Apparently he wasn’t the only one who had done some research.

“It’s impressive,” she said. “You’ve grown that company into quite the business.”

“I’m doing okay.” Five hundred million in billing in the past year. His accountants kept begging him to go public. They told him he could make a fortune. But he already had more than he needed, and going public meant giving up control.

“Are you married?” she asked.

He looked over at her. She’d shifted positions and was now doing bicep curls. Her honey-tanned skin was slick with sweat, her face flushed, her expression intense. She was totally focused on what she was doing.

Would she be like that in bed? Giving a hundred percent, really going for it?

The thought came from nowhere and he quickly pushed it away. Meri could never be more than Hunter’s baby sister. She could dance around naked and beg him to take her-they were never going there.

“Jack? You gonna answer the question?”

Which was? Oh, yeah. “No, I’m not married.”

“You’re not gay, are you? Hunter always wondered.”

He ignored her and the question. If he didn’t react, she would get tired of her game and move on to something else.

She sighed. “Okay, that was funny only to me. So there’s no wife, but is there someone significant?”

“No.”

“Ever been anyone?”

“There have been plenty.”

She looked at him. “You know what I mean. A relationship where you’re exchanging more than bodily fluids. Have you ever been in love?”

“No,” he said flatly. Women tried to get close and he didn’t let them.

“Me, either,” she said with a sigh. “Which is deeply tragic. I want to be in love. I’ve been close. I thought I was in love, but now I’m not so sure. I have trust and commitment issues. It’s from losing my mom when I was young and then losing Hunter. Isn’t it interesting that knowing what the problem is doesn’t mean I can fix it?”