Ruthless Love Read online

  The last thing Jordan needed was Buddy setting him up. “Forget it.”

  “No, wait, hear me out. Her name’s Cherise. She’s something special. She wants to get out of the escort business but the money’s too good, you know? I told her I’d help her find some work. Wait until you meet her. You’ll love her. She looks all professional in a silky suit, except it looks like the buttons are about to burst off. She’s all tits and ass, it’s amazing.”

  “Jesus Buddy, you aren’t really trying to set me up with someone you’ve seen naked...”

  “Hey, hey, I’m not trying to set you up,” said Buddy, although that was quite blatantly exactly what he was doing. “But you could use someone at your side, right? Someone who’ll stand by your side and play the part. She’d be perfect. Gorgeous and sophisticated and looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. But she’s got cleavage that says VAVAVOOM!” His voice carried through the hallway and Jordan put his head down on the desk.

  “Buddy, I don’t need cleavage. Get out of here before I throw you out.”

  Buddy backed up but didn’t stop talking. “She’d be great for you. She’s a nice girl, completely presentable and no complications. I mean, she’ll want her time paying. But it’s what you want, right? No strings attached.” He held up his hands. “Don’t say no. Give the girl a chance. I’ll tell her to come in to your office and you can see for yourself. You’ll love her.”

  And with that, Buddy stepped back and disappeared before Jordan could say another word. Once a salesman, always a salesman: never take no for an answer.

  A moment later, Buddy’s voice boomed through the office. “Joyce, you are looking stunning, my love! Have you lost weight? Or your hair? What’s a guy got to do to get a date with you?”

  With any luck, Buddy would get distracted three times just walking through the office and would forget all about this woman before he even made it back to his desk. In any event, it wasn’t Jordan’s problem.

  Jordan shook his head and went back to work.

  Half an hour later, he was interrupted again. “Lauren’s on the phone.” Joyce looked apologetic; she knew he didn’t want to talk to her.

  Jordan clenched his teeth. “Tell her I’m busy.” This was insane. He could not, would not let that gold digger get the better of him.

  He picked up the phone and dialed Buddy’s number.

  Buddy’s voice was grumpy. “My office is 72 steps from yours, you could just walk over.”

  Jordan smiled. That meant Buddy was finally paying attention to caller-ID. Jordan would drag Buddy into the 21st century if it killed him. “Listen, about that friend of yours...”

  “Hah! I knew you’d see reason.” Buddy laughed so loud, it echoed through the office. “Tell me the truth, what made up your mind? The vision of her buttons bursting off? I knew it! When I’m right, I’m right.”

  “Buddy, shut up and listen. Lauren invited me to Haven for the weekend.”

  “You have to go,” said Buddy. “Don’t take it out on your old man.”

  “I know, I’m going. But I want someone to go with me, act like my girlfriend.”

  “Huh.” Buddy was quiet for a moment. “You’re saying that woman of his doesn’t know how to keep her hands to herself,” he said, although Jordan hadn’t said a word about it.

  “I’m just saying I want someone with me. Running interference, if you want to call it that.”

  “It’s a good plan. I’ll give her a ring.” He paused. “Kiddo, she’ll want paying, you know that, right?”

  “Sure, I know. I’m not a total child. I’ll pay her.” Jordan paused. “How much?”

  “Offer her 10k for the weekend and you’ll get all inclusive.”

  “How much?” Jordan’s words came out as a bellow and he saw Joyce glance behind her. He dropped his voice. “Buddy, seriously?”

  “Hey, she’s a looker and she doesn’t usually do weekend jobs. That woman makes a few hundred an hour in tips alone. You gotta make it worth her while.” Buddy sighed. “Look, I can get you someone cheaper, but she’ll look it. You like ‘em classy. I’m telling you, Cherise’s perfect for you.”

  “Ok, ok. I guess it’ll be worth it.” He grimaced. “I’ll give her 5k for showing up the weekend. No extras. On second thought, don’t tell her that, let me do the negotiating.” God knew what Buddy would arrange if given a free hand.

  “I’ll tell her to come see you. I don’t know if she’ll put out for that, though.”

