Chapter Two

Adifferent tumbling sensation fluttered around in her stomach the next time Jewell walked the halls of Bulwark Mutual Funds. A niggling edge of guilt at leaving Safeguard Fiduciary so abruptly scraped against the giddy excitement of a new position, all wrapped up in anticipation of seeing Mr. Roth. One single question bounced around in her head, keeping her from sleeping much of the weekend. Did he initiate her employment in his office?

Mr. Traynor met her at the reception desk in the glass and marble lobby of Bulwark, and after setting up her security clearance and giving her a temporary access badge, left her on her own to find her new office. The bullpen hummed with low-key activity as she passed by the first few desks to reach Mr. Roth"s—her—office.

The desk she originally thought would be hers was empty, but with a flush of recognition, she caught the nameplate now resting on the desk edge. Carol Soldano. Well, that explained a few things.

"Good morning, April," Jewell said with what she hoped to be a confident smile as she reached the high-paneled desk. "Good to see you again."

"Good morning, Miss Kincaid," April said with a bright smile. "Welcome to Bulwark."

"Thank you. And please, I"m Jewell."

The young woman nodded. "Mr. Roth said to tell you to wait for him in the office. He has a meeting every Monday morning, but it will be over soon."

"Tell me? Not ask me?"

April smirked. "That"s the way Mr. Roth is. You saw that last time you were here." She shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."

"Do you?"

April met her eyes, and her response didn"t quite answer the question. "He can also be very generous to his staff," she said with a half-shrug.

With that, Jewell opened the door to Mr. Roth"s office and went inside. The room was large and spacious with a bank of windows on the outside wall and looked much like Mr. Burke"s office had, with the addition of the windows. The blinds were open and sunlight streamed through to cover his desk in its brightness. The desk itself was huge, being a good six feet across the front, in a rich walnut finish with a left-side return. A laptop in a raised desktop port sat on one corner of the desk, while dual monitors sat in the joined corners of the desk, leaving the space empty when he faced straight on. Several framed degrees and plaques hung on one wall. Curiosity led her to them.

"Harvard School of Business, Masters Degree in World Economics. Bachelor"s degrees in both Accounting and Economics. Very impressive, Mr. B. P. Roth," she mumbled to herself as she examined each degree. She moved on to the wood and brass plaques. "Businessman of the Year twice. Top Fund Manager for the last three consecutive years. Mutual Fund Magazine top named fund. Smart Money top named fund twice. You"ve had yourself some good years." She realized she was talking to herself, and pressed her lips together, turning away from the display.

An open door to her left, near the interior wall leading back to April, led into another office. It had a door leading out to the bullpen, and Jewell assumed it was the other door behind April"s desk. The office was a bit smaller than his but offered pretty much the same amount of sunlight. A good-sized desk sat near the door, this one with a right side return against the wall, plus the usual office furniture. A giant bouquet on the desktop greeted her. She couldn"t name most of the blossoms expertly arranged in the large vase, but their aroma filled the room. Jewell leaned into the heady scent and let it fill her senses.

Nestled amongst the blooms was a small card with her name neatly written on it. She took it out and opened it to read the single word inside. "Welcome."

"They"re from Travis Traynor," said Mr. Roth"s subtle voice behind her.

Jewell jumped and turned. He stood in the doorway, his shoulder against the jamb and his arms crossed over his chest. Her stomach tumbled and her pulse skittered at her throat. With her hand pressed against her pounding heart, she fought to calm the flutter beneath her breasts. Mr. Roth straightened and stepped into the office.

"You startled me," she said.

"I see you found your office."

She nodded. His direct stare shifted from her eyes to her mouth. Its powerful effect created a whispered tingle on her skin. Heat rose high in her cheeks and she turned away. Jewell walked to the window before turning back. Unfortunately, it was impossible not to face him.

"It is very nice," she signed, her hand sweeping the room.

He nodded. "Come back into my office. We can cover the basics. There is a meeting this afternoon we both will attend."

Mr. Roth turned and she followed him back into the adjoining room, grabbing a blank notebook and pen from the desk as she passed. He moved behind his desk and sat down in the leather executive chair, indicating she should sit across from him. Jewell was thankful for the wooden barrier between them. At least he couldn"t see her hands wringing nervously in her lap.

