want to take you home, Cleo." He made my
name sound like a shimmer of moonlight on water, soft and ethereal
and very beautiful.
I should have reminded him that I wasn't
going to sleep with him, but my voice failed me. My tongue didn't
want to deny what my body wanted.
"Kavanagh!" interrupted the presenter,
slapping Reece on the shoulder. "Been looking for you."
Reece's eyes momentarily flared with
frustration, but he quickly schooled his expression and turned to
the man whose presentation I'd missed thanks to Reece.
"Davies," Reece greeted him. "Good work up
there. It's going to be another hit."
Davies grinned. "I'll have a dozen sent round
to your office Monday morning."
"My staff will like that. Cleo will receive
two." He gently drew me into the conversation with a hand on my
elbow. "Cleo Denny is my new PA. Cleo, meet Jarrod Davies."
Jarrod Davies's eyes heated as he studied me.
"Pleased to meet you, Cleo. Kavanagh is a lucky man." He leaned in
and winked. "If you ever get tired of working for him, give
me a call."
My back stiffened. Red flashed before my
eyes, a sure sign of my temper rising. "I'm Mr. Kavanagh's PA," I
ground out through my clenched jaw.
Reece's hand tightened around my elbow. "And
a damned good one," he said. "Not only has she reorganized the
office, she's saved me money in a number of departments. Don't
offend her, Davies." The threatening note threaded through his
quiet voice chilled me. "I can't afford to lose her."
Davies' tongue darted out and licked his
bottom lip. He nodded quickly. "So what did you think of the
presentation? Do we need more razzle dazzle next time? Maybe some
pretty girls?"
I excused myself and headed for the bathroom.
I was intercepted on my way back by a man who had to be Reece's
brother. I hadn't seen his face up close yet, but the resemblance
to Reece was unmistakable. The features were the same strong ones
arranged just a little differently, yet still devastatingly
handsome. His eyes were a different shade of blue to Reece's. They
were darker, like a deep ocean, and frighteningly intense.
"You must be Cleo," he said, thrusting out
his hand. "I'm Ash Kavanagh. Reece's brother."
I shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you. Where
are you in the pecking order?"
"Third, right in the middle. Just below the
two bossiest and above the two hell raisers."
"Does that make you the peacemaker?"
He thought about it a moment then nodded. "I
guess that sums me up. I'm the one who toes the family line. That's
why I'm here tonight."
"What line of business is the family in?"
"The same as Reece. Kavanagh Corporation is a
major shareholder in a bunch of things. Dad has more or less
retired so it's up to me to run it these days."
Here was my chance to learn more about Reece,
but I needed to do it before he found us. I suspected he wouldn't
like me grilling his brother about him. "Why did Reece go out on
his own and not join the family business?"
"He hasn't been around much in the last few
years. Neither has Blake." His mouth flattened and shadows filled
his eyes. Whatever had happened to the brothers had affected them
all. The urge to ask ate at me, but I couldn't. Not yet. I didn't
want to scare away my only source of information. "Being the next
eldest, the business fell into my hands. We're trying to get my
younger brothers to take up more responsibility, but they're too
busy partying. There are too many distractions when you're in your
twenties."
I laughed. "You must still be in your
twenties too, surely. If Reece is the eldest and only thirty-three,
you have to be thirty at the most. Unless you're a twin with
brother number two?"
"No twin and you're right. I'm thirty. But
keeping the peace can prematurely age a guy."
"I know what you mean," I said. "I have a
sister and keeping her in line can be a balancing act."
"Reece said she was younger than you."
"He mentioned me?"
The corners of his mouth lifted in a small
smile. "Once or twice."
That impish smile reminded me of