  “Buddy!” But the line was dead. Jordan put his head in his hands, already feeling slimy. But if it kept Lauren off his back, it was worth it.

  Chapter Three

  When Plans Collide

  Charlotte could hardly call herself a PI if she couldn’t get past the front desk. Her plan was to get into his office and convince him to give her a job. Once she was in the office, she would see what she could find out. First, though, she had to charm her way past the woman guarding his office. “Hello; I’m Charlotte.” She paused. She couldn’t use her real name. She really should have come better prepared. “Charlotte Jones. I have an appointment with Jordan.”

  “Jordan? Oh, do you mean Mr. Lovett?” The older woman smiled kindly at her and then looked at her screen. “I’m sorry, I don’t have your details. Who do you represent?” She stood and closed the door behind her before looking Charlotte up and down.

  Mr. Lovett. She should have guessed the man would insist on his staff treating him so formally, for all of his playboy reputation. She leaned forward for a better look at the woman’s monitor. There was definitely an empty slot there, where she wouldn’t be stepping over another appointment. “I’m a bit early, to be honest. He told me to come in at 10 and he’d see me personally.”

  The woman looked dubious. “Regarding?”

  None of your business. But clearly it was; the woman must be Jordan Lovett’s personal PA and she had the demeanor of a guard dog now. Charlotte scanned her desk. Everything was super neat and tidy. There was a photograph of a young woman about Charlotte’s age, almost certainly the PA’s daughter. Maybe she could gain the woman’s sympathy. “I’m here about the job.”

  “That’s usually done through Terri in HR,” said the woman, flipping to another screen.

  “It’s a contract job for Mr. Lovett personally. He asked me to come speak to him, said it was all a bit hush-hush.” Charlotte was pretty sure she could see some hesitation in the woman’s eyes. Ruthless, she reminded herself. “I came all the way from Mission by bus. I’m just starting out and I was excited about the chance to work at Lovett.” She paused, holding eye contact, hoping for just an ounce of female solidarity. “I just need a chance.”

  A long second of silence and then the woman glanced at her watch and then at the schedule. “Take a seat there and I’ll speak to Mr. Lovett.”

  “Thank you so much!” Charlotte beamed at the woman. This ruthless stuff really worked. She felt bad about tugging at the woman’s heart strings but if she could just get in there to see the man, she could bluff her way into something.

  Charlotte sat down. But then a woman in a bright suit walked in and interrupted the PA. “I wanted to look at the consortium records but there’s nothing scanned into the archives. It must be hard copy only.”

  “That’d be with Mr. Lovett,” she said. “George Lovett. You’ll need to speak to him about that.”

  “I thought he was retired?”

  “He is, but he took all of his personal files with him. The paperwork must have been in his office filing cabinet.”

  “He retired his files?”

  “Yes, they literally hauled every filing cabinet out of here. If you want to see the originals, you’ll need to see him in Haven.”

  “Huh, there goes my excuse to see Lovett Jr.” The woman fanned herself. When she saw Charlotte looking, she winked.

  The PA didn’t look amused. “I’m afraid not.” She picked up the phone. “Your ten o’clock is here, Mr. Lovett.”

  Charlotte s
tared at the floor, trying to pretend that she hadn’t been listening in. The door behind the desk opened and a man stepped out. “Joyce, I don’t have a ten o’clock. And I said to leave the door open. You don’t need to use the intercom.”

  Charlotte stood up to introduce herself but she couldn’t get a word out. The portrait in the newspaper, she had to admit, didn’t do the man justice. He wore an expensive suit, almost certainly designer, but his collar was unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up. His short dark hair was slightly ruffed as if he’d been running his hands through it. There was a five o’clock shadow on his chiseled jaw even though it was not yet ten o’clock. She realized she was staring at his lips before raising her eyes to look into his: dark, intense, penetrating.

  He looked her up and down. “Oh, wait. You’re Buddy’s friend?”

  She nodded uncertainly, not understanding but not wanting to turn this man down in any way.

  Jordan smiled back at her, that same charming smile as in the photograph. The same penetrating eyes, his broad shoulders stunning in the Italian suit (also worth more than her annual income, a bitchy part of her mind said) and large, tanned hands looking oh-so-touchable.

