“And I’m sorry if I did anything to you... while we were on the bed.”
She nodded again, but her gaze dropped to his throat.
“But mostly,” he said, cupping her chin and lifting her face until she looked into his eyes, “I’m sorry because...” He paused briefly. “Because I’m not going to fall for yours and Mary’s blackmail scheme.”
He moved away from her so fast, she stumbled from the loss of support his body had given her. Nicole’s mouth hung open in shock. Even her eyes widened.
“Wh-what did you say?” she asked.
Mick quickly turned off the nice-guy act and switched to his angry side. “You heard me.” He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. “I wasn’t fully awake, but I still heard what you and Mary had wanted to do. I know that’s why you look the way you did, and why I’m half naked.” He cocked his head. “And you can’t deny what you and your friend have done. I’m sure I could have the hotel show me their security video of the hallway, and I’d bet a million dollars, you opened the door and let your friend inside.”
Nicole’s face hardened and she bunched her hands into fists. Her breathing grew rapid again but for different reasons this time. Her nostrils flared as she glared at him.
“We might not be able to blackmail you with those pictures, but I assure you, Mr. Remington, you have crossed the wrong people when you came to Maple Springs in hopes of taking over Adkins Dev-Tech.” She shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. “I willnotlet you take away my inheritance. You’ve met your match in me, Mick Remington!”
SIX
“Oh, Nicole! Tell meyou didn’t say that.” Mary gaped at Nicole as if she’d grown another head. “Why would you tell an all-powerful man like Mick Remington that he’d met his match?”
Nicole paced the floor in her office, threading her fingers through her hair as her mind replayed everything that had happened with Mick on Friday night. Guilt was a heavy burden to carry. She shouldn’t have done what Mary had wanted her to do, but... she didn’t think there was any other choice.
“I couldn’t stop myself from telling him that, Mary. I was so mad. I was shocked that he’d known what we had been doing. And well...” She stopped in front of her friend and frowned. “I was desperate. You would have said the same thing.”
Mary sighed and moved to the black leather office chair and plopped her butt down. She swiveled toward the large window on the third floor that overlooked the mountains.
“You’re right, of course.” Mary nodded. “I would have said something like that, too.” She peeked at Nicole over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess. Blackmailing him was the only thing I could think of doing. I guess we are all helpless when it comes to that man. When has a Remington ever lost?”
Nicole moved to the high-back, leather chair behind her large oak desk, and sat. Two years ago, her grandfather had made her manager of Human Resources. She loved her job most of the time. But her grandfather thought she could run the high-tech company he’d started fifteen years ago that had quickly grown, making James Adkins a rich man. Even now she had doubts that she’d be able to fill his shoes.
“I don’t know how to stop him, Mary.” Nicole’s voice broke. “But I know that if he takes over, he’s going to break up the company and sell it to different companies – just as he’s done with everything he handles. I can’t let him do that. Do you realize how many people will be unemployed?”
Mary nodded. “Most of Maple Springs.”
Nicole groaned and rubbed her pounding forehead. “I feel like the weight of this company rests on my shoulders. I don’t want my grandfather to think I’m a failure. There must be a way.”
“You’ll think of something. I just know it.” Mary smiled and stood. “Well, my break time is over. I don’t want the boss to fire me for taking long breaks.”
