at CIS a couple of years ago."
Kline grinned, his expression both amused and pitying. "I see. Do you look at all your former employees with the possessiveness of a jealous lover?"
What the hell was Kline talking about?
If Marcus had worn any particular expression when looking at Ronnie, it would have been dis-gust, not possessiveness. He'd been pretty darn sure his face hadn't shown any telltale expression at all, though. Kline had to be guessing at a past relationship.
Marcus decided to brush off the older man's comment with a shrug. "Maybe."
"Why did she leave CIS?"
"I don't know."
It was the truth. He didn't know why she'd sold out her company toHarrison and he could only guess at why she'd left town without bothering to say good-bye.
He didn't feel guilty for not telling Kline the whole story. He was doing it for the man's own good. He'd learned early on when they opened the corporate investigations side of CIS not to share too much information with a client. It had a way of backfiring on him and his investigation, which he didn't like.
He'd developed a policy of telling as little as possible until heknew the answer.
"I got the impression you wanted to keep tabs on her, that maybe there was some unfinished business between you two."
Kline was an astute businessman, too smart to have been completely unaware of the undercurrents between Marcus and Ronnie. "You're right."
"Is working with her going to be a problem for you?"
"No." In fact, staying close to Ronnie was important to his investigation.
'You don't want to talk about it, I take it."
"I don't make a practice of discussing my past, my personal life or my predictions for the World Series on the job."
Kline smiled at Marcus's subtle humor. "Okay. Point taken. Did you find anything out today?"
Other than the fact that Kline had a former corporate spy working for him, not a damn thing. "I met your marketing staff. Your director wants to have lunch with me and discuss expansion."
Kline smiled. 'Jack's a smart businessman. He's always got ideas for growing the company."
Marcus nodded. "That would make him a good marketing director."
"That and his charm. That man could sell a new operating system to Bill Gates." Kline's expression turned sly. "Veronica seems to think so, too."
Marcus restrained himself from demanding an explanation for the last comment. Barely.
"Are they dating?" he asked casually.
Kline shrugged. "I don't know. We don't encourage personal relationships among the employees at Kline Tech. Too much opportunity for sexual harassment lawsuits, but you can't police your employees in their off-hours."
Then why the hell had he said that about Ronnie finding her boss charming?
Kline went on, just as if Marcus's silence hadn't turned lethal. "I've seen them together in the employee cafeteria a time or two. Of course, that doesn't mean anything. She works for his department. Could have been a business lunch. It's what I told myself at the time anyway."
And just what was the man saying now? Marcus wouldn't give Kline the satisfaction of asking. He'd come to realize the older man shared his somewhat offbeat sense of humor.
He remembered the hard time he'd given Alex about his wife, Isabel, before they got married andalmost felt remorse.
Realizing the direction his thoughts had strayed, he put a firm mental clamp on them. His situation with Ronnie was nothing like that of Alex and Isabel. Ronnie had betrayed him and CIS, whereas Isabel loved Alex.
There had been a time when Marcus had wondered if Ronnie hadn't fallen in love with him too.
Instead of sending him packing like he expected, the idea had taken root and tempted him to think of a future. Until she had forcefully reminded him that love was an illusion and taught him his budding trust had been misplaced.
"Mr. Love 'em and Leave 'em is working for Kline
Kline grinned, his expression both amused and pitying. "I see. Do you look at all your former employees with the possessiveness of a jealous lover?"
What the hell was Kline talking about?
If Marcus had worn any particular expression when looking at Ronnie, it would have been dis-gust, not possessiveness. He'd been pretty darn sure his face hadn't shown any telltale expression at all, though. Kline had to be guessing at a past relationship.
Marcus decided to brush off the older man's comment with a shrug. "Maybe."
"Why did she leave CIS?"
"I don't know."
It was the truth. He didn't know why she'd sold out her company toHarrison and he could only guess at why she'd left town without bothering to say good-bye.
He didn't feel guilty for not telling Kline the whole story. He was doing it for the man's own good. He'd learned early on when they opened the corporate investigations side of CIS not to share too much information with a client. It had a way of backfiring on him and his investigation, which he didn't like.
He'd developed a policy of telling as little as possible until heknew the answer.
"I got the impression you wanted to keep tabs on her, that maybe there was some unfinished business between you two."
Kline was an astute businessman, too smart to have been completely unaware of the undercurrents between Marcus and Ronnie. "You're right."
"Is working with her going to be a problem for you?"
"No." In fact, staying close to Ronnie was important to his investigation.
'You don't want to talk about it, I take it."
"I don't make a practice of discussing my past, my personal life or my predictions for the World Series on the job."
Kline smiled at Marcus's subtle humor. "Okay. Point taken. Did you find anything out today?"
Other than the fact that Kline had a former corporate spy working for him, not a damn thing. "I met your marketing staff. Your director wants to have lunch with me and discuss expansion."
Kline smiled. 'Jack's a smart businessman. He's always got ideas for growing the company."
Marcus nodded. "That would make him a good marketing director."
"That and his charm. That man could sell a new operating system to Bill Gates." Kline's expression turned sly. "Veronica seems to think so, too."
Marcus restrained himself from demanding an explanation for the last comment. Barely.
"Are they dating?" he asked casually.
Kline shrugged. "I don't know. We don't encourage personal relationships among the employees at Kline Tech. Too much opportunity for sexual harassment lawsuits, but you can't police your employees in their off-hours."
Then why the hell had he said that about Ronnie finding her boss charming?
Kline went on, just as if Marcus's silence hadn't turned lethal. "I've seen them together in the employee cafeteria a time or two. Of course, that doesn't mean anything. She works for his department. Could have been a business lunch. It's what I told myself at the time anyway."
And just what was the man saying now? Marcus wouldn't give Kline the satisfaction of asking. He'd come to realize the older man shared his somewhat offbeat sense of humor.
He remembered the hard time he'd given Alex about his wife, Isabel, before they got married andalmost felt remorse.
Realizing the direction his thoughts had strayed, he put a firm mental clamp on them. His situation with Ronnie was nothing like that of Alex and Isabel. Ronnie had betrayed him and CIS, whereas Isabel loved Alex.
There had been a time when Marcus had wondered if Ronnie hadn't fallen in love with him too.
Instead of sending him packing like he expected, the idea had taken root and tempted him to think of a future. Until she had forcefully reminded him that love was an illusion and taught him his budding trust had been misplaced.
"Mr. Love 'em and Leave 'em is working for Kline
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