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It doesn’t take me long to locate Bill. He’s back in his study, at the very end of the lower level, overlooking the stables and the frozen pond at the bottom of the back lawns, and the driveway on the other side. When I knock and enter, he looks up from where he is seated at his desk.
“The girls just left.”
He nods, stroking his chin.
“Mission accomplished,” I grin at Bill, and he winks at me.
“You probably think that I’m a meddling old fool,” he groans, shifting in his seat. I mean, maybe, but they also weren’t what I would want for my nephews. I shrug as I move to his desk, where he’s pulled out his medication.
“Having spent two weeks with those women, I think Max and Ryan might be better off without them,” I tell him wryly as I snap on the rubber gloves and measure out the liquid in the syringe. After I inject him, and tidy away the evidence, I turn to him, pursing my lips.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t get rid of them sooner. So Jane didn’t have to get hurt.”
Bill waves his hand dismissively at me. “My nephews play things close to their chests. They’re a tight-knit bunch, even though I sent them all over the country to learn how to run my empire.”
I smile indulgently at him. He might order them around, but the way he talks about his nephews… it’s obvious he cares deeply for them.
“I always knew that it was going to be difficult to get them to open up to a stranger. Especially when I’m not letting you tell them the whole truth about yourself.”
Well, Tim kind of guessed. I shrug again, moving toward the door.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” I ask, one hand on the doorknob.
He waves me away, turning to look back at the view. “No. You relax. See if you can chat with my nephews.”
That’s not relaxing, but okay. I bite back a sigh and leave the room, closing the door tightly behind me. I really don’t want to snoop on them. Not after the extremely hot kiss Tim and I shared. Not to mention the fact that I told him he could come to my room tonight.
I’m a big girl. I know that means we’re going to have sex. I can’t wait. I’ve been dreaming about Timothy Brooks Westerhaven being in my bed almost the entire time I’ve been here. And tonight? Well, tonight it’s going to be a reality. I hope it lives up to the hype in my head.
They are all in the smaller lounge room, overlooking the stables at the back of the house, near the mudroom Tim and I had our moment in. It feels like I’m intruding when I step into the room, my booted feet sinking into the sumptuous red carpet that covers almost the entire room. Of all the rooms in this house, this is one of my favorites. It has a cozier feel that the bright, cream-patterned drawing room with its glittering chandelier.
I sidle in and am met with four unfriendly glares and Tim’s slight smile. Call me a soppygirl, but Tim’s smile makes the rest of it bearable.
“Go away.” Ryan glares at me. Ouch. I flinch away at the anger in his tone. I know it sucks that his girlfriend physically hurt someone and was subsequently ejected from Bill’s home, and the vacation, but that’s not my problem.
“Lay the fuck off, man,” Tim snaps at him. A surge of warmth shoots through me. He’s protecting me, in a way. That’s sweet. No one protects me. Ever. I look out for myself. But feeling like Tim might have my back against his precious cousins… is heartwarming.
“I just don’t know why the fuck she’shere,” Ryan snaps back at him. I know Bill didn’t want me to tell them, but Tim already guessed. I figured the rest of them would know by now. He’s had ample time to tell them while I was in Bill’s study.
I blink in surprise when Tim shrugs, patting the sofa next to him to indicate that I should sit down there. Huh. He hasn’t told them who I am. I confirmed his suspicions earlier, and he hasn’ttoldthem. Another surge of warmth flows through me, and I walk over, dropping onto the sofa next to him.
“You haven’t told them?” I murmur quietly, so only he can hear, and his pinky finger brushes against mine on the sofa between us and my heart leaps. And other things clench.
“You told me in confidence,” he mutters back, not looking at me. I bite my lip. Holy freakingshit. Bill was right; the five of them are insanely close knit. Him not telling them, that means something. I have no idea what, butsomething.
“I’m here because I’m Bill’s PA,” I announce loudly to the room. It’s kind of funny how four heads jerk around to look at me in shock.
“Why the secrecy?” Maxwell asks at last. Uh, well, I’m not entirely sure of Bill’s exact motives, but I can think of one thing, and cock a brow at him, a smirk tugging at my lips.
“Maybe he wanted to see how you would treat a random guest of his?”
Maxwell has the grace to flush.
Chapter Nine
Timothy
Angie’s suggestion is met with a long beat of silence until Beau breaks it, blowing out a long breath. “So, you’re not here because he wants you to take over one of the five businesses?”
