Tycoon Takes Revenge by Anna DePalo Page B

job has its moments, but my column is mostly news about local figures because the Sentinel doesn’t have a hope of competing with national tabloids and magazines.”
    He flashed her a look. “I figured ambition had to have a place here somewhere. So why don’t you apply for a job at one of the national tabloids?”
    She didn’t answer for a minute, as if weighing what she wanted to reveal. “I’m ready for something besides gossip,” she said finally. “Believe it or not, it’s tiring to report on Buffy the Man Slayer’s latest conquest. And, reporting on celebrities’ bad behavior also requires a thick skin.”
    â€œHow so?”
    She slanted him a sideways look. “When you print things that upset people, there’s sometimes fallout. And, besides, I don’t take pleasure in printing stuff that winds up hurting someone.”
    Her admission surprised him. In fact, the entire discussion this evening about her job had surprised him. While he was still angry about his own appearances in her column, he was willing to concede he might have been too judgmental in characterizing what she did for a living as telling lies.
    While he still wasn’t sure whether her column could be thought of as social satire, he could concede there were some areas of his social life—and, God knew, of those of the women he dated—that could easily be mocked.
    Yet, he was glad she’d gotten an unexpected taste tonight of dodging paparazzi. He’d seen the worry in her eyes and had felt a modicum of satisfaction in knowing she was stressed over the possibility of being caught with him and of having to stomp out the inevitable flames in the media.
    When they got to her apartment complex, he parked and helped her out, then walked with her to the front door of her building, which had a security camera but no doorman.
    She took out her keys, then looked up at him. “I’m not sure what to say under the circumstances, but thanks, I had a good time. It was a good intro to how the computer industry works.”
    â€œYou’re welcome.”
    Her air of vulnerability both attracted and amused him. He wondered whether her regular dates ended with awkward moments like this.
    Abruptly, he pulled his mind back from the irritating thought of her out with other men. To hell with other guys and what they’d done or hadn’t. He wanted to kiss her.
    He leaned in, but she dodged with a nervous laugh. He looked at her quizzically.
    â€œYou haven’t been keeping to your part of the bargain,” she said.
    â€œHuh?” He blinked.
    â€œEven though I learned a lot tonight about the computer-software industry in general, I didn’t get a smidgen of information about Whittaker Enterprises in particular.” Her chin came up. “What’s your interest in Tim and Ben’s company?”
    And what an attractive chin it was, he thought. Attached to a long and graceful neck that led down to breasts straight out of an erotic fantasy. His erotic fantasy.
    â€œAre you paying attention?”
    â€œMmm-hmm. Yeah.” He focused his gaze on her face again. “I agreed to give you broad access, but not to give away confidential information about Whittaker’s possible future plans. For one thing, you’re the press. For another, that information could be very valuable on the stock market.”
    â€œAre you suggesting I’d do something illegal like purchasing company stock on an inside tip?” she asked crossly.
    He tapped her nose. “Not you personally, no, but the policy still stands. The last thing I need is for inside information to inadvertently leak, so the fewer people who know anything, the better.” She was too cute standing there, looking all mad at him. “But here’s a hint I’m willing to give—nanotechnology.”
    â€œThat’s it?” she said disbelievingly. “One word?”
    He