common interests—and for some strange reason, John refused to give up on the friendship.
“I fail to see a connection between John Kelly and Penny Beaumont.” Gage feigned disinterest, not willing to let his mask slip even a millimeter lest Matt sniff out something he shouldn’t.
Matt was clearly pissed, because rather than sit in the chair across from Gage’s desk, he placed his hands flat on the surface and leaned forward. “John’s expanding his IT department. He was thrilled to get Penny’s resume a couple weeks ago. He asked me for a damn reference!”
“A couple weeks ago?” Gage repeated. “That’s not possible.” Two weeks ago, he’d agreed to fulfill the wager. Hell, he’d taken her virginity.
“Did you or did you not convince Penny to remain with Russo Enterprises?”
“I did. She agreed to wait until her upcoming annual review, at which point we planned to discuss her salary, the benefits package, and the possibility for advancement within the company.”
Matt scowled. “Well, clearly you weren’t convincing enough if she’s sending out her resume. It’s one thing for headhunters to be gunning for her. Another for her to put out her own feelers.”
There was no way Penny would do that.
Was there?
“Are you sure John had the right name?”
Matt crossed his arms. “Oh yeah, I’m sure he just pulled the name ‘Penny Beaumont’ out of his ass. Her reputation precedes her. He knows she’d be the feather in any company’s IT cap. I think he was trying to subtly brag that she was interested inhiscompany over mine.”
“Ours,” Gage corrected. “And I can’t believe she’d send her resume out after agreeing to wait.”
Matt loomed even closer. “Fix this.Now. Before John Kelly or Frost Incorporated or some other fucking company swoops in and steals her.”
Gage reached for his phone, the idea that Penny would betray him—no, the company—finally sinking in. His temper piqued.
“Penny Beaumont,” she said when she answered, in that tone that was equal parts sweet and seductress.
“I need to see you in my office. Now,” Gage stressed.
He could hear the eye-roll in her voice. “Printer again?”
“Dammit, Penny. Hurry up,” he said, slamming the phone down.
Matt had been the picture of fury when he’d stormed into Gage’s office…but his expression was different now.
“What?” Gage asked hotly, furious that Penny would do this, especially after everything they’d done together.
