Her hottest suspect yet…

Men have always been eager to tell Autumn Hilliard their most private secrets. Her fine mind—and natural beauty—are the reasons she’s such an excellent private investigator.

But investment banker Isaac Mason isn’t like the other men who strive for Autumn’s attention. He’s easily the sexiest man alive, and while his lean, muscular body screams temptation, his careful manner reveals nothing. Working her way into Issac’s world at Paxton Investment Securities, Autumn intends to find out what makes the millionaire tick, while remaining detached in his enticing presence.

Autumn hopes that her instincts are right, and that Isaac is innocent of the fraud he’s suspected of committing. Otherwise, come morning, will Autumn pay the ultimate price for giving her trust—and her heart—to the wrong man?

She started to shake her head side to side, but he reached out and cupped her face in his hands.

“Don’t do that,” he said. “All those snowflakes caught in your curls make you look like a princess.”

She lifted her chin, and the tiny droplets of melting snow on her face seemed to glisten. “How can this frog be a princess when she’s never been kissed?”

That was all Isaac needed to hear.

He sucked in a breath, not giving his mind time to think or to worry or to even care about tomorrow.

“I can take care of that right now,” he whispered.

He closed his eyes and slowly guided her face to his, relying on sense, rather than sight, to that first taste he knew he would never forget.

And Autumn did not disappoint. Her lips were soft and warm and surprisingly insistent upon his, and in the haze of their kisses he felt her fingers on his chest, unbuttoning his coat.

HARMONY EVANS

loves writing sexy, emotional, contemporary love stories. She is a single mom to a beautiful daughter who makes her grateful for life daily. Her hobbies include cooking, baking, knitting, reading and, of course, napping. She works full-time writing and managing digital content, and has over fifteen years of experience in internet marketing.

Harmony received the 2013 Romance Slam Jam Emma Award for Debut Author of the Year. In addition, she was a 2012 RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards double finalist (First Series Romance and Kimani Romance). She is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Harmony at www.harmonyevans.com for the latest news on upcoming releases.

When

Morning

Comes

Harmony Evans

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

I just love a hot man in a business suit, don’t you?

Isaac Mason is an ambitious, intelligent and sexy investment banker. But is he also committing fraud, or is he simply the victim of blackmail? That’s what Autumn Hilliard, a private investigator, has been hired to find out. As she gets closer to Isaac, Autumn discovers that he is hiding more than just the key to his heart. And it’s got nothing to do with cold, hard cash.

When Morning Comes is my fourth novel for the Mills & Boon Kimani Romance line, and I hope you enjoy it. I love to hear from readers. Contact me 24/7 at www.harmonyevans.com.

Be blessed,

Harmony

This book is dedicated to my daughter, who has made me richer than I ever thought I could be with her enduring love.

Contents

Dear Reader,

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

“I will not tolerate anyone destroying what I’ve worked so hard to build. Paxton Investment Securities must prevail unscathed. Is that clear, Ms. Hilliard?”

Sterling Paxton, the firm’s owner and CEO, stood at the boardroom window with his back to Autumn, his pale white hands clasped loosely behind him. His stance was relaxed, yet every terse word sounded as if it were uttered through gritted teeth.

A chill threaded through Autumn’s spine, warning her to keep her guard up even as she sat frozen in place.

So this was what a bug must feel like, she thought, right before it’s about to get squashed.

Sterling turned abruptly on his heel and smacked his hands together.

“I said, is that clear, Ms. Hilliard?”

Autumn winced and drew in a sharp breath before smiling sweetly. “Of course, Mr. Paxton. I’ll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. If Isaac Mason is committing securities fraud, rest assured, I will find out.”

Sterling’s lips thinned. “How long do you think that will take?”

Autumn resisted the urge to shrug, knowing he would be offended. Every client expected immediate results and it was her job to manage expectations. She was a damn good investigator, but she wasn’t a miracle worker.

“A few weeks. Maybe a month. Undercover work is never an exact science,” she cautioned.

Sterling slid his hands into his pockets, and she heard the tinny jingle of coins.

“Isaac must never know he’s under surveillance.”

“And he won’t,” Autumn affirmed with a nod. “Having Isaac mentor me as a new employee will enable me to build trust without arising suspicion.”

Sterling’s gaze narrowed. “For your sake, he better not.”

Autumn bristled at his veiled threat, but she said nothing. It was obvious Sterling didn’t trust Isaac. What she didn’t know was why, but she’d surely find out, on her own terms and in her own way.

“You have full access to all his files, reports and records,” Sterling continued. “I sent you the log-in information to our internal file system via email last night.”

He crossed the room and sat at the head of the table. The leather chair squeaked under the weight of his large frame.

“You and I are the only ones with knowledge of why I hired you,” he said, folding his hands slowly. “Not even my daughter, whom you’ll be meeting shortly, knows about this.”

Autumn sensed extreme urgency in his tone. “I understand the need for confidentiality,” she reassured him. “As soon as I have something of interest, I’ll report back.”

The conference room door opened and a tall, slender blonde entered into the room with a thick sheaf of papers in her hand. She closed the door behind her and glared at Sterling. But when she saw he wasn’t alone, she took a step back and Autumn watched as her face quickly morphed into a smile that was as fake as the handbags sold on a New York City street corner.

The woman moved toward her and extended her hand. “I’m Felicia Paxton, director of human resources. You must be Autumn Hilliard.”

Autumn stood. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She shook Felicia’s clammy hand and silently wished for a tissue. She was five feet eight, and Felicia towered over her in an oppressive way that was probably intimidating to a lot of people. But not to Autumn. She wasn’t afraid of anything, except failing to solve a case.

“Please have a seat,” Felicia instructed. She turned to Sterling and glanced at her watch. “It’s 8:55 a.m. now. The meeting was supposed to start at 9:00 a.m., correct?”

“Yes,” Sterling answered in a bored tone, not bothering to look up. He seemed engrossed in scrolling through his smartphone. “We were just chatting while we were waiting for you.”

A blush washed over Felicia’s taut cheekbones. She walked around the table, pulled out a chair and settled down directly across from Autumn.

“In addition to being CEO, my father seems to love to do my job.”

Autumn took Felicia’s contentious tone as a subtle warning that anyone who dared trifle with her had just better think twice.

Sterling eyed the stack of papers Felicia had on the table. “Not that part,” he barked. “With the level of technology that’s available today, why is it that our employees still have to fill out all these forms?”

Felicia uncapped a pen and held it out to Autumn. “Two words, Father. Paper trail.”

Autumn produced one from her notepad, not from her ear, where it normally hid in a mass of natural curls.

She held it up. “I have one, thanks.”

Felicia frowned, as if she took it personally that Autumn had her own ink. “The government still loves killing trees,” she continued. “And I for one have to agree with them. Paper is more permanent. Electronic records can be hacked or deleted.”

Sterling’s eyes narrowed and caught Autumn’s. “My daughter seems to have forgotten that paper can be shredded,” he said dryly.

