Chapter 12 - THE BILLIONAIRE WHO WAS DEFINITELY NOT JEALOUSThree weeks later, Grace discovered something fascinating.
James Whitmore got jealous.
He simply refused to admit it.
The discovery happened at a workforce conference in Boston.
Grace had just finished speaking when a tall man approached her.
“Grace Miller?”
“Yes?”
“Ethan Cole.”
He smiled.
Handsome.
Confident.
Approximately Grace's age.
“I run employee advocacy at Beaumont Hotels. Your presentation was excellent.”
“Thank you.”
“I've followed your work for months.”
Across the ballroom, James stopped speaking mid-sentence.
Evelyn followed his gaze.
“Oh no.”
James frowned.
“What?”
“You're doing the face.”
“What face?”
“The face where you're deciding whether somebody's company should continue existing.”
James looked offended.
“I don't have that face.”
“You absolutely have that face.”
Ethan handed Grace his card.
“We should get coffee sometime.”
James appeared beside Grace so quickly she nearly jumped.
“Grace.”
She looked at him.
“Yes?”
James placed one hand lightly at her waist.
Nothing aggressive.
Nothing dramatic.
Just enough.
Grace almost smiled.
“James, this is Ethan Cole.”
“I know.”
Ethan blinked.
“You do?”
“Beaumont Hotels. Twenty-two properties. Revenue down four percent last quarter.”
Grace stared at him.
Ethan laughed uncertainly.
“That is... accurate.”
James smiled.
Grace knew that smile.
It was his boardroom smile.
Polite.
Civilized.
Potentially lethal.
Ethan excused himself five minutes later.
Grace waited until he disappeared.
Then she turned.
“You're jealous.”
“No.”
“James.”
“No.”
“You recited his quarterly revenue.”
“I like data.”
“You hate Beaumont Hotels.”
“I dislike their carpeting.”
Grace laughed.
“Their carpeting?”
“Terrible patterns.”
She stepped closer.
“Were you jealous?”
“No.”
Grace smiled sweetly.
“Good.”
James relaxed.
“Because Ethan invited me for coffee.”
James's jaw tightened.
Grace nearly lost control.
“As colleagues,” she added.
“Of course.”
“And I might go.”
“Absolutely.”
“You don't mind?”
“Why would I?”
“Wonderful.”
She kissed his cheek and walked away.
James remained motionless.
Evelyn appeared beside him.
“You're going to buy Beaumont Hotels, aren't you?”
“No.”
“James.”
He watched Ethan across the room.
“I'm considering their carpeting.”
Evelyn burst out laughing.
That evening Grace found James in their hotel room reading.
Or pretending to.
She climbed onto the bed.
“What are you reading?”
“Financial Times.”
“Upside down?”
James looked at the newspaper.
It was upside down.
Grace collapsed laughing.
He threw it aside.
“You enjoyed this.”
“Immensely.”
“You deliberately made me jealous.”
“You said you weren't jealous.”
“I wasn't.”
“Of course.”
She kissed his jaw.
“Not even a little?”
“No.”
Another kiss.
“Not even when Ethan called me brilliant?”
“No.”
Another.
“When he asked for coffee?”
Silence.
Grace smiled against his cheek.
“James?”
“Perhaps the coffee invitation was unnecessarily enthusiastic.”
She laughed.
He caught her around the waist.
“You think this is funny?”
“Very.”
He pulled her closer.
Grace squealed.
“James!”
“You've been provoking me all evening.”
“You're supposed to be emotionally mature.”
“I've changed my mind.”
He kissed her until she stopped laughing.
For approximately twelve seconds.
Then Grace whispered against his lips,
“Ethan is taller than you.”
James froze.
Grace ran.
He caught her before she reached the bathroom.
Her laughter filled the entire suite.
And somewhere downstairs, Evelyn received a text from James.
CANCEL TOMORROW'S 7 A.M. MEETING.
She stared at it.
Then smiled.
May you like
Finally.
The man was developing priorities.
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