re marketing floor was buzz

res. The smirks. The half-whispered gossip that stopped whenever she

you h

in the sam

ually. Maybe she'

he's still

her desk harder than necess

looked infuriatingly relaxed, sleeves rolled up, tapping his pen

eath, "Do you have any id

"That I'm finally getti

she snapped. "Because we

. "Well... we do l

th fell ope

meless. "Better me than

"Don't you dare use my n

ake a breath, face flaming, and dropped into her chai

ed, leaned closer and whispe

enough to cut glass. "Not w

=

e born, had a l

ey'd grown l

t: 'Temp girl caught having lunch

crawl under a d

ould start charging rent for all t

"This isn't funny! My contract is te

expression softening. "You

about su

p-at least unti

=

a Bai

ce sliced through the

, suit immaculate, phone in hand. Even the ex

small i

e," she gree

me," he s

llway, the kind lined with fra

ste time. "I he

sank. "They'

-blue, assessing. "But perceptio

aybe you should tell that to y

fairness? You're a temporary employee surrounded

retort. "I'm ju

ing too clos

linch. "Close?

aren't." His voice softened only slightly. "I'm warning you because I

rled into fists.

ow what

ring beneath her words. "You mean p

ul

ing but unyielding, "I don't bow

ed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "

e. "Better stubbor

=

ouldn't sto

e could barely breathe. The hum of vending

ome down to this? Po

like someone else-someone tired, worn,

yes, and the mem

=

shb

e, her father hunched over a stack of pape

asked. "Why a

st tired, sweetheart. Bu

bt, by corporate competition, by Hughes Corporation

ther's

ther's

burned into

=

unter until her knuckles whitened. "I'll

to your

broke through, g

"You-! Don't sn

s hands. "Sor

enuinely concerned, not his usual

leaning on the counter beside

," she warned,

w and warm. "Ki

art trip between irritation and som

=

e had emptied out, bu

oid further embarrassment. As she crossed t

hen she rec

t be here," Jame

w reply shot back, tight with ange

retorted. "It's about survival. If your father

breath

oy yo

ning him-or th

ying to catch more-but James noticed

oldly. "Eavesdropp

ed, face burni

em, voice protective. "Don

ver. "Then keep her out of t

both and disappeare

She turned to Brandon.

ion unreadable. "Nothing

he said softly. "D

me, Julia. Some things

and answers-but the weight

e city lights into streaks of silver. Somewhere in that