Claim Me (Stark Trilogy, #2)(57)

“I wanted to thank you for doing such a great job at Suncoast yesterday,” he says.

“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting business chitchat. “Thank you. I was pleased you gave me such a challenging assignment on my first day.” Over his shoulder, I see myself looking down upon us. I wonder if, having seen me nude before the world, Bruce’s assessment of my professionalism has been knocked down a notch. Or twelve.

“Challenging because of the work, or because of your partner?”

“A little of both,” I admit.

“I promised you that we’d talk,” he says. “Is now a good time?”

It’s not, of course. But I’m curious. And so far, I’m only getting a business vibe. Maybe Damien only told Giselle that I’m the girl in the portrait, and Bruce has no idea. After all, it’s not like there’s a neon arrow over my head saying, She’s the One.

“Sure,” I say, relaxing a little. “Now’s great.” There is a seating area surrounding the fireplace, and he leads me in that direction. As we walk, Damien catches my eye. He has moved to the balcony, where he now stands between Evelyn and Giselle.

I look away, then smile at Bruce as I sit. “So why is Tanner the wolf?”

Bruce draws a deep breath. “Listen, before we get into all of that, I think I owe you an apology.”

Now I’m confused. “Because of Tanner? It wasn’t that bad,” I lie.

“No. Because of tonight. Giselle told me that it’s you in the painting.”

I nod, too dumbstruck to speak. So much for my shiny new theory that Bruce was clueless.

“To be honest, I didn’t think anything of it. But once we arrived, I realized that you didn’t know that I knew.”

“It’s fine,” I say, though it is a very long way from fine.

“No. It’s not. Giselle had no business telling me. I don’t think she meant anything by it, but sometimes she just doesn’t think.”

He looks at me, but I say nothing. It’s still not fine, and I am not capable of repeating the lie again.

“I wanted to talk to you now, though, because I don’t want you to think that this affects our working relationship.”

“Of course not. Why would it?”

He must know that I’m bullshitting, because he doesn’t even bother to answer me. Instead, he seems to change subjects altogether. “Did Damien tell you about my sister?”

“Um, no.”

“As brilliant a woman as you will ever meet. She does mathematical equations in her head that I can barely do with a calculator. She teaches at MIT now.”

I cock my head. “Jessica Tolley-Brown?”

“You know her?”

“Of her,” I say, not bothering to hide my excitement. “I almost entered a PhD program at MIT just so I could study under her. But what does she—”

“Do you know how she put herself through school?”

“No. Scholarships, I assume.”

“Mostly,” he says. “But my sister has expensive taste, and she supplemented her income with modeling.”

“Oh,” I say. I have a feeling I know where this is going.

“I don’t have a problem with the female body,” he says. “And I don’t think any less of a woman’s intellect just because she poses nude. Considering my sister’s portfolio, and the fact that she can trample me in just about any contest of wits, it would be pretty hypocritical of me, don’t you think?”

“I suppose it would.” Embarrassment still lingers, but he has managed to soothe the mortification. “And thank you for pulling me aside to tell me. It—well, I appreciate it.”

“Good.” He pats his hands on his knees. “As for Tanner, again, I’m sorry. I imagine he gave you a bit of grief. He didn’t make it a secret that he wanted your job. Now he doesn’t have one.”

“What?” I feel whiplashed by his words.

“I’ve put up with him for a long time, probably too long, but he was with me when I started Innovative, and he stuck with me even when I couldn’t pay him a salary for months on end.” He frowns, then rips off a thread dangling from a seam in the lining of his jacket. He drops the thread on the small table between us, then continues without missing a beat. “I always thought he had the company’s best interest at heart, but this morning I learned that he’s a backbiting sack of shit.”

“Oh.” I try to think what to say next, but nothing seems quite appropriate, so I wait.

“Damien made some calls after you told him what happened yesterday, and he confirmed that our boy Tanner is the one who told the press you were coming to Innovative. That’s bad enough—making you deal with that shit—but he also planted that bullshit about corporate espionage.”

“Oh, no.” My words are barely a whisper. “He’s an idiot.”

“Yes, he is,” Bruce says cheerfully. “And now he’s an unemployed one.” He points a finger at me. “Don’t be mad at Damien for interfering.”

“I’m not,” I say. All Damien did was find and report the truth. Bruce is right; Tanner screwed Innovative and he screwed me. And Damien protected us both.

The cold fist around my heart loosens a bit.