Felicia ignored him, but Autumn could almost feel how much she wanted to roll her baby blues at her father.

With one finger, she pushed the stack of papers toward Autumn. “I prefer you complete these now, but if you must, you can bring them back tomorrow. I’m here by 7:00 a.m. sharp every day.”

Autumn nodded and dutifully began to fill out the ream of paperwork, starting with her social security number. It was as fake as the new identity the government had bestowed upon her a few years ago. Just one of the so-called perks of settling out of court in one of the most high profile cases of corporate fraud in the United States.

She was just starting to fill out her name when the door suddenly opened. Her head snapped up, curls brushing against the side of her jaw, as Isaac Mason walked into the room, his stride purposeful.

It only took one look and Autumn knew this was one man she wouldn’t mind sticking close to all night long.

Isaac wore a tailored gray suit cut to perfection, a crisp white shirt, maroon silk tie and black leather shoes shined to a gloss. It was standard corporate attire and likely designer, based upon his wealth and prominent position in the company, but she couldn’t tell and didn’t care. It wasn’t his clothes that attracted her.

It was his face. Isaac was boyishly handsome with clean-shaven, mocha skin, a long straight nose that flared out just enough to be interesting, and full lips that invited lust.

Autumn found it especially difficult not to openly stare at his lean, muscular body. There was something irreverent about the way it seemed almost caged beneath the fabric of his suit.

So as discreetly as possible, she sized him up. From the top of his close-cropped black hair to the tips of his Brooks Brothers shoes. Because that’s what private investigators were supposed to do. No one could blame her for trying to do her job even in the midst of extreme male temptation.

And in her professional opinion, one fact was clear: Isaac Mason was her hottest suspect yet.

Isaac shut the door and held up his smartphone. “Sterling, sorry I’m late. I just got your meeting request.”

He stopped midstride, his eyes zeroing in on hers. From a distance, she couldn’t see what color they were, but they mesmerized her just the same. Luckily, she was able to maintain a mildly curious look on her face, although on the inside she felt her professional resolve begin to disintegrate.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Only the normal rhythm of my heartbeat, Autumn thought.

“Not at all.” Sterling waved him over. “I have someone I’d like you to meet. This is Autumn Hilliard, our newest analyst on the Paxton team.”

Autumn swiveled in her chair and stuck out her hand. Before she could stand up, Isaac’s skin warmed her palm and his smile instantly carved its way into her heart. It seemed that he held her hand a beat longer than necessary, but that could have only been her imagination. She was pretty but not gorgeous, and Autumn had a feeling that Isaac was used to the latter in his ladies.

He gave a little bow. “Welcome to the madness.”

Isaac’s voice had just enough depth to rumble in her ears, his tone pleasant and slightly mocking. He seemed distracted by something, and she wasn’t vain enough to think it was her.

Sterling openly scowled. “Isaac, I realize the market is slightly down this morning, but you’re going to be spending a lot of time with Autumn, so let’s keep things positive, okay?”

Autumn’s face tingled. The negative vibe in the room was getting more uncomfortable by the moment.

Isaac slipped his phone into his pants pocket. “You know me, Sterling.” He shrugged calmly. “I was just playing.”

He dropped into a chair next to Autumn and leaned back. She smiled and held his gaze, a tactic she used to build rapport with a client, a potential suspect or a man who was really, really cute.

An unbidden spark pulsed between them, like the feeling one gets when suddenly remembering a long-forgotten dream, and Autumn knew that she’d have to be careful not to succumb to temptation.

Suddenly Isaac shot up in his chair. “What do you mean we’re going to be spending a lot time together?” It was as if he’d just now grasped the full extent of what his boss had said moments earlier.

Felicia’s eyes narrowed at Autumn and Isaac before turning her attention to Sterling. “Yes, Father. Explain.”

“That’s why I called the meeting,” Sterling bellowed, ignoring Felicia’s glare. “For the next few weeks, Isaac, you’re going to be Autumn’s mentor. Getting her acclimated to the way we do things around here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Autumn saw Felicia’s hands tense.

“M-mentoring!” Felicia sputtered. “What are you talking about, Daddy? My new employee onboarding process doesn’t begin until next month.”

Sterling pressed his index finger on the table and shook his head. “It starts now, Felicia.”

“But the process hasn’t been fully vetted,” she protested.

Sterling shrugged and leaned back in his chair, as if the matter was settled. “What better use case than a real scenario?”

Felicia smoothed her blond-in-a-bottle hair. She was probably very pretty when she smiled, but that wasn’t the case now.

“Legal won’t like it,” she warned.

He gave a disgusted sigh. “Have you forgotten that our in-house attorneys report to me?”

Felicia threw up her hands in exasperation. “I haven’t even completed all the required documentation.”

Sterling looked up from his cell phone and rolled his eyes. “Great, just what we need. More paperwork.”

Autumn cast a glance at Felicia and stifled a laugh. If she had a pencil, paper and an artistic bone in her body, she would sketch two plumes of steam erupting from each of her ears and fire blazing in her eyes. The woman looked that angry.

Sterling’s phone beeped loudly and he stood. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m due at another meeting in a few minutes.” He handed Isaac a manila folder. “I’ll leave you two alone to get acquainted.”

Autumn smiled at Felicia and she could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Her gaze lingered on Isaac for a moment, as if that would lure him away. She seemed to sense something that neither Autumn nor Isaac could have imagined.

Sterling opened the door and exhaled impatiently. “Felicia, are you coming?”

Autumn tapped the stack of papers with her pen, breaking the tense moment.

“I’ll have these back to you this afternoon.”

Felicia rewarded her with a nod and a thin-lipped smile.

“Right behind you, Father.”

She waited until Sterling was gone, and then rose from her chair slowly, as if she were still reluctant to leave.

Autumn felt Isaac’s gaze upon her cheek. She dug the toes of her shoes into the carpet in a vain attempt to hold on to the twinge of pleasure that zoomed through her body.

“Isaac,” Felicia said sharply. “Be sure to show her my office, won’t you?” Her voice suddenly dropped to almost a whisper, like dark silk hiding a double-edged sword. “You know the way.”

Without saying another word, Felicia quickly walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, leaving an empty vacuum of silence and longing.

The statement was an invitation for Isaac, backed up by veiled warning meant for any woman who might interfere.

Namely, Autumn.

But what Felicia didn’t know was that Autumn wasn’t a threat to whatever hold—real or imagined—she had on Isaac. Sterling hadn’t hired her to bed the man, although at first glance the thought did cross her mind. No, she was here to conduct an investigation into a possible case of corporate securities fraud.

Autumn didn’t know what, if anything, was going on between the two of them, but if it affected the outcome of this case, she would damn sure find out.

Chapter 2

Isaac leaned back in his chair and almost smiled at the irony. He hadn’t been expecting a beautiful woman on the agenda for Monday morning. Then again, he’d never expected to be cooking breakfast every day for two children, either.