"I assume Mr. Traynor explained to you what the position entails. We work in tandem on most projects, but you would complete research and compile data for interpretation. April then works on data presentation. You have a strong knowledge of world economics?"

Jewell nodded. "Yes. I"m sure you saw on my résumé I hold a degree in World Macroeconomics. I minored in European Micro-economics."

"From the University of New Hampshire?"

His slight smirk and arched brow irked Jewell. Heat rose in her cheeks. She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders before answering.

"I didn"t attend Harvard, Mr. Roth, but I know what I"m talking about if that"s your concern."

An amused grin pulled his slight smirk higher. "If I had concerns about your ability you wouldn"t be here, Jewell."

His smugness unnerved her. She pulled a deep breath in through her nostrils and cleared the lump in her throat. "Is that the only reason I"m here? My credentials?"

One eyebrow arched. "You"re not only a smart woman, but you"ve got courage. I like that. I don"t like working with people who won"t stand up and speak."

"Is that why you were so hard on Carol Soldano?" He didn"t want her to hold any punches? Fine, she wouldn"t.

"Carol Soldano didn"t put enough effort into her work because she didn"t believe she should be required to do so and I became aware of her tendency to push her work onto April. I don"t accommodate for laziness."

"You didn't make it easy for her, from what I saw."

What was it about this man that riled her up so quickly and so easily? He ignited her defenses full force and made her want to come back at every comment with an equal ferocity. If Jewell didn"t watch it, she"d talk herself right out of the job.

"I won"t make it easy for you either. That doesn"t mean I will intentionally make it more difficult. You"re getting paid very well to do a hard job. If you"re not up for it, we have nothing further to discuss. If you don"t think you can handle it, tell me now. But I don"t think that"s the case."

Jewell smiled slowly and held his eyes without wavering, raising her chin in subtle defiance. "I can handle anything you send my way, Mr. Roth."

"Good." He leaned back in his chair and brought his hands in front of his chest to change to Sign for communication. "I will require one further responsibility from you. It is obvious you are fluent in Sign."

She nodded, matching the form of communication. "I sign as well, if not better, than I speak. I can adapt from ASL to PSE to SEE as needed."

"Good. From now on, you will attend all meetings I attend. Although I don't generally find it necessary, on occasions it would be helpful if I have an interpreter. Especially in large groups when some are too far away for me to see their faces."

"I understand. Will I be welcome at some of these meetings? I am sure executive assistants do not usually attend many of the same meetings as fund managers."

"You are welcome if I say so," was his response.

His statement made her heart skip. Upon being offered the job, Jewell refreshed her memory of B.P. Roth and his business accomplishments. She"d been familiar with some of the funds he managed, but she hadn"t connected his name with the handful of funds that still managed to produce a gain during a harsh market. Only a couple of publications made mention of his disability. Mr. Roth was apparently a very powerful man at Bulwark Mutual Funds. More powerful than she originally speculated at their first meeting.

"Do you have any problem with working late on occasion?" he asked, bringing her out of her musings.

"On occasion, no. But I do make plans ahead of time once in a while. If you can give me as much warning as possible, I would appreciate it. Emergencies aside."

Mr. Roth touched his fingers to his mouth and tapped his fingertips against slightly pursed lips. "I understand, Ms. Kincaid. What about company functions? I occasionally attend business dinners, parties, conferences, and such. If you could accompany me on occasion, it would be," he paused and his stare seemed to intensify, "helpful."

"Knowing ahead will help, but I don't see any ongoing issues with attending."

His shoulders bounced in a silent chuckle. "There is a large networking event involving many in the industry two weeks from Thursday evening at the Ritz-Carlton on Boston Common at seven. Are you free?"

Jewell paused before answering and intentionally took the time to unlock her phone and check her painfully blank calendar. She didn"t want him to think her calendar was so wide open she didn"t need to check. Of course, she didn"t have anything planned. Greg might come over, or she might meet up with her friend Kip for lunch, but that was about it. After a sufficient pause, she nodded.

"I"m free."

"Good. It is, of course, a formal dinner. I will pick you up at six. Text me your contact information and address." He took a business card from the holder on his desk and slid it across the blotter to her.

