Had she nursed unfair prejudices against her boss?
Had loyalty to Steve pushed her into casting Jake Carter as some kind of devil’s advocate who could shake the foundations of a life she valued?
Only one certainty slid out of this musing.
She didn’t owe Steve loyalty anymore.
Nevertheless, she’d be courting real trouble if she ever forgot the reasons she’d named her boss Jake the rake!
Amy spent the next half hour diligently working through his instructions, her concentration so intensely focused, she didn’t hear the elevator open onto their floor. The knock on her office door startled her. She looked up to see a woman already entering, a tall, curvaceous redhead, exuding an air of confidence in her welcome.
Amy felt an instant stab of antagonism. Some of Jake’s women had a hide like a rhinoceros, swanning in as though they owned the place. This one was new. Same kind of sexy glamour puss he usually picked, though—long legs, big breasts, a face that belonged on the cover of Vogue, hair obviously styled by a master cutter, very short and chic, designer jeans that clung seductively, a clingy top that showed cleavage.
“Hi! I’m Ruth Powell, Jake’s sister.”
Amy was dumbfounded. There was no likeness at all. If she hadn’t been presented with Jake’s nephew this morning, she would have suspected a deception. Some women would use any ploy to get to the man they wanted. Though on closer scrutiny, and with the help of the identification, Amy did see one similarity in the triangular shape of the eyes. The colour, however, was deeper, Ruth’s more a sherry brown than yellow-gold.
She had paused beside the door, returning Amy’s scrutiny with avid interest. “You’re Amy Taylor?” she asked before Amy thought to give her own name.
“Yes,” she affirmed, wondering about the testing note in the other woman’s voice.
A grin of pure amusement flashed across Ruth’s face. “I see,” she said with satisfaction.
Perplexed, Amy asked, “See what?”
“Why you dominate so much of Jake’s conversation.”
“I do?” Amy was astonished.
“So much so that amongst the family we’ve christened you Wonderwoman,” Ruth answered dryly.
Amy flushed, suddenly self-conscious of how less flatteringly she had privately christened Jake.
“Actually, we weren’t sure if you were a fire-breathing dragon who kept his machismo scorched, or a stern headmistress who made him toe your line. Now I’ll be able to tell everyone you’re Irish.”
“I’m not Irish,” Amy tripped out, feeling more flummoxed by the second.
“Definitely Black Irish.” Ruth started forward, gesturing her points as she made them. “You’ve got the hair, the eyes, and the spirit. You had me pinned like a butterfly for a minute there. Lots of power in those blue eyes.”
“I’m sorry if you thought me rude,” Amy rushed out, trying to get a handle on this strange encounter.
“Not at all. Call it a revelation. You must have Jake on toast.” She laughed, bubbling over with some wicked kind of sibling pleasure as she strolled over to Amy’s desk. “I love it. Serve him right.”
Amy mentally shook her head. It was an absurd comment—her having Jake on toast. He had enough women to sink a ship. He was hardly dying of frustration because she refused to rise to his bait.
We’ve got Amy Taylor right where we want her...
The insidious words suddenly took on extra meaning.
With Steve written out of the picture...
Held in Jake Carter’s seductive embrace...
But not precisely in his bed!
Amy almost rolled her eyes at the totally over-the-top train of thought. Imagination gone wild. Jake’s sister obviously enjoyed teasing as much as he did. None of it was to be taken seriously and it was best to put a stop to it.
“I beg your pardon, but...”
“Oh, don’t mind me.” Ruth twirled one perfectly manicured hand dismissively. “Relief loosening my tongue. I thought Martin’s injury was worse that it is. It was hell waiting around in Casualty, fretting over what was happening or not happening.”
Martin... that had to be her husband. “His shoulder is all right then?” Amy asked, belatedly recalling it had been dislocated.
“They put it back in. He’s sleeping off the anaesthetic now so I thought I’d pick up Josh.” Her gaze swept the area behind Amy, frowning at not spotting the capsule. “Where is he?”
“With Jake.” Amy nodded towards the connecting door.
Ruth looked her surprise. “You mean he didn’t ask you to look after him?’
Amy grimaced. “Well, we had a little contretemps about that. As I understood it, you entrusted him with your baby, so...”
“You insisted he do it?” Ruth’s eyes shone with admiration.
“I hope that was right,” Amy appealed. “He does seem very good at it.”
Ruth broke into laughter again, her eyes twinkling merry approval. “You are priceless, Amy. I’m so glad I got to meet you. As for Jake being good with Josh, he is. Dogs and children gravitate naturally to my brother. So do women. As I’m sure you’ve noticed,” she added with arch understanding.
“Hard not to,” Amy returned dryly.
“Too used to getting his own way, my brother.”
She was right about that but Amy decided some loyal support was called for. “He does work at it Not much is left to chance, you know. His background research on every project is very thorough.”
“Oh, I wasn’t besmirching his professionalism. Jake was always an obsessive perfectionist. A born achiever.” Her mouth twitched sardonically. “But some things do tend to fall in his lap.”
Like a pile of willing women, Amy silently agreed, but it wasn’t her place to say so. She smiled. “Well, Joshua was in his lap, last time I saw him.”
“Right! It’s been fun talking to you, Amy. Hope to see you again someday,” Ruth said warmly, taking her exit into Jake’s office.
Fun... Jake’s family seemed addicted to fun. Amy wondered what it might have been like, growing up in that kind of atmosphere. She remembered her own childhood as being dominated by fear of her father. Not that he had ever stooped to physical abuse. He didn’t have to. He could cut anyone down with a word or a look. In hindsight, she could identify him as a control freak, but at the time, he was the authority to be escaped from whenever it was possible.
Her mother had been completely cowed. The only escape for her had been in death, and it was her death that had released Amy from staying any longer in her father’s household. Her two older brothers had already gone by then, driven away by their father’s unreasonable demands. She hadn’t seen them in years. She no longer had any sense of family.