“Not your mother?”
“She passed away nearly seven years ago.”
“Oh I’m so sorry.”
Another heartfelt sorry. “Thank you,” Harrison said. “My father will probably ask you several questions, of course. But I’m certain you can handle them. And after that we’ll see. Nothing is guaranteed.”
“Your father may hate me and leave his fortune to your brother because you chose me.”
“He might,” said Harrison, “but I rather doubt that.”
“He’s not a racist?”
“I’ve never seen any indication of it. Quite the opposite.”
Jayda didn’t know what he meant by that, but it didn’t matter. Nobody’s a racist until that group shows up in their homes or inner circles. Then the knives tend to come out.
But Harrison was right. She wouldn’t like it, but she could handle it. And her job, her career, her future was on the line too.
“It’s not something I want to do,” she said, “but I feel it’s the right thing to do for you and me. And those tens of thousands of people that will lose their jobs if this doesn’t work.”
Harrison knew she was the right one. “You summed it up correctly. And thank you for helping me.”
“I’m helping myself too. That’s more the reason why I’m doing it. If there was no good job for me at the end of this, I would leave you high and dry. I’m not gonna lie.”
Harrison laughed out loud. “Thanks a lot!”
Jayda smiled too. “I’m just keeping it real. Just keeping it real.”
His smile left, and he stared at her. “And that’s exactly what I want you to do. Be yourself. Dress the way you normally dress. Talk the way you normally talk.”
“Or your father will see right through me?”
Harrison nodded. “Yes he will. And so will I. And I rather have the real you than a fake you.”
“Didn’t you see me at dinner? I don’t know how to be fake even when it’ll help me.” Then she scrunched up her face. “I just hope I know how to pretend.”
Harrison stared at her. Then made up his mind. He stood up and extended his hand to her. “It’ll be a start if you stay the night with me,” he said.
Jayda looked at his hand and then looked up at him. “How is that supposed to help?”
“We need to be more familiar with each other. If you know what I mean.”
Her entire body went hot when he said those words. She’d already proven she was attracted to this man. He’d already proven he was attracted to her. But would it really help them later, or just now?
“I promise not to touch you that way,” he said. “But I’m tired, I have a slight headache. I need to rest.”
She didn’t believe for a second that he would keep his hands off of herthat way, but that, to her own shock, wasn’t a deal breaker for her anyway. He turned her on unlike any man had in a long time. Kenny turned her on, but only in the bedroom. This man turned her on in ways she couldn’t even explain. And the idea of being with him didn’t upset her at all. And maybe he was right: They needed to be more familiar with each other.
She took his hand again.
He led her to his staircase, placed his hand on her lower back, and led her to his bedroom.
Even she knew when they entered those double doors, and he closed those doors behind them, that there was no turning back now.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“What do you mean he’s taking somebody else?”
