“No kidding.” He’d be studying that thing nonstop if it did exist.
“Dinner sounds fine, but I know there will be a reporter or photographer lurking somewhere, so what you’re proposing is a setup with a side of food.”
He sighed at her. “You’re paranoid.”
“Gee, I wonder why.” She added an eye roll as if she didn’t think he picked up on the sarcasm dripping from her voice. “And the packing thing…”
Any other time. Any other woman, he wouldn’t ask. “Yes?”
The oversize gray college sweatshirt shouldn’t even earn a second of thought from him. But on her, with her sexy mouth and those invigorating comebacks and her refusal to take any crap from him, he got reeled in. She talked and he wanted to know more. He’d studied her background in preparation for making their agreement, but now he wanted to hear the details straight from her, in her time.
“That suggests I’m moving in with you now, and I’m not,” she said.
About that…he’d rethought that portion of the agreement. He didn’t have much time to meet his father’s conditions. His father demanded Derrick get this public fight with Noah wrapped up or he’d lose his chance at owning the company. Never mind that he’d brought it back from the brink of bankruptcy or that the Jameson coffers were now full due to Derrick’s efforts. His father insisted, once again, that Derrick prove himself.
There were other conditions about bringing his brothers home and repairing the damage dear old dad had done to his sons’ relationships. Derrick liked that part. Running the family business with his brothers and without his father’s interference had always been his dream.
But the one issue Derrick had to handle first, the one he’d signed an agreement to fix, related to Ellie. She was the only one he could think about at the moment. That and her mouth and those big eyes.
“We should discuss the timing of your move,” he said.
She exhaled long and loud and added another eye roll at the end. “Here we go.”
Derrick decided to ignore the dramatics and go right to the heart of the issue. “You are out of work. Your brother clearly is not contained.”
“You aren’t exactly wooing me so far.”
“I was telling you, not trying to convince you.”
This time she made a clicking sound with her tongue. “Again with the blind obedience thing. So romantic.”
He’d had girlfriends, dated other women, even managed to have sex now and then despite his overwhelming workload. None of that had prepared him for Ellie. He’d never met a woman less impressed with his wealth, position and power than her. It was endearing in some ways but it also messed with his usual way of winning an argument. “Should I call you lovely again?”
“Get to the point.”
And now a third eye roll. Great.
He heard a noise and was pretty sure she was tapping her slipper against the floor. In his view, he was the one with the reason to want to move this along, but fine. “We should shift the engagement and—”
“Fake engagement.”
“Those are words we only use with each other and when no one else is around.”
Her eyes widened as she looked around the room. “Do you see someone else here?”
“I’m just saying.” Her glare really could melt stone. He wasn’t a fan, but he had to admit it was persuasive. “Fine. Anyway, we should get you settled in.”
When he finally got all the words out, she stood there. Silence screamed through the room. Even the foot tapping stopped.
Then… “Wow.”
He gave up. “Now what did I say?”
“It’s the way you say things. Like, everything is an order.”
Damn right. He realized too late he should have made that much more clear in the agreement. “I’m the boss.”
“I don’t work for you.”
“Technically, you do.” But he decided not to talk about the fact he was paying for her time, or was about to. She didn’t seem to be in the mood to discuss that topic.
“You would be wise not to put this fake engagement in those terms right now.”
Yeah, he gave up. “So, dinner?”
She shook her head. “Tomorrow, or maybe the day after. I need a bit of time.”
Another zig when he expected a zag. He never thought she’d say no. “Ellie, come on.”
“It’s not a test.” She rested a hand on his chest. “I haven’t showered. If people are going to be taking my photograph every two seconds, I should have the opportunity to brush my hair.”
He looked down at her fingers and the nails polished a soft pink. Felt the weight of her palm over his heart. “Is this a woman thing?”