Or trying to cook. His kids were not pleased with having to settle for Pop-Tarts. Again.

He sniffed lightly wondering if the stench of burned bacon was still on him and what Autumn would think if it was.

Isaac mentally slapped himself upside the head. If he cared even a little bit about the opinions of this perfect stranger, this gorgeous stranger, the stress must be really getting to him. He had two children to think about now, not impressing a woman.

He was a father.

“Anything wrong?”

The concern in Autumn’s voice sounded so genuine, he nearly blurted out, Everything.

And it was true. His life was in a state of total upheaval right now. Sure, the chaos was the result of choices he wanted to make, but that didn’t make things any easier.

Instead Isaac opted for the answer likely echoed in countless offices across the country on any given morning. Men and women just like him who wished someone would care, but who also realized that most people were too busy just trying to make it in this crazy world to bother.

He faked a yawn. “I was running late and missed my morning coffee.”

Isaac kept his gaze trained on the boardroom window. The mid-January sky was a bleak and dirty gray, the kind that makes you wonder if the sun will ever shine again. For reasons he didn’t understand, he didn’t want to look too deeply into Autumn’s eyes. It wasn’t that he was afraid of what he would see in them, but of what he wouldn’t.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

Her voice wove through his ears, piercing the fog of his thoughts. It was throaty, insistent and knotted with just enough innate sexiness to make his groin twitch in a way that made him glad he was sitting down.

Just to be on the safe side, he rolled closer to the table and turned his head toward her.

“What mortal doesn’t drink coffee?” he said in an incredulous tone. “What gets you up in the morning? Your extremely good looks?”

No sooner were the words out of his mouth that he realized he’d overstepped the boundaries between simple curiosity and workplace etiquette. Rule number one: never acknowledge the physical attractiveness of your coworkers.

He hated the fact that his stomach clenched as he waited for her reaction, but Autumn just sat there with a blank expression on her face.

If Felicia was still in the room, she’d probably write him up. Ever since she tried to seduce him and he’d turned her down, he’d been paying for it. She watched him like a hawk circling prey.

Did she really think he was stupid enough to bed Sterling’s daughter? His working relationship with his boss was strained enough without any additional help from Felicia’s shenanigans. Although Isaac doubted Sterling knew anything about Felicia’s unwanted advances, he couldn’t be sure without actually asking him.

Still, Isaac had a nagging feeling that the partnership he’d busted his butt working for his entire career was now out of reach, and he didn’t know why.

Autumn’s voice broke in on his reverie. “No. What gets me up in the morning is,” she replied, leaning forward, as if in secret. “Pure. Adrenaline.”

Her plump lips, coated with just a hint of pale pink gloss, turned up into a very kissable half smile. She seemed amused rather than offended at his statement, which made her even more attractive.

Her perfume, the scent of a flower he recalled but at the moment couldn’t name, teased his nose. At that moment, he knew he would drive himself crazy trying to remember and wishing he could smell more of her.

Isaac whooshed out a breath of relief. “Ah, yes. I remember those days.”

The times he couldn’t wait to get to the office. He was always the first to arrive, the last to leave and the chump who didn’t mind coming in on weekends and holidays. All B.K.

Before kids.

Thank God, they’d saved him.

Autumn settled back in her chair. “So what happened?”

Isaac’s heart squeezed again at the caring in her voice and he drummed his fingers on the table under her intense gaze. Although the question was a legitimate one, he wasn’t about to tell her—or anyone else—the truth.

“The world’s financial markets collapsed one by one. Making our jobs a whole lot tougher. You need more than adrenaline to survive in this business now. You need a magic wand and the ability to predict the future.”

Autumn’s warm laugh resonated throughout the room and sank into his bones, and for a moment he felt carefree and relaxed.

Her expression quickly sobered. “That’s part of the reason why I’m here.”

He frowned, sorry to see her smile disappear but suddenly knowing why. “Another victim of downsizing?”

Autumn nodded. “We’d lost so many clients that it didn’t make sense to keep all our analysts around. Or at least that’s what they told me.”

He couldn’t imagine being jobless. In the past, it was something he’d never had to worry about. But with the way Felicia was acting toward him lately, he wasn’t so confident. Since she was Sterling’s daughter, nobody at Paxton really knew how much influence she had over him. To be ensnared in her web was one place no employee ever wanted to be.

“Their loss is our gain,” Isaac replied with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Her exuberant grin was infectious. “Thank you. I’m really excited to be here and to be working with you.”

Autumn tilted her head and he watched her curls skim the edge of her jawline. He wondered what that hair would feel like in his fingers. Her white, long-sleeved silk blouse did not detract his eyes from coveting what was beneath. In his mind, he saw his hands around her trim waist as she hitched up her navy blue skirt.

Isaac’s groin tightened painfully and he shifted slightly in his seat as his body involuntarily reacted to a sudden desire for Autumn that he didn’t understand. But he did know this: furtive glances at her across the cafeteria or in a meeting room would never satisfy him.

He bet that, beneath the stark corporate garb, she was as soft and fleeting as the snowflakes that were beginning to swirl outside. Yet he sensed she was tough to catch and even tougher to hold on to. That’s why he had to stay as far away from her as he could manage.

He picked up her résumé to distract himself. There was no current home address listed, but he assumed she lived in the area. As was his custom, he flipped to the last page so he could review her work experience in reverse chronological order.

Reading quickly, he learned that Autumn had a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics, and a master’s degree in Statistics. All from Yale University. She was an Ivy girl, she was smart and she loved numbers. Plus, she had a killer body. It added up to some serious trouble for a man who was trying not to be attracted to her and failing badly.

“I hope you won’t let our respective universities affect our working relationship,” she said in a teasing voice.

He glanced up from the paper in front of him. “You’re referring to the long-standing rivalry between Yale and Harvard.”

She nodded and crossed her legs, sheathed in sheer hose he yearned to rip away.

He smiled. “A little bit of competition always makes things more interesting, no?”

“Most definitely,” she responded. “But I’m glad I’m on your team, rather than fighting against it.”

Isaac raised a brow. “Because you know you would lose?” he said matter-of-factly, hoping he didn’t sound arrogant.

She shook her head. “Not at all. But winning isn’t everything.”

Isaac glanced over at the door. “Don’t let Sterling ever hear you say that.”

Autumn didn’t ask why and Isaac was glad he didn’t have to explain. If she wanted a career at Paxton, she would learn for herself soon enough.

He returned his attention to her résumé and noticed something that puzzled him.

Like Autumn, Isaac had also made the decision to pursue an advanced degree directly after college. But the difference was that when he finished graduate school, he’d gone straight to work for Paxton, which was one of the leading investment firms in the country.

On the contrary, Autumn had worked at some midlevel investment banks all around the country. Los Angeles. Phoenix. Miami. Companies whose names he’d never even heard of.

