The Golden Bough. Sir James George Frazer
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Connor threw back his head and laughed. She was unflappable and he was charmed. “Touché. Although I have to say, even though I’m paid well, I think I’m worth it.”
She leveled him with her gaze. “Of course you do.”
“But I’ll give you the other two. I do wear a lot of suits, and I guess my title is pretty fancy.” Of course, he was hoping his father would stop dangling the CEO title over his head just to keep him in line. The old man needed to go ahead and retire as promised.
Shondra looked him over. “Speaking of suits, it’s nice to see that you clean up well.”
Connor shifted in his seat under her intent stare. He suddenly felt like he was no longer in control of this situation. “Thanks.”
“So that oil-covered getup was just for my benefit?”
“Not exactly. I met you covered in oil because I really was working on the bottomhole assembly,” he answered.
“A man who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty—impressive. And, C.J.?”
“Connor James. C.J. is what the crew calls me when I’m on a rig. It helps them remember I’m just one of the team.”
Shondra nodded. “So I take it that I passed your little test, then?”
Connor simply smiled.
Shondra looked around, taking in the luxury interior of the private jet. “Then riding back to Houston with the company president must be my prize. What happens to those poor suckers who don’t pass? Do you throw them in the baggage hold?”
He found himself laughing yet again. He had to remind himself he was on a business trip, not a date.
“No, if you don’t pass, we just drop you in the ocean and let you swim for the border.”
“I guess I’d better be on my best behavior then. Sounds like you’re hard to please.”
“Maybe. But you don’t have anything to worry about. Your reputation and résumé are outstanding.”
“Yes, but that clearly wasn’t enough for you,” she said, referring to his little test. “Are you always so distrustful?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a matter of trust. Just experience. Haven’t you met someone who looked perfect on paper but couldn’t live up to their own hype?”
Shondra nodded.
“Then you should understand. I like to rely on what I can see and hear for myself.”
And he was more than a little impressed with Shondra. She was even better in person than she was on paper. Not only did she have a genuine passion for her work, but she had a natural charm that had won over everyone she’d met on the rig. Himself especially.
It wasn’t unusual for him to pour on the charm to put his employees at ease, but he’d found himself going overboard with Shondra. Something about her made him react as a man first and employer second. He’d never let that happen before.
Meeting women came easy to Connor. Finding one that could hold his attention was nearly impossible. Once he weeded out the gold diggers, he was usually left with women who were either brainless or vapid.
It wasn’t lost on him that he was in the presence of that rare find who was intelligent, quick-witted and unfazed by money or position. And all that aside…she was hot.
He’d never dated a black woman, but that had more to do with opportunity than anything else. Everything about Shondra was sexy. From the husky tease of her voice to her fit and firm curves.
But there were obvious obstacles in his path. Not the least of which was that he was Shondra’s boss. He had to tread lightly, because if she didn’t share his attraction, he could find himself in the middle of a sexual harassment incident. His father would love that.
But he had a feeling that the attraction was mutual. At least that was the vibe he’d gotten when he’d been streaked in oil and wearing his work clothes. In that last moment before they’d said goodbye there was…something in the air between them.
She was in sassy mode now, using her acerbic wit to make him pay for trying to trick her. But earlier…there had definitely been some tension.
Maybe she had a thing for the working man. She’d already said she was impressed by a guy who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
Connor shifted uncomfortably in his seat again. Thankfully, Shondra’s attention was caught up with the flight attendant discussing their dinner options.
He had to pull it together. His father had made him promise that his phase of youthful rebellion was well in the past, and that Stewart Industries would be his only priority.
That made having his way with Shondra on the sofa bed to his left strictly off-limits.
He smiled at Shondra from across the table. Unfortunately, Connor had never been able to resist making his wicked thoughts a reality.
It was just a matter of time.
Shondra slipped into her condo and dropped her briefcase on the floor. This could be a problem. She was not supposed to have waking fantasies about buttoned-up blonds in expensive suits—especially when they turned up in the form of her boss.
Her taste normally ran to ranch hands and construction workers. There was something about a blue collar that she found very sexy. The bigger the muscles the better. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it was an easy way to get a rise out of her family.
But getting involved with Connor Stewart went way beyond subtle rebellion. Shondra got a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach when she thought about how her brothers would react. She’d like to hope that their feelings would have more to do with his family business than the fact that Connor was white, but she really couldn’t be sure.
And now wasn’t the time to put Malcolm and Tyson’s progressive thinking to the test. Her family was grieving and everyone needed to pull together. This was Shondra’s opportunity to step up and prove she was her brothers’ equal.
She was a big girl. She could handle her libido. What mattered most was that she had a job to do. Two in fact, because the compliance work had to be done, and she wouldn’t sacrifice her professional reputation for an investigation that might not turn up anything.
When Harmon Braddock died, everything in Shondra’s world came to a halt. Their family hadn’t been perfect, but no one had expected it to be ripped apart by a devastating car accident. The past month had been like living inside a bubble. She watched the world like a bystander—no one could get in and she couldn’t get out.
As Shondra struggled to come to terms with her father’s death, her family got word that his crash may not have been an accident.
It shocked Shondra to think someone might have killed her father…but, somehow, the anonymous message rang true. Politicians couldn’t please everyone, so it was conceivable that Harmon Braddock had made some enemies during his climb from Senator Cayman’s legal counsel to congressman.
Shondra felt, in her heart, that Harmon Braddock had been a good man. And for many years he’d been popular with his constituents. But the family observed his gradual change as years passed. As his hours away from home grew, he became more the political stereotype, working more for corporate interest groups than for the people. It was this change that eventually forced Malcolm out of their father’s footsteps.
When Malcolm and their father became estranged, the Braddock family began to grow apart. And it broke Shondra’s heart that it took losing their father to reunite the family. In the past month they’d all begun to lean on each other again. Then, once more, things started unraveling.
First, her father’s assistant, Gloria Kingsley, had found a mysterious number on Harmon’s phone logs that traced back to Stewart Industries. Gloria had no knowledge or record of any official business between Harmon