2

She blinked at Jason. Her green eyes signaled, Go.

He forced his attention away. The flat black-and-white of Brenda’s résumé was safer. Brenda Tierney, it read. Experience: Human Resources Associate at Business Trust Bank, April 1 to present. Only four months with BTB.

“Why would you want to leave all the excitement of HR so soon?”

“This is where the action is. HR’s fine, but the bank doesn’t make money because of the personnel department.”

He leaned back and laced his fingers together. “You want more than processing pay stubs and benefit apps?”

“A lot more.” Brenda sat perched on the edge of the seat before his desk, knees crossed, hands folded. Her eyes were emeralds cast in pearl, reflecting the fluorescent lights.

Jason realized he was twisting his wedding band. He reknit his fingers. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. We control two-thirds of the bank’s assets and over half the deposits. And as the home office goes, so goes the bank.”

She didn’t respond. Her lips were slightly parted.

He pulled his eyes back to her résumé. Four months with BTB, a year with another bank before that. College at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. “I see you’re from the East Coast,” he said.

“Philly. You ever been?”

Jason shook his head. The neckline of her blouse lay open, revealing a thin gold chain against pale skin. A pendant hung from the chain, inscribed with an initial. He didn’t dare look closely enough to make it out.

“The winters are a lot colder than LA, I can tell you that.” She gave a fake shiver, a smile.

He allowed himself a smile back. “Is that what brought you out here? Better weather?”

“That and Hollywood. I figured I’d get discovered.”

“Actress?” He pictured her onstage or mugging for a camera. It was easy.

“Not anymore. I was ready to grow up.”

“Well, who knows? Those talents might come in handy around here.”

Her eyes wouldn’t leave his. Jason began to think she would return his stare as long as he could hold it. She had nerve. “You know why this position has opened up?”

Her shoulders dipped, and she smoothed her skirt. “I know. It’s awful. The funeral’s this weekend, huh?”

“Two o’clock. Are you going?”

She nodded. “Sure. Kathy’s my friend. I feel terrible about what happened.”

Kathy was Jason’s longtime assistant, now out on an indefinite leave of absence. A vision of Kathy’s son, Greg, came to Jason’s mind. Whiskers barely poking out of cheeks that still held some of the softness of baby fat. Way too young to be as hard-hearted as he was the last time Jason tried to talk sense into him. And now, dead. Murdered. Piled next to a Dumpster like a sack of trash. Just a day shy of his seventeenth birthday.

“Kathy always says great things about you. She says Jason Dunn’s the best boss she’s ever had. And the most compassionate.” She nodded to the wall filled with plaques awarding Jason for his work with charities. “I don’t know how you find time to support all those causes.”

Jason blinked, trying to force away the image of Greg. “Well, it’s easy to be a good boss when you have people like I do.” He brought his elbows onto the desk. “We have the best lending teams in LA. And the best admins. The best ops people. I need an assistant who’s really on top of things. Our clients are demanding, and we cannot lose a single one of them. If somebody on this staff can’t hold up their end, I have to let them go.”

“I get it.”

“You sure? Because there’s nothing wrong with HR, Brenda. There’s plenty of good people down there.”

“I’m sure.” The tone was level. She smiled, exposing the underside of her upper lip against her teeth. “I’m up to it, Jason. I promise.”

Again she held his gaze. It gave him a sense that this girl was tough, ready for a challenge.

“Okay. I need to have a conversation with Margaret. She’ll say good things, right?”

“She should. My reviews have gone well. But there’s that policy against transferring before you’ve been at the bank six months. Will that be a problem?”

“August is close enough to October. We’ll get around the HR rule.”

He rose and looked down at her uplifted face, the heart shape of it.

She uncrossed her legs and rose, held out a hand. “Don’t be late for your meeting at Capital Construction. You only have a few minutes.”

He took her hand and shook it. She’d done some homework on his schedule. “I’ll give you a call when I have the transition worked out with Margaret.”

She brought her chin around and went for the door. He looked away. The picture of his wife leaned next to his telephone, and he kept his eyes trained on it.

A knock at the door made Jason look up.

Billy Reynolds was framed in the doorway. His hair was the color of dried weeds, tousled even this early from wresting analysis out of his head. “Wow, boss.”

“What?” Jason put on his jacket and stepped outside the office.

“Nothing.”

“No, what?”

Dan Martell strode up. His eyes followed Brenda toward the elevator. He drew back a flap of his jacket to tuck a hand in a pocket, striking one of his mannequin poses. “I heard it, but I don’t believe it.”

“Not you, too.”

Billy snickered. Jason glared at him, and the kid ran a finger underneath his nose as if he were sniffing.

“We’re going to be late.” Jason turned his back to them.

Brenda was gone when they reached the elevator. Dan started in as soon as they were inside. “You’re a better man than I am.”

Jason shook his head. “Aw, get over it, will you?”

“I don’t know, boss.” Billy’s smile was dying to break free. “How are you going to concentrate on work with her around?”

The elevator doors opened onto the parking garage. “I’m a happily married man.” The words hitched in Jason’s throat. He led the way to Dan’s car, hoping they hadn’t noticed.