He considered pressing the issue but decided against it.

Multiple job hops might make some people nervous, but not him. Autumn was young, intelligent, and she obviously knew when a situation wasn’t working to her advantage. Ambitiousness was a quality he admired, especially in a woman.

Besides, if Sterling trusted her enough to hire her, why shouldn’t he?

Still, he couldn’t let her off the hook completely. “Your résumé is impressive,” he began slowly. “But you’ve moved around a lot. Surely that’s not because of the economy every time, is it?”

“I always leave myself open to the possibilities of a greater challenge or something new.”

He flipped back to the first page again. “Your previous place of employment was in Cleveland?”

Autumn’s lips curved into a mischievous grin. “What can I say? I love to rock and roll!”

Isaac laughed aloud, pleased by the free-spirited tone in her voice. He found her playful attitude refreshing and very appealing. Even in the overbearing atmosphere of the boardroom, not to mention the pressure of the first day in a new job, she had no problem being herself.

Most women tried everything they could to impress him. The girls in the office knew he was single, available and one of the wealthiest men in New York City. Out on the street, the women knew him as a regular guy who was hotter than the asphalt on a July afternoon. In the winter, they worshipped the ground he melted ice on.

He’d be the first to admit that sometimes he took the bodies they willingly offered and he enjoyed them. The one-night stands most of these women hoped would turn into a lifetime of ardor and passion meant absolutely nothing to him.

While the opportunity to bed a beautiful woman and run the other way the next morning was still there, now he had two good reasons to refuse their advances. His children.

Consequently, he hadn’t slept with a woman in a very long time. Whether becoming a father caused him to feel a sense a guilt or greater moral virtue, he didn’t know.

The more likely reason was that he was tired of being a pawn in a two-player game that never went anywhere. Of pretending he didn’t want a woman to love him for more than his face, his body or his money.

Isaac checked the time on his phone and stifled a yawn.

He’d been up late again helping his son, Devon, with his math homework. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a good night’s sleep. And tonight, he expected that thoughts of what Autumn looked like without the corporate jail suit would impede his rest even further.

“What do you say we rock and roll and get a jump on that tour?”

“Sounds great,” Autumn replied. “You can show me the cafeteria and we can finally get that cup of coffee you missed out on this morning.”

Isaac tried to swallow back another yawn. When it escaped, they both laughed.

“Yeah, you can tell I really need it, can’t you?”

His eyes caught hers again. God, she was even prettier when she laughed. Thank goodness, the analysts occupied a space on another floor in the building.

His phone beeped, bringing his attention back to business. He pulled it out of his pocket, looked at it and groaned.

“Unfortunately, the tour is going to have to be a quick one. I’ve got another meeting in ten minutes and I think I’ve used up all my Get to a Meeting Late cards for the day.”

“How do I snag one of those?” Autumn joked.

“Trust me, you do not want to be in Late Club,” he said, in all seriousness.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m the one and only member.” His gut did a little flip when she pursed her lips at him. “I didn’t used to be,” he backtracked. “I mean, it was only when I—”

He stopped abruptly at the winsome look on her face and realized he was rambling. Something that was completely out of character for him. Worst of all, he’d almost told her about his kids. No one at Paxton knew about them and he wanted to keep it that way for now.

“Just do your best to never be late to a meeting, especially one with Felicia or Sterling,” he said curtly.

“I appreciate the heads-up,” Autumn affirmed. “By the way, is there always that much tension between them? My neck was beginning to hurt watching their verbal ping-pong match.”

“Yeah,” Isaac snorted. “But you’ll get used to it. We all have. Felicia plays the Daddy’s-girl role around here to the hilt, but she’s very capable.”

And lately very dangerous.

Isaac had heard rumors of people getting terminated, supposedly because Felicia didn’t like them, but those were typically lower-level employees. They were the unfortunate ones she liked to trample on the most.

Hopefully, Felicia knew better than to mess with him. Isaac had too much stake and longevity in the company to throw it all away just because of her passive-aggressive antics.

If only he could figure out why Sterling was giving him the cold shoulder all of a sudden, then he’d be able to come clean about his kids. They meant more to him than anything in the world, and being made a partner at Paxton would secure his new family’s financial future.

He wouldn’t let anything or anyone stand in his way.

Not a bitch like Felicia.

Nor a beauty like Autumn.

Isaac felt her eyes examining his face, as if it would reveal all his secrets, so he got up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The snarl of people far below seemed to belong to another world. He always liked to remind himself that he was one of them, especially during those times he was afraid of losing everything.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Isaac turned away and faced her. “Sure, anything.”

“What do you like best about working here?”

Isaac took a few steps and leaned against an empty console.

“That’s easy,” he replied. “I get to play with other people’s money, and make a bundle of my own. What about you? What attracted to you Paxton Investment Securities?”

She folded her arms. “The reputation of the company in the industry. Plus, the fact that I love to analyze every investment to insure we are maximizing profits and shareholder value while maintaining the highest ethical standards in every transaction.”

He was surprised that her bold confidence excited him, making him stir in all the wrong places. When a woman’s strong work ethic was a major turn-on, that’s a sign that one was severely undersexed.

“You sound like Sterling,” he said with hidden admiration. “No wonder he hired you.”

Although he truly meant it as a compliment, she brushed his comment aside.

“I just try to do the right thing, in any and all situations.”

“That’s wonderful. That’s the way it should be,” he asserted. “You are reporting to Sterling, right?”

Something flashed in her eyes. “Wh-what do you mean?”

He gave her a strange look. “He’s your boss. You’re his direct report, not mine, right?”

Autumn nodded. “Yes. Sorry, I blanked out for a bit.”

Isaac was relieved. At the moment, he worked solo and that’s the way he liked it. Having to manage Autumn would be a major distraction, one he couldn’t afford to risk right now.

“It’s kind of an odd arrangement, isn’t it? That analysts report directly to the president of a firm. Especially one of this size.”

Isaac shook his head. “Not at Paxton. Sterling wants there to be a clear division between the investment bankers and the analysts. He feels it’s easier for the analysts to remain objective and impartial, in order to avoid any conflict of interest.

“Have there ever been any issues?”

Isaac clenched his jaw. While he appreciated her curiosity, she needed to know that there were some questions that were off-limits at Paxton. But it wasn’t his place to tell her that. All he was supposed to do was give her a tour of the building and that was it.

Ignoring the question, he eyed the stack of paperwork on the table. “We’d better get a move on it. You’ll want to get those forms filled out and turned in quickly. Paxton has one of the best employee benefits package in the industry, especially if you have—” He choked back his secret. “I mean, if you’re married or have a significant other.”

Not reporting a life change, namely the adoption of his children, was another rung Felicia could hang him by. But if he reported it to her, she’d run to Sterling and tell him right away, and that would be the beginning of the end of his career at Paxton.

Even though Sterling had a daughter of his own, he was well-known for being antifamily. His priorities began and ended with Paxton, and he expected his employees to have the same love and dedication for his company that he did.

