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he’d understand, but the dominant would have to accept that she supported her friends.
    That was simply part of who she was. “He seems to know and understand when I work late.”
    “Ask him if he has two brothers,” Debbie told her.
    Serena smiled, then looked at Claire with growing concern.
    “About six-thirty? Or do you want to make it earlier?”
    “So touching!” mocked Mark, striding out the door. “Claire, did you finish those letters?” Claire inhaled sharply.
    “No,” she muttered. “It was a little difficult since you didn’t finish telling me what you wanted.” Keith stared at the empty doorway, and was 31

    Abby Gordon

    even more surprised when Serena and Debbie made sympathetic noises toward Claire. With a new awareness, he wondered what else he had missed about Mark. What else had he missed as he worked to build up his company to show he didn’t need support from the family corporation? As a result, he failed to pay attention to the type of people he’d hired. Had Mark been like this all along? How could he not have seen this? And this man was going to marry his cousin? Penny was barely twenty-two!
    “Claire, you better head back,” Serena advised, her face suddenly pinched. “It looks like he’s in one of those moods again.”
    “Those moods have come and never left,” Debbie muttered as Claire hurried out. “‘Rena, I’m worried about her. Paul really hurt her…” As if realizing Keith was still there, Debbie fell silent. Serena reached out and caught her hand.
    “I know. We’ll figure something out, Deb. Go on back.”
    With a reluctant nod, Debbie also left.
    “What else have I missed?” Keith asked quietly.
    “You sure you want to know?” Serena wondered, mildly surprised at his drawn expression.
    “That man is engaged to my cousin,” he reminded her. “If he treats you and Claire this way in front of me, so sure that he’ll get away with it, how is he with Penny behind closed doors?” Serena stared at the rose. His primary concern was his cousin. It was something she could understand, but deep in her heart, some part of her died. She was just his assistant. That was the only reason he’d defended her.
    “I thought you liked him.”
    “He’s never been this way around me.” He shook his head. “Dammit! I’ve known the man six years! I should have a better idea of how he treats people.” Serena relented.
    32

    Beck And Call

    “If it’s any consolation, he wasn’t always like this.”
    “It’s not,” Keith muttered. “How long has he been like this?”
    “Well,” she propped her elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her palms. She didn’t want to think about it, but it looked like she didn’t have a choice. Professional, Serena . Keep it professional.
    “Let’s see.” She frowned slightly. “Mmm,” she raised her eyes to his. “Sometime after I came to work for you. Claire wasn’t his assistant yet, of course. He goes through one every four to six months.” She grimaced as she glanced at the calendar. “And at the rate he’s going, Claire’ll be putting in for a transfer in a few weeks.”
    “He started dating Penny about three months after you started working for me,” he frowned, speaking quietly. “Not sure…,” He smiled. “When we were working on the Franklin contract.” She nodded, crossing her fingers under the desk.
    The hope that he would press for more information brought a hitch to her throat, even if it scared her.
    Would he think she had done something wrong?
    “That was a bit complicated,” she mused. Did he realize that he remembered personal things in relation to business? “I don’t think we left the office before ten for three or four weeks.” Keith clenched his jaw.
    “I’m screwed,” he muttered. “Penny will never believe a word I say against him. She likes you, but if you or Claire tell her about how he is toward you, it won’t matter. Mark will say you have other reasons for trying to break them