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made,” I said, feeling my face warming. The last thing I needed was my brother running back to MalTech and causing more trouble. Somehow I had to convince him the situation was perfectly legit. “Part of it I think was he felt bad for me, since I told him we relied upon your income to supplement mine. With the new job comes a pay raise. I’m making more now than you and I had combined.”
    “But—”
    “Don’t. Don’t wreck this for me, Joss,” I snapped, letting my tone tell him I didn’t want or need his interference.
    “Is he . . . doing anything inappropriate? Or making you do anything you don’t want to do?”
    I knew why he’d asked that. He’d heard the same rumors about Maldonado that I had.
    “No, though I’m not crazy about filing,” I added, hoping the joke would lighten things up. “Never have been.”
    Finally, my brother’s expression changed a little. He was still suspicious. I could see it in the tightness in his jaw. But at least now he wasn’t ready to rip off anyone’s head. “If he does anything, tries anything, you’d better tell me.”
    “I will.” A lie. But, whatever.
    Joss took a step toward his room, pausing next to me to give me the side eye. “Something about this sounds fishy.”
    “So far, everything’s good. I swear.” If he knew I had come home from work with my torn underpants in my purse, he might disagree. I was going to have to dispose of them carefully.
    “O-okay. I’ve sent my resume out to a few companies and I’m meeting with an employment agency tomorrow. I’m going to find another job. I’m the man of the house. That’s my responsibility.”
    If he had done what he just said, that was encouraging. “That’s good.”
    Outside of the third degree I was given about my new job, I was very happy about the way this conversation had gone. With the news about the employment agency appointment, Joss was sounding more like the Joss I’d hoped he would someday become. If it wasn’t all an act, we might be turning the corner.
    Maybe my prayers had finally been answered.
     
    The next morning, my phone started ringing the instant I stepped into the shower. And it didn’t stop. Not while I washed up, or while I shaved my legs, or while I finally got annoyed, cut off the water, and wrapped myself in a towel.
    I answered with a grouchy sounding, “Yes, sir?”
    “Pack an overnight bag.”
    Click.
    I glared at the phone, then tossed it on the bed. “Good morning to you too,” I grumbled as I stomped into some clean panties.
    I dressed in something work appropriate and travel friendly, then went down to the kitchen for some coffee. Caffeine. I needed caffeine. Lots of it.
    After getting the coffeemaker going, I went down to our storage cage in the building’s basement, dug out a small carry-on suitcase, and hauled it upstairs to pack. On the way up, I filled a cup of steaming hot happiness and slurped my way back to my room.
    Assuming I was supposed to be packing for one day, I packed enough clothes for two, just in case. Work clothes, underwear, makeup and hair stuff, shoes . . . and one sexy something, just in case he was expecting it. And the contract, which I hadn’t read yet. After the drama of last night, I hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to tackle it. I was rolling the packed suitcase down the hall and finishing up cup number one of coffee when Joss poked his head out, took one look at my suitcase, and growled, “What the hell?”
    “Business trip.”
    Joss rolled his bloodshot eyes. “Yeah, right.”
    “A business owner does go out of town on business trips, you know. Especially ones who have branches in other states. And they usually take their administrative assistants with them.”
    “The bastard knows what he’s doing,” my brother seethed through gritted teeth. “Don’t let him treat you like a whore.”
    Rage pulsed through me at the sound of that word. “Oh, he won’t. I won’t let that happen. I’m no man’s