Isaac was certain that if Sterling found out about his children, he could pretty much kiss the partnership goodbye.

Needless to say, he was praying his children wouldn’t get seriously ill. Although he was already very wealthy and had private insurance coverage, depending on the injury or severity of illness, he could end up in a financial bind. After growing up poor, that was something he never wanted to experience again.

Isaac pushed himself away from the table and rose. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

He strode to the door and leaned against the wall, waiting while Autumn gathered the rest of her things. Everything she did—straightening the papers, stowing her pen in her purse and then hitching it over her thin shoulder—seemed larger than normal in his eyes.

But of course it wasn’t.

It was only him, without understanding his need, trying to soak in as much detail about her as he could, as mundane as it might be. Before he had to turn her loose and go on about his business.

Although he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering all over her slender body, from tip to toe, as she walked over to him, clasping the thick wad of paperwork in her arms like an innocent schoolgirl. Her curly mane beckoned him unknowingly, her body forcing him to bite the inside of his mouth as he stiffened once again.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

Thank God she was standing an arm’s length away, because if he could have it his way that stupid paperwork would be littering the floor and she’d be wrapped in his embrace.

At just over six feet, he was taller than her, yet he knew instinctively she’d be a perfect fit.

“Yeah,” he muttered thickly, hoping she couldn’t see or hear his desire for her.

He opened the door, bowing slightly. “After you.”

She murmured her thanks, giving him a strange smile as she walked out of the room. The sultry way Autumn’s skirt clung to her backside was almost too much for one man to bear, especially on a Monday morning.

He’d just turned off the lights in the conference room when his phone rang.

“Hi, Sterling, what can I do for you?”

As he listened to his boss and the man that was almost a father figure to him, his heart raced with excitement and dread.

He ended the call and glanced quickly at Autumn. “I’m going to need to postpone the tour. Are you going to be okay?”

Her brows knit together in confusion. “What was that about?”

“I’ll explain at lunch,” he replied, shoving the phone in his pocket. “Meet me in my office at noon.”

Without waiting for Autumn’s response, he turned and jogged down the hall, feeling her eyes on his back and her smile settling in his heart.

Chapter 3

“And we’re off,” Autumn whispered under her breath as she watched Isaac round the corner.

Way to go, Sterling.

Her plan was falling together nicely. Though she was curious what her new boss had said on the phone to make Isaac invite her to lunch, it hardly mattered. She routinely left the initial minor details of a surveillance case up to the client. Experience taught her that doing so put her on the fast track to gaining her client’s trust. In the end, she did what she wanted, when she wanted to do it, whether the client liked it or not. All was forgiven when she solved a case and got the answers they wanted.

Autumn shifted the stack of papers in her hand, wishing she could toss them into the nearest trash can. She had no need for any of the Paxton benefits, the government took care of her quite nicely. Whether she had a nosebleed or a gunshot wound, she could walk, run or crawl to any hospital and get medical help. No questions asked and no payment required. Being a friend of Uncle Sam was the best insurance policy in the nation.

Hopefully neither of those injuries would occur on this case. But Autumn wasn’t so sure about what would happen to her heart. Over the past few years, she’d been in some pretty scary situations, but none of them made her heart beat as hard as it did when she looked at Isaac, or when he looked at her.

The raw power that he exuded, even when he was relaxed, made her unabashedly wet between the legs.

She smiled with pleasure. It wasn’t until the end of the meeting, when she had stood before him and his hot gaze sent a jolt of fire down her body, that she’d realized his hunger was for her.

Sadly, she’d almost laughed. The man had no idea that she was there to potentially destroy him.

It had been a while since she’d seen that look in a man’s eyes, and even longer since she’d welcomed it.

But Isaac? He was different. If she were to be truly honest with herself, there was something about Isaac that made her want to run into his arms. Yet, for the good of the case, she knew she would do well to remind herself on a daily basis that she was there to learn the truth, not hop into bed with the most gorgeous man she’d seen since—well...ever.

What she needed right now was a distraction. A nice cup of tea would make her forget about Isaac’s tawny-brown eyes and help her refocus on the investigation.

She was just about to try to find the Paxton cafeteria herself when she heard a voice calling her name. She turned to see Felicia walking toward her. How she didn’t manage to trip in those stiletto heels was an unfortunate miracle in itself.

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you, and here you are exactly where I left you.”

Felicia’s voice was so syrupy sweet that it made Autumn want to gag.

She opened the door to the conference room, peered inside and quickly shut it. “Where’s Isaac?” she demanded.

Autumn pasted a smile on her face. “He had to run to a meeting.”

“You mean he left you here without giving you a tour?”

“No. He gave me the tour,” she lied. “We stopped back at the conference room because I accidentally left my paperwork on the table.”

Autumn grasped the wad and waved it in Felicia’s face so hard her eyes blinked. “See?”

Felicia pushed the paper away with annoyance. “All I see is that it’s not filled out. You’d better get to your desk and get started.”

“Sure. I would be happy to do so if I knew where my desk was located.”

Felicia touched the back of her hair. “All analysts are housed in the cubicles on the second floor. Didn’t Isaac show you?” she said impatiently.

Autumn shook her head. “No, that was our last stop but then he was suddenly called into a meeting.”

Felicia let out an exasperated breath. “Come on, I’ll show you.” She started down the hall, muttering under her breath. “I guess if you want something done right around here, you’ve got to do it yourself.”

“Wait,” Autumn called out. “Sterling wrote down the location of my work space. He said it was somewhere on this floor.”

Felicia swiveled on her heels, her eyes narrowing. “Are you sure? This floor is for members of the Paxton executive team only.”

Autumn accidentally dropped the scrap of paper Sterling had given her earlier. She bent to retrieve it and when she stood, Felicia rudely snatched it away.

“Let me see that.” Felicia’s cheeks reddened and she crumpled the paper into a ball.

Autumn bit back a smile. She had no idea where her work space was located, but it was obvious the woman didn’t like it.

They walked down the carpeted hallway, in the opposite direction from where Isaac had run, and through a small corridor. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a door with no nameplate. It was constructed of heavy wood and there was a thin plane of glass running vertically down one side of the door, the view through which was obstructed by cardboard.

“I think my father has made a mistake. We use this room for file storage.”

Felicia’s hand shook a little as she placed it on the knob and turned. “I don’t understand this,” she shrieked.

Autumn stepped into the small but clean room. Two rusty gray file cabinets lined one wall, one of which was graced with a plastic houseplant that had lost most of its leaves. The old-fashioned metal desk had a couple of beat-up chairs in front of it. On the desk was one of those spotlight lamps, the kind with the lightbulb that burned so hot it could singe anything that got to close to it.

Clearly, the room had been hastily furnished with some vintage finds from somebody’s attic or basement. A laptop was the only modern thing in the whole place.

