Page 78 of Playing My Rivals

He’d go straight to our dad. The fewer people who know right now, the better for me. I take the opportunity to get on the subject of Dorothy.

I tip my chin. “What’s your take on Dorothy and Jamison?”

“What do you mean? Like their quality of work, or am I missing something?”

“Their work is great, but they seem to be rather close. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know. You’re not here as often as I am. But I’ve walked in on them fighting more than once. I don’t think that constitutes as close.”

This is news to me. “Fighting about what?”

“Usually differences in points of view with the app. I get they work closely together, but I haven’t thought of anything more than that. Why?” He pushes off the edge of his desk. “Don’t tell me you still have her in your sights.”

“Settle down, Jonah. I was just curious if they were up to anything more than work. They’re locked in that confined space all the time. And Dorothy has missed a couple of important deadlines.

“You told me she’s never done anything like that. That had me thinking that maybe he’s distracting her somehow. Now that I know they’re fighting, maybe he’s making it difficult on her.”

Jonah ponders on that for a moment. His brows knit together and he rounds his desk. He sits and brings up something on his computer screen.

“Jonah, what are you doing?”

He glances my way. “I’m checking to see if everything else she’s doing is on par. If he’s making her job harder, we may need to think about ways to relieve her stress. We can’t lose her.”

Holy shit!

This could work out in my favor.

Maybe I can get him to see we need to move him out of her office and into one of his own. But where? And how do I justify that to Dorothy without her getting angry with me?

I get back in my office not much later, but my time with Jonah has given me a lot to think about.

How can I separate Dorothy and Jamison and stop any more of their connection?

She sent me a text when she got to the hospital last night, thanking me for the use of the jet. She said Aiden was in ICU, so she couldn’t talk on the phone.

Hoping to catch her, I try to call since she’s on my mind, but she doesn’t answer. I’m sure there are rules about having a cell phone in the ICU, but I’m dying to speak to her.

Now that she and Jamison explained the necklace and their history together, I want to believe they’re just friends. The only problem with that is he looks at her like I do. There’s no doubt in my mind he has deep feelings for her.

But how does she feel about him?

She only told me she loved me after I promised her marriage and a family. Those weren’t on the table with any other woman, which is why I lost a few of them.

Did I tell her I would have kids to keep her with me, or do I want them for both of us?

That question takes me back to a conversation I had with her after she first said I love you while we were lying in bed.

I’m resting against the headboard and she’s between my legs with her back against my chest.

“Why did it take so long for you to tell me you loved me?” I move her hair over her shoulder and kiss her neck.

“I don’t know. It probably had to do with admitting it to myself first.”

“When did you do that?”

“In therapy.” She says it like it’s nothing I haven’t heard before.

It catches me off guard. She always seems together. I’m not sure why she thinks she needs someone to talk to.

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