Page 68 of His to Seduce
When she reached the kitchen table, she placed her hand on a stack of files. I’d seen them this morning when she left for work. Now she scowled at them as if the use of trees to create so much paper infuriated her.
“Someone’s been stealing money from my company. Unfortunately, that someone is the CEO’s nephew and a huge pain in my ass.”
Shit.
“Even more unfortunately, they tried to place me on leave while they investigate. Most of the clients who have claimed money missing have been mine.”
“Fuck.”
“Yep.”
“How do you know it’s this nephew?”
“Because I know him. He’s greasy and smelly and he’s been completely useless.”
“That’s quite the accusation.”
Her glare speared me to my spot. I raised my hands in surrender. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m saying it’s a huge accusation without proof.”
“I have it.” She tapped the files. “I always print out monthly statements and general ledgers. Everyone makes fun of me for keeping a paper trail, but I have the accounts and I have the records. And I have the electronic files that show when my clients’ accounts were accessed, and what was moved. That wasn’t from me.”
“Can’t you just show him the proof, then? Be vindicated?”
“Right, David.” She rolled her eyes. “Because the CEO doesn’t want this public, he’s investigating it himself. He’s looking into it. But if I’m the one being accused of it, and it’s his nephew doing it, who’s going to be the one in trouble here?”
I opened my mouth to tell her that maybe the CEO was a stand-up guy and would do the right thing but quickly shut my mouth. I didn’t know the man. She needed me on her side right now.
“What are you going to do?”
She dropped her gaze from mine to the files. Then she looked out the window above her kitchen sink and shrugged. “I quit. It’s done. I’ll keep this in case it backfires on me somehow, but my guess is now that I’m no longer in the picture, Jameson Peters will cover up the mess somehow and everyone will move on.”
“What will you do about a job?”
She shrugged and tugged on the tip of her ponytail. God, I wanted her close to me. In my arms so I could soothe away her pain.
“Find a new one. I have some savings. I’ll be good for a few months without having to cut back on anything.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to prove your innocence and go back to work?”
So much for being on her side. The look she shot me skewered me in my chest.
“Let’s say they find out it’s Gordon, the nephew, and apologize for thinking it was really me. How do I go back and work in a place that would do that? That would treat me so unfairly, judge me so quickly?” She shivered visibly and turned back to me. “Why is it that just because I come from a trashy area and a trashy home, people are always so quick to assume that Iamtrash?”
It was a dig at me. For judging her initially, too. But it went deeper than that, and the pain I saw slice across her face was more visible than anything I’d ever seen on anyone’s face before.
“Camden.” I closed the space between us in two long strides and pulled her to my chest. She shivered in my arms. “What do you need? And what can I do?”
As she melted into my arms, I took her weight until I picked her up and sat down, pulling her into my lap.
“How can I help you, Camden?”
Her forehead brushed back and forth on my shoulder and slowly, as if she’d been trying to resist but finally caved, her arms slid around my back and squeezed me tightly to her. She didn’t answer for several moments, and when she finally spoke again, she’d lost the freaky robotic, emotionless voice.
“I need to take some time to figure out what I’m going to do. Then I need to shower all the sweat off me.” She tilted her head back and flashed me a shaky smile. I knew that years from now, this would be the moment I knew I was falling in love with her. And what she said next shocked me to my core, and I knew I’d never get over Camden. I’d neverwantto get over Camden. “Then I need you to take me out like we planned and help me forget this mess, even if it’s just for the night.”
The perfect idea came to mind. She’d always thought people were too quick to judge her and make assumptions. I wanted her to be around people who were the exact opposite.
“Go shower,” I murmured, and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. “Take the time you need. I’ll hang out and wait for you here.”