  Get yourself together, Nichols. “Hi, my name is Charlotte and—”

  “Charlotte?” He furrowed his brow. “Is that your real name?”

  What kind of question was that? And how on earth did this man get her so off-balance so quickly? “Yes. My name is Charlotte Jones.”

  She glanced at the personal assistant, who was watching her with a raised eyebrow. She repeated her lie, hoping the billionaire playboy wouldn’t remember what he’d said to which girl when out on the town. “You told me to come in and—”

  His mobile phone rang. “Just a minute. Yes, I’m in a meeting. Fine, I’ll be there. Talk to Joyce.” He hung up. “Joyce, that’s Steven. He’s got a meeting at three, make sure I know where to be.”

  “Mr. Lovett, Lauren called again. I told her you were in meetings all day but she said it’s urgent, about this weekend.

  He positively growled. “I’m busy.” Then his eyes locked with Charlotte’s. “Tell her I’ll be there.”

  Charlotte had his full and complete attention and it made her heart beat even faster. She understood his reputation as a ladies’ man, now. Just three seconds in his company and she was acting like blithering idiot. She forced a smile to her lips. “I’ll only take a moment of your time.” Her plan was rapidly falling apart but having got this far, she wanted to at least try to get him to recommend her to the HR department. Once she got her foot in the door, she could work out her next move. At least she’d have some income.

  He looked her up and down, as if considering her suitability. And then, to her surprise, he nodded.

  “Fine, come in.” He looked at his assistant. “And keep the door open.”

  He showed her a seat and sat behind the desk. “So, what are you doing this weekend?”

  Charlotte wasn’t sure what to say or what on earth he meant. Was he asking her out? But he wasn’t smiling.

  His phone rang again. He held a hand up for her to wait and answered. “Right. Give me five minutes and you’ll have my full attention. Stop. Tell me in five minutes. I’ll call you back.”

  She felt like she hadn’t actually managed to finish a sentence since she’d met him.

  At least it gave her a second to think. She had no plans for the weekend, other than paperwork, but she couldn’t just accept a date like this. Of course she wouldn’t! She couldn’t think of anything worse than being hit on by George Lovett’s son. Other than maybe being hit on by George Lovett himself.

  He hung up and turned his attention back to her. “One weekend. Three days. No extras. You can keep your clothes on.”

  Charlotte opened and closed her mouth, unable to form any coherent words.

  “Well, maybe not those clothes. I’ll throw in a clothes allowance. You’ve got a great figure but for a weekend in Haven, you better keep your curves under wraps. Women who brunch can be vicious if you step out of line. Conservative dresses. No slutty necklines, no mini-skirts.”

  He came out from behind her desk. “Stand up.” He looked over her t-shirt and jeans. “You’ve got a good figure, you shouldn’t find it difficult to find something. Think Kate Middleton.”

  She flushed under his gaze. Her outfit was certainly not low cut or questionable, but he made her feel as if she were barely dressed. Meanwhile, he pulled out his wallet. “You need three day outfits and then something to change into for dinner. The engagement party is Sunday night. You’ll need a special dress.” His eyes jagged at her neckline again. “Try to avoid anything too slinky.”

  She raised her hands to fend him off. “Mr. Lovett!” He might be used to smooth talking his way through anything but she had no idea what he was on about. “What weekend?”

  “Oh, didn’t he tell you? This one coming. I apologize for the short notice.”

  That wasn’t what she was asking but he wasn’t paying any attention. The man was all business as he peeled off half a dozen bills and handed it to her. All she could see was hundred dollar bills. She started to push the money back.

  “That’s separate to your payment. $2,000 for your time, starting Friday afternoon and ending Monday afternoon. Make sure you aren’t working on Monday, I don’t want to have to worry about rushing home.”

  He finally paused and seemed to notice the look on her face. “No extras required. I just need you to stay by my side and look at me adoringly. Do you think you can manage that?”

  “I don’t think—”

  He cut her off. “Are you really going to keep haggling on this? I’m sure it can’t be that difficult to pretend to be my girlfriend for three short days.”

