and she ended up pregnant. Jed wasn’t interested in marrying her, which is where this all started.”
Skye explained what she knew about Garth and his mother. While she didn’t go into detail, she explained that Garth had been targeting the family from every angle.
“Someone sued my sister and her spa,” Skye said. “This woman used to work for Garth. From what we can tell, he paid her to file a false suit. When Lexi confronted her, she dropped the suit and moved away. Garth will do anything to get us. He poisoned my guests at a cocktail party a few days ago.”
Trisha looked shocked. “I heard about that. They said on the news that it was a frat prank.”
“Garth admitted he’d done it,” Skye said, “but when I told the police, they didn’t believe me. Why would they? A man in Garth’s position, with his money and clout, poisoning guests at a party? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Unless you know he wants the family taken down.” Trisha sighed. “So he’s coming after the foundation?”
“Apparently. He was behind the tip to the D.A. about money laundering. While we were cleared of all charges, think of the money wasted. We could have put our resources into feeding kids. Instead we were hiring lawyers and defending our reputation.”
“I know why this needs to stay private,” Trisha said, “but you have to brace yourself, Skye. People aren’t going to understand and they’re going to start leaving. For the senior staff, their reputation is their most important asset. If they think the foundation is going down, they won’t want to sink with the ship.”
IZZY WALKED through the high-rise condo. The tall ceilings and big windows gave the place an airy feeling. The decor was mostly black and gray with a few bright colors as accents.
She liked the ebony stained hardwood floor and the big fireplace in the corner. She wouldn’t necessarily want to live here, but the place seemed right for T.J.
“Comments? Criticisms?” he asked as he went behind the bar and began fixing cocktails.
“You slept with your decorator,” she said.
He opened a bottle of vodka. “That’s it? You don’t want to mention the view or that it seems so masculine. Just that I slept with my decorator?”
“Am I wrong?”
He laughed. “No. You’re not wrong.”
She slid onto one of the bar stools and rested her elbows on the granite surface.
“You’re a player,” she said.
“Is that bad?”
“Not in theory. I’m just not sure of your game. With me.”
He pushed a martini toward her. “Do we need to have a game?”
Izzy thought about Skye. “We don’t have to-that was
His blue eyes brightened with humor. “I’m open to suggestions.”
Izzy didn’t have any. She wasn’t completely interested in T.J., but she also seemed unwilling to walk away. He confused her and that didn’t happen all that often. But how much of this was genuine interest on her part and how much of it was to prove a point to Skye? Although right now she wasn’t sure what that point was.
“If you went to school with my sister Lexi,” Izzy said. “You must also know Dana Birch.”
“Oh, yeah. She was intriguing. Hot in a totally different way than Lexi, but I don’t know anyone who was brave enough to ask her out. She made it clear no one was getting close.”
Interesting, Izzy thought, knowing how Dana loved to date quiet, unassuming men she could boss around. The only problem was she easily got bored with them.
“Do you know why?” Izzy asked. T.J. raised his eyebrows. “You’re kidding, right? I’m a guy. I don’t do motive.”
“Or talk about your feelings?”
He shuddered. “No, thanks.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
“When do you go back to work?”
“In a few days. Then I’ll be gone for almost two months.”
“That’s a long time.”
“It goes fast,” she said. “They keep me busy. Last time I was working on installing a new rig. This time I’ll be repairing an older one.”
“You’re really a welder?”
“Didn’t you see
“No one is questioning your sex appeal. But welding?”
“It’s fun. Being underwater gives it an extra punch.”
“Which is important to you?”
“Of course. It’s all about the thrill. Next time I’m off, I’m going cave diving.”
“Seriously?”
“Want to come?”
“I’ll do one or the other. Not both.”
“Chicken.”
“I don’t have a death wish.”
“Neither do I.” T.J. didn’t look convinced. “Cave diving is a dangerous sport.”
“That’s what makes it exciting.”
“So you’re in it for the thrill?”
“I’m in everything for the thrill.”
Their eyes locked.
“Why are you so fearless?” he asked.
A question she wasn’t going to answer honestly. “Because it looks good on me.”
He came around the bar and turned the stool so she was facing him. He put down his drink, set hers on the bar, then cupped her face and kissed her.
His mouth was warming and tempting. The kiss teased and promised. It was the kind of kiss that said sex was very much on the table.
She drew back. “Aren’t you still seeing Skye?”
“Don’t you know?”
“We’ve agreed not to discuss you. The conversation was getting awkward.”
“We’re having dinner.”
Izzy didn’t know how she felt about that. She and T.J. didn’t have a relationship. They weren’t dating. They were hanging out. She never asked the other men she saw if they had other women, mostly because she didn’t care. She wouldn’t care now except she knew Skye wouldn’t get the game. She would look at T.J. as a potential husband, just the way Jed wanted her to.
“What are you thinking?” T.J. asked.
“That I can’t figure you out. You can’t have us both.”
He leaned in and kissed her again. “That’s okay with me.”
Then his mouth was on hers again. The kiss was insistent, taking and giving with equal passion. Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips.
He deepened the kiss. He used his hands to roam her body, then he discovered the side zip on her strapless sundress.
She felt the tug. Acting on instinct, she stood so when he pulled down the zipper, the dress fell, leaving her wearing nothing but a thong and high heels.
T.J. didn’t miss a beat. He grabbed her hand and led her into his bedroom. While she pulled down the covers, he quickly removed his clothing. Then they were naked.
He pulled her to him and they fell onto the bed. His hands were everywhere, touching, teasing, pushing. He made love with an intensity that left her breathless. He drove her to the edge and pushed in right as she began to climax.
When they were done, he stared down into her eyes and smiled.
“I knew you’d be good,” he told her.
“Yeah?”
