Page 13 of Seductive Secrets

Angela shook her head. “Not a chance. He hated those birds. He was the tomato king back then. He could grow tomatoes better than anyone! With three big guys and me working twenty-hour days, you’d think that we’d always be hungry. But during the summer and fall, when all of the veggieswere producing, we actually had a surplus that we handed out to the local street kids.”

“How did you guys grow so many veggies?” James asked, smiling as he watched her.

She shrugged. “I have no idea! I was usually in charge of the chickens and gathering the eggs. Marco really was amazing with plants.” Her eyes grew dreamy and her lips curled into a smile. “One morning, I was up earlier than usual and I caught Marco talking to the plants. He’d go out before dawn, with bare feet, and he’d talk to the plants. I have no idea what he told them, but it worked.”

He laughed with her. “Okay, so all four of you helped grow each other’s businesses.”

“All five of us. Kasim tried to finance all of us, but we refused since he’d financed our education.”

“You refused Kasim’s wealth? The guy is one of the richest in the world. He easily could have financed your businesses.”

She grinned. “Some people say that the term could be applied to you as well.”

He waved that aside. “Why didn’t you let Kasim bankroll you guys?”

She shrugged and sipped her water. “Because we needed to learn. And if we all had a huge influx of cash at the beginning, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make the mistakes that made all of us so successful. I had to learn the ropes of being in a corporate environment. My initial job was very lucrative, because I wanted to contribute as much as I could to the guys’ businesses. I was working eighty-plus hours a week and the income made life that much easier. But once my guys wereestablished, I stepped out of that role and got a lower paying job with a company that I liked and respected. Hazelton is a good company. They make a good product and I can control my hours a bit more.”

“And yet, you probably still work sixty-plus hours a week for them, don’t you?’

She shrugged. “ I like the firm. The people are great and I love the challenge of the legal issues I have to deal with.”

He laughed softly. “You like winning. I looked you up. You’re a terror in negotiations.”

She grinned happily and toasted him with her wine glass. “Why thank you! I’ll take that as a compliment!”

“It was meant as one.”

It was a lovely evening. Angela was rather surprised by the level of her disappointment when the meal was over. He asked her where she was staying and she told him the name of her hotel. The drive back into the city was done in awkward, tense silence.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” he offered as he pulled into one of the parking spaces.

“That’s not necessary,” she said, gathering her coat and purse. “The door is right–”

James put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She turned toward him, the darkness in the vehicle making the moment seem more intimate.

James looked a bit frustrated as he pulled his hand away, staring out through the windshield. Finally, he said, “Angela, I don’t know where my friend is, his fiancée’s home was ransacked, and we have a mysterious key and a suspicious blue powder.” He paused a moment, then continued. “For my ownpeace of mind, I need to see you to the door of your room to ensure you are safe.”

She wanted to argue, but her mind went blank and her gaze drifted down to his mouth. Correction, her mind wasn’t blank. She was wondering what it would be like to kiss James.

“Really, I don’t–”

“Angela,” he interrupted, his deep voice firm but gentle. “Humor me, okay? No ulterior motive. I promise. I won’t make a pass at you. I just need to know that you’re safe.”

She was warmed by his assurance. However, her mind still wasn’t cooperating properly. “And who is going to ensure your safety?” she asked. She lifted her eyebrows. “Besides, why don’t you think I can take care of myself?”

His lips quirked as he put a hand to the small of her back. “Because I’m a chauvinistic pig. Deal with it.”

She was laughing when they heard someone call, “James!” from the other end of the elegant lobby. A man hurried towards them. James groaned and Angela smiled. “Seems like you are a very popular guy!”

“Behave!” he growled.

She giggled. “What’s the fun in that?”

“James! I’m so glad we ran into each other!” the man called out, slightly out of breath. “I wanted to talk to you about…”

Angela didn’t wait. As soon as the man touched James’ arm, she turned and headed for the elevator. She glanced back at James over her shoulder, wiggling her fingers as an additional taunt. He glared at her, but he was too polite to interrupt the man speaking to him.

She sighed with relief when the doors to the elevators closed. Leaning her head back against the elevator wall, she closed her eyes and tried to release some of the tension that had built up along her neck and shoulders.

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