Who’s the Boss?

“Let’s get a move on.” Darla looked at him, her eyes sparkling with humor. “Unless, of course, there’s something else-or somewhere else-you need to be?”

Vince is probably nearly there. “Just get on with it,” he urged, needing to be sidetracked. Vince was perfect for her. Perfect.

“Okay.” Darla shoved some papers beneath his nose. “I need you to…”

Nice, sweet, caring Vince, he thought sarcastically. Caitlin needed someone and the superterrific, infallible, all-around-perfect man Vince was going to be it.

Darla sighed, loudly. “Joe, you’re not paying attention to me. I think I should be insulted.”

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, rubbing his face. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“You didn’t.” Her voice was kind. Amused, but kind. “But stop mooning over her. It’s unattractive.”

“I’m not mooning.”

“Sure about that?”

“Yeah.” Vince would probably offer consolation, maybe a hug, and that would lead to a kiss. Dammit! Joe knew how incredibly Caitlin kissed, so he could only surmise where that would lead, and- His heart stopped, ice-cold at the thought. “No!”

Darla smothered a smile and shot him an innocent look. “Is that no, you don’t want to expense your equipment out all in one period?” She tucked her tongue in her cheek. “Or no, you don’t want Vince to get a piece of my assistant?”

In one smooth, angry motion, he rose and moved to the door. “She’s my assistant, dammit. You can’t have her.”

Darla let her smile loose. “Joe, sweetie? Give her a kiss for me, would ya?”

“Bite me,” he retorted, and slammed the door.

9

CAITLIN DIDN’T KNOW if she could handle the humiliation, but at this point, she was almost beyond caring.

“Nice,” Chastity murmured, sugar dripping from her voice. She held her wrist up to the light, where the tennis bracelet glittered with three carats of white diamonds. “How much did you say, darling?”

Caitlin glanced at the bracelet and tried to harden her heart at selling off the only piece of jewelry she’d ever gotten from her father. “It’s part of the set,” she managed to say. “You have the list.”

“Yes.” Chastity gave her a cool glance, then reappraised the other items spread out over Caitlin’s dining-room table. “You’re still giving me all the furniture at the price we agreed on?”

It was far, far, less than what everything was worth, Caitlin knew. But despite the fact she’d just gotten a call from the mortgage company, and now knew Joe had bought her some time, she still couldn’t afford the place, which only made her all the more desperate. Chastity, snob that she was, was prepared to give her a check today because she ran the private charity auction house that would come to cart Caitlin’s stuff away. That the two women used to run in the same circle only added to Caitlin’s humiliation.

But what could she do? She needed fifteen hundred to cover the check she’d just written for first, last and security deposit on her new apartment. Shack would have been a more accurate term, but it would put a roof over her head, and at the low monthly rent, she could just afford it. The proceeds from the sale of the jewelry would help cover the cost of a new-and very used-car.

She’d also finally figured out that she wanted to go back to college and get a degree, in something involving numbers. She could do it at night, work for Darla during the day-soon as she quit working for Joe-and she’d be fine. Just fine.

Right. And pigs could fly.

In spite of everything, though, a little burst of pride zipped through her. She’d be supporting herself, and it felt so good she almost could have hugged Chastity. Almost.

The knock at the door took her by surprise. So did the sight of Vince standing there.

“Hi,” she said, panic welling. Not this. She could handle having to sell everything. Having to move. But she couldn’t take having a friend watch. “Why aren’t you at work?”

“I wanted to help pack.”

“No! I mean…I’m fine. I told you on the phone. I’m just fine.”

Chastity came up behind Caitlin, and eyed Vince with open curiosity. Caitlin moved to try to cover Chastity’s view and prayed the woman would keep her mouth shut.

“You sounded…funny at work,” he said in a low voice, keeping his eyes on Caitlin’s instead of on the tall, model-beautiful woman behind her. She could have kissed him for that alone, but desperation moved in.

“As you can see, I’m really doing okay.” She managed a smile that only made him frown harder.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m really busy. I’ll see you-” She started to close the door, but he blocked her.

“I want to come help you move tomorrow,” he said firmly, lifting his gaze for the first time and eyeing Chastity with mistrust.

“Hello, there,” Chastity purred, and Vince nodded before looking at Caitlin again.

“I’ll come early, okay?”

“Fine.” She pressed on the door, knowing it would be faster to agree than argue. His help would be welcome, and so would his support

“Wait.” Vince pulled an envelope from his back pocket. “I brought your paycheck. I thought you could use it.”

She took it without much enthusiasm, knowing it wouldn’t make a dent. “Thank you. See you tomorrow, Vince.” Before he could protest, she shut the door on his tense, worried face.

And felt like a jerk.

“Was that your boyfriend?” Chastity asked slyly. “He’s awfully cute for a redhead. All that warm concern and those burning green eyes.”

“He’s not in your tax bracket,” Caitlin said dully, and Chastity laughed.

Caitlin opened her check and did a double take. Joe had given her a raise. A big one. Her heart squeezed painfully. More pity? she wondered. Or something deeper?

“Is Vince part of CompuSoft?”

Lifting her gaze from the surprising amount of money in her hand, she asked, “What do you know about CompuSoft?”

“There’s lots of buzz about the company’s future.” Chastity’s eyebrows rose. “And of course, its owner, Joe Brownley.”

Caitlin went still, her raise momentarily forgotten. “You know him?”

“I met him once. At one of your father’s fantastic parties. I think you were in Paris at the time. Or maybe it was Milan. I can’t remember. He’s really something.”

“My father?”

“Keep up, darling.” Chastity again admired the bracelet on her sleek, tanned wrist. “Joe Brownley. He had every woman at that party drooling. And to think, now you work for him.”

“Drooling?”

Chastity shook her head. “You sound like a parrot.” She sank to the leather couch and ran her fingers lovingly along the back. “I just might keep this one for myself-you have such good taste.” She sighed in pleasure and leaned back. “What was I saying? Ah, yes. Joe. A tough-talking, amazing-looking bad boy if I ever saw one. I love them like that, all nasty attitude and an insatiable sexual appetite.”

Joe and Chastity. Weak, Caitlin made herself ask, “Did you two…”

“No, I’m sorry to say. But it wasn’t for lack of trying on my part, let me tell you. The way that man fills out a pair of jeans could make a grown woman beg for mercy.”

“Could we just get on with this?” It hurt. Not losing her things-they’d never really been hers to begin with. Not