therefore writing the emails to warn Jess.” He thought for a minute. “Unless the warnings are a ruse to stop Jess’s research in and of themselves.”
They discussed how to get more information on the CEO. Dorian’s access to the computeller could retrieve the information easily, but how would she explain what she discovered to Luke? Maybe she’d just do it anyway and pretend she didn’t know what they were looking for. Megadamn! If they could only tell Luke Cromwell the truth.
“What would happen if we approached this CEO and told him we believed someone at Petron is trying to warn Jess of a threat from within the company?” Dorian asked. “They could hardly put a plan in place if we brought it into the open.”
“Not necessarily.” Luke’s expression was stern now. “We might give him more leeway to do it. He could say afterward that we knew there were threats and someone succeeded in killing Jess.” His brow furrowed. “Let me see what I can find out on my own.”
Just as they wrapped up the meeting, Helen entered the kitchen. She, too, was wearing faded jeans and a pale yellow shirt. Again, Dorian noted her fragility.
“You guys done?” Helen asked.
“Uh-huh.” Jess stood and grabbed her around the waist. “Ready for the film fest, baby?”
Baby? Oh, good Nord, another term of endearment?
“Yes.” She smiled at Dorian. “You?”
“Of course. I’ll sit a ways back so you can have some privacy.” She pictured the current cinemas she’d researched on the computeller. In truth, she was anxious to experience one firsthand.
“That’s not necessary.” Helen smiled at Luke. “Wanna come?”
“This is your day off, isn’t it?” Jess asked.
Helen socked Luke’s shoulder. “You could keep Dorian company.”
Shooting her a look full of keen interest, Luke’s expression was smug. “You know, that might be fun.”
Megadamn
, Dorian thought once again. This was all she needed. How was she supposed to focus on her task with this attractive male specimen always around her, close to her, even
touching
her?
o0o
LUKE CLIMBED THE steps of the theater, focusing on Dorian Masters, who sat four rows behind his brother and sister-in-law. She was scanning the interior as if she’d never seen the inside of a movie theater. Hell, those thoughts just kept popping into his head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that her reactions were due to more than growing up in a foreign country. Almost everything she did underscored his suspicions. But he couldn’t wrap his brain around where she might have come from. And now that brain was muddled by the damned-good memory of having her sprawled over him just an hour ago.
Waving to his brother, who’d wanted the four of them to sit together, but Dorian had refused, Luke reached her row and dropped down beside her.
Her body tensed. “Do you have to sit so close?”
Odd again. “It’d look funny if I was seats away. This is how people sit at the movies. Why don’t you know that?”
Ignoring the query, she scanned the almost-empty theater. “There are few people here to notice.”
“Jess would think we aren’t getting along.” His tone was dry.
“Why ever would he think that?” Her gaze strayed to the big bucket of buttered popcorn he held, and her green eyes glistened even in the dim light. “Are you going to eat all of the food?”
“At least. I get a free refill.” He winked at her. “If you’re good, I’ll share it with you.”
Briefly, she mimicked the gesture with her eye, as if she was trying it out. Then she focused on the popcorn. “There’s almost six hundred fat grams in the entire bucket.”
“How do you know that?”
“I calculated its approximate size.”
“So, you don’t eat snack food?”
“Of course not.”
His gaze turned lazy and drifted down her body. At his suggestion, she’d changed into something more casual—beige, cropped-off pants, which hugged her ass, and a short-sleeved shirt with a sweater to
They discussed how to get more information on the CEO. Dorian’s access to the computeller could retrieve the information easily, but how would she explain what she discovered to Luke? Maybe she’d just do it anyway and pretend she didn’t know what they were looking for. Megadamn! If they could only tell Luke Cromwell the truth.
“What would happen if we approached this CEO and told him we believed someone at Petron is trying to warn Jess of a threat from within the company?” Dorian asked. “They could hardly put a plan in place if we brought it into the open.”
“Not necessarily.” Luke’s expression was stern now. “We might give him more leeway to do it. He could say afterward that we knew there were threats and someone succeeded in killing Jess.” His brow furrowed. “Let me see what I can find out on my own.”
Just as they wrapped up the meeting, Helen entered the kitchen. She, too, was wearing faded jeans and a pale yellow shirt. Again, Dorian noted her fragility.
“You guys done?” Helen asked.
“Uh-huh.” Jess stood and grabbed her around the waist. “Ready for the film fest, baby?”
Baby? Oh, good Nord, another term of endearment?
“Yes.” She smiled at Dorian. “You?”
“Of course. I’ll sit a ways back so you can have some privacy.” She pictured the current cinemas she’d researched on the computeller. In truth, she was anxious to experience one firsthand.
“That’s not necessary.” Helen smiled at Luke. “Wanna come?”
“This is your day off, isn’t it?” Jess asked.
Helen socked Luke’s shoulder. “You could keep Dorian company.”
Shooting her a look full of keen interest, Luke’s expression was smug. “You know, that might be fun.”
Megadamn
, Dorian thought once again. This was all she needed. How was she supposed to focus on her task with this attractive male specimen always around her, close to her, even
touching
her?
o0o
LUKE CLIMBED THE steps of the theater, focusing on Dorian Masters, who sat four rows behind his brother and sister-in-law. She was scanning the interior as if she’d never seen the inside of a movie theater. Hell, those thoughts just kept popping into his head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that her reactions were due to more than growing up in a foreign country. Almost everything she did underscored his suspicions. But he couldn’t wrap his brain around where she might have come from. And now that brain was muddled by the damned-good memory of having her sprawled over him just an hour ago.
Waving to his brother, who’d wanted the four of them to sit together, but Dorian had refused, Luke reached her row and dropped down beside her.
Her body tensed. “Do you have to sit so close?”
Odd again. “It’d look funny if I was seats away. This is how people sit at the movies. Why don’t you know that?”
Ignoring the query, she scanned the almost-empty theater. “There are few people here to notice.”
“Jess would think we aren’t getting along.” His tone was dry.
“Why ever would he think that?” Her gaze strayed to the big bucket of buttered popcorn he held, and her green eyes glistened even in the dim light. “Are you going to eat all of the food?”
“At least. I get a free refill.” He winked at her. “If you’re good, I’ll share it with you.”
Briefly, she mimicked the gesture with her eye, as if she was trying it out. Then she focused on the popcorn. “There’s almost six hundred fat grams in the entire bucket.”
“How do you know that?”
“I calculated its approximate size.”
“So, you don’t eat snack food?”
“Of course not.”
His gaze turned lazy and drifted down her body. At his suggestion, she’d changed into something more casual—beige, cropped-off pants, which hugged her ass, and a short-sleeved shirt with a sweater to
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