Page 14 of Rival Desires

I barged into Fury’s office. There was no need for a knock since he was already expecting me. I plopped down in a chair, ready for action.

“Hang on.” Fury kept his eyes glued to his screen until I’d been warming the seat for a solid thirty seconds.

I bit back an eye roll and waited.

“I’ve got it,” he finally declared.

“Got what?” I prodded, intrigued.

“I found our golden ticket,” he said, puffing up his chest with pride. “Nadine Seaworth.”

“Uh, Nadine, who now?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

He spun his monitor my way. “Meet Nadine Seaworth, the latest mega-rich widow,” Fury announced, leaning back with a self-satisfied smirk. “Word from her hairdresser is she’s shopping around for a new money manager. If we score her, it’ll be a major coup after the whole Palmer debacle.”

“Sounds promising,” I agreed. “But when did you start chatting up hairdressers for insider gossip?”

“Well, I kind of bumped into her at a party,” he admitted with a sly grin. “Let’s just say, besides good intel, she’s got some serious moves between the sheets.”

“Too much information,” I said, chuckling. “Why am I the one hearing all this? Once you’ve got Nadine on board, just shoot me her files, and I’ll take care of the paperwork.”

“Nope,” he shot back. “You’re not just doing the paperwork this time. I want you to be the one to reel her in.”

I blinked, dumbfounded. “Wait, are you serious? You want me to seal the deal with a loaded widow?”

Fury’s grin stretched even wider. “You got it.”

I just shook my head, “No fucking way, man. We agreed I’d stick to the background stuff. You’re the one with the million-dollar smile and charm.”

“I remember,” Fury said, almost too casually. “But we’re in a bind here. We can get in before anyone else, but if we don’t meet Nadine on Monday, she’s heading straight to Palmer.”

“I get that, but what’s the deal with you on Monday? Do you have a hot date or something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah, man. Heading to Colorado. Not sure when I’ll be back,” Fury replied, looking a little uneasy.

“You really think throwing me into the lion’s den with this wealthy widow is a good idea? I mean, come on,” I could feel a knot form in my stomach.

Fury’s expression turned serious. “You’re selling yourself short, man. You just need a little more confidence when it comes to the ladies. Plus, I can give you some tips on how to handle Nadine.”

I scoffed. “I appreciate the offer and vote of confidence, but is now the time to test my skills? Our whole business is on the line here, Fury.”

He just gave me a faint smile. “We don’t have much of a choice. Nadine will get the wrong idea if we send anyone else but a partner. She might think we’re trying to brush her off with one of our associates because she’s a woman.”

I released a deep sigh, raking my fingers through my unruly hair. “Fine, I’ll give it a shot. But if I screw this up, I’m blaming you.”

Fury flashed me a grin as he nodded. “Fantastic, partner. Trust me, I would be all over this if I could.”

“So, what’s the big deal in Colorado that you can’t reschedule?” I asked, furrowing my brow. “Everything okay with Rose?”

Rose, Fury’s twenty-five-year-old sister, being the youngest, has always been a concern for him. Fury wouldn’t bolt at the last minute unless it was something significant. I swear, sometimes, he and his brother Blaze acted more like parents than her brothers.

Fury dismissed my question. “She’s fine. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

I wasn’t entirely convinced, but Fury would be there for Rose. “If she needs anything, just say the word. I’m here to help.”

“I know,” he replied. “But this is something I have to take care of. I’ll let you know if things change.”

He’d better. Rose was practically like a little sister to me, too.

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