Page 48 of Made of Steele
“Guilty as charged.” She took his warm, slender, and smooth hand, comparing it to Drew’s rougher, thicker hand. No reaction. Nothing. Not like the charge she felt with Drew.
Oliver placed his other hand over hers. “Glad to meet you, Meg Jacobs. For once I’m thankful for my mother’s interference.”
Teagan faked a laugh and extricated her hand.
He pulled out a chair for her.
She dropped onto it and scooted close to the table.
He sat across from her, his eyes roving over her again as if taking mental photographs. “I’ve come here with my family since I was a toddler, so took the liberty of ordering the best meal for you. I hope that’s okay.”
No, it’s not okay. I’m a grown woman and can order my own food.“Of course. You know the place better than I do. But I have to warn you. I’m a sous chef and will likely end up critiquing the meal.”
“A chef. That’s wonderful. A guy would be lucky to have a gorgeous woman like you who can cook too.”
Okay. Not five minutes in, and he proved he was a chauvinist. “And what do you do, Oliver?”
He shook out his napkin. “I’m an executive at Northwest Geo Instruments. We provide automated systems to monitor the safety and stability of things like bridges and buildings.”
He started describing his work in detail, mentioning resistivity meters, which she had no idea about except for seeing the boxes in their warehouse, and she had to work hard to keep her expression from glazing over.
“Sorry for going on like that.” He frowned. “You look bored.”
“No offense, but I’ve always found corporate jobs kind of boring.”
He raised an eyebrow that she could swear he had waxed or plucked into a perfect shape. “Some corporate jobs are, but this one has many perks to spice things up.”
She leaned closer, feigning real interest. “When does it get spicy?”
He bent forward, his gaze raptly pinned to her. “We provide equipment for archeological digs.”
“Oh, thatisinteresting. Tell me more aboutthat.” She took a sip of her water, trying to make him work hard to impress her. He struck her as the kind of guy who liked to brag, and that was the best way to get information from him.
“We don’t do the digging.” He made a sour face. “Too hot and dusty for my liking. But sometimes, I personally deliver the equipment and get a first-hand tour of the digs.”
Yeah, she couldn’t see this guy getting dirty. Especially if his manicured nails told her anything. If she hadn’t gotten the manicure with his mother, his hands and nails would be in better shape than Teagan’s.
“I would agree. I don’t like to get dirty.” Such a lie. She was the first one in the family to step into messy projects. “Then how is that interesting to you?”
He cupped his fingers around his water glass and turned it in circles on the table. “I really can’t say.”
“Too bad,” she said, trying to put a healthy measure of disappointment in her tone. “I was beginning to warm up to your profession and you.”
“It’s just…” He glanced around. “It’s highly confidential information on a need-to-know basis.”
“And I don’t need to know.” She stared at him. “I get it, but I honestly don’t like it.”
“I like how direct you are.”
“And I don’t like how evasive you are.” She let her gaze linger on him, then she looked away, glad to see the server was coming forward with plates piled high with food before Teagan pushed this guy too hard, too soon.
She wouldn’t let this topic drop, but would continue to question Oliver during the meal. He might shut down even more. Or she might get him to open up. Either way, she had to try. With something illegal going down soon, she couldn’t relent.
Drew gritted his teeth and stared through his binoculars as he watched and listened to Teagan flirt with another guy. She was doing an excellent job of playing Oliver. Too excellent. Good for the UC sting. Bad for Drew’s emotions. He had to force himself from bursting through that door and claiming her as his. A thought as shocking as Oliver just admitting he had an antiquity coming in tonight that would change his and his family’s life forever.
Seriously. The guy spilled the beans and told Teagan about a limestone relief of a Persian guard being delivered at three a.m. to the docks, and all he had to do was go pick it up. He declared the value at five million dollars, and he only paid two million for it. He already had a buyer lined up, and he would make a nice profit.
Not if Drew could help it. He was sure Harris would want them to stake out the dock but let Oliver take possession of the antiquity and then nab the person he sold it to as well.
