Off Limits

‘Yep.’

‘Your parents were rich?’

‘Are rich,’ I agree.

‘Funny... I didn’t have you picked as the daughter of some loaded guy.’

I arch a brow teasingly. ‘Technically I’m the daughter of a loaded guy and a loaded lady. Duchess Arabella Picton, in fact.’

‘No shit? That I did not see coming.’

He laughs then—a sound that relaxes me because it’s so like us to laugh together that I am reminded of the years we’ve spent working together, getting to know one another. Not like this, admittedly, but in a different way.

‘Why not?’ I ask.

He laughs again and my gut clenches.

‘So you slaving away for me is like a vanity job?’

I frown. ‘No!’

‘But you’re going to inherit a fortune?’

I shrug, deciding it’s better not to talk about my trust fund with Jack. I figure he won’t really appreciate the amount that’s sitting in my name in a Swiss bank account.

‘One day.’

‘Fascinating.’

‘Not really.’

He nods, but I can see the wheels of his brain turning. ‘You studied law, right?’

I roll my eyes. ‘I’m your in-house counsel, what do you think?’

He grins and my tummy tilts off-balance. ‘I don’t pay too much attention to what my assistants do at university.’

I shoot him a look of disapproval but bite my tongue. He’s goading me, and I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s been successful. ‘I studied law and economics at Oxford, thank you very much.’

‘Let me guess...you did well?’

My gaze doesn’t falter. ‘Double first.’

He tilts his head back, his laugh a soft caress. ‘Not at all surprising.’

‘How do you not know this about me? You hired me to work for you.’

‘Yeah... Expecting you to last about three seconds.’

‘Really? Why?’

‘Because that’s how long all my other assistants lasted.’

I grit my teeth. ‘Counsels.’

‘Your job is pretty much unfillable.’

‘Because you’re such a charm to work with,’ I point out.