Autumn walked around the desk and set down the stack of papers she was lugging around, as well as her purse. Then she sat in the vintage wooden chair and spun around to face Felicia, who was still by the door.

“It’s perfect!” she exclaimed with a broad smile. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s...it’s...ugly,” Felicia sputtered. “The furnishings are horrendous, not at all what we have in the other offices. Not to mention the fact that this is a file room and no one but me is supposed to be in here.”

Felicia looked out into the hallway before she moved deeper inside the room and looked around. “But where are all the files?” she wailed, her eyes wide to the whites. “This room was nearly filled with boxes and now there are only about half left.”

Hopefully, only the ones I need for the investigation, Autumn thought, snickering inwardly.

Sterling may be a grump, but he was turning out to be very, very handy.

Felicia walked up to the desk and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m sure this is only a temporary office,” she said with a note of derision. “There must be some issue with getting your cubicle ready on the second floor. I’ll speak to my father and we’ll get this matter straightened out right away.”

Autumn nodded and tugged on the middle drawer of her desk. “Sounds good.” The drawer stuck, so she tugged even harder and when she finally managed to pull it open, the metal on metal scraped together so loudly that Felicia covered her ears.

The drawer was well stocked with office supplies. Another plus for Sterling. She grabbed the first pen she saw and quickly uncapped it. “I’ll get started on that paperwork now and will have it to you by lunch, okay?”

“Fine,” Felicia snapped, looking over her shoulder again, as if she was expecting someone. “I should have this work space issue corrected by then.”

Autumn rose and went to the door, feigning eagerness to finally start her first day on the job, in the hopes that Felicia would leave. “Thanks for all your help. I’ll drop by your office in a couple of hours.”

She leaned against the jamb and watched as Felicia suddenly hurried down the hall as fast as her stiletto heels could take her. The woman seemed genuinely distraught and confused about the whole situation. She was about to shut the door when she looked up and suddenly realized why.

Isaac Mason’s office was directly opposite hers.

* * *

Isaac smoothed one hand over his close-cropped hair and then got to work reknotting his tie. It was almost noon and he’d made it through his morning meetings, his clients were happy, and there were no frantic phone calls from his children.

Like one of his favorite rappers once said, “It’s been a good day.” But Isaac knew it was long from over.

He wasn’t happy about what Sterling had asked him to do, but if he wanted to make partner, he had no choice.

With his tie neatened to his satisfaction, he took one last glance in the mirror, ignoring the rumble in his belly and hammering of his heart.

It’s just lunch, he told himself, and Autumn’s just another coworker. But he knew she was more than that, or at least he wished she could be.

Isaac walked over to his desk and password-protected his computer. After glancing out his office window, he opened the door and was shrugging into his coat when Autumn stepped out of the opposite office.

“Well, hello!” she greeted him.

Isaac pulled on the lapels of his coat. “What are you doing in there?” he asked, pointing his finger at the closed door. “That’s the file room.”

She gave him a cheery smile. “It’s my office now.”

Before he could ask any more questions, she started to walk away.

“Where are we going to lunch? The cafeteria? Because I’m starved.”

The thought of food was distracting enough without having to watch her sumptuous bottom sway down the hall and not be able to cradle it in his hands. During his morning meetings, his mind had wandered into random thoughts of her—a kind of subtle curiosity that would only be satisfied by seeing and feeling this woman who could never be his, except in his dreams.

“Um. N-no,” he stuttered, feeling a little like Clark Kent chasing Lois as he quickly moved beside her. “I thought we’d go somewhere a little quieter. I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“Sounds serious. Is everything all right?”

“No, but it will be.”

It has to be, Isaac thought. He had to find a way to get back into Sterling’s good graces again. If he could pull this off, he’d make partner for sure.

He leaned against the wall as they waited for the elevator and admired the clean lines of the soft gray coat she wore. Tailored at the waist, it accentuated her trim figure and ended midthigh, which suited him just fine. The more leg she revealed the better, and from where he stood, Lord knows she had two mighty fine ones.

Damn.

There were thousands of women in New York, and the only one that had piqued his interest was off-limits and off-the-chain gorgeous.

Isaac cleared his throat and turned away before his lower body gave away his thoughts.

“It was snowing earlier. Better button up.”

Autumn nodded. “Good idea.”

Except for the occasional screech from the elevator cables, they rode down in silence until Autumn started to giggle.

He shifted his feet. “What’s so funny?”

Autumn pressed her lips together and finished buttoning her coat. “I was just remembering the look on Felicia’s face when she saw I had the office opposite yours. She was so pissed. I wonder why?”

Isaac knew why, but he wasn’t about to say anything. It was embarrassing enough how Felicia had thrown herself at him, luring him into that very room, where she was hidden among the boxes, stark naked.

He shuddered at the memory. Although he didn’t have a type, per se, Felicia definitely wasn’t it.

Now Autumn, on the other hand, was a different story. He’d only met her a few hours ago and already he was entertaining fantasies of a hot and heavy office romance. Whether this sudden lust was the result of a lack of coffee, fumes of sleep or zero sex, he couldn’t pinpoint. But if it involved two hearts possibly getting broken, one of them being his, he wasn’t about to take the risk.

The cold January air was like a rude slap in the face as they walked out of the Paxton Building. The winds didn’t help, either. The weatherman that morning had said they were blowing out of the northeast, but they felt like they were from Antarctica and their new home was in the bones of everyone who had ventured outside.

“Wh-where are we headed? I—I’m freezing already!” Autumn ground out through chattering teeth.

Isaac pulled up the collar of his black wool coat.

“Not far, just a few blocks.”

They joined the throng of people huddled against the chill and walked south, passing a variety of street vendors braving the cold and selling gloves, hats and scarves plastered with “NYC.”

“Toasties! Toasties! Two for a dollar,” cried one enterprising man. His West African lilt was as welcome as the little hand warmers he was selling.

Isaac stopped and bought four of them. He gave the guy a fifty-dollar bill and told him to keep the change.

“For the way back,” he said, giving a pair to Autumn.

He wished he could warm up her hands in his own way, but these would have to do.

Her grateful smile was all the warmth he needed. He’d almost forgotten how nice it felt to give to someone other than his children.

“Thanks. This wind is a killer. I forgot my gloves this morning. First-day jitters, I guess.”

A minute later, they arrived at Le Jardin Rouge, a popular Wall Street restaurant that was anything but French. As soon as they walked in, the din and clamor of spirited conversation floated around them.

Autumn looked around and Isaac could tell she wanted to cover her ears.

“You call this quiet?”

Isaac held up his hand as a waiter approached with a couple of menus.

“Mr. Mason, hello again. I have your regular table.”

He led them through a narrow hallway, past the kitchen, to a single room in the back.

Inside was a linen-covered table with two chairs and a fire roaring in the fireplace. They hung their coats on the two porcelain-tipped hooks on the wall and sat down.

“Thanks, Eric. Give us a moment, will you?”