Jewell nodded and took the card. Why did she feel like they"d just set up a date? Of course, it wasn"t. So, why did she have a funny twittering sensation around her heart? Her thoughts raced to trivial things, such as what she would wear and how she would do her hair. She pushed them away and brought her thoughts back to the conversation.

Mr. Roth picked up a thin folder from where it sat near his elbow. He leaned forward and passed it to her over the desk. Jewell raised up from the chair enough to take it from his hand. Their eyes met and Jewell"s breath caught in her throat. His eyes shifted momentarily from her eyes, then back again. It was so fast, that Jewell wasn"t sure she could trust what she saw. Did he have any idea how much power he held with those eyes?

"This is the first project I"d like you to work on. I"m researching a breakout company in Singapore for possible investment in our Pacific Rim Advantages Fund. They just began trading on the Hang Seng Market last week. If they prove to be as promising as I suspect, I want to get in while the stock is young."

"You didn"t choose to purchase at IPO?"

Jewell was surprised a man known for his aggressive investment style wouldn"t snatch up a company he believed in at the first opportunity. Buying at Initial Offering Price would provide him with the benefit of any gain the company had from that point on.

He shrugged, and in the action, Jewell recognized a kind of concession, like maybe the decision wasn"t fully one with which he agreed. Fund Managers held a great deal of power when it came to the buying and selling of securities within a mutual fund, but the guidelines and prospectus were predetermined by the fund trustees. Perhaps the trustees were more conservative than Benjamin Roth.

"The trustees have chosen to avoid IPOs in this particular fund. It isn"t provided for in the prospectus."

Jewell nodded and scanned the paperwork he gave her. There were printouts of articles from the Wall Street Journal and some other trade magazines, Internet articles on tech offered by the firm, as well as various figures regarding growth. The first page also listed some technological advancements and devices offered by the company. She was impressed by the profits already achieved in the first quarter of the year.

"You seem to have a great deal of information on Hirotachi already."

"Numbers, yes. I want more than that. I want to understand their philosophy and business plan before I determine their growth potential."

Jewell understood his approach and nodded. "When would you like it by?"

"One week."

She saw the challenge in his eyes. He tested her willingness to jump in with both feet and her confidence to get the job done. Jewell raised her chin slightly and met his gaze. A slow smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I"ll have it to you by Thursday afternoon."

The corner of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled. It was a full, honest grin. She had just met the challenge. Now all she had to do was carry through with it.

"Good," he answered. "Do you have anything you want to cover now?"

She nodded and closed the folder, putting her full attention on him. "We"ve spoken verbally for the most part, but is that your preference? Or do you prefer Sign? Here, when it"s just us." She cleared her throat and was thankful he couldn"t hear the nervous twitter in her voice.

"Manual communication allows us to speak freely, without worrying about being overheard,"he answered with a shrug, his hands moving fluidly."Not that there is a great deal discussed here of a confidential manner. Unless your hands are otherwise occupied, or speech seems more prudent, we will stay with Sign."

Jewell bobbed her "a" hand in affirmation. "Fine. Outside of us, I"ll use my best judgment. Have you used an interpreter before?"

He shook his head. "I"ve never met someone fluent enough and had enough knowledge to be useful. Anything else?"

"No, Mr. Roth."

"Good. Because I do."

Jewell sat back in her chair. The hardest part about this job, and she could tell it would be ongoing, was having to constantly meet his gaze. He had such an intense face and overpowering stare, that it was hard not to look away and regain her composure. However, the very nature of her position—and her personal experience—dictated that eye contact was not only important but also necessary.

"I believe in formality. Everyone here, except for Mr. Traynor and one or two other fund managers, refers to me as Mr. Roth."

Jewell nodded her understanding. She recognized from the start the formal air he seemed to exude. He was respected and demanded respect by his very nature. A sign of that respect would be how people addressed him. It came as no surprise to her the formality was his expectation.

"Out there," he signed, "I would prefer you call me Mr. Roth. Especially when speaking at meetings or with others. But in here, when it is just the two of us, feel free to call me by my name."

A sense of private intimacy crept into the room. The space between them shrank even further. Jewell drew in a slow breath and cursed the heat she felt in her cheeks.

