The Jarrods: Inheritance: Taming Her Billionaire Boss

She pulled a face. He knew very well both her parents were alive. “Well, no, but—”

“I rest my case.”

“Blake, I don’t think it’s too hard to comprehend what you must have gone through.”

Anger flashed across his face. “Enough, Samantha. I don’t want or need your sympathy for something that happened a long time ago.”

“But—”

The telephone rang and he snatched it up from the wall beside him, almost barking into it. His mouth tightened. “Hang on, Erica. I’ll put her on.” He handed the phone over to Samantha.

“I see Blake’s being his usual talkative self,” Erica mused down the line. She didn’t wait for Samantha to agree. “I heard about your accident and just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Samantha appreciated her concern. “I’m fine, thanks, Erica.” She forced herself to sound cheery. “Blake and I just had dinner. He cooked me an omelet.”

An eloquent silence came from Erica’s end. “A man of many talents,” she finally said. “I’d better let you go, then. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She hung up before Samantha could respond.

Samantha took her time placing the receiver back down, hiding her expression from him. She wouldn’t tell Blake what Erica had been thinking. That his half sister was delighted the two of them were bonding, even if Blake did sound like a grouch. “That was really nice of her to call.”

His lips twisted. “I wonder if I have any relatives left who might like to interrupt us tonight?”

Her brow creased with worry. “You really should give Erica a chance.”

“To do what?”

Anger stirred the air, though she knew it wasn’t directed at her. She tilted her head. “Do you blame Erica for your father’s affair with her mother?” she said, coming right out and saying it.

He didn’t look pleased by her comment. “I’m not blaming Erica for what my father did. I just don’t want her coming in here and splitting up the family. I’m not convinced she’ll stay in Aspen.”

She didn’t know how he could say that. Was he blind? “She and Christian are so in love. And she’s in love with everyone here at Jarrod Ridge, too. Their hearts are here, Blake. They won’t leave you.”

He swore. “I don’t give a rat’s ass if they leave or not. This isn’t about what I feel anyway. It’s about her causing problems for the family and then walking away without a care in the world.”

“I’m sure that won’t happen. Erica isn’t like that.”

One eyebrow shot up. “You know her so well, do you?”

“Do you?”

A muscle began ticking along his jaw. “Thank you for your opinion, but I don’t need it.” He pushed to his feet and began collecting the plates, taking them over to the dishwasher. “Go into the living room. I’ll bring in the coffee.”

For a few moments she didn’t move. She watched his rigid back and felt depressed by his remoteness and abruptness. She’d pushed him hard just now and she wasn’t sure why, except that she somehow felt she was fighting not just for Erica’s sake but for Blake’s, as well. If she could at least get him to relent toward Erica then maybe when she left, her time here would have been of value. Maybe then something good would have come from all this. She sighed. Or was she simply looking for something to make herself feel good about leaving Blake?

And that brought her back to what she’d said before about Erica leaving him. Was that the crux of the matter? It occurred to her then that Blake may have abandonment issues with his mother dying, and now that made it difficult for him to get close to his half sister. Or to get close to anyone, including herself.

Someone rang the doorbell and Blake swore again.

“That’ll be Joel,” Samantha reminded him. “He said he would check on me.”

“Stay there,” he muttered and strode past her to let in the other man.

A couple of seconds later Joel breezed into the kitchen. She noticed he took in the homey scene, but he was all professional while he checked her over and announced he was pleased.

Then, “We have to get you better for tomorrow night,” he teased, but she saw him dart a look at Blake and she suddenly had the feeling there was more to this. He seemed to be letting Blake know he was staking a claim.

“Tomorrow night?” Blake asked in a menacing voice.

Joel closed up his medical bag. “Samantha and I have a date for Monday night.” He winked at her. “We’re going to the movies.”

Samantha wanted to say she hadn’t actually accepted the invitation but the displeased look in Blake’s eyes kept her quiet.

“Let’s see how she feels first,” Blake said grimly, then stepped back in clear indication that the doctor should precede him to the front door.

Joel hesitated, like he wasn’t about to take orders, then he must have remembered that Blake was his boss. He inclined his head at Samantha. “I’ll call you in the morning,” he told her, picking up his bag.

He left the room and Blake saw him out, and Samantha couldn’t help but wonder once again if Blake might be jealous of Joel. The thought made her heartbeat pick up speed. Blake had certainly wanted to kiss her back there on the mountain and surely that had to mean something.

Didn’t it?

All at once she needed to know what he felt for her. “Joel finds me attractive, don’t you think?” she said dreamily as Blake came back in the kitchen looking anything but relaxed.

His eyes filled with meaning. “Sure he does,” he said cynically.

She couldn’t let him get away with that. “What does that mean?”

“Just that any woman with the right equipment can attract a man. And believe me, you’ve got the right equipment,” he drawled, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, all at once looking very much in charge of himself, making her want to bring him down a peg or two.

“Thanks for the assumption that I’m only good for sex,” she said with faint indignation.

His hands came out of his pockets and his complacency vanished. “I didn’t say that,” he retorted, then strode over to check on the coffee. He spun back around. “Dammit, what the hell are you doing with those men anyway? You don’t need them. They’re beneath you.”

Startled, she gathered her wits about her. This was more like it. “Maybe I want them beneath me,” she joked.

“Don’t talk like that.”

She hid a soft gasp. It did sound like he was jealous. She needed to push more. “I don’t understand how you can say a doctor isn’t good enough for me, Blake.”

“That’s because he’s not good enough for you.”

Her spirits soared. “What about Ralph? You don’t even know what he does for a living.”

“And you do?”

She did, then realized she’d set herself up here. She had to cough before she said, “He’s a car salesman.”

“Huh! That explains the slime rolling off him.”

“Blake!” She hadn’t expected quite such a response. “What’s got into you?”