The Jarrods: Inheritance: Taming Her Billionaire Boss

“Yes, Blake?” she said, keeping her tone idle.

There was a tiny pause before he spoke. “Don’t worry about that very important phone call I was waiting for tonight. One of the resort staff will sit in the office and wait for it.”

“Good.” She took her job seriously, but Erica’s suggestion had been a good one, so she wasn’t about to feel guilty about it.

“But I did have to give them your cell phone number, as well. Just in case. I hope you don’t mind. Someone has to take the call if by chance it’s missed at the hotel, and I’ll have to turn my cell phone off so it won’t interrupt the guest speaker tonight.”

She could feel herself stiffen. He was trying to take advantage of her good nature for his own purposes again. This wasn’t about taking the call. He wanted to put a spoke between her and Joel’s budding relationship, freeing up her time for the job.

She turned her head to face him. “Actually I do mind. This is my night off. I don’t want to work tonight.”

He raised an eyebrow, like he was surprised. “I’m sure Joel won’t have a problem with it. He’s a doctor. He’s used to being on call. You understand, don’t you, Joel?”

“Sure I do.” Joel glanced at her and smiled. “Leave your cell phone on, Sam. I don’t mind if you take the call.”

Her mouth tightened but she didn’t reply. Her cell phone was already off and she intended it to stay that way. And Blake knew this had nothing to do with Joel anyway. Blake was just trying to make sure the job was in her face tonight.

Joel must have sensed something amiss because he started talking about general things for the rest of the way. Samantha could feel Blake’s eyes on her from the backseat but she ignored him as she responded to Joel, relieved when the car slid to a halt outside a restaurant.

“Thanks for the ride.” Blake opened the back door then paused briefly. “And don’t worry about how I’ll get home. You two have a good time, okay?”

Samantha bit down on her irritation. His sincerity was so false. He was just trying to get a ride back to the lodge to make sure nothing sexual happened between her and Joel. Ooh, it would do him good to wonder and worry what she and Joel were getting up to later in the evening.

She smiled tightly. “We’ll be very late, so you’d best get the car service. Good night, Blake.”

His lips flattened and he shot her a dark look. “Good night.” He waited a second, but when Joel said good night, he got out of the car and shut the door. The last Samantha saw was him striding into the restaurant.

Then they drove off and she looked ahead, hoping Joel wouldn’t say anything. He didn’t, at least not until they were seated at their table and the waitress had left with their order.

“Excuse me for asking, but don’t you like Blake?” he said.

She smiled to soften her words. “Of course I do, but I’ve worked with Blake a couple of years now. Sometimes he thinks everyone is there purely for his benefit.”

Joel grinned. “As a successful businessman, he’s probably right.”

She laughed. “Yes, that’s true.” Then she forced herself to relax against the back of her chair. “Now let’s talk about something else. I really don’t want to talk about the boss tonight.”

Joel smiled. “I’m more than happy to oblige, Sam. Now tell me …”

They had a pleasant evening after that. As predicted, they talked about her family’s business and her experience in transcribing, though Blake’s earlier derogatory comment about deciphering handwriting spoiled the discussion for her. Did Blake always have to be there at the back of her mind?

Unfortunately by the time the evening was half over, Samantha knew Joel wasn’t for her. He was handsome and he was a nice guy, but they really didn’t have anything else in common, much to her disgust. Not like her and Blake. She grimaced. No, she and Blake had nothing in common either—except the job and an attraction that she hated to think was really only on her side. Shades of Carl came to mind.

“Sam?”

She pulled herself back from thoughts of the past. “Sorry, I remembered something I forgot to do,” she fibbed, then she smiled. “But it can wait. Now, what were you saying?” She would have a good time if it killed her.

It nearly did.

Her social life and her work life were the same thing, so she’d never lacked for company at business dinners and parties. But she wasn’t used to being on a date and having to tune in to one person for hours on end. It was very draining.

Unless of course that person was Blake. He never bored her. Every minute of every day he challenged her like no other person on earth. Life with Blake was the adventure she’d always been after. One she soon had to leave, she remembered, her heart constricting. She pushed the thought aside. She would get through this.

“We should do this again, Sam,” Joel said, holding open his car door for her on their return to Pine Lodge.

It was strange, but for some reason an evening of being called “Sam” had started to get on her nerves. It wasn’t Joel’s fault at all, but it was as if the shortened version of her name was an issue between her and Blake and therefore belonged only to them now. And that was rather pathetic.

“I’ve got plans tomorrow night,” Joel said, dragging her from her thoughts. “But I’m free after that. Would you like to go to a movie on Monday night?”

She hesitated, feeling a little bad in using him. She didn’t want to go out with him again, yet if she didn’t continue with her plan to try and make Blake jealous, then Blake would think he’d won. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction now.

She got out of the car, with Joel doing the gentlemanly thing and assisting her. “I’d like that, but let me get back to you tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine.”

All at once she felt his hand move from her elbow to her chin. It was a smooth move and said this guy knew what he was doing, so perhaps using him shouldn’t really cause her concern after all.

“But first …” he murmured.

She didn’t resist even though his kiss wasn’t something she wanted, and not because he wasn’t an attractive man. Despite still being angry with Blake for trying to manipulate the situation earlier this evening, she wanted it to be Blake’s lips—and only Blake’s lips—on hers.

Suddenly scared that she might never want another man to kiss her, she raised her mouth to Joel. Perhaps Blake’s attraction for her was merely in her mind? Perhaps she needed to be kissed by another man just to remind her—

“Don’t let me interrupt,” a male voice muttered.

Blake.

Samantha jerked back guiltily and Joel stopped, and they watched their employer stride past them and go inside Pine Lodge. He’d been walking from the direction of Jarrod Manor, where he must have gone after dinner.

“That was good timing,” Joel said, over her thudding heart. Unfortunately her heart’s thud wasn’t for her date. It was for another man.

“Now, where were we?” Joel murmured, lowering his head and placing his lips on hers, making her conscious of one thing. She’d have to stretch her neck higher if it was Blake kissing her.

Blake sat on the couch and tried to get the image of Samantha about to kiss another man out of his head. She’d been swaying toward the doctor like she’d needed a shot in the arm. If she didn’t get inside here pretty damn quick he was going looking for her. On the pretext of her safety, of course.

And he was concerned for her safety. That and other things. She was clearly ready to jump into bed with the first man who looked twice at her, and all to get back at him for not letting her walk away from her job. Hell, if he’d agreed to that she would have already gone from his life. His gut twisted at the thought.

The front door opened right then and in she walked. His pulse began to race when he saw she was alone.

Good girl.

She seemed distracted as she headed for the stairs, undoing the buttons of her coat as she walked. Then she saw him sitting on the couch and her eyes flared with pleasure before she seemed to catch herself.

For a moment his breath stalled. She’d never shown any sort of emotion toward him before. They got on well together but it had always been business between them. He should be perturbed, yet he knew he could use it to his advantage.

Then her mouth tightened as she came toward him. “Are you waiting up for me?” she said, her tone less than friendly, making him question if it had been a trick of the light before. He mentally shook his head. No, he knew what he’d seen.

“Can’t a man have a drink before bed?” he drawled, relaxing. She was home now … with him … and that’s all that mattered.