“You’re not Justin.”
The Justin lookalike smiled at her confusion. “No, I’m Jordan. I needed something off his computer.”
“You’re twins.”
“Obviously.” He softened his sarcasm with another smile.
She stared at him, speechless.
“Most people can’t tell us apart,” he commented, turning his attention back to the monitor.
“Justin’s eyes are lighter.”
Jordan’s smile widened but he didn’t say anything. Oh, why did she even open her mouth? Then she remembered why she was here, and her anger resurfaced. She placed her palms on the desk and leaned forward.
“You two are despicable. Lying about his name just so he could spy on me. All you had to do was ask Chuck. He’s honest, he would’ve told you how I was doing. As for the rafters, I freely admitted it was my mistake and he told me not to beat myself up over it. His words, not mine.”
She shoved back and began to pace. “The rat was so nice about it—” She halted suddenly, remembering when he’d kissed her. “To think all along he was my boss,” she mumbled.
She caught herself from touching her lips and whirled to face Jordan again. “I should’ve realized something was up the way he kept bossing everyone around. I came today because I wanted an explanation as to exactly why I was fired, but it’s clear now. It wasn’t anything specific that I did—I was gone the moment you two found out I was a wom
an. That’s why he showed up out of the blue.”
Jordan had been sitting back in his chair listening with a serious face and smiling eyes, but now he rose to his feet with an indignant expression.
She held up her hand on her way out. “Don’t worry, I won’t sue. You two don’t have to worry about seeing me ever again.”
She yanked open the door—and found herself face to face with Justin.
Marley’s heart leapt at the sight of him, all ruggedly handsome in a black button down shirt tucked into his jeans. She wanted to punch him, but her hand hurt as she clenched it into a fist. So she uncurled her fingers and slapped him instead. One hard resounding crack that echoed through the reception area.
He didn’t flinch or even take a step back. Their eyes met. He knew exactly what’d earned him the handprint forming on his cheek. Good, because she no longer had anything to say to the man.
She stalked past with her chin held high. Bonnie sat at the receptionist desk now, but she looked away from Marley’s glare with a shameful expression. So much for sisterhood. Then again, Marley wasn’t surprised; she’d never held a membership in that club.
“Does this mean I’m off the hook for dinner?” Justin called after her.
His expression on the running trail flashed in her mind and she understood the guilt she’d glimpsed when she told him she’d had a bad morning. She stabbed the button for the elevator and thanked God when the doors slid open.
“If I ever see your lying face again, it’ll be too soon,” she retorted over her shoulder.
As the doors closed, she suddenly remembered Dale Blake—Justin’s father, she now realized—still had her designs for the Jenkins building. She should go to his office and demand them back, because no way in hell did she want an internship with Hunter Construction now.
Her hand reached forward, then hovered over the button. She’d have to face Justin on the other side of the doors. She squared her shoulders, knowing that a man wouldn’t think twice about the confrontation.
But she wasn’t a man, was she? And what good had acting like one done her? Maybe it was time she started acting like a woman and see where that got her.
A woman would listen to her hammering, aching heart and regroup in private.
Wouldn’t she?
Chapter 8
Justin didn’t reach to rub his stinging face until the doors of the elevator closed. All the while he fought the absurd sense of disappointment that had flooded through him the moment he realized his identity was no longer a secret. He’d known it would happen, so why should it matter to him?
Jordan’s chuckle brought Justin around in the doorway.
“I guess she knows who I am.” He closed his office door and crossed the room.