Page 28 of Serving the CEO

My sister’s face was red as Kevin walked away without a backwards glance. “You’re an asshole.”

“He’s not good enough for you,” I said, picking up my glass of scotch and draining it.

“Again…you’re an asshole.” She folded her arms over her chest and looked away.

She wasn’t wrong, but then again, neither was I. Nobody would be good enough for her.

“If he was really that interested, he wouldn’t have been scared away by a couple questions,” I said.

“That wasn’t a couple of questions, Derrick.” Amelia hissed, fury flashing in her eyes as she turned back to me. “That was a fucking interrogation.”

“Little sister,” I said as I leaned toward her. “We both know that if I wanted him to face a real interrogation, he would be.”

“You know, I’ve always wondered what you would do if the shoe was on the other foot,” she said.

“I love you, sweetie, but even if I did date, I doubt you’d scare away anyone.” I tried not to think about what would happen when I finally had to introduce Jessica to my family. I hadn’t factored any of that into my brilliant plan.

She stood. “I’m going to powder my nose.”

And then she left me sitting at our table. I was going to need to be very careful how I introduced Jessica and Amelia, or my social experiment was going to blow up in my face.

THIRTEEN

JESSICA

I bitmy lip nervously as I opened the email from Bristol’s agent, Imani. The email had an attachment, which I assumed was a good sign since it was probably the promised proposal and three chapters from the woman I wanted to sign.

Even as I clicked to open it, I drew a deep breath and closed my eyes, not quite brave enough to read it yet.

“Is it good news or bad news?”

Embarrassed, I looked up, saw Jami standing in the doorway, one hand on the door jamb while she grinned at me. I knew some people in the office had been speculating how she’d gotten a job here again, but even that couldn’t keep Jami and I from enjoying being able to work closely together. I supposed I should get used to it, because once the rumors about Derrick and I started flying, things would switch from what Jami had done to earn a place back at Broker Publishing to the closer-to-the-truth question of what I’d done to get her as my assistant.

I pushed those thoughts away and focused on her question. “What?”

“You’re holding your breath. So are you expecting good news or bad news?” She came around the desk and cocked an eyebrow.

When I didn’t shoo her away, she read over my shoulder while I covered my face with my hands. I was a force to be reckoned with most of the time, but this had me absolutely petrified. I didn’t know what I’d do if Bristol–

“The proposal is here.”

Excitement flooded me, and I squealed, smacking her hand out of the way when she went to scroll through the email.

She laughed. “I guess you hadn’t gotten around to actually reading the email.”

“I was preparing myself,” I shot back.

She just laughed and went to sit down in the chair across from my desk, waiting for me to need her. She might have been in a different position than the one she’d started out in, but she was damn good at her job, regardless of what she was doing.

I quickly skimmed the email, knowing I wouldn’t remember half of it until later. I processed enough to know that Bristol Hayden wanted to work with me.

I downloaded the file, then forwarded it to Jami. “Got your phone?” When she nodded, I added, “Read the rest of it and tell me what you think.”

Barely ten minutes passed before a polite knock sounded at the open door. I glanced up, my mind still on the work in front of me and froze when I saw Derrick leaning against the door frame, suit coat unbuttoned, one hand in the pocket of his trousers, and a cool smile on his lips.

That mouth…I shivered at the memory of it on mine.

“Ah…hi,” I said warily. We’d neglected to discuss how we were going to handle this thing at work and I had no idea how to talk to him right now.

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