"Wait." Oliver's brow furrowed. "How can you afford to invest? Let alone dabble in penny stocks—which can be risky, by the way—on a deputy's salary?"
"Well, I do some coding and software development on the side in my spare time."
Eden put a hand on Rudy's arm. "He has a computer science degree as well as a criminal justice degree, Dad."
"Software development? I should hook you up with my friend Laurent at Innovative Solutions."
"No, you shouldn't!" Eden pitched forward in her seat. "I do not want Laurent Jordain anywhere near Rudy."
Rudy smiled at her vehemence, until her hand dropped possessively to his leg. Warmth immediately seeped through his dress slacks, and he found himself wishing Oliver would demand they kiss to prove they were committed to each other.
He cleared his throat. "Thanks for the offer, sir, but I'm quite content being a deputy. I'm afraid if I coded full time, I'd find it tedious and boring."
Oliver regarded him for a long moment before shaking his head—in disgust if the frown on his face was anything to go by. "You can stop calling me sir. Now, what kind of questions do you have about your investments."
Rudy shared with Oliver how he'd been investing for the past few years in low-risk, medium-yield stock options but that he was ready to take a little greater risk, and Oliver gave him advice on several different fronts, including corporate bonds and fixed indexed annuities. He listened intently to the older man's counsel and even pulled out his phone to take a few notes.
Eden cleaned her plate then fiddled with her napkin, folding it first one way then another. She must have been bored because she put her hand on his leg and drew little circles on his thigh. Visions of the more intimate fantasies he'd tried to block out earlier filled his head as warmth flooded through his body.
Did the woman have any idea of what her touch did to him?
He caught her hand midway through the third stroke. "Careful, darling, you're playing with fire," he said in a low voice. Then he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a lingering kiss to the back.
Eden's gaze jumped to his, and she watched wide-eyed as he kissed her hand. Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, and Rudy groaned inwardly.
He wanted to haul her onto his lap and kiss her until they both forgot their own names. Instead, he cleared his throat and smiled at Oliver. "I'm afraid we're boring Eden. Perhaps we should talk about something else."
Oliver's easy-going demeanor vanished, and he laid down his fork. His narrowed gaze locked on Eden, his jaw set. "Thereissomething I would like to discuss with Eden."
The authoritative tone in his voice instantly cooled Rudy's ardor.
Oh snap!
Was it too late to change the subject back to stocks and bonds?
CHAPTER17
Eden's stomach plummeted, and she braced herself.
Her dad always used that tone when he intended to control and micromanage her life.
A cold chill swept over her, and she gripped Rudy's hand tighter.
She'd hoped her dad's affable—yet boring—conversation with Rudy meant he'd truly changed. But she should have known he had ulterior motives when he invited her to dinner. Had his insistence that she bring Rudy only been a front to get her to agree to come home?
"I have a job lined up for you," her father said in his no-nonsense, I-expect-to-be-obeyed tone.
"Don't!" She held up a hand and scowled at him. "You promised you wouldn't bring up Dupont Analytics." Heat coursed through her body, hardening her stomach and tightening her chest. She couldn't believe how quickly he'd shifted gears, slipping right back into the same controlling person he'd always been.
"I'm not talking about you coming back to work for me." Bracing his elbows on the table, he leaned forward. "My friend Tad McAllister at Equity Health is looking for an executive secretary and personal assistant."
Those two titles tacked together were code for run-the-bulk-of-my-company and oh, by the way, I-need-you-to-pick-up-my-dry-cleaning-and-take-my-son-to-his-soccer-game-this-weekend.
No thank you!
"Dad, I'm not interested in working for Tad or any of your other colleagues."
"So, you plan to remain aimless and freeload off friends indefinitely?" His tone was full-on disapproval now, matching the deep V between his brows and the thin line of his pinched lips.
