The Billion Dollar Bachelor(35)

Jax turned away, staring back out over the city. “What about Garret himself? Our sources turn anything up yet?”

“Still working on it,” Donovan said. “There hasn’t been one successful prosecution brought against him, you realize? The guy’s so squeaky clean he probably sparkles.”

“Unsurprising. He’s been getting away with all kinds of shit for years. Which means he’s probably got City Hall in his pocket.”

His brother gave a delicate cough. “You know, we’re not entirely without our own contacts.”

Well, he knew what that meant. Donovan’s morals were … loose at the best of times. Yet another reason why bringing him back to the company had been a good idea. “No,” Jax said firmly, turning from the windows once more. “We have to keep everything above board. Morrow stands for honesty and we need to be especially mindful of that with the docklands fiasco still going on.”

“About that,” Donovan began. “If you’d just hear me out—”

“No, Van,” Jax cut him off. “Morrow has to be beyond reproach or we’ve got nothing. I know you’re used to handling these things on your own but we’re a team now, understand?”

The green flecks in his brother’s blue eyes glittered, his mouth a tight line. “Yeah, a team. Sure.” His voice was flat.

Jax eyed him. “You got a problem?”

“I do when the team leader isn’t listening to his own damn team.”

“Christ, is this about those docklands plans again?” Donovan had been walking around with the biggest I-told-you-so look on his face for the past couple of weeks since the whole thing had blown up. He’d had very definite ideas about what to do with the real estate. Plans that Jax had nixed because he just wanted the damn thing sold. “We’ve been through this.”

“You went through it.”

Being reminded didn’t do anything for Jax’s already precarious temper. “Yeah, because I’m the fucking boss.”

“Well, far be it from me to question your authority, your holiness.” Donovan was smiling but his eyes still glittered with anger.

Jax gritted his teeth. Shit, and there he went again, letting his temper get the better of him. Making his already fragile relationship with Donovan worse. “Look,” he said, grasping for his usual detachment. “I need that real estate gone. As in yesterday. And since you feel strongly about it, I want you to handle it. The only condition being that it’s sold and sold quickly.”

Donovan opened his mouth then, apparently thinking better of it, shut it again. He slid off Jax’s desk. “Generous as always,” he said without inflection. “Sure. Anything for the boss.”

He didn’t trust the calm acceptance in his brother’s tone but at that moment, the phone on his desk went off. Cursing, he stalked over to answer it as Donovan disappeared through the door.

“Morrow.”

“You sound happy.” Pandora’s slightly husky voice was amused. “Day not going well?”

Jax sat down in his office chair, swiveling round to face the windows again. A lick of desire swept through him at the sound of her voice, bringing back reminders that weren’t particularly appropriate for the office. Of her in his lap with her dress hiked up and her panties down, the delicious curves of her ass bare. The warmth of her flesh beneath his palm. The jerk of her hips as he’d brought that palm down on her backside. The pressure against his cock as she’d squirmed, trying vainly to find a release…

No, fuck, he couldn’t be thinking this kind of shit at work. He needed to get his head out of the gutter. Now.

“The usual story,” he said, clearing his throat. “How’s that report coming along?” Since he’d taken her on as a “security consultant,” she’d been reviewing Morrow security software and had promised him a report in the next couple of days.

“It’s coming. I just wanted to know what you thought of scarves.”

“Scarves?”

“I got some today. They’re red. I thought you might like to tie me up with them.”

Another image he didn’t need leaped fully formed into his brain. Of Pandora, naked, her wrists tied with red silk scarves above her head. He forced it away, shifting in his chair at the sudden constriction in his groin. “I’m at work, Pandora.”

“Yeah, I know. Just giving you something to look forward to for when you get home. Not to mention an incentive to finish early.”

He leaned back, his jaw tight and his pants feeling tighter. Now that’s all he could think about. Leaving work and getting back to his apartment. Taking those red scarves and—