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I stare at her, caught off guard. I wasn’t planning on having a heart-to-heart with Mel Atkinson today. Especially not after that stunt she pulled earlier, getting me riled up in front of everyone, then strutting away.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Yeah.” Running a hand through my hair, I stand and start to pace. “Zach…”
“That’s right, how’s he involved in all of this?”
“Zach is Roy’s stepson. All of a sudden, he’s decided he wants the company.”
“Out of nowhere? That seems a little improbable, Jenson.”
My jaw ticks. She’s right. “He’s tried a few times to get into it, to take over. But Zach is bad news. Wherever he goes, he destroys things. If he gets Dupont Analytics…”
I don’t even want to think about it.
“If he’s such a mess, do you really think Roy would hand the company over to him?”
I shrug. “I hope not, but…”
“But what?”
“But Roy doesn’t have much reason to believe I’d do any better. That I wouldn’t sell it off immediately. You see this tough exterior, Mel. How did you phrase it? ‘Rich and snotty.’ I guess I’ve never given Roy a reason to think I’m not just after the money. He needs to believe that more than profit matters to me.”
“But it does!”
“Yeah, but he hasn’tseenthat.”
She crosses her legs, lowers her chin, and pins me with her gaze. “Surely, you must have had someone in your life long enough for him to notice.”
I shake my head. Mel’s eyes widen, her face softening.
And that’s what kills this conversation.
I turn away before we can dig any deeper into my personal life. She has a kill switch; I have one too, and this is it.
I just can’t tell her the truth—that no one has ever stuck since her. That I’m worried Mel leaving messed me up so bad, I can’t give myself over to anyone else.
No.
In this situation, Mel Atkinson definitely can’t know that she’s my weakness. As far as she’s concerned, I’m the Ice Man.
Chapter11
Melanie
A week goes by in a flash, partly thanks to the ridiculous team building exercises. But it’s not all bad; they’re half day events at most, and Jade Lodge has an amazing spa. Both Jenson and I have taken advantage of it during our stay.
Nights are hard. It’s nearly impossible to sleep next to him. Neither of us could work up the courage to tell the other to get lost. We have a shared history, and it feels wrong to kick someone out of bed, so instead, I lie awake late at night and try not to think about his hands on my body.
I have no idea if he does the same. Probably not. His entire focus is on getting Dupont Analytics, and for good reason.
Zach has barely slowed down in his pseudo-pursuit of me. When Jenson steps away, Zach is there, ready to smirk and seduce. It doesn’t work; something about him makes my skin crawl. But I notice other coworkers watching, and it makes me self-conscious, so after a few days, I asked Jenson to stay close.
As we walk to the lodge ballroom, his hand is on my lower back again. Only this time it’s skin to skin.
The casual dress I have on is backless, tying at my neck in a halter style and draping to my knees in furls. A ridiculous thing I’d never normally wear, but a few people compliment me on it, including Roy. He’s warmed up to the idea of Jenson and me in the past week, joining us for meals a few times and laughing with Jenson during events.
“This is a bad idea,” Jenson mutters through clenched teeth. About twenty other people are joining us, which isn’t much. That makes us very visible.
“Why not? Everyone’s sure to notice us in a setting like this.”
