Scenes of Passion by Suzanne Brockmann Page B

standing there, wearing his usual jeans and white T-shirt, his hair loose, looking like a dream date from a music video. “Hey,” he said with that smile that lit his entire face.
    She reached for his hand and pulled him into the foyer. His smile turned to surprise as he saw her entire family staring at him.
    â€œEveryone,” Maggie said in her best stage voice. “I’d like you to meet my new boss, Matthew Stone.”
    â€œOh, my God ,” Vanessa said.
    â€œYour new what? ” Brock asked as he sized Matt up.
    â€œIntense.” Stevie was impressed.
    â€œClose the door, dear,” Maggie’s mother said, her voice faint with shock, “or bugs will come inside.”
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    Maggie sat at the dinner table, buzzing with nervous energy. How did this happen? She’d thought she’d been in control. She’d intended to stick to her plans and go out with Matt. After all, it was business, right? Instead, they’d ended up here, in one great big, hostile room.
    She looked across the table and met Matt’s tranquil gaze.
    Well, the entire room wasn’t hostile.
    â€œYou have how long to do what? ” her father was saying as her mother passed Matt a plate heaped with mashed potatoes, vegetables…and a large slice of roast beef.
    And he was a vegetarian. She opened her mouth to protest, but Matt caught her eye and shook his head very slightly, taking the plate with a graciously murmured thanks.
    â€œWe have a fiscal quarter,” he told her father. He seemed entirely at ease with the fact that everyone was staring at him. “And I’m not really sure what I have to do in order to inherit the business.” He smiled at Maggie. “That’s one of the things we’re meeting to discuss later this evening.”
    â€œLet me get this straight,” Vanessa said. “You’ve actually hired Maggie to do…what?”
    â€œShe’s going to be both my lawyer and my business partner,” he said.
    Maggie glanced down the table at Stevie, who was looking at Matt in something akin to shock. Her brother looked at her, realization in his eyes and a rapidly growing grin on his lips.
    Oh damn. Stevie had figured out that Matt was the man who had come up in their earlier conversation. What was that phrase Stevie had used? Boy toy .
    She looked down the table at her brother, promising him with her eyes that the wrath of Satan and the winds of hell would be nothing compared to her if he let this one slip. He smiled at her and made a zipping motion across his mouth.
    Yeah, you better keep it zipped, junior….
    â€œMaggie, aren’t you hungry? You haven’t touched your plate,” her mother said.
    She stared down at her dinner, her appetite gone. Her stomach churned nervously at the sight of roast beef congealing in a puddle of gravy. “Um,” she said.
    Brock slipped his arm around her shoulders and he gave her a squeeze. “You know how girls are,” he said. “Always dieting.”
    Matt send Maggie a disbelieving, amused look. She knew what he was thinking. Girls . Brock’s feminist awareness quotient was a shade lower than a Neanderthal’s.
    And she really wished he wouldn’t touch her.
    â€œI’m curious as to why you didn’t discuss Matt’s job offer with Brock before you took it,” Vanessa asked. “I mean, you are planning to get married, aren’t you?”
    And now everyone was looking at Maggie.
    But oh, my God, she was not going to turn Brock down in front of her entire family.
    â€œUm,” she said.
    Steve had his glass of milk in his hand, and Matt, who was sitting right next to him, elbowed him.
    No one else saw it. Just Maggie.
    But the milk went everywhere. “Whoops,” Stevie said as Vanessa jumped up to avoid getting drenched.
    â€œClumsy me,” Stevie said as Maggie’s mom ran for the kitchen towel.
    Matt threw his napkin down to start soaking up