His gaze flicked up to meet hers. “That’s not what it looks like.”
“Let me guess,” she said sweetly. “You’re good at your job, too?”
He rested his gaze on her. “I am good at my job.” He added softly, “And aside from that, I prefer to enjoy women oneat a time.”
She didn’t answer, but she lost some of the hardness in her expression. What was going on in her mind right now? Did she like more than one man at a time? The idea boiled in him. Hell, no. But that was the last thing he should be getting upset about right now. Nothing was going to happen between them again. Not a bloody thing.
He leafed through the rest of the photos and articlesuntil he came to one that made him stop. It was a single photo with no words. There was no other indication of where it came from except for a long web address at the top of the page.
“Where did you find this?” he snapped.
Jackson took the paper from his hand and studied it. “I’m not sure about this one. We ran a search on the company’s name and all your team members’ names and printedout everything we came across from this last year. Why are you asking?”
“That’s not a client. That’s Derek Latu with his wife, Laurie.”
“He’s married?” she asked, as if this were the last thing she expected to hear.
“Very happily. Surprised?” Cameron gave her a pointed look. “I told you this shit doesn’t tell the whole story.” He gestured to the photo. “Yes, he has a wife, but shestays far away from any press. She’s had some stalker issues in the past.”
“Oh.” Jackson looked at the web address again. “It doesn’t come from anywhere I recognize.”
“That’s what worries me.” He looked at the photo once more and set it aside on the table. “Can I keep this? I want to show it to Derek.”
Jackson nodded and gathered together the rest of the clippings.
“Whether thesephotos represent jobs or—” she waved her hand around as if she were searching for the right words “—or other encounters is beside the point from a PR perspective. This is going to become the Blackmore Inc. image if you don’t make some changes.”
“Says my father,” finished Cameron with more than a little bitterness.
He thought she’d deny it, but she didn’t. Instead, Jackson gave him a lookthat was almost sympathetic. “Yes. But it’s important for the company, too. Especially if you’re saying we’re not seeing the whole story.”
“Even though the Australian division of Blackmore Inc. is doing better now than it was when my father ran the show?”
“Yep. Probably even because of it.”
Cameron sighed. Well, at least they were on the same page in that regard.
“All right,” hegrumbled. “What’s next?”
Jackson flipped through her file to the first pages, biting her lip. Cameron couldn’t keep his eyes off those plump, soft lips that had promised him so much pleasure the night before. What would it feel like if she—
“I just want to make sure I have all the basics,” she said, looking up at him. Her eyes rounded.
Shit. Were his thoughts so transparent?
Jackson’seyes skittered away and she cleared her throat. “You and three other men make up your main team for on-the-ground security. Max Jensen comes from a prominent ranching family in Australia, and you two were roommates at Princeton. He’s the one with his photo on the front page of the papers.”
Cameron scowled. “He’s also the one who brought both clients and credibility into the Australian marketwhen I took over. His family’s name goes a long way down here.”
She nodded and jotted a few notes before looking back up. “After you both graduated, he returned to Australia and played rugby, where he met Derek Latu. You enlisted in the army.”
Cameron gave a dry laugh. “Much to my father’s dismay.”
“But not your grandfather’s, I’m assuming,” she said. “Following his path, the way hebuilt this company.”
Very good, Jackson McAllister.He crossed his arms and waited.
“You and Simon Rodriguez were in the same unit,” she continued, “and when you both returned, you hired him.”
