“Tamar.” The familiar haughty voice made Gideon puff his chest before he realized he was doing it. Tamar had spent a lot of time with Danny last night.

“Hi, Danny,” she said brightly. She was nice to Danny because that was what she had to do to win the position, he told himself. Didn’t matter, he was jealous all the same.

“Hey. Hi Gideon. I didn’t know you guys rode together. I flew down here, and I’m flying back. Do you want to come, Tamar? I can arrange with Keynan the payment. Tell him you need to put in a day’s work at the brokerage.”

Tamar darted a hesitant look at him and bit her lower lip. Was she aware of how sexy that looked? Danny’s eyes were on Tamar’s mouth.

“Me and Tamar need to pick up our dogs from their boarding. She can’t come with you.”

She smelled of soap and warm water-soft skin, and she belonged in his car.

“Oh, well, never mind. I’m going to see a lot of her now that we’re working together. I’ll get her the chief analyst position, and she’ll make me head of brokerage. Don’t get used to riding with the boss, Gideon.”

He laughed and went away. Gideon held Tamar’s door for her.

“I can’t stand him,” he muttered.

“I’m not sure what to think of him.” Tamar surprised him, and the pang of jealousy hit him again, stronger than ever. “Do you know Berdiplast works with Danny?”

“Yes, I do. The CFO and my father want to work with Peaks and have Danny as their liaison with the other desks. I guess that’s fine.”

It was another thorn in his side, Danny’s association with his firm. But as much as it bothered him, he needed to remember that it wasn’t his firm. He left voluntarily, and they made decisions and choices without him.

They rode in silence for a while. Tamar checked her phone periodically, furrowing her eyebrows and exhaling occasionally.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“My sister Tally. I told her, I mean texted her, that I can’t help her with something, and it’s bothering me. Also, she hasn’t called me in forever. We usually talk every day.”

He wondered what she’d denied her sister. At any rate, it was mean of Tally to ghost Tamar.

“Maybe she didn’t want to bother you in Eilat. Don’t wait for her to call you. Call her instead.”

She said “Okay” and dialed immediately. He liked that about her. Once she’d made up her mind, she never wasted time.

“Tamari!” her sister shouted over the phone before Tamar said anything. “Guess what! The other buyer fell through!”

“Great, so the warehouse is still on the table.” Tamar looked so relieved it was a little comical. Gideon waited for her sister to ask after Tamar’s wellbeing or about her time in Eilat.

“Yes. Listen, I’m at work. We’ll talk later?” Tally asked, and they hang up.

“Good?” he asked, and she nodded, the dark brown eyes alight.

Gideon wanted her good mood to continue.

“My mother loved your comments. Absolutely loved them. And she said your suggestions for the story were original and on point.”

“For real? She liked my suggestions? I’m surprised. I’m not a very imaginative person, I told you.”

She was parroting her family.

“What did you tell her about me? About the person you persuaded to read her book?”

“I told her we have a fucking arrangement with an expiration date.”

Tamar’s beautiful eyes danced in merriment, but her brows still rose in a silent query.

“I told her a colleague from work read it. That’s it. Will you read more?”