Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich. Jill Monroe

fantasies. Okay, she was playing something far more dangerous than The Speculation Game; instead, she was sporting around in Exaggeration Land. Grrr.

      Cole followed her into the conference room, then pulled out one of the chairs at the long table, offering her a seat. At least she could give her weakened knees a break.

      Jesse tried to smile politely rather than glare at him. He was supposed to be in some far-off, remote place, being untouchable and gorgeous.

      He wasn’t supposed to be right here in Atlanta, being single and a buffet of lick-me kiss-me carnality. If he had to be somewhere near her, he could have at least been sporting a large, protruding gut over those khakis.

      She’d bet Cole’s abs would make any male model run home and cry for his mommy.

      Dammit.

      She took a measured breath. Yes, she was being ridiculous. She was a mature woman who’d built a business from the ground up. And she was here to discuss that business. “Did you want to ask me a few questions?” she said, thrilled that her voice sounded so unaffected.

      His eyes narrowed, then he seemed to notice the notebook in his hand, and gave a chagrinned shrug. “I was just getting over the grown-up you. I was expecting braids.”

      “I hope I wouldn’t still be wearing the Laura Ingalls look at my age,” she said, as she watched him slide into the chair opposite from her.

      “So tell me about your job,” he began, after giving her legs one last look. “You’re a P.I.?”

      “I dig up dirt.”

      He raised an eyebrow questioningly. “What if you can’t find any?”

      Why did people never believe? All the naiveté… Sometimes it made her a little sad. But it was good for business. “Everyone has dirt. Some you sweep under a rug and forget about. Some you bury alive.”

      His hazel eyes challenged her. “Think you could dig up any dirt on me?” he asked, his voice lower. More sensual.

      She stopped herself from sucking in a breath. While some girls went for the cute boys, the tall basketball players or the preppy charmers, Jessie had always been a sucker for the guys who liked fast cars. The rebels without a cause. Yeah, fast and dangerous. That was all Cole Crawford.

      He may have smoothed out the edges, but underneath, she sensed the danger still lurked.

      And she still went for it.

      Her agency had been created to protect women just like her. Those who liked a man with a bit of an edge. Would she find dirt on this man? She could guarantee it.

      “I bet I could have a juicy bit on you in less than thirty seconds,” she told him with a laugh. Her body liking the idea of the challenge.

      The hazel of his eyes darkened to brown. She’d forgotten about his beautiful eyes—sometimes green, sometimes brown, depending on his thoughts.

      Mmm, no, she hadn’t forgotten; she’d just wanted to.

      Any woman would take a moment and bask in the sheer pleasure of his gaze. Savor it like some delicious dessert. Chocolate and Cole’s eyes. Two things a gal could never get enough of.

      His knee accidentally brushed hers as he shifted in his chair. Sensation raced down her leg, and she stared at him. There was plenty of space between them. There was no reason for him to accidentally touch her.

      Wait a minute. Was Cole Crawford flirting with her? She wasn’t looking for it, had never expected it, so it would come as a bit of a shock…but the signs were all there.

      The way he’d angled his big, broad shoulders toward her to totally focus on what she had to say, as if he planned to do nothing but listen.

      Or how his gorgeous eyes held her gaze just a moment longer than necessary. Then there was the teasing about finding dirt on him.

      Cole had teased her when they were in high school, but it hadn’t been like that. Sensual. His voice had never lowered, his glance never flicked to her lips as his playful actions elicited shivers down her back.

      “Oh, I’m sure you could find something.”

      Her nipples hardened. He’d accepted the challenge.

      A young woman, who looked fresh out of college, knocked on the open door of the conference room.

      He reluctantly looked away from Jessie. “What’s up, Penny?”

      “Bad news. Nicole wanted me to let you know our guest for to day’s show just bailed. So should we do another Eve chat?”

      “Eve chat?” Jessie asked.

      “That’s when Eve walks into the audience and they ask questions and chat,” Penny explained.

      “You’re kidding! That’s what you do when someone doesn’t show up? I figured those shows were only aired on Fridays.”

      “We also work them into the schedule when this comes up. You never know when a guest will cancel at the last minute.”

      Jessie sat back in her chair. “Wow, you’d never guess that. Eve seems so natural.”

      “That’s why she’s so good at her job,” Cole told her.

      “So, what do you want me to tell Nicole? Go with the Eve chat?”

      Cole glanced Jessie’s way, and her shoulders suddenly tensed. She knew by the change in his expression, the speculation that entered his hazel eyes, that he was contemplating asking her to fill in. Being on TV seemed like a great idea, but at such short notice? And on only a few hours’ sleep?

      Contemplating the purchase of a vehicle GPS location tracker when the new money started rolling in was all fun and games until the reality of appearing on TV hit her. She could look a total fool. She could babble. She could freeze. Something could be hanging from her nose and she wouldn’t know, but everyone else in Atlanta would have seen it. Who would hire a P.I. who had stuff coming out of her nose?

      Jessie took a deep breath. She grabbed the Coke can and swallowed a large mouthful of pop.

      “You up for being our guest today?” Cole asked. His eyes held a daredevil challenge.

      No. “Sure,” she said with a forced shrug. She wanted this. Her business needed this. She had never backed down from anything in her life, and she wasn’t going to start now. She’d just make certain she looked in a mirror before stepping in front of a camera.

      Jessie straightened her shoulders and placed the Coke can on the conference table with resolve. Sure, being in a situation where she could humiliate herself and have it remembered for years to come, not to mention bring shame to the Huell family name, was a possibility…so why would she want to turn that down?

      “I’ll tell Nicole,” Penny gushed.

      Jessie turned toward Cole. “I’m looking forward to it.”

      A slow, sexy smile spread across his face. “Thought I might have lost you for a minute there,” he said.

      Hmm. She was usually pretty good at schooling her features. In fact, she was proud of her ability to hide from people what she was thinking. And feeling. Was she slipping?

      Or maybe Cole could read people a lot better than she’d given him credit for. She’d have to remember that.

      “I’ll take you over to makeup.”

      Cole stood and escorted her down the hall. He’d grown taller since the last time they’d walked side by side. His shoulders were broader, too.

      So many things had changed since he was her high-school fantasy.

      Lines fanned from his eyes, indicating he still liked to laugh. But deep grooves circled his lips, proving he’d experienced some of life’s harder times. And what had happened to his wife?

      With