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“On?”
“There’s not a place in this condo that I don’t have nefarious plans for you.”
His admission made her clutch her cup against her chest.
“Have a look.”
Nerves on edge, she pushed through to a spectacular glass-enclosed sunroom. Marveling, she turned her head to take it all in—the views, several different places to relax, the hundreds of plants, and a waterfall that splashed into a pond filled with goldfish and koi. “This is impossible.”
“When you said you would have a difficult time leaving the bedroom, I think that’s because you didn’t know about this.”
Or the dungeon. “You’re right.”
“Jolly, temperature at seventy-two, please.”
“Oh now you want me?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “Was I a terrible person in my last life?” Then he leveled a hard stare at Kaylee. “And no damn comments about the current one.”
Kaylee struggled to suppress a laugh. “If this is the kind of interaction you have with Jolly every day, I consider that somewhere, somehow, justice is being served.” Maybe she’d send Julien Bonds a thank-you note.
Still, despite the chief of staff’s backtalk, warmth whispered from overhead vents. “This is why I suggested a warm beverage. In winter, it can be a little chilly. In summer, I can lower blinds to moderate the heat.”
By unspoken accord, she joined him near a set of four wicker chairs that were covered with thick, inviting yellow cushions. A small glass table was in front of the grouping which had been arranged to take advantage of the sight of a distant bridge.
She curled into one of the comfortable chairs, then covered herself with a blanket that was draped over the arm. “How do you ever leave to go to the office?” Much less spend so much time there?
“This is where I think, recharge. Work is for action. For righting wrongs.”
Studying this complex man, she drank some of her cocoa. The marshmallows had melted, and the drizzle coated the inside of the cup. Each mouthful was becoming sweeter and more potent.
“As the scandal unfolded, Mom had no one to turn to. Most of her social circle shunned her. For her, that was far worse than losing the house and other possessions. People she considered lifelong friends, including Greta’s parents? Gone. Her heartache was real. In the end, very few people attended her funeral.”
Kaylee winced. Her dad’s memorial service had been packed with people who shared stories of how he’d positively influenced their lives.
“I wanted to restore honor to my family and reestablish the resources my father squandered. It was built over generations, meant to help our descendants and others through a foundation.” He slammed his cup down. “No one had a right to gamble it away, one risky bet at a time.”
His problems were so different from hers that it was difficult to have any understanding. “It looks as if you righted the ship?”
“Not yet. But I’m on the way.”
She slid her mug next to his. “How did you do it?”
“I started my own management company, and I’m fortunate to be well connected.”
“Something to do with the owl on your duffel bag and in your study?”
“You are persistent.” His words seemed to land somewhere between a compliment and an irritation.
“It’s one of the traits that got me through school and is helping me climb the corporate ladder.” As well as continuing to push forward despite the financial hurdles in her way.
Frost pressed his palms together.
“I’ll look it up when I get home.”
“Of course you will.”
She leaned forward. “It’s a secret society, right?”
