Conflict of Interest - By Allyson Lindt Page 0,29

have to.”

Scott gritted his teeth as he headed toward a spot near the back of the restaurant he knew would be quiet. Behind him, he heard a few more snatches of conversation and had to bite back a retch.

Kenzie’s voice was cold, but polite. “I’ll give you my company’s name. They can put you in touch with someone more familiar with group work.”

“I’d rather see what you can do one-on-one first.” Hank sounded like a snake that had learned to enunciate.

*

Kenzie had worked with leeches before. Self-proclaimed gentlemen who assumed if she was there to whip their image into shape, she was there for all their needs. She’d never had an issue telling them where to stick it instead and walking away. But that had always been her contract to break, not a multi-million dollar investment deal for someone else. And to top it all off, this was the jerk who had accused Scott of not knowing how to behave in public.

When Hank’s hand found her knee under the table and then slid higher, she couldn’t sit still anymore. She tried to be polite about pulling away. “I’m so sorry. I need to powder my nose.”

Zach stood when she did.

Hank nodded up at her and turned his attention to his drink. “Hurry back. We’ve got business to discuss.”

Heat flooded her entire body, fury pumping through every inch. She ducked into the restroom, relieved it was empty, and splashed cold water on her face. Her reflection blinked back at her, drops streaming down smeared cheeks, flushed red glaring through it all. She wiped away the destroyed makeup and set out to reapply as quickly as she could, hoping the familiar motions would numb her thoughts.

Or maybe she shouldn’t bother with the touch-up. She couldn’t believe she was even considering bailing for the night, but she wasn’t helping by being there. She’d made the point; she’d proven Scott was trying. Her presence was just distracting from the boys talking.

Had she really just thought that? She wanted to slap herself. She could play with the big boys as well as anyone else, and some bozo like Hank Cartee wasn’t going to intimidate her. She wasn’t some executive’s dainty wife who was only there to look pretty. Taking a deep breath, she finished touching up her makeup and braced herself for the rest of the evening. She could find a way to put him in his place without costing anyone anything. It was what she did.

As she emerged from the bathroom, a flash of gray fabric caught her attention on the edge of her peripheral vision. She spun and saw Scott loitering in a corner, back against the wall, raking his fingers through his hair. She was still happy he’d worn the suit she picked out. It accentuated his broad shoulders and made him look distinguished instead of intimidating. Not that intimidating was always bad in his case.

She pushed the thought away. She needed to focus on the night, not on him. She also needed to drag him back to dinner.

He jumped a little, eyes wide when she stopped in front of him. “Hey.” His smile was weak, but his voice was warm.

“I think your associates are looking for you.” She nodded toward the dining room. He’d picked an out-of-sight place to hide, and there was less than a foot between them. He radiated a subtle hint of cologne and a more powerful impression of panic. This was why she was here. To get him through the night. She just had to remember that.

“I think it’s more likely they’re looking for you.” Scott’s laugh was forced. “Zach has a pretty good idea where I am. And I’m really sorry about Cartee. I mean, he’s right that you look incredible, but that’s no excuse for him to let so much of himself show.”

She ducked her head at the compliment. Why did it sound so much more genuine, and less repulsive, coming from him? Maybe it was because his eyes never left hers.

His finger rested under her chin, and he pulled her face back up. His tone was kind. “I wouldn’t blame you if you made some excuse and hightailed it out of here. I’ll go with you if it will help.”

It was more tempting than she dared dwell on. “I thought about it, believe me.” She let out a short laugh. “But if you can tolerate the rest of the evening, so can I.” Except she didn’t want to head back out there. She wanted