Page 23 of Faith
He looked at her over his glasses again, and she had to fight the little shiver that ran through her blood. Dammit, why was that so damned sexy to her?
“You hate reality?”
“Reality?”
“That I’m your superior.”
“You arenotmy superior. I just work for you.”
He rolled his eyes. “And?”
“No. It isn’t how you treat me. It’s how other men treat me.”
He frowned. “How do they treat you exactly?”
“Nothing overt, but they always question anything I say. Not all of them, but I would say about ninety-five percent.”
“Any other issues?”
Other people who didn’t know him better would say it was a simple question. She knew the tone though. Quiet, unassuming...prelude to an attack.
“No. I did have to deal with that Jerry Obenstein in Texas last time, though. He apparently thought it was okay to pat my ass and suggest he prove to me just how much bigger Texans were.”
Anger lit his expression. “What the fuck, Nic? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“First of all, I can take care of myself. A well-placed stiletto to his toe helped, along with myaccidentalknee to his groin.”
He blinked. “Accidental?”
“I played it that way. If he wouldn’t have backed off then, I would have told you.”
He grunted but didn’t say anything.
“He wasn’t too happy when I told him that contrary to his belief, from what I’d felt, notallthings were bigger in Texas.”
He blinked, then burst out laughing. “You have always had an understated dark side that I love, Nic.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I’m going to grab a bite to eat and then make some calls. Do you need anything else?”
“No.”
She gathered up her laptop and planner and headed out the door. When she stepped out into the hall, she drew in a big breath, then released it slowly. Why was he getting to her now? She had always thought of him as attractive. Most people would. There was a reason he was constantly ranked as one of the most eligible bachelors in England…well, actually, the world. High cheekbones, slim, toned muscles, and a darkness that unfailingly seemed to lurk in the background, which invariably attracted women. A bad boy to the extreme.
Funny, she was never actually attracted to bad boys. When she and Oliver had met, he had been sweet, a little unsure of himself. It was when drugs had taken over, when he had lost all of that sweetness, that she realized she couldn’t love him anymore.
Walking up the stairs to her room, she thought about the differences between Oliver and Jensen. Both would be considered bad boys, but there was something to Jensen that Oliver either never had or lost somewhere along the way. It was one reason that she thought Oliver would never have made it through a program. His drug use had been about him. He wasn’t acting out, he felt as though he deserved to do what he wanted. If she had been in a similar situation with Jensen, he would have gone to treatment after she walked out. Not that she would ever be in a relationship other than their working one, but if Jensen loved someone enough, he would do everything he could to get her back. Oliver had used his last act on Earth to leave a note blaming her.
She stepped into her bedroom and sighed. She couldn’t get caught up with thinking about things she would never know the answers to. When she walked away, she had promised never to blame herself, and she wouldn’t start now.
* * *
Hours later,Jensen sat in his office going over the day. He wasn't really sure what was going on with Nicola. She seemed preoccupied, and that was the only reason he had become obsessed with her. Probably. Not really, but it sounded like the best excuse he could come up with—this week.
Still, there was something going on with her. The two of them couldn't get through a conversation without a skirmish. It was as if she were fed up with working for him.
Is that what that damned Jeff wanted? Was he trying to steal her away from him? Jensen knew the show had left him a millionaire with a cooking line, several bestselling books, and a new venture in gay travel. Or, at least that's the most he could find out about him over the last fifteen minutes of Internet searching.
Jeff wanted to meet up with Nic. Why? He could very well be looking for a PA to work for him. Nic might have started off as Jensen's sober companion, but she was now an important part of his work. The company would be hurt if she left. And he would be as well. He didn't know how to function without her around. He hated the two weeks she went on vacation. Oh, he had used a fill-in from his sister, and the woman had been fantastic. But she hadn't been Nic. And that had been when he started to act like such an ass. It was when he realized he didn't like being without her.