“Vanessa had a sister. Nicki. She worked for Danielle for ten years. She was one of the first employees Dani hired, and they were close. Nicki was in a car accident four months ago. They met at her funeral,” Julian explained.
“She seems to go to a lot of funerals.” He didn’t like the way death seemed to be all around her. “So your wife decided it was a good idea to hire her friend’s down-on-her-luck sister. Did she understand Vanessa’s background?”
“My wife is one of the kindest people I know,” Julian said. “She can look at all the information MaeBe laid out and see something totally different from me. She’s grown close to this woman, and I worry about that. I’ve tried to make her see Vanessa could be dangerous, but she isn’t interested in my opinion. I’ve got people watching her in the office. That was how I found her trying to look through reports she had no business with.”
“So you think she’s trying to steal from you?” Michael could see that possibility. “Why not use in-house investigators and surveil her online? I’m sure you have plenty of cameras around the office.”
“I’ve tried that. We haven’t caught anything, but I can tell you that someone managed to move more than fifty thousand dollars to an account I can’t identify.” Julian sat forward, his voice going soft.
It was suspicious. “So you want me to find a way to get into her house, to find out any secrets she might have.”
“She’s interested in D/s. She asked specifically about The Club. I think she’s looking for a new wealthy lover,” Julian replied.
“I suppose that would be me.” There it was. There was that nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach Tessa had warned him about, the one that made him wonder who the hell he was.
“All I’m asking you to do is to top her, Mr. Malone,” Julian explained. “If you happen to find her attractive and the two of you allow sexual relations in your contract, then that would simply be what happens when a Dom and sub connect. Otherwise, you can decide how far you choose to go.”
It wasn’t like she would be some innocent thing. She would be playing him, too.
“Michael, you don’t have to take this assignment,” Charlotte said. “We can find another way.”
Despite the feeling in his gut, he was also interested in playing the game with an expert. It wasn’t like he was in a relationship, and her heart wouldn’t come close to getting involved. “I’ll do it.”
So tonight, the games would begin.
* * * *
Vanessa Jones was sick of games.
She hung up the phone and took a deep breath.
“You okay?”
She looked up from the big desk her sister had once used. Danielle Lodge-Taylor stood in the doorway of her office, looking flawless in her designer suit and heels, blonde hair in an elegant bun at the back of her neck. The woman had been her sister’s boss for years, and now she was proving to be Vanessa’s savior.
Would Dani regret that when she discovered the real reason Vanessa had taken her up on her offer to slip into Nicki’s old job?
She gave Dani a weary smile. “I’m great. I’ve got those contracts ready for you, and I spoke with the caterer for the reception. She said it’s not going to be a problem to add an additional salad.”
Dani stepped inside, relief on her face. “Excellent. I didn’t realize the salad I chose wasn’t vegan, and given the crowd we’ll have for that one, it would be a huge mistake. That was a good catch.”
Vanessa knew that crowd well. It was one of the reasons she felt slightly better about taking Dani up on her offer of employment. Dani was currently working on a big project that included attracting a celebrity spokesperson. Her line of resort spas focused on wellness, and getting the right celebrity endorsement was important. Vanessa knew how to handle a celebrity. After all, she’d been one once. “Alicia Kingman’s been a vegan for a couple of years now, but she’s not going to be upset that there are nonvegan options. I worked with the caterer, so her favorites will all be available. She won’t actually eat the dessert, but it looks good to have it there.”
Dani sank down to the seat in front of Vanessa’s desk. “You are a godsend. I have no idea how I would have managed this without you.”
Would Dani think she was a godsend a few weeks from now? Or would she be one more person who looked on Vanessa with contempt? It would be awful because she’d come to genuinely care for Dani and her family.
“You would have done fine,” Vanessa replied in all honesty. “You’re the single most capable woman I’ve ever met. You would have done a ton of research and landed her all on your own.”
“I’m going to teach you one of the secrets I’ve learned over the years.” Dani crossed one leg over the other. “Do not take credit away from yourself. There will be too many other people who do that. Don’t do it to yourself.”
She had to blink a couple of times to clear the tears that threatened to form. “That’s very true.”
No one gave her credit for anything but causing pain she hadn’t meant to cause.
“So tell me why you look like you lost your last friend,” Dani prompted.
Vanessa took a moment to compose herself. There were about twenty reasons to be sad and depressed. She picked the one most relevant to Dani. “The homeowner’s association has asked me to vacate my sister’s house as soon as possible. I recently got word that they are going to bring legal action against me if I don’t move within the next month.”
“What?” Dani’s eyes had gone wide. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” It wasn’t like it was the first time they’d had this conversation.
“Reporters? I thought changing your hair and how you dress fixed things.”
She’d gone back to brunette when she’d moved to Dallas. Honestly, the only reason she’d stayed a blonde was that George had loved the long blonde extensions she’d worn, and she would have done anything to make him happy in those last days. Between that, gaining a little weight, and changing how she dressed, she looked different enough that she’d managed to avoid the press. She’d moved into the house her sister had left her, and for a while things had calmed down. The lawsuit over her late husband’s estate was in limbo while waiting for an appeal, and no one seemed to care now.
Then a national magazine had published a tell-all story from her used-to-be best friend about how vanity and greed had ruined Vanessa’s promising career. It was all bullshit, but it had made her ache because Ashton had been as close as a sister to her. Closer than her own sister since they’d lived in completely different worlds for the last decade and a half.
“It was only a matter of time before they found me again,” Vanessa admitted. “There have already been a few incidents. One news van broke the gate trying to get in, and some of the photographers are jumping fences. They’re going to send me a bill for the gate.”
“That’s not your fault,” Dani insisted.
Fault in this case didn’t matter. “The easiest way for them to solve the problem is to get rid of me. And honestly, I can’t afford another lawsuit. Everything I have is tied up in legal fees over George’s estate.”