The Other Side of Greed (The Seven Sins #5) - Lily Zante Page 0,11
on you.”
I bend the paperclip back into shape, my insides tightening as she talks about my ex.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” she continues.
I don’t share much about my private life, not even with Simona who is as close to a mother figure as I’ll ever have, but my ex cheating on me for most of the time we were together broke me more than I want to admit.
“Don’t turn away a perfectly good candidate, Kyra. Don’t let the other stuff cloud your judgment.”
“We don’t take people off the street,” I protest.
“He didn’t look like someone off the street. You took Yvette on.” Simona’s brow creases. “You don’t like him because he’s too much like you.”
I laugh at that absurd accusation.
“He wants to do good in the world, like you,” she continues. “He doesn’t need to be homeless or in difficulty to work here.”
“We don’t need anyone else. We have our team and we’re doing well.”
“He offered to work for free.”
I scrub a hand against my cheek. This is my point exactly. I look up at her. “Doesn’t that raise alarm bells?”
“He sounds exactly like someone we need.”
“Not really.”
I start to type away on my keyboard.
“He’s young, and good-looking, and wants to help, and you’re doing your damndest to push him away.”
I have to laugh. “And that’s why you wanted him to work here?”
“Here.” She taps away on her cell phone. “I’ve sent you his number.”
I can’t pinpoint what it is that grates on me about this man. I barely know him, but I sense trouble. Working for a start-up, then traveling around and helping out in less advantaged countries means he would be perfect for Redhill.
He also sounds too good to be true.
Chapter Six
BRANDON
“What happened?” Emma asks as I enter my office.
“With what?” The weekend has flown by and I have no idea what she is referring to.
“I want to know how your ‘undercover’ visit to Redhill went.” She air quotes ‘undercover’.
“She didn’t hire me.” I walk into my office wishing to be left alone. But, of course Emma isn’t one to let this slide without wanting further elaboration.
“She didn’t hire you?” she strides into the office. I take off my jacket and fold up the cuffs to my sleeves. To my chagrin, she’s sitting in the chair opposite mine, waiting for the cliffhanger.
“Don’t you have work to do?” I ask her.
I loosen my tie before sitting down. I feel constricted. The collar feels tight around my neck, and most of all I’m just really pissed off that I seemed to fail at the first hurdle. “She said she didn’t need anyone.”
“Even though you told her you would work for free?” She sounds surprised. “She doesn’t trust you.”
I rock back on my chair. This is what I sensed. Kyra Lewis is paranoid and doesn’t trust a soul. She’s going to be harder to get through than I first anticipated, but I will rise to the challenge. There’s nothing I like more. “She will.” I need to find another avenue for reaching through to her. It won’t be through her, but maybe the older woman can help. She seemed friendlier.
“She will.” I’m confident of that.
Emma stands up. “I told you she was smart.”
“And I told you I’ll find a way in.” That’s what Trojan horses do. I’ll need to find another way to break into Redhill.
“These are divine,” Jessica says. The selection of amuse-bouches—courtesy of the head chef and prepared solely for us—looks mouth-watering.
“Not bad,” I say, staring at a cup holding a crab filled pea pod straddled across the top of it. I don't know whether to eat it or admire it.
“This looks heavenly.” Jessica's deep-red talons reach for a shrimp nestled in a martini glass filled with crushed ice. Only in places like this does food become art.
We’re sitting in one of Chicago’s most expensive French restaurants. My slow and subtle pursuit of her continues. She’s playing hard to get, too. Which helps. The chase is exhilarating. At some point, I’ll find her sexually attractive, which is important given that she ticks the right boxes for so many other things.
“You are a man of exemplary taste and refinement, Brandon. It’s one of the things I like about you.”
“Just one?” I take a sip of water from the sparkling thin-stemmed glass.
“Stop fishing for compliments.” She gives me a provocative smile. Those shiny, glossy, red lips are inviting, and yet I don’t feel the rush of adrenaline that I should. Could it be because we haven’t yet jumped into bed yet?