Page 53 of Indecent Secrets

Well, that was interesting. “Oh, so this would be a business meeting over the weekend?” I asked.

Where the hell was Bryce? Surely he was supposed to be back from whatever meeting he’d been in by now. It would give me an excuse to get out of here instead of trying to fucking deal with another man who wanted in my pants.

“I like to combine business and pleasure.” David leaned against the wall, like he was a model for Armani. “Look, we know that the learning curve Jack’s experiencing is insane right now. I just think that the two of us could help each other out and work together.”

This sounded weirdly like a coup. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of wisdom, but why would we need to talk about it without Jack there?”

“Because I think you won’t even pay attention to me if Jack’s in the room.”

Oh, God. Was I that obvious?

David laughed at whatever he saw on my face. “Look, I get it, he’s a handsome man. But he’s not the only one out there and he’s not the only person with power and good looks at this company. I’d like a chance with you.”

I laughed a little. “Honestly, I feel like you’re under the wrong impression about Jack and me…”

“Oh? Come on, Leigh. I can see it. And it’s all right. Again, he’s shockingly charming for a guy who’s been a shut-in at a no-name university. But he’s not going to reciprocate.”

Okay, ouch. I drew myself up. “Listen, I don’t know where you get the idea that I’ve got some kind of thing for Jack, but I haven’t been as successful as I am by sleeping with my clients. I need to have integrity. Especially as a woman.”

David shook his head. “It’s amazing, how you keep lying. Here’s the thing. You are going to want to help me. Because you might be right about not sleeping with people to get where you are. But you’re definitely not the fancy-pants consultant you claim to be.”

My heart climbed up into my throat.

David sighed, like he was disappointed in me. “Look, I was hoping that I could do a little flirting, having a nice dinner with you, but if you want me to bring out the big guns, that’s fine. You’re not a consultant. Your credentials are a lie. And unless you want me to spill the beans to Jack and get you fired in disgrace—and possible criminal charges pressed against you—then you’re going to help me out. Understand?”

I swallowed. Bryce knew the truth about me, but I couldn’t let David know that. He’d wonder why ‘Jack’ was so blasé about the situation.

“Well, at least I can give you credit for hoping to catch me with honey instead of vinegar,” I said, keeping my tone light. “But you have to understand a girl’s pride. Did you want to try and get a dinner with me because you really think I’m attractive or because you just wanted to butter me up?”

David laughed. “Oh, trust me, I have no problem mixing business with pleasure, as I said. And you are a very beautiful woman.”

Great. That wasn’t possibly terrifying at all, seeing as he thought he could blackmail me.

I winked at him. “I know.” I couldn’t act like this was a big deal to me. “What do you want from me, exactly? What’s your goal here? Because I thought you accomplished what you wanted when Mr. Lawton passed.”

A strange and terrifying look passed through David’s eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you now have a CEO who actually wants to move forward into the future and isn’t terrified of change,” I replied. “And he’s not sleeping his way through a new secretary every month.”

David’s shoulders relaxed a little, but in my mind there was no doubt now. I didn’t have proof, but I was certain that David had killed Mr. Lawton, Jack’s uncle.

Now I just had to find a way to tell Bryce without David getting suspicious.

I smiled sweetly. “I mean, surely Jack is the ideal CEO for you?”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” David replied, his tone just sardonic enough to be condescending, and I tried not to bristle. “But Jack still wants to do things his way. Stubbornness runs in the family I suppose. I’m not all that fond of another idiot, and this one untrained, driving the company into the ground in a new way. You saw how he promoted Rebecca of all people. I don’t know what bee is in her bonnet but she’s running around promoting these projects and it’ll stretch our company way too thin. We can’t go in ten different places at once.”

Okay, so he didn’t know that I’d been the person to suggest Rebecca’s promotion to Jack, or that I’d goaded Rebecca into taking on all these projects in the hopes of pushing the company she cared about into the forefront of the business world. That was good. David had to keep thinking he had the upper hand. He had to keep underestimating me.

“Jack’s just new,” I pointed out. “He needs guidance, that’s all.”

“Guidance.” David smirked. “Yeah. I’m sure you’re happy to give him… guidance. But I tried that once already and do you know what it gets you? Absolutely nothing. So forgive me if I’m not going to waste months trying to train someone who really should just be sent packing back to his university.”

“Well, it sounds like you and I are somewhat on the same page,” I said, thinking frantically. “I want him to go back to the university, too.”

“Oh? You’re not in it so he funds your little climate initiatives? Or turns us green?” David flashed a cruel smile at me.

It was in that smile I could feel this was a man who had murdered, and would murder again. There was a certain disconnect in that smile, a callousness to it that chilled me. It was like he was completely detached from me as a person. He wouldn’t feel any emotion as he killed me.

---