The in Death Collection Books 11-15 - J. D. Robb [17]
“Okay.”
“Eve.” He kept his hand on her face, his eyes on hers. “When I met you, most of my business was legitimate. I made that choice long ago because it suited me. After you, I dispensed with or reconstructed those interests left that were questionable. I did that because I knew it would suit you.”
“You don’t have to tell me what I already know.”
“I think I do, just now. There’s little I wouldn’t do for you. But I can’t, and I wouldn’t, change my past, or what brought me here.”
She looked down at the tulip, perfect and pure. Then back up at him. Not pure, God knew, but for her, perfect. “I wouldn’t want you to change anything.” She put her hands on his shoulders. “We’re okay.”
Later, after they’d shared dinner where they were both careful not to discuss his business or hers, Eve settled down in her home office and began to study the data on Taj and Patsy Kohli’s financials.
She came at them from several different angles, drank three cups of coffee, reached certain conclusions, then rose. She knocked briefly on the door that adjoined her work space to Roarke’s, then stepped inside.
He was at his console, and from what she could gather, he was talking to someone in Tokyo. He held up a hand, out of the range of his screen, in a signal for her to wait.
“I regret that projection will not meet my needs at this time, Fumi-san.”
“The projection is, of course, preliminary and negotiable.” The voice through his desk-link was precise and cool, but no cooler, Eve thought, than her husband’s mild and polite expression.
“Then perhaps we should discuss it further when the figures are no longer preliminary.”
“I would be honored to discuss the matter with you, Roarke-san, in person. It is the feeling of my associates that such a delicate negotiation would be better served in this way. Tokyo is lovely in the spring. Perhaps you will visit my city, at our expense, of course, some time in the near future.”
“I regret that such a trip, as appealing as it may be, is impossible, given my current schedule. However, I would be happy to meet with you, and any of your associates, in New York. If this is possible for you, you have only to contact my administrator. She will be delighted to assist you in any travel arrangements.”
There was a slight pause. “Thank you for your gracious invitation. I will consult with my associates and contact you through your administrator as soon as possible.”
“I look forward to it. Domo, Fumi-san.”
“What are you buying now?” Eve asked.
“That remains to be seen, but how do you feel about owning a Japanese baseball team?”
“I like baseball,” Eve said after a moment.
“Well then. What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”
“If you’re busy buying sports teams, it can wait.”
“I’m not buying anything, at least not until negotiations are completed.” The wolf came into his eyes. “And on my turf.”
“Okay, first a question. If I were to refuse to discuss any part of my work with you, or my professional business, what would you do?”
“Slap you around, of course.” He rose, amused, when she laughed. “But, I imagine we can both be spared that unhappy event as the question doesn’t apply. So, why do you ask it?”
“Let me put it another way, since I’m so terrified of being slapped around. Can two people be married, live in the same house, have a solid marriage, and one of them have no clue about the other’s outside business?”
When he merely lifted his eyebrows, she swore. “You don’t apply. Nobody could keep up with your outside business. Besides, I know stuff you do. You buy everything you can get your hands on and manufacture and sell almost every product known to humankind. And right now, you’re considering buying a Japanese ball team. See?”
“My God, my life’s an open book.” He came around the desk. “But to go back to your question, yes, I suppose it’s possible for people to live together and not know the thrust, or at least the intricacies of the other’s work or outside interests. What if I liked