After the waiter left, Isaac smiled and handed Autumn her menu.

“All better?” he asked, gesturing toward the low flames roaring in the fireplace.

Autumn nodded and moved her chair into place. “Much. And I can barely hear the other customers all the way back here.”

“Yes, I often bring clients by for lunch or when I need to get away from the office, I just come here by myself and work. It’s got a ton of character, no?”

“It’s lovely!” Autumn rubbed her hands together in front of the fire. “What’s good here?”

“Everything, mostly. The butternut squash soup is my favorite, especially on a chilly day like today. It’ll help warm us both up.”

The waiter entered the room with two bottles of mineral water. Isaac ordered the soups and a couple of side salads.

“That was awesome what you did back there,” Autumn remarked, unfolding her napkin. “For me and for that vendor.”

She poured her water into her glass and took a sip. “And here I thought all men who worked on Wall Street were ruthless penny-pinchers.”

Isaac felt the blood rush to the tips of his ears, something that happened whenever he was either very embarrassed or very angry. In this case, her compliment pleased him, but he merely shrugged.

He squeezed a lemon into his water. “Contrary to popular belief, I can be a nice guy. But in order to make money in this town, one can’t be afraid to push past boundaries and take risks.”

“Even when it involves breaking the law?”

Her question wasn’t posed in an accusatory tone. Still, it was unsettling and left a metallic taste in his mouth. Isaac was glad when the waiter approached the table with a basket of bread and their salads.

When they were alone again, Isaac asked, “Have you ever heard of the saying ‘Whoever controls the money makes the rules?’”

Autumn buttered her bread and nodded.

He took a deep breath. “Sometimes it’s true.”

And he was living it. Or at least he used to...

The meetings to which he was mysteriously not invited, the silence that often befell a room whenever he walked in, and the opportunities for new client business that lately seemed to go to someone else or he never even heard about in the first place.

He was the wealthiest senior investment banker on staff. In fact, he made more money in his yearly bonuses than in his regular salary. But, lately, it seemed as if everyone was treating him like some runny-nosed intern.

Isaac kept thinking the cold-shoulder treatment from Sterling and the other staff was because he was being groomed for the responsibilities of becoming an executive partner, where there was less day-to-day trading and managing clients and more focus on higher-level investment strategy for the firm overall.

There was something wrong going on at Paxton, something he didn’t understand, but he wasn’t ready to believe that the something wrong could be him.

“So are you saying it’s okay to look the other way?” Autumn pressed. Her brown eyes seemed as intense as the flames warming the room.

“Sometimes,” he cautioned. Autumn’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and she seemed disappointed with his answer. “But only until one is sure that pursuing it means a net gain for both parties,” he added, not wanting to upset her.

Autumn rolled her eyes and speared a piece of romaine. “You sound like one of my old bosses. Every question I asked the guy, the answer he would give me would sound like it came out of a textbook for Economics 101.”

Isaac laughed, almost spitting out the water he was in the middle of drinking.

“I’m that bad, huh?”

Autumn munched on her salad and nodded.

“In that case, maybe I should quit investment banking and become a professor.”

She swallowed and pointed her fork at him. “Maybe you should,” she advised, her tone serious. “But not before you tell me why you invited me to lunch.”

Autumn pursed her lips into a pouty smile that nearly teased him to distraction, and he realized that he felt so comfortable with her that he’d nearly forgotten the reason he’d invited her to the restaurant in the first place.

“Ah yes,” he said, as the waiter arrived with two steaming bowls of soup. “We have an assignment.”

“What do you mean by ‘we’?” Autumn asked. “I thought you said that the analysts and investment and trading guys never worked together. Something about conflict of interest?”

Isaac nodded. “We usually don’t. But this assignment came direct from Sterling, so I don’t ask questions. He must have his reasons for wanting to do it this way.”

She blew on her spoon and swallowed some soup. “Mmm...this is delicious. Okay, so what do we need to do?”

Isaac ate a few spoonfuls of soup and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Have you ever heard of Eleanor Witterman?”

“Sure. She’s a New York City legend. The wealthy socialite who never married. She’s had plenty of suitors, or so they say. How old is she now?”

Isaac thought a moment. “Late fifties, early sixties maybe? She’s around the same age as Sterling. But from the photos I’ve seen, she doesn’t look it at all.”

Autumn twisted her lips to the side. “She must have her plastic surgeon on speed dial,” she remarked. “What about her?”

He smiled and took a sip of water before continuing.

“Sterling has been trying to get her to become a client for years, but she’s never come on board. Seems lately she’s had a change of heart. Recently she sold a large portion of her art collection for just over ten million dollars, and she came to Paxton seeking counsel on how to invest it.”

Autumn’s eyes widened. “That’s great. Any reason why she sold all that art?”

Isaac shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

“Who cares?” he said with a smile. “We’ve got ten million dollars to play with!”

“Where do I fit in this game of real-life monopoly?”

“You and I are going to put together an investment package that Eleanor won’t be able to resist.”

“That sounds more up your alley than mine. I’m an analyst, remember? I’m the one who double-checks all the calculations making sure one plus two doesn’t equal four.”

“Right, but to get this deal, we’re going to need your forecasting and predictive analysis skills, as well.”

“You mean you want me to be a fortune teller?” Autumn replied drily. She grabbed her purse and pretended to be searching for something. “Nope, no crystal ball in here.”

“Come on, Autumn. You know everyone on Wall Street relies on a little wizardry now and then.”

“Which is why we’ve had a financial meltdown in the United States and around the world,” she retorted, folding her arms.

Isaac’s mouth dropped open. He hadn’t expected any push back, especially from a new employee. Maybe he’d been wrong about Autumn. Sterling was obviously losing his Midas touch in terms of hiring suitable Paxtonites.

“Whose side are you on, anyway?”

He tossed his napkin on the table and gave her a pointed stare. “You work in this industry. You know the way things are. Millions of stocks are traded every day by computer algorithms, not people. It’s the new world order.”

Autumn held up her hands. “I realize that, okay? All I’m saying is that we all should take some responsibility for what goes on, and what goes wrong, in our industry.”

Isaac felt the tips of his ears get hot, and this time he wasn’t happy. This lunch meeting was not turning out the way he expected. Autumn was looking like she would be difficult to work with, and yet, he had no choice.

He leaned forward and said in a hard voice, “The only responsibility I care about right now is the one I have to Paxton. And as a new member of our team, I would have thought you’d have a better attitude about this assignment.”

Autumn’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Isaac,” she said, frowning. “Sometimes I just get caught up in all the negativity that surrounds our industry that I lose sight of all the good, and I know Paxton is one of the good guys.”

She swiped at her left eye with one finger and Isaac wasn’t sure if she was removing a tear or a speck of dust. No way could he have a woman crying because of him.

That would not be a very good day.

He paid for the meal in cash and they retrieved their coats. He waited until they were outside until he spoke again. The mood between them, which had been friendly an hour ago, was as icy as the air.

