The Secretary And The Millionaire

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“Corporate conquests. How many international companies did Fortune’s Marco Polo conquer this time?”

He quirked his mouth at her reference to his reputation. “Lots of interest. One commitment.”

“Good for you,” she said with a smile, then rubbed her left shoulder.

“Got a problem, there?” he asked.

“Just a little tight. I think I did one too many rounds of the limbo,” she admitted.

“Where is it?”

“Right here,” she pointed. “but—”

Jack put his hands on her shoulder and felt the small knot. He rubbed and massaged her shoulders while Amanda fell silent She let out a quiet moan that pulled at his gut Her cropped shirt was thin, and he remembered she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Brushing aside the thought, he continued the massage. “You’re very quiet.”

“You haven’t ever rubbed my shoulders before,” she said.

“Is it helping?”

“You—” she took a careful breath “—you’re very good.”

Her words were both an unwitting sensual compliment and invitation, and he wondered what Amanda was like in bed. Was she conservative and repressed, the way she was in the office? Or uninhibited, like she was with his daughter? How responsive would she be? What would make her sigh and gasp? How would her nipples respond to his fingers and mouth?

He felt the dull ache of arousal between his legs. Over Amanda? Jack shook his head.

“You’re different here from the way you are at the office.”

“Different jobs,” she said slowly as if she were forcing herself to concentrate. “With Lilly, she needs me to act a little crazy to get her to come out of herself. She needs lots of hugs.” She made a soft moan.

“And at the office?” he prompted, his curiosity about his assistant growing. There was more about Amanda than met the eye.

“At the office you need me to be efficient and to anticipate your needs so your time won’t be wasted.” She sighed and leaned away from him. “Thank you,” she said. turning slightly to face him. “You need me to be invisible.” A lock of hair slid over one of her eyes like a filmy shield of her secrets. Meeting his gaze, she gave a soft, wry smile. “I’m very good at being invisible.”

Amanda said good-night, and Jack stayed awake. Although he was tired, he couldn’t sleep because of the time zone change. In the middle of the night while he surfed through late-night television, he thought about Amanda. He decided that perhaps she had a few surprises behind those big brown eyes. Maybe she wasn’t just background music after all.

Two days later Amanda brought a picnic lunch for Lilly and Jack to share at the office while she answered questions from her replacement, took care of transition confusion and grabbed a lightning-quick lunch with Carol in a snack bar. “I want an update,” Carol demanded.

“Lilly’s such a sweetie. She—”

“Jack. I want an update on your progress with Jack, since you have now penetrated the Fortune outer wall.”

Amanda laughed and shook her head. “I’m not that much of a schemer. I’ve been much busier with Lilly than Jack.”

Carol frowned. “But part of your purpose in taking on this job was making Jack Fortune see you as a woman.”

“Well, I think maybe he does,” she said, thinking of the questions he’d asked her and the way he’d looked at her. “There’ve been a few nights that we talked.”

“Talk?” Carol asked. “Talk is all?”

“Mostly,” Amanda said. “He rubbed my shoulder one night, but—”

“A massage. That’s better.” Carol studied her. “Your eyes are sparkling.”

Amanda felt her cheeks heat, remembering the way his hands had felt on her. She’d barely been able to breathe, let alone think or talk. It had been torture to pull away, but if she’d allowed him to continue, she’d feared she would do something crazy like turn around in his arms and kiss him. Although Amanda was finding it more and more difficult to keep her feelings invisible to Jack, she was determined to keep her hopes under control.

“No. My eyes are not sparkling.” She shook her head at both Carol and her crazy hopes. “Nothing has happened. He hasn’t professed undying love, nor does he seem to have gotten a big eureka that I’m the woman of his dreams. Nothing has happened,” she said again to keep herself on the ground.

“Uh-huh,” Carol said in disbelief. “Your eyes are sparkling, and it’s not due to new contact lens.”

Amanda changed the subject, then scooted back to work a few minutes later. On her way to her office she saw Mollie Shaw hanging outside Stuart Fortune’s office.

Amanda knew Mollie was Chloe Fortune’s young wedding consultant, but she’d only spoken to her a couple of times. “Can I help you find something?”

Mollie blushed. “Oh, no. I—uh—” She bit her lip. “I—uh—I was looking for Emmet, Chloe’s father. I needed to discuss some of the wedding arrangements with him.”

