A traffic jam?
She’d been an idiot to believe his lame excuse. She couldn’t help but think of how often she’d seen a similar scenario play out with her parents. Her father would always offer an excuse as to why he couldn’t spend more time at home. Her mother would cry—then drink.
Now Brooke knew all too well what her father had been doing during the time away. Seeing his other family. She wouldn’t be so naive as to think Jordan wouldn’t do the same to her. And to do so with some painted-up Sheila person …
Sheila?
Wait. Now she realized where she’d seen this woman before. She’d worked at Garrison Inc. as a receptionist. Her brother had even offered to send her over to help with paperwork while Brooke was on bed rest. How damn coincidental to find her brother’s receptionist here.
Or was it?
A woman intimate with Jordan, yet she worked for Parker? At the least, it whispered of conflict of interest. At the worst, it screamed setup. Could this Sheila person be a corporate spy sent to scoop secrets from her family’s business? Parker had said often enough that Jordan would do anything to win one over on the Garrisons.
Fury mingled with the disillusionment. She dashed her wrist across her cheek, swiping away foolish tears. She would be stronger than her mother.
However, for the first time, she sensed how deeply the years of betrayal must have cut Bonita.
“Brooke, hold on.” Jordan’s voice stroked over her a second before she felt the heat of him stopping behind her. “Nothing happened between me and Sheila McKay.”
“Of course it didn’t.” She jabbed the button again. “I walked in.”
Although who was to say she hadn’t arrived at the tail end of a heated goodbye. She choked on the thought and the ball of tears at the back of her throat.
He sidestepped between her and the glowing down button. “Nothing was going to happen.”
Right. “Has she or has she not been spying on my family’s business while she worked for Parker? You promised always to be honest.”
She hated the way he hesitated. But she wouldn’t start crying again, not in front of him.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closing. From frustration? Or simply to gather his excuses?
Jordan looked at her again, his blue eyes appearing genuine—damn him. “In the past, Sheila and I saw each other. And yes, over the last few months she has brought information in an attempt to patch things up.” He held up a finger to stop her from speaking. “But I have not slept with her since the first time you and I were together. Something changed for me that night. I didn’t fully understand it then. I just knew no one interested me once I’d been with you.”
His words rang true. Except …
“How do I know if I can trust you?”
He’d lied to her about the newspaper leak. He’d easily hid the truth about her mother’s intervention. Although he’d made an eloquent case for why he’d tried.
Bottom line, she didn’t want to be in a relationship full of secrets. Even if it cost her the family she’d just begun to dream about.
“Brooke …” He cupped the nape of her neck and rested his forehead against hers. “It’s not good for you to upset yourself.”
“No need to worry about me or the baby. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health today.” She thanked God and all the saints for that. How could any woman have handled that scene in Jordan’s office without some serious stress?
The sight of that viper’s hands on him punched a hole clean through her.
“I’m so happy for you. Both of you. That’s great news.” A smile creased his handsome face. “Come on. Let’s go home and talk about this.”
Lord, she was tempted. His words sounded logical, his smile heartfelt. She wanted to believe him, which scared her most of all. But she couldn’t cave to temptation. Besides, she had to tell Parker about the leak so he could make sure Sheila never set foot inside Garrison, Incorporated ever again.
Admitting that Parker had been right about Jordan all along hurt her pride almost as much as her heart. If only she could rest her head on Jordan’s shoulder and give him a chance to persuade her.
The swoosh of the elevator doors opening cut through the silence, breaking her free of the momentary weakness that could lead her to lean into him. She shook off the allure of his looks, his charm, and whatever it was about him that seemed to hold her captive.
Despite what he thought about her seeming weakness around her family, she had always protected herself with space and distance, quietly insulating her heart from the jabs of those closest to her rather than fighting with angry words. She might not argue with him, but she would damn well think about this before sharing another ounce of herself with him.