  He stepped closer to her. She felt something electric rush between them and stepped back instinctively. “Is it really that terrible to spend a weekend with me?” She looked up at him, her mouth slightly open in surprise. The room felt like it was spinning as she stared into his eyes. They remained like that, frozen in times for a few seconds. Then he cleared his throat and stepped back. She couldn’t deny the jolt of disappointment which spread through her.

  The phone rang again, interrupting the awkward silence. She was pretty sure she saw relief on his face as he moved back behind the desk. “I need to deal with this. $4,000 to be my companion for the weekend, take it or leave it. I’m leaving the office at 3 o’clock on Friday. Sharp.” He answered the phone without waiting for her to respond. “Yes, I’m all yours now. Tell me again what Rigsby said.”

  She stared at him for a moment. He didn’t seem to notice, focused on his conversation. He was all raw power and grit and determination. She could see how hard it would be to stand in his way. How easy it would be to kiss him. And especially, how easy it was to get steamrolled by him. Half of her wanted to interrupt his phone call right now and stand up to him, tell him what an idiot he was being.

  She picked up her coat. He glanced her way as she walked out and cupped the mouthpiece of the phone. “See you Friday.” There was something boyish about his smile. Then he was on the phone and all business again.

  Charlotte stumbled out of his office and straight out the door, without saying goodbye to the PA.

  She didn’t need to do anything at all, he’d find out what an idiot he was all on his own. Once he spoke to his assistant, he’d find out she wasn’t who he thought she was, and then he’d feel stupid. She hoped the PA wouldn’t get into trouble. It wasn’t her fault Lovett never gave Charlotte a chance to get a word in edgewise.

  She wished she could see his face when he realized. At the latest, he would know when Friday afternoon arrived and there was no one waiting for him. Charlotte was certainly not spending the weekend with him. Not a chance.

  It was only after she was safely out of the building that she realized she was still clutching his cash in her hand.

  Chapter Four

  The Price of Success Is Hard Work

  Buddy’s f
riend wasn’t what Jordan had expected, at all. Sure, she had a great figure but she wasn’t flaunting it; just a loose blouse and blue jeans, not like a button was about to pop off or anything. She looked natural. A bit like the girl next door, although no girl who had lived next to him had ever been that pretty.

  Well, that’d explain why she was so popular. Jordan had hoped to get her for less but if she could keep Lauren away from him, then he didn’t mind splashing out. He’d budgeted $5,000 and she said yes to $4,000. Besides, she was gorgeous. Lauren would spit. In fact, he couldn’t wait to share the great news with her.

  He sat back down at his desk and began sorting through his emails. A dozen urgent requests had piled up in the few minutes.

  Right on cue, Joyce buzzed him. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Lovett, but I have Lauren on the line again and she’s insisting on waiting on hold until you are free to take her call.”

  “It’s fine, Joyce, I’ll talk to her now.” He grinned as Joyce put the call through. “Hello, Lauren? Yes, it’s me.” He tried to sound charming, as difficult as it was. “Yes, I’ll be there this weekend. You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s just busy. I’m very much looking forward to it. Yes, I’ll be there Friday night. Just one thing, can you have Maria make up the guest suite? I’ll be bringing my girlfriend. Her name’s...” He racked his brain. “Charlotte. You’ll love her. She’s adorable.” He grinned. “Yes, we’ll be there Friday night. Give my love to George. See you soon, Lauren. I’m looking forward to it.”

  He better not mess her name up in front of people. Charlotte Jones. Such a quiet name for a woman with such an amazing lifestyle. Buddy sure was right, she looked quality, no one would guess she’d been paid to be his companion. Jordan found it a bit disconcerting that Buddy recognized his type perfectly, actually. He’d expected someone with thick makeup and fake breasts and a push-up bra. Charlotte looked very natural and together. She didn’t look like she was trying too hard. Actually, she didn’t really look like she was trying at all. Her clothes weren’t very flattering and her shoes were worn, the heels dyed black where the leather had come away. Whatever she was spending her stripper money on, it wasn’t clothes and hair stylists.