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"Youher pale blue eyes on , dark hair behind one ear "I don’t even need to know details because we both know you still aren’t listening to es That’s the only way this works" She releases me "I’ll talk to him Call me later" She moves around me and I step forward, only to have her stop me "Oh and honey If you plan to do more than fuck the woman who put that lipstick on your collar, I expect to meet her"

I have no idea how lipstick traveled to my collar, and really don’t care, but damn if a taste of the woht about now And if I had her, my mother, and my entire damn family for that matter, wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near her

Behind every great fortune, there’s a crime

--Lucky Luciano

CHAPTER TWO

SHANE

Within fifteen minutes of my mother’s "lipstick" announcement, I’m already behind my cherrywood desk in the corner office oppositeto focus on work, when Jessica, a tall blonde with spiky hair and an attitude, steps into the office

"Your fresh shirt has arrived," she says, indicating the garment in her hand "And let e of clothes put that scowl on your face, I’ there’s no do-over"

"The lipstick onmy Montblanc pen on the desk "If it was, I’d definitely be in a better s the shirt on the back of the door "Sounds like an interesting story we both know you won’t tell me, so I won’t ask" She crosses to stand in front of my desk and sets two folders in front of s in the world, along with risk assess studies The bottoht them to market"

"Ever efficient," I say "Good work Is--"

"Yes Derek returned to his office just after you did"

In other words, my father shut hiood news

"Anna, his new secretary, followed him into his office and shut the door, a recent habit they’ve developed I’m really quite thankful the walls in this place are thick because, I assuood to have a full-service assistant She can do it all I don’t I won’t But I promise you, I’m better than her"

"Ah, Jessica Leave it to you to keep things in perspective I keep waiting for the day et to ive o Rocky on that man I’ll leave you to your work" She crosses the rooThe woo to work, looking for our next play in the er exists I start reading and I don’t stop, analyzing alliances I ht produce My interests lead me to Internet research and an e-mailed list of prospective hires that I shoot to Seth I’m deep into the second half of folder nu a coffee onI know has the croissants I favor inside "It’s seven o’clock"

I blink and look up at her "How long have I been sitting here?"

"I believe you stretched your legs and walked to what I assume was the bathroom--I certainly hope so--at about four o’clock So, three hours, not including the three before that break What can I do to help?"

"Go hoht for a ed your shirt You need rest"

"Thank you, Mother I’m fine Go home"

"I’m twenty-nine years old, about to be thirty For your safety, do not call me ‘ on her heel andinto the hallway and shutting the door behind her I rotatethe rooht, but it will never compare to the view fro there, I face forward again

It’s tiet up Instead, for at least the tenth time, my mother’s words replay in es, followed by aer that forces everyone to follow rab aze catches on the view behind the glass For almost a year now, I’ve craved my return to New York, but it’s time I face facts I have to be here and be present to win this war, or give up I dig my phone fro for months: I’into the dimly lit outer office and I’ll be damned if Derek doesn’t do the same We both stop outside our doors, the tension between us damn near , neither of us stopping until we are toe-to-toe at the hallway, inviting both our departures