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Direct like a punch. There’s no way of wiggling out of answering her with either the truth or a flat-out lie.
I don’t even have a drink to take a swig from to stall. Instead, I hold her gaze and say, “Yes.”
Her eyes narrow to slits. “How? What do you have on Westwood to force his hand?”
Thomas takes it upon himself to answer. “Nothing shady, I promise. Westwood and I go way back. All my sage, older brother had to do was beg me for help.”
“You’re being plenty helpful right now, brother,” I mutter between gritted teeth.
Thomas theatrically places a hand over his chest. “I live to serve.”
Blake’s furious gaze shifts from me to my brother twice before she asks, “Who else knows about this?”
Ah, now I’m catching her drift. “No one, I assure you.”
She points a finger at both of us. “It’d better stay that way.”
Thomas, who never knows when to keep quiet, says, “I’m not sure I understand.” He quirks his brows in a picture of innocent bafflement. “Are you upset I got you an invitation to the most sought-after business conference in the world?”
“You bet I am.”
“Why? I mean what—”
“Thomas, shut up,” I interrupt before my brother can do more damage, but it’s too late. Blake is already on a roll.
“I am upset”—she pauses, flaring her nostrils—“because I wanted to get here on my own merits and not as a pretty girl the all-powerful Mercer brothers are trying to woo.”
Ah, hadn’t thought of that. I’d just assumed she’d get mad I was meddling in her life and business—even if in a positive way.
“Hey.” Thomas raises his hands defensively. “I’m not trying to woo anyone. I’m just doing my brother a favor. You know this is the first time in thirty years he’s asked me for anything?”
“And now I’m going to ask again,” I interject. “Please shut up, Thomas.”
Thomas takes a step back. “This is getting all too touchy-feely for me. I’ll leave you two happy campers to it.” At the glare Blake sends his way, Thomas makes a zipper-over-mouth gesture. “While keeping everything that trespassed between us strictly confidential.”
My brother bows flippantly again, this time also touching a hand to his forehead and then twirling it toward us before he straightens up and makes a beeline for the lobby, leaving me alone with Very Angry Blue Eyes.
“You had no right.” She goes on the offensive again the moment Thomas has gone.
I’d be scared if not for the fact she looks so cute when she’s angry. Better not share that thought since I’ve already royally messed up and underestimated the impact my actions could have on her self-worth. I get it, I hate it too when someone pulls my strings. But she backed me into a corner, what was I supposed to do? Give up? I don’t give up.
I fish for my most contrite smile. “Can you blame a man? I just wanted to see you again.”
She doesn’t relent or move a millimeter closer to me. “You could have just asked me.”
“And you would’ve said no.”
She takes a deep breath as if she’s trying to keep from blowing up further. “As is my prerogative.”
I smile dashingly. “You’re just mad I found something you couldn’t say no to.”
Gaze of steel boring into me, she huffs. “The conference is the only thing I won’t be able to say no to.”
Okay, now she’s starting to really touch my nerves. I take a step forward, crowding her personal space. “Don’t be so sure, Blake. I’m really hard not to like.”
She scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m finding that pretty easy.”
Now I go out on a limb as I lean even closer to whisper in her ear, “Are you sure about that?”