“Look, Autumn, let me give you the lowdown on Eleanor,” he said, softening his voice. “She’s very old-fashioned. She doesn’t want her money being handled by computers, but by real people. Any investments we advise are going to be backed up by real numbers, forecasted to predict the dividends she could expect to receive in x number of years.”

Autumn nodded, looking contrite, and for a moment he felt guilty for getting so angry at her.

She tilted her chin, and he noticed she had a tiny mole on her jawline. “When do we get started?”

“Immediately. The presentation is in two weeks. I want you to begin looking into possibilities this afternoon. I have a full day of meetings tomorrow, so if you’re available, I’d like to have an early dinner so we can review your initial recommendations.”

Autumn buttoned up her coat. “There are hundreds of industries or companies she could possibly invest in. Any idea where to start?”

Isaac thought a moment. “How about with her best friends?”

Autumn gave him a quizzical smile. “And who might they be?”

“Diamonds.”

She burst out in a deep, knowing laugh, which was definitely better than almost making her cry.

He wiggled his fingers at her. “Now let’s bust open these hand warmers and get back to the office. We both have a lot of work to do.”

As they walked back, hands stuffed deep in their coat pockets against the harsh January winds, Isaac knew the hardest part of the days and nights ahead would be trying to stop Autumn from getting under his skin, or into his heart.

Chapter 4

When they got back to Paxton, Autumn stopped at the restroom to freshen up. Just as she suspected, the tears she’d nearly unloaded on Isaac had taken a toll on her mascara. Of course, they weren’t real. She’d only pretended that she was going to cry.

Deep down she hated to use such a manipulative trick, but it was the only way she knew how to get a sense of his character.

She wet a paper towel and dabbed at her eyelashes. When she was finished, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Thank goodness, Isaac had passed her test.

He cared.

She was impressed with how well he treated the street vendor and their waiter at the restaurant. He didn’t have to give either man any extra change or tips, but he did.

And he didn’t have to care whether her hands were cold, either. Her heart swelled remembering how he’d bought her the hand warmers. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had done something so sweet for her, just to save her from discomfort.

And she was relieved because maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t like all the other greedy, stingy, emotionally dead men she’d met—and busted—while working undercover.

In her experience, the maxim “the bigger the bank account, the larger the ego” was a reality. There was something about making a ton of money that made some men turn into arrogant egomaniacs who thought they were above the law.

It was true that Isaac didn’t seem to be too concerned about how Wall Street sometimes negatively affected Main Streets all around the world. He was likely worried about his job, and rightly so; otherwise, Sterling wouldn’t have hired her to investigate him.

If he didn’t have the activist mentality that she did, perhaps it was because he truly believed he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Autumn hoped that’s what she would discover, too. All she had to do was remember to avoid letting her emotions get in the way of her case.

When she got back to her office, Isaac’s door was open, but he wasn’t there. Presumably, he was already well into his afternoon meetings.

She hung up her coat, walked to the desk and noticed a light blinking on her phone.

Oh joy, she thought, her first voice mail.

Twenty minutes later, she’d figured out how to retrieve the message. It was Sterling calling for an update. The man certainly didn’t waste any time, she mused while locking her purse in her desk. Although she wasn’t particularly afraid it would get stolen, she wasn’t stupid.

Petty crimes in the workplace were a common occurrence—a box of binder clips here, a laptop there. She wasn’t about to give anyone the rope of temptation. Plus, the location of her office was a little remote, which was likely the reason it was originally used for storage.

Autumn grabbed a pen and an index pad and headed down to Sterling’s office. His secretary, Doris, a plump woman who somehow managed to look attractive even with a tiny gap in her front teeth, informed Autumn that Sterling was on a call and she would have to wait.

Ten minutes later, the woman ushered her into his office and Autumn almost burst out laughing when she tiptoed out. But when she saw Sterling’s face, she knew why. The man looked like he could melt copper off a penny with his eyes alone.

She took a few, tentative steps toward his desk. “I got your voice mail. You wanted to see me?”

Sterling motioned her closer, waving his hands impatiently.

“Yes, yes. Come in.”

Autumn parked herself in one of the maroon-tufted leather chairs fronting Sterling’s enormous desk.

She gave him her sweetest smile. “Is there anything wrong?”

“The world’s gone to hell, that’s all,” he barked, and sat down hard. “I’m hoping you have some good news for me. What have you learned so far?”

That Isaac was as kind as he was cute, she thought, but she knew that wasn’t the information Sterling was seeking.

“Not much yet,” she admitted. “We went to lunch and he informed me of our assignment.”

“And what do you think?”

“It’s brilliant.”

“I know,” Sterling replied. “I thought of it, didn’t I?”

Autumn wanted to gag at the air of superiority in his tone, but at least his eyes didn’t have daggers in them anymore.

“You certainly did, and it’s the perfect way for me to observe how Isaac prepares for a new client presentation from start to finish.”

Sterling steepled his fingers. “I called you in here because I want you to know that this is a real assignment with a real client, not a decoy.”

Autumn nodded. “I’m glad you told me. I was kind of wondering about that when Isaac indicated the client seems to be afraid of computers.”

“Eleanor Witterman is not afraid of computers,” Sterling corrected. “She simply doesn’t trust them. Quite frankly, on days like today, I think she might be right.”

Autumn raised an eyebrow, not knowing what he meant but gathering it had something to do with the world going to hell.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Paxton. I’ll do my best to make every investment we advise as transparent as possible.”

“Good,” he replied with a satisfied nod. “How do you like your office?”

“It’s great. Nice touch on the old office furniture. Very film noir. I feel like Jimmy Cagney’s going to show up at any second and offer me a cigar.”

He snorted a laugh. The sound was like a street full of taxis honking in unison. “Yeah. I picked it out myself. Straight from the storage closet in the basement. My father started this business back in the early 1950s and he was something of a pack rat.”

“Are the boxes in my office the files you want me to review?”

Sterling nodded, absently jingling the coins in his pocket. “There are about eight years of records contained in those files. The rest are electronic.”

“And these are all the deals Isaac has been involved with since he’s been employed here?”

“Yes. He interned here while he was an undergrad, and then I hired him full-time after he graduated from Harvard.”

“What made you think he’d be a good fit for Paxton?”

“He’s smart. Smarter than a lot of people around here initially gave him credit for.”

She gave him a pointed stare. “Why? Because he’s black?”

Yeah. I went there, Autumn thought as Sterling sat up in his chair, his pale face aghast.

“We don’t condone, nor will we tolerate, any form of discrimination here at Paxton.”

She thinned her lips and didn’t back down. In order to conduct her investigation, she needed to have all the facts. Even the ugly ones.

“However since you asked,” Sterling relented with a shrug. “That could have been the reason initially, but it’s certainly not the case now.”

His broad smile should have been reassuring, but instead it made Autumn wonder if he was telling her the truth.

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