“With Emmet,” Amanda repeated doubtfully. “Emmet’s office is on the next floor.”

“Oh,” Mollie said, her cheeks deepening with color. “My sense of direction needs a little work. Thanks,” she said, then quickly breezed away.

Puzzled, Amanda looked after her for a long moment. She returned to Jack’s office, gave a quick hug to Lilly and an update to Jack.

“Thanks,” he said. “Your replacement is having a difficult time.”

“Why?”

“Because I start every sentence with ‘Amanda does it this way.’”

She smiled. “Are you saying you miss your invisible assistant?”

A curious, seductive light flickered in his green eyes. “You might have been invisible, but what you did wasn’t,” he told her. “I have a conference in fifteen minutes. Is there anything else?”

“Not really,” Amanda said, thinking of Mollie Shaw. “Except I just saw Mollie Shaw hanging around Stuart’s office. She said she was here to see Emmet, but she seemed very nervous.” She shrugged. “It’s probably nothing. Will you be home for dinner tonight?”

“No. I’m joining Trina. Time for that rain check.”

Amanda felt her stomach sink and instantly chided herself. Just because she was caring for Jack’s daughter and the nature of the conversations had become more personal didn’t mean he was anywhere near having romantic feelings for her. Just because he’d seemed to look at her, really look at her, a few times, didn’t mean he wanted anything from her except to help Lilly be happy.

She made herself smile. “Have a good time,” she said, feeling the sparkle inside her fizzle.

Three

Mason Chandler stopped Jack outside the conference room after his afternoon meeting. “Got a minute?”

“Sure. My office?”

Mason nodded, and they walked down the hall. A successful businessman in his own right, Mason had long moved in the same social circle as the Fortune family. Soon he would be joining their ranks as Jack’s cousin Chloe’s husband. Even though he owned his own company, he was well trusted by the Fortune family.

“Hold my calls, Elaine,” Jack said to his replacement assistant, then joined Mason in his office. “What’s up?”

“Chloe told me your father’s been acting edgy lately,” Mason said.

Jack frowned.

“Will you keep me posted if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary? Anything at all.”

Jack shrugged. “I can’t think of anything offhand,” he said. “Unless—It’s nothing.”

“You’d be surprised what can come from nothing,” Mason said in a dark tone.

“Amanda told me Mollie Shaw was hanging around Stuart’s office. When Amanda asked her about it, she got nervous. It’s probably nothing,” he said. “Mollie’s barely over drinking age.”

“Maybe a background check,” Mason murmured.

“For a wedding planner?” Jack asked in disbelief. “Are we stepping into paranoia? Besides, she’s good friends with your future brother-in-law’s wife, Kelly.”

“You may be right,” Mason said in a noncommittal voice. “But there is such a thing as healthy paranoia. Keep your eyes open. Okay?”

“Always,” Jack said. “How do you get all your information, anyway?”

“I have my sources.” Mason headed for the door and turned around. “How’s Lilly?”

“Better since Amanda took over.”

“That’s good. You headed home now?”

“No, I’m meeting Trina Sullivan for dinner.”

“Redhead.” Mason cracked a wicked grin. “Jack’s new WOW.”

‘“Wow’?” Jack repeated.

“Woman of the week. You don’t keep them around much longer than that.”

“I come from a long line of matchmakers,” Jack told Mason. “You know about Kate,” he said referring to his aunt who was determined to make sure all Fortunes were happily married and producing more heirs. “The only way to throw her off course is to be a moving target.”

“No serious contenders?”

“The only female I’m serious about is Lilly.”

Mason nodded slowly. “Safe choice. ’Night.”

After Mason left, Jack checked the mirror in his office rest room and straightened his tie. His evenings had been too quiet lately. He’d had too much time to reflect. He needed a distraction. Trina.

Every time Amanda closed her eyes that night in bed, she pictured Jack. And Trina. He would flirt with Trina and let his hand linger at her waist. He would kiss her. He would hold her.

Pain cut through her. Jealousy welled inside her. Amanda squished her eyes closed. She hated jealousy. It was such a small, useless emotion. Amanda didn’t spend much time lamenting her plain appearance. Her value had never been in the color of her eyes, the shape of her face or the shape of her slim body. She’d been valued for her mind, her common sense and for her heart.