‘Let me try and get this straight,’ Luccy exclaimed. ‘You believe I tried to blackmail Paul Bridger into giving me work on the magazine he works for by threatening to tell his wife that he tried to get me into bed after our business meeting? You’re also of the opinion, based on that belief, that my ultimate intention was to somehow blackmail you, too?’
‘That works for me, yes.’ Sin nodded slowly. ‘But having transferred your attention onto me so impulsively it must have presented something of a problem for you when I told you that I didn’t have a wife, let alone kids.’
Luccy frowned at his continued insistence that she had deliberately planned what had happened between them that evening. ‘Even supposing—just supposing!—that your accusations were true, what do you possibly have that I could want?’
‘Off the top of my head?’ he drawled derisively. ‘Your future employment seems like a good enough incentive.’
Luccy had heard enough. She really had. ‘What future employment are you talking about?’
‘You still have a contract with PAN Cosmetics, I believe?’
Luccy became very still. He had mentioned the PAN contract earlier today, too. As he had just mentioned her future employment…
‘What does any of that have to do with you?’ she asked warily.
Mocking brows rose over those icy grey eyes. ‘Still pretending ignorance, Luccy?’
She wasn’t pretending at all! But she had a definite premonition she wasn’t going to like his answer when it eventually came!
‘Sleeping with the boss just isn’t what it used to be, is it?’ he derided.
The boss? What boss?
The only boss Luccy had came with her contract with PAN Cosmetics…
She swallowed hard. ‘You work for PAN Cosmetics?’
He gave an impatient sigh. ‘I own PAN Cosmetics, Luccy. As you are well aware,’ his voice grated harshly.
He owned…?
Luccy didn’t just stare at him now—she goggled. ‘Jacob Sinclair is head of Sinclair Industries, the company that owns PAN Cosmetics…’ Was that strangulated voice really her own?
‘Yes.’
Luccy could barely breathe now. ‘But Jacob Sinclair is—Isn’t he an elderly man, almost eighty?’
‘Jacob Senior is eighty, yes,’ Sin confirmed. ‘He also stepped down as Chairman of Sinclair Industries almost ten years ago. As I’m sure you are well aware,’ he added pointedly.
And why should she have known that? She worked exclusively with PAN Cosmetics, not Sinclair Industries.
Luccy could only stare at Sin as she waited for him to drop the next bombshell—one that she was sure was going to completely devastate her!
‘Ordinarily, his son, Jacob Junior would have inherited that position, of course, but unfortunately Jacob Junior was killed in a car accident ten years ago.’ His eyes were cold as he looked at Luccy.
Luccy moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘So who did take over as chairman?’
Sin gave a weary sigh. ‘Do we really have to continue with this act of ignorance on your part?’
‘Just humour me, will you?’ she rasped, totally agitated as he continued to play with her.
His mouth tightened. ‘Jacob Sinclair the Third, Jacob Senior’s only grandchild now controls all the companies under ownership by Sinclair Industries. Which, of course, includes PAN Cosmetics.’
Luccy’s eyes widened as the truth suddenly hit her with the force of a blow to the chest. ‘You?’
‘Me.’ He gave an unpleasant smile.
Him. He was Jacob Sinclair the Third. The grandson—and the only grandchild!—of Jacob Sinclair Senior.
The man who had become Luccy’s lover three days ago…
The man who now believed—with the help of that lying louse Paul Bridger!—that she had deliberately transferred her attentions to him that evening because she had spotted a bigger fish to fry.
Her cheeks burned. ‘I didn’t know!’ she gasped weakly. ‘How could I possibly have known when you introduced yourself to me only as Sin that night?’ she added accusingly.
‘You introduced yourself only as Luccy, remember?’
‘That was because—because—’
‘Because you had recognised me in the restaurant earlier but didn’t want me to know who you were!’ A nerve pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw.
If Luccy had recognized this man as Jacob Sinclair three evenings ago, in the restaurant or anywhere else, then they wouldn’t even be having this conversation!
Not that it mattered now. This man owned and ran Sinclair Industries, and consequently owned PAN Cosmetics, too.
The same man who was going to ensure that Lucinda Harper-O’Neill never worked for PAN Cosmetics again. Or possibly anyone else, either?
‘Don’t look so downcast, Luccy,’ he jeered. ‘You aren’t the first woman to use her body in order to try to get what she wants.’ His mouth tightened.
Luccy stared at him. ‘This—Are you saying that something like that has happened to you before?’
‘Just the once,’ he growled, the coldness of his expression telling her that it was not a pleasant memory—for him or the woman involved!
She swallowed hard. ‘What happened…?’
His eyes narrowed to steely slits. ‘Just a lowly employee of Sinclair Industries who thought she would like a promotion.’
‘And she went to bed with you to get it?’
His face darkened ominously. ‘Luccy—’
‘What happened to her?’ Luccy persisted.
He shrugged. ‘After her employment was terminated? I have absolutely no idea.’ His eyes glittered angrily.
Luccy gulped. ‘I think I would like that glass of wine now,’ she said shakily.
‘I don’t believe getting drunk is the answer to your problems,’ Sin drawled mockingly even as he stood up to pour wine into the second glass before handing it to her.
Luccy ignored the comment, her hand trembling slightly as she took the glass from him. ‘So.’ She drew in a shaky breath after taking a sip of the chilled wine. ‘Where do we go from here?’
‘Where do you want us to go?’
Luccy looked up at him warily, seeing him for exactly what he was now. Not only the billionaire chairman of Sinclair Industries, but also a hard, powerful, and ruthless man. ‘What do you mean?’