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Fantastic

But she couldn’t help herself

God, he was so handsome, even more so now, in his three-piece suit and expensive haircut It was completely tailored and professional except for that shock of cinnamon hair that fell down loose upon his forehead, and the new field of stubble on his chiseled jawline Sedness, of wildness, of the Jack she’d seen Sunday night Surrounded by the usual sea of stuffy execs, he didn’t notice her right away She had time to soak in every delicious inch of him and to delicately wipe the drool from the side of her lips before he turned her way

When he finally did shift his gaze to hers, his face didn’t register a thing—surprise, excite, not even a ripple of emotion “Hello, Miss Fiorini” Jack placed a purely professional hand on her elbow as he pointed the way to the boardroo for you”

“I’ down at her bare wrist though she hadn’t worn a watch in years Why bother when her cell was always close at hand? And she knew she wasn’t late He was just so…distracting

“Not at all, you’re right on time,” Jack said warmly, but not too warmly “After you”

The other men nodded civilly as she crossed the main lobby, and a few expressed their condolences on Antonio’s passing She thanked the roo She cla the weather and their golf swings as they found their seats

But once they were all seated, the civility melted away Jack was scarcely three minutes into his welcome spiel when he was interrupted once, twice, and then a third time Soon it seemed nearly a dozen other voices competed with his

Eva knew Jack’s business reputation as well as his social reputation While he was the playboy outside the office, inside, he was the hard-nosed businessman who didn’t take shit froan to speak, and another executive cut him off “I don’t think you’re in the position to lead this , frankly, Jack,” an older man across the table said

Jack didn’t waver “And why’s that, Al?”

“Because you’re what this ’s about Whether we should—or should not—continue under your leadership”

“I understand that,” he said, “but—“

“To be honest,” a woman added “We don’t know if you should be here at all”

Jack sighed, a too-stormy-for-the-office expression on his face But she could understand his frustration The other executives didn’t speak to Jack the way they’d spoken to her father and brother—they were condescending, alet a sentence in without so reasonable, someone would attack or contradict him

He’d been right They were gunning for hi her to back him up