“Truthful? Ha! Let me tell you something, Mr. Wilde. I have a job to do, and that’s exactly what I will do. If I find even the slightest infraction surrounding the recent accidents at your mine, you’ll be getting the full extent of penalties that I have authority to hand down, up to and including shutting your mine down until it is brought up to safety standards I deem necessary.”
He reached out, as if to grab her hand.
“Don’t touch me.”
Jackson stepped back. “Okay. I got it. But please believe me. What happened between us had nothing to do with the mine.”
“Since this is a small town, it may be hard to avoid you, but I will do my best. Do me a favor, and do the same.”
“I can’t, Jessie.” His face looked dejected, as if he were actually telling the truth. But how could she believe him when he’d been so deceptive? She couldn’t.
Kyle reached across the counter and grabbed Jackson’s forearm. “Listen to the little lady, buddy.”
“Screw you.” Jackson jerked his arm free. “You don’t know anything about her.”
“Neither do you, Mr. Wilde. Leave me the hell alone.”
* * * *
Jessica knew her eyes were swollen when she pulled up to the security shack at the front gate of the Wilde Mine. After leaving the hotel, she’d driven to a rest stop and cried her eyes out. What a fool she’d been. Once again, she’d proven that she had horrible instincts when it came to men. Michael turned out to be gay. Jackson had ulterior motives for fucking her. With this track record, her next lover would turn out to be some homicidal maniac.
Next time? No way. She was through with men.
All she had was her job now, and it was in dire jeopardy. If her boss ever found out about what had happened with Jackson and his brothers, she’d be on her way to the unemployment line the next instant.
She rolled down the window and looked at the guard, who was smiling broadly. Another hot male. God, are all the men in Wilde good-looking? A woman doesn’t have a chance here.
“Hello. Miss Greene?”
“Yes.” She held up her identification for him to inspect.
“Welcome to Wilde Mine. I’m Luke Bronte. We’ve been expecting you.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Please, park by that blue truck. Your tour guide just arrived a few minutes before you. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
“Thank you.”
The metal gate opened slowly, and she parked where he’d indicated. She took a deep breath, and reminded herself that she was a professional. She had a job to do, and damn it, she was going to do it. If I don’t think about Jackson, I can get through this.
She stepped out of her car, carrying her laptop case with her.
A familiar voice greeted her. “Hi, Jessie.”
She looked up into the hazel eyes of Phoenix.
“Mr. Wilde, call me Miss Greene, please.” Like Jackson, he must’ve known who she was the moment they’d met. Asshole!
“So formal? Naw. Too late for that. We’ve seen each other naked.”
Jessica felt her cheeks burn. His grin let her know they’d turned red, too. “Whatever. Like I told your brother, I’m here to do my job. Nothing that happened last night changes that.”
“I know. But you should know that you did one humdinger on my lil’ bro. I’ve never seen him like this. Can’t blame him.” Phoenix flagrantly scanned her body. “You are something else, Jessie.”
Her body’s automatic warming to his lusty scrutiny unnerved her. She needed to get a hold of herself. “I’m supposed to take a tour of the mine. Can you take me to my guide, please?”
“You’re looking at him, angel.”