An awkward silence hangs for a moment before Jackson speaks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch on a sore spot.”

“Don’t worry,” Damien says. “My father is a lot of things, but not someone I spend any time worrying about.”

In what I assume is an attempt to change the subject, Jackson turns back to Nathan. “I’m guessing you work exclusively on residential projects?”

“Primarily, but not exclusively.” Nathan’s voice is a bit higher than usual, as if he too is trying to push away any bad vibes. “I’ve been doing a bit of networking, trying to expand my presence in the commercial market, but I certainly haven’t made the kind of inroads there that you have. You have quite a portfolio, Mr. Steele.”

“Call me Jackson, please. And while I understand the desire to branch out, I have to say that you excel in what you do. I meant what I said about this house. It’s a gem.”

“Coming from you, that’s high praise. Do you mind if I ask your opinion on a few things?”

“Not at all.”

“Looks like they’re going to talk shop,” Damien says to me. “Do you mind if I borrow you for the same purpose for a minute?”

“Of course not.”

As Jackson and Nathan head to the balcony to discuss foundations or arches or some other architectural details, I follow Damien into the kitchen where he gives me a quick update on his itinerary for the week. “There’s a play on Broadway that Nikki’s been wanting to see, and I need to meet with Isabel about next month’s product rollout. I thought I’d kill two birds and go to Manhattan Tuesday night.”

“Sounds like a plan. You’ll leave for Brussels from New York?” Nikki is attending some sort of digital conference, and Damien is going as well. They’d been planning to fly from Los Angeles on Friday. “Do you still want Grayson on the flight? Or do you want to go commercial?”

“Make sure the date change doesn’t screw up any plans Grayson might have. If he’s free, book a suite for him, too. He can have a few days of R&R in New York before we make the trip.”

I grin. “He’ll love it.”

“He’ll spend the entire time at the airport looking at other pilots’ birds,” Damien says.

“Like I said—he’ll love it.”

“Bring Rachel up to speed, and make sure she knows everything she needs to about arranging my travel. The more you move off my desk, the more on top of things she has to be.”

“Of course, Mr. Stark.”

“And, Sylvia?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re doing a great job off my desk, too.”

The praise makes me glow. “Thank you. Anything else?”

“Just have a good time today.”

“Already done.” I start to return to the party, then pause. “Actually, can I ask you something?”

“Certainly.”

I hesitate, not sure how to phrase it. Since there doesn’t seem to be any good way, I just dive in. “I was wondering what happened in Atlanta. With the Brighton Consortium.”

“Were you?”

He says nothing else, and I feel myself shrinking a little under his steady gaze.

“It’s just that you said something on Saturday. Before Jackson agreed to the project, I mean.”

“About a few of my successful land deals having the opposite impact on him.”

“Yes.”

“Did Jackson ask you about it?”

I think about our conversation in the car. We discussed it, true. But Jackson never asked. “No,” I say, secure in my literal honesty.

He leans against the island, his hands in his pockets. “It’s complicated,” he says, “but the bottom line is that the consortium was badly run—and that provided me the chance to step in and acquire some prime real estate. A business deal, plain and simple, at least where I was concerned.”

“Where you were concerned?”

“If the deal had gone through, you and a lot of other people would have been embroiled in a huge mess simply because you’d worked closely with one of the major players.”

“Reggie.”

Damien tilts his head in acknowledgment.

“Okay,” I say slowly, thinking it through. “How was it badly run? What kind of mess? Would Jackson have been caught up in it?”

“Yes to the latter. As for how and what kind, I think those are questions for Reggie. Do you still keep in touch?”