Much More Than a Mistress. Michelle Celmer

horse you’re on.”

      “Wow.” Nathan shook his head. “And here I thought you were just as shallow and self-absorbed as she is.”

      “It’ll be our secret.”

      Nathan was quiet for a minute, then he blew out a breath and said, “All right, fine. One more chance. But if she blows it this time, that’s it.”

      “Fair enough. Are you going to call and tell her?”

      Nathan glared at him.

      “Or I could do it,” Jordan said. He hoped his mom came through this time, because he was tired of making excuses for her. In fact, if she let them down again, it might be enough to push him over the edge as well. And who knows, maybe it would snap some sense into her if both her sons shut her out.

      “That reminds me, we haven’t gotten your RSVP yet,” Nathan said.

      “It’s on my to-do list. But you know I’ll be there.”

      “I assume you’ll be bringing a date.”

      “At least one. No more than three.”

      Nathan shot him a “get real” look.

      “What? I’m in pretty high demand.”

      “So,” Nathan said, leaning back in his chair. “Getting back to what you were saying earlier, since I’m the better man, I guess that means you don’t plan to fight me for the CEO position.”

      Jordan laughed. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

      He turned and crossed the room, and as he was walking out the door his brother called after him, “You know, you’re not as smart as you think you are.”

      Yes, he was.

      There was nothing to fight over because the CEO spot was already his. Though no one had come right out and said it, Nathan’s engagement to Ana Birch—whose father owned Birch Energy, their direct competitor—had killed his chances at the big chair. Even worse, Walter Birch was suspected of conspiring in the sabotage. Even if Jordan did back out, Nathan didn’t have a shot in hell.

      Emilio Suarez, who was also in the running, married a woman whose ex-husband was responsible for one of the largest Ponzi schemes in a decade, and had dragged her name through the mud with his own. Though the charges against her had been dropped, there were a lot of people who still held her partially responsible for the millions they lost. The CFO of a billion-dollar corporation did not marry a woman linked to financial fraud without serious repercussions.

      On top of that, Jordan had played an important role in Western Oil’s recent success. He firmly believed that happy workers were productive workers. He appreciated and respected each and every man in that refinery, and that respect was returned unconditionally. Since he took over as COO, productivity had jumped by nearly fifteen percent.

      As far as he was concerned, he had the position in the bag. It was just a matter of waiting for the announcement to make it official.

      When he got back to his office, Jane was studying something on her computer monitor.

      “Any problems with using the system,” he asked.