"Do you prefer Ben or Benjamin?"

She felt, more than saw, his gaze fall to her lips as she mouthed the names to accompany the finger spelling. Again, his eyes darkened and his lids slid slightly lower. Concentrated energy spanned the desk to bombard Jewell, its power hitting her chest like a hammer. Dear God! She had to build a resistance to those eyes. He could melt iron with them.

"Call me Benjamin," he said.

"Benjamin," she repeated.

His rich brown eyes closed abruptly and Jewell thought for a moment she heard a soft moan in his throat. Benjamin twisted his chair slightly towards the bookshelf along the wall and didn"t open his eyes until his motion stopped. She didn"t move as he took a deep breath. He turned back to her.

"That is all I have for now. I have some things to go over before the meeting. Get started on the research."

Jewell nodded and stood. Something just happened but she didn"t know what. His face was a plastic mask. He watched her stand and they both nodded in farewell before she walked to the adjoined room. Once outside his vision, Jewell"s shoulders dropped and she sighed. She would have to limit herself to short doses of Benjamin Roth until she was able to build up immunity to his effects.

* * *

Benjamin watched her walk across the room and into her office. The subtle sway of her hips, and the slight hollow behind her knee just below her skirt"s hem, mesmerized him. He swallowed against the dryness in his throat.

What are you doing? Don"t go there, Roth!

Benjamin shook his head. What had possessed him to march down the hall last week and bargain with Traynor to let Ms. Kincaid work for him, and not Burke? At the time, he convinced himself it was because of her qualifications. She was tremendously overqualified to work as just a glorified secretary. It was a stroke of good luck for Benjamin to find a woman as qualified as Jewell Kincaid who was also so fluent in Sign. She was a gift from the gods. After an hour of persistence and powerful demands, Travis agreed to give her up for a better position. Now, here she was.

But he was no idiot. She was gorgeous and ten steps beyond sexy. With the simple two-inch heels she wore, Jewell stood close to five-foot-ten. The top of her head would just hit his nose if he embraced her. Her figure screamed all woman with curves in all the right places. Although Jewell wore a professional, tailored suit, it did little to disguise the tempting curves and valleys of her body. Femininity embodied her.

She was dangerous.

He was a fool.

He inhaled and the delicious scent she left behind filled his senses. The top layer was a musky, floral perfume with the slightest hint of oriental jasmine. Benjamin took another breath. Beneath the manufactured scent was her true essence. Mingled with the perfume was a sweet, fruity trail that was probably her shampoo. Peach lotion and the clean aroma of ivory soap completed the layers. Together they were an intoxicating and heady combination. Individually, each was incomplete and hollow.

He shot out of his chair. Knock it off! He'd boxed yourself into a corner this time. She was right in front of him, and he couldn't even think about touching her. Not without having a sexual harassment suit thrown in his lap.

Annoyed, Benjamin raked his hair with his fingers. He just had to keep his libido in check. This wasn't her doing, and she certainly hadn't done anything to make him think otherwise. He guessed she wasn"t the type of woman who would be involved in an office fling.

Neither was he.

Now he would have to work with her, closely, every day and learn to deal with the consequences of his impulsivity. All because he let the wrong head do his thinking for him. It was like cutting off his nose to spite his face.

Benjamin stalked the room. He was better off with Mrs. Soldano!

He stopped near the door to her office and leaned back to spy on her. Jewell sat at her desk, her back to him, as she familiarized herself with the computer system. She seemed competent as she moved through the custom-designed programs, which piggybacked the basic PC setup. Her hand came up so her fingers touched the small curls at the nape of her neck. Absently, she tucked the auburn escapees back into the tight twist. Benjamin wondered how much hair she hid in the prim style, and how it would look flowing free around her shoulders.

He closed his eyes. Rather than the enticing picture of her flowing hair, his mind filled with the erotic image of her lips as they formed his name.

Benjamin.

Those full, luscious lips pursed ever so slightly when she said his name. They pressed together and slowly separated before drawing together and back in a soft pout. He felt the rumble of a groan in his chest and his eyes snapped open to make sure she didn"t notice. Jewell didn"t look up. For all he knew, she was playing music or something, and had no idea he watched her.

Frustrated, he turned away and returned to his desk.