The Andrades 2 Home to Me Ruth Cardello

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Gio met his eyes and said, I emptied my trust fund to back them.
Nick swallowed hard. So if Cogent folds, you re bankrupt?
Yes.
No wonder you fight so hard for it.
Shaking his head, Gio said, I fight so hard for it because it s our legacy, Nick. Our family built
this. Our great-grandfather purchased the land this building sits on. That matters to me. Doesn t it
matter to you?
Nick inhaled sharply. It didn t use to. He studied his brother. How far would you go to
protect that legacy?
As far as I had to.
There it was, the dark side of his family. Dark enough to make Nick think his brother might be
capable of whatever their mother thought he d done. It made him remember what Serge had said about
digging for the truth about your family. It never ends well.
And to protect yourself?
What are you asking, Nick?
I need to know, even if it s ugly. Mother implied that you had done something you were afraid
I d uncover. Something that could ruin you. She warned me you might try to pin it on me.
Gio s jaw tightened and a red flush spread up his cheeks. Our mother is a piece of work, isn t
she?
You didn t answer the question. Are you hiding something, Gio?
Gio stood and shook his head with disgust. I would never let you take the fall for something I
had done. Never. If you don t believe anything else, believe that. With that, Gio walked out of
Nick s office.
Which means he is hiding something. Nick punched the side of his desk with such force that
Janet came running in.
Is everything okay, Nick?
Nick rubbed his swollen knuckles. As okay as it s ever been. When Janet continued to stand
there looking concerned, he said, It s fine, Janet. Close the door on your way out.
He didn t know who he believed anymore, but he did know what he wanted.
Saturday sex with Rena.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
It was going to be a long week.
Chapter Eleven
A few days later, Rena was seated at her desk, typing up a memo. She paused, looked at the
door, and cursed. She was finding it impossible to concentrate. Nick and Gio were out of the office
for a meeting with Westlake Developers. It was the first time Rena had seen them together for a client
meeting. It was a new contract that Nick had landed. The fact that Gio had told her anything about it
proved it was an important one.
She had seen Nick once since hearing about Westlake. They d met by accident in the hallway the
day before. Rena had smiled at him politely, reminding herself of her own rules.
Nick, dressed in a Corneliani suit and looking as comfortable as if he d always worked at
Cogent, had given her a roguish smile that implied he was tempted to say more but was willing to
play along. How are you, Rena?
Good, she d answered thickly, clutching her notebook to her chest.
Did you have a nice weekend? he d asked in an innocuous tone that nevertheless sent a wild
blush to Rena s cheeks.
Wonderful. She d inwardly groaned at her inability to form a coherent sentence when his
chocolate eyes held hers.
Do anything special? His eyes had danced with both laughter and a heat that sent waves of fire
through her.
Her embarrassment had faded as she d realized he wasn t laughing at her but rather with her.
She d never had a secret, and sharing one with Nick was surprisingly fun. I went to the opera.
How was it?
Rena had traced her top teeth lightly with the tip of her tongue, experimenting with this newfound
connection. Nick s nose had flared slightly and his eyes had narrowed, giving Rena even more
confidence. Surprisingly good.
The best you ve been to?
Hard to say. Rena had hidden a saucy grin, trying to keep the conversation unremarkable to
those walking past. Each one is so different.
Nick frowned. His displeasure with her comment was so clear she wanted to tell him she was
joking, but she didn t. Way too many women had contributed to his large ego; it wouldn t hurt him one
bit to think he had to step up his game to impress her. Planning anything interesting for this coming
weekend?
I am, actually, Rena said, thoroughly enjoying their banter now.
Anything you d like to share?
No.
An entirely new expression crossed Nick s face, but Rena wasn t sure how to interpret it. She
couldn t tell if he was irritated or turned on by their conversation. She changed the subject, saying, I
heard you landed Westlake. Cogent has been trying to work with them for years. How did you land
that?
Nick didn t hesitate. Via the son. It s not a done deal yet. We meet later in the week to nail it
down.
Rena remembered one of the reports she d organized for Gio regarding rumors of Westlake s
expansion plans. I have a file you might want to look over just in case Daddy decides to play
hardball. It was information Gio thought would be helpful last spring, but we ended up not needing
it.
And you re going to give it to me?
Yes. You want to do well here, and this will be good for the company.
Why do you trust me? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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