Desmond gave a frustrated sigh. Jackal wasn’t wrong. He had no desire for the woman. He was attracted to self-confident women who were aware of their own sexuality and able to handle the emotional detachment he required from each of his sexual partners. Each knew any attempt to ingrain themselves into his life and heart would have the exact opposite effect, having them lost in the shuffle of his past lovers whom he no longer contacted.
“You’re going to have to change your mindset, or you’re never going to get anywhere with her.”
Jackal was right again. His lack of attraction to Haley was what was standing in his way. It certainly couldn’t be his conscience that was holding him back. He didn’t have one. He had hired her for two reasons—as a safeguard for the future and to utilize her for information on her family, if the need ever arose.
The time had come, and either he needed to get a return on his investment on her or find another way to accomplish his goal, one that wouldn’t require using her to achieve his goal. Callously, he determined to set up the ruse tomorrow. He had already waited too long. He should have done it a month ago.
Starting the car, he coldly raised unfeeling eyes to Jackal. “I agree.”
Jackal arched a brow at him. “You do?”
“I’m going to have to fake it until I can make an attraction for her.”
Jackal gave him a twisted smile. “Good luck. She doesn’t exactly scream fuck me.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Desmond concurred. “But you know what she does have that appeals to me? Karma. She screams Karma to me.”
“Karma?”
“Karma.” Desmond’s gaze grew glacial. “She’s going to give me the key to destroying her family.”
Jackal gave a low whistle. “And when she does, what will happen to her?”
“I call it collateral damage.”
Five
Frowning down at a large number that shouldn’t be in the column, Haley dragged a notepad toward her to double-check the entry against the invoice that had been provided to itemize the list of repairs Owens paid a contractor to install more Internet hubs and equipment for another branch office.
Rubbing her brow as she concentrated, she was becoming deeply suspicious at the amount of the deduction. Placing her pen down on the desk, she dug her fingertips in harder. She was developing a headache.
Opening a drawer, she took out a bottle of pain relievers to take two.
Zach had lost his job for no reason, since she wasn’t going to finish by Friday. The way it was going, she would be in Queens City another week.
The sound of her cell phone ringing had her pressing down on the button to accept the call then another to put it on speaker.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?”
Haley rolled her eyes at the phone. Nadia only called her this time of the day when she wanted something.
“Working. You need something?”
“Nope. Just wondering when my Marvel sidekick is coming home so we can catch a movie. Dante and I will be home in a couple of days unless I can convince him to stay another day. The new Avengers movie is out, and Dante refuses to watch it with me.”
Haley smiled, moving her hand from her forehead to prop her cheek on it as she took a much-needed break.
“I wonder why …” Haley laughed, knowing full well the reason behind Dante’s refusal.
“He’s being ridiculous. He thinks I’m secretly in love with Chris Evans.” Nadia gave a snort from the other end of the phone. “As if.”
“Then he should talk to me. I’d fill him in on the truth. I’d tell him who his real competition is, and it’s not sweet and hunky Chris Evans.”
“Shh …” Nadia hissed. “You’d actually rat me out?”
Laughter bubbled from Haley’s throat. “I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I swear, I think more women watch The Avengers movies than men. There’s an Avenger for every woman’s secret desire.”
“Okay … I’m pretty sure that’s not true.”
“Pretty sure it is. Bet me… I know which Avenger Dante should be worried about.” Haley smothered her laughter, afraid she was getting loud enough for the men in the other two offices surrounding hers to hear.
“I’ll take that bet. You can pay for dinner and the movie.”
Haley returned in her I-know-it-all voice, “You’ll be the one buying ’cause I know who you’d choose.”
“You do not,” Nadia argued heatedly. “But you have my permission to go ahead and try. Who, then, do I imagine as my boy toy?”
“Bucky. He’s certainly not a boy; that goes without saying. You’ve always had a thing for the bad boys,” Haley disclosed her friend’s secret without a qualm in the privacy of her office.
What sounded like a struggle came over the phone.
“Nadia, are you still there?” she questioned as the crackling electronic sounds kept coming from the cell phone. Giggling, Haley placed her hand over her mouth so the man and woman arguing over the phone wouldn’t hear her laughing at them.