Page 21 of Enemies with Benefits

‘Thanks for your concern, but my beauty won’t suffer too badly from a few extra hours of work. And, Wren?’

She cocked an eyebrow at me.

‘Don’t make me come after you. My patience won’t hold out for ever.’

One corner of her lips lifted and she all but vibrated with theBring it onshe didn’t utter.

I sighed under my breath. This game wasn’t over, regardless of my daring her into displaying her intelligence just now. I watched as she opened the door and threw me one last look over her shoulder.

‘Until next time, Jasper.’

I collapsed into my seat the moment she left, dragging my fingers through my hair as the rush of adrenaline drained from my body.

Maybe she had a point, damn it. Maybe the Mortimers should avoid the Binghams at all costs. Because even this small taster of what I suspected she had in store for me would wreck my concentration for the rest of the day.

Of course it will. Because you’re just that weak, aren’t you? Are you going to shy away from another fight, give in that easily?Debateyour way through another fight with an opponent? Maybe you should change your name, then. Because that is certainly not the Mortimer way.

Arousal receded as my father’s pitiless, unwanted voice echoed in my head. My jaw clenched as I fought a different kind of discomfort. But those disparaging words, branded into my soul from childhood, continued to echo through me, followed by bitterness for how long I’d let it rule every corner of my life.

But I’d done something about it...eventually. I’d taken control.

By letting Perry Bingham convince me to allow him to sign on to my deal? Knowing deep down it would probably piss my father off when I proved the generations-long feud meant nothing to me?

I shrugged the suggestion away. Regardless of the reason behind it, I was going to see this thing through. This project was my baby, the biggest deal I’d ever negotiated. I wasn’t about to let it fall to pieces now.

Because Hugh Mortimer was still alive and well. Regardless of the fact that he’d removed himself from the immediate sphere of the clan, I knew he kept an eye on what happened within the company. And the last thing I was about to do was to prove him right. Even if I had to fight and wrestle Wren and her whole family under my control, I would bring this deal home.

Just to prove my father wrong about me.

Again.

CHAPTER FOUR

‘WHATKINDOFtime do you call this?’ I growled at the woman who stood in my doorway, thankfully wearing more clothes than yesterday. That moment of gratitude was fleeting though. On account of her succeeding where I was sure she’d fail at annoying me even more.

She sashayed into my office, looking stunningly immaculate, despite the very late hour, tossed her stylish briefcase on the sofa and shrugged. ‘I’m pretty sure I warned you.’

‘Working late is one thing. Turning up for a meeting at almost midnight is just taking the piss. How did you get here, anyway?’

‘I took a cab. Why, were you worried about my safety?’ she asked, one hand braced on her lean, curvy hip as she stopped in front of my desk.

Damn it, yes, I’d been worried. And increasingly vexed about it. I’d succumbed and called her office an hour ago, only to be blocked by her security who rightly wouldn’t give out details of their boss’s whereabouts. Not knowing whether she was going to turn up or not had kept me rooted in my office, tackling work that could easily have waited till tomorrow with dwindling concentration.

I shook my head as I stalked over to my liquor cabinet, poured myself a stiff Scotch. I toyed with being inhospitable for a few seconds before fixing her the mineral water with lime I’d seen her drinking at her party.

I offered the drink, daring her with my eyes to refuse. She glanced at the glass, a hint of surprise lighting her eyes before, frowning, she accepted it.

‘I reread the contract today. The break clause might be skewed in your favour, but you realise I can simply do nothing for six months and watch you crash and burn?’

I tensed at her opening salvo. ‘You’d really do that and lose close to half a billion pounds in profits?’

She hesitated for the tiniest revealing moment. ‘Yes.’

‘Are you sure? Don’t you want to run that by your board first?’

Her chin went up and she boldly met my gaze. ‘The board will stand behind any decision I make. Perry already had their backing to get out of this deal.’

Shit. That was news to me. ‘After going to all that trouble of begging me for the partnership?’

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