LITMIR.BIZ

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Devin would want to know if there was any threat to his family.

      “No. If I tell him I think I’m being followed, he’ll insist on a police escort everywhere I go.” Natalie shrugged. “I’ll handle it myself rather than be put under lock and key by my overbearing brother.”

      “He’s worried about you.” Jolie shot another glance behind her at the menu-covered stranger. “He worries about his family.”

      “He’s annoying and overprotective. You’d think he was my father, not my brother.”

      “As the oldest, he feels responsible for his siblings.”

      “Well, he needs to stop it.” Natalie set her fork aside. “I have work to do at home. Are you sure you don’t mind taking the marketing plan to my brother? I promised I’d have it by the end of the day.” She laughed. “Guess late at night is still part of today.”

      “I’ll get it to him.” Jolie patted her oversize purse with the file folder inside.

      “Yeah, and make sure he eats that food you bring him. He looks like he’s losing weight.”

      “Now who’s the worried sibling?” Jolie laughed. “I’ll stand over him until he downs every bite.”

      Natalie grinned. “I can see you doing just that. Like a drill sergeant ready to pounce on him if he doesn’t.” Then her smile faded. “I have half a mind to tell him to wake up and smell the rose he has for an E.A.”

      “Don’t you dare.”

      “It goes both ways. Don’t tell him I have someone following me unless you want me to tell him that you have a thing for him.”

      Jolie already regretted telling Natalie about her secret infatuation for her boss. No matter how good it felt to let it out and confess, she saw it for what it was, a wretched situation of unrequited love.

      Everyone, especially her, knew that Devin Kendall was married to his job. What time he didn’t give to the business, he dedicated to the protection of his family. He didn’t have time for himself, much less a relationship. Jolie had known this for a long time and had come to accept it. But having turned thirty on her last birthday, she had heard the beginning ticks of her biological clock. Deep in her heart, she’d always wanted a family … children … a husband who loved her.

      She wouldn’t get those things from Devin Kendall. He was in a league way above Jolie’s humble beginnings. If she was honest with herself, she’d accept that and move on.

      She gathered her purse, the to-go bag of his favorite Kung Pao Chicken, and bade Natalie goodbye at her car.

      The man who’d been at the table with the menu over his face had left before they did so she didn’t get a good look at him. But that didn’t make her feel any better about sending Natalie off on her own.

      Despite her promise not to tell Devin, she knew she would. Natalie’s safety was more important than Jolie’s love life.

      Or lack thereof.

      She dropped her purse and the bag of food on the empty passenger seat, revved the engine of her four-door sedan and then drove toward Devin’s condo, trying to squelch the sudden rush of adrenaline and excitement at seeing her boss outside the office environment.

       Chapter Two

      Devin jumped to his feet when the doorbell rang, grumbling all the way to the entrance, regretting his decision not to buy a condo with a security guard at the front desk. “Who the hell comes by this late at night?”

      He yanked the door open, ready to rip into the salesman on the other side and brought himself up short.

      Jolie smiled and held up a bag that smelled of soy sauce and spices. “Hungry?”

      “What the hell are you doing here so late? I would think that at least one of us would have a life.”

      She snorted and followed him into the living room. “Like I could have a life. With you calling or texting me every hour of the day and night. Any man I’ve ever tried to date never understood.”

      Devin frowned. “You date?”

      She thunked the bag of food on the counter in his kitchen and shot a twisted grin his way. “I would if I had a day off.”

      “What are you doing here?” And why did she look so damned good? Something was different about Jolie, but Devin was too wound up to put his finger on it.

      “I brought Natalie’s marketing plan by. You wanted it by end of day. It’s end of day, in case you hadn’t noticed, and here it is.” She pulled the document from her voluminous purse and laid it next to the bag of Chinese food containers.

      Devin’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t she bring it herself?”

      “She had other plans and your condo is on my way home.”

      “That’s right, you had dinner together.”

      “We did.”

      Devin crossed his arms over his chest. The thought of his sister going home alone bothered him. “I don’t like it that she’s out and about after dark.”

      “She’s twenty-six. Old enough to know how to take care of herself.”

      “She’s my kid sister.”

      “The key word is sister.” Jolie scooped food from the containers onto a clean plate. “You aren’t her parent and she’s a big girl, not a kid. Give her a break.”

      “I can’t. This whole murder investigation is eating me alive.”

      “Then get a bodyguard for her and quit worrying.” Jolie stared across at him. “She’s had a man following her the past few days. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone to watch her back. Now, here.” She handed him a plate of Kung Pao Chicken and steered him toward the couch. “Sit. Eat. If you still feel like it when your stomach is full, then you can resume your worrying.”

      He let her push him toward the living room, her fingers warm on his back. He liked the touch a little too much and growled menacingly, feeling as though his attraction to her was a sign of his exhaustion. He’d be better off escorting her to the door as soon as possible before things got complicated. “I don’t need you telling me what to do. Just so you know, I’d already decided on a bodyguard.”

      Jolie grounded her hands on her hips, her stance wide, fearlessly ready to take him on. “When was the last time you ate?” she demanded.

      “Lunch.”

      She snorted. “You skipped lunch to meet with the board of directors.”

      He didn’t like it when she was right, but the color in her cheeks had heightened, a sure sign she was riled. He did like it when Jolie got riled. The unflappable executive assistant was entirely too tightly bound.

      What were they arguing about? Oh, yeah. “We had lunch at the meeting.”

      “You spoke all the way through the meeting. Bottled water doesn’t count.” With her shoulders flung back, her head held high and the cut of her blouse dipping low over her breasts, she looked more lively than he could remember. And there was something vastly different about her tonight.

      Suddenly feeling the need to rub his executive assistant the wrong way, Devin set the plate in front of him. “I’ll eat when I’m hungry.”

      “When will that be?” She perched on the edge of the coffee table, lifted a forkful of food and held it out. “I’m under orders to stay until you’ve eaten. So do me a favor and eat this so I can go home.”

      He opened his mouth to argue and she shoved the fork in.

      His eyes widened and then narrowed. He chewed thoughtfully, emitting a soft moan. “Mmm. This is good.”

      That

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