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The difference being Huisman was doing good in the world. He’d been right. He and Huisman had a lot in common. Likely far more than he and Oakley. Dare had to wonder how much goodwill that might buy him. It was time to show his host he had a backbone.
“What do you want, Oakley? You brought me here for a reason, and I doubt it was simply to insult my parentage.”
“Hey, you’re hearing me all wrong. I was stating facts, that’s all. I admire you. I got no problem with women like your mum. I’m sure she was a real nice lady. Your father is the problem and you could be the solution,” Oakley insisted. “I think we could do some important work together, but your father insists we be rivals instead of friends.”
What exactly was going on? “I’m afraid my father isn’t good at making friends.”
“You could be better.”
“At being your friend?”
“I think all three of us could be friends,” Oakley replied. “Look, the world is a dangerous place these days. Lots of threats out there, and I’m worried we’re working against each other when we should be working together. For the good of humanity.”
Dare wasn’t that stupid. If Oakley wanted to work together, there was profit on the line. “Work together on what?”
Huisman studied Oakley for a moment. “I think he’s referring to a project I’ve been funding. I’m heavily invested in a company that’s working on vaccines for several emerging threats.”
There wasn’t a lot of money in vaccines. It made sense Huisman would be funding them. They were a nonprofit. The question was why was Oakley here. “And I can help how?”
“The Nash Group is funding a similar group,” Oakley explained. “It’s a small research firm. Tandy Medical. I think your company and Huisman’s are working on the same puzzle, and you each have different pieces.”
Tandy Medical wasn’t one of his accounts. He would have to look it up. Brian might know more, but it wouldn’t matter. “I’m afraid my father doesn’t believe in team ups, but I can certainly look into it for you.”
“Oh, he’d love to team up with Huisman, wouldn’t he?” Oakley asked.
“It’s not the same. Huisman isn’t a rival,” Dare pointed out.
“We’ll see about that. And I meant what I said about chaos. There’s opportunity in chaos. It’s a lesson I learned from a young age.” Oakley’s eyes seemed to catch on something. “But this is a discussion we should have when you come out to my place. Right now I’d like to get to know you, see if I think we can work together. Although I don’t need a discussion to know I can work with you, love.”
Tasha was back, and she sent Oakley a wry smile. “I bet that’s true, but I’m on vacation.”
She leaned over and kissed him, announcing to everyone exactly who she was with.
He wanted to drag her onto his lap and feed her himself.
Tonight. He could let his caveman out tonight.
For now, he would play the professional businessman. Oakley started flirting with Tasha.
And Dare began a real conversation with Huisman.
Chapter Eleven
Nate held the door open and Tasha entered the suite, ready to get to the bathroom and remove all of the devices she’d taken from Lou. The last thing she needed was Dare to want some afternoon fun and, oops, she sedated him on accident. Not something that would likely happen. She would have to prime the sucker, but it wasn’t unheard of.
“Stay here.” Nate didn’t actually have to say the words, but he seemed to enjoy ordering everyone around. She’d never seen him play, but she knew he would be a hard top.
She gave him a jaunty salute as he moved through the suite, checking to make sure there wasn’t some nasty surprise waiting for them. Or rather pretending to look since they’d bugged the place, and anyone who broke in would have been caught by Lou long before now.
She’d had to be careful with the microdoser. Oakley had hugged her at the end of the lunch, and she’d thought about dosing the fucker just for fun.
But after, there hadn’t been time to peel it off. She should have gone to the bathroom, but Dare had hurried her out. He’d been buzzing about talking to Huisman and how the man had plans to change the world.
It did not escape her attention that she should have been talking to Huisman, collecting observations about the man. It was literally why she was here, but instead she’d made the choice to help her boyfriend.
She’d broken Ian Taggart’s rule—Thou Shalt Not Think with Your Pussy.
Or dick. That one was flexible. It all depended on the gender identification of the operative her father thought was fucking up the mission.
“Damn.” Dare stopped in the foyer, staring down at his phone. “I have to go meet a colleague down in the conference hall. He’s got some data for me and he’s catching a plane in a couple of hours, so I can’t put him off. I’m sorry. I was hoping we could spend the afternoon together.”
