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Easy. Done.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t need an Edward Lewis.”
Jacob was on his feet, still figuring that out—Edward who?—when she returned to the room. She was wearing the T-shirt he’d peeled off before they’d flipped on the shower faucets. It almost came down to her knees.
Striking a hands on hips model pose, she asked, “How do I look?”
“Like a goddess.”
She blinked and then laughed, but he’d never been more serious in his life. Which made this even harder...what had to be done. They needed to have one more conversation. Better that she found out now, and from him.
While Teagan searched for her shoes, he pulled on his drawstring pants and then rummaged around in his bag for a shirt, which turned out to be a starched business number. Even when he headed off to chill with the Rawsons for a couple of days, he packed one—along with a dark blue jacket and dress pants. That’s what lawyers did. Those who ran a firm on Lexington Avenue, at least.
Teagan had slung her heels over her shoulder. She was ready to go. But before she could say another word—It’s been nice...see you next wedding—Jacob spoke up.
“I’ll walk you to your hotel room.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.” He looked down at himself, his mismatched clothes, his bare feet. “We can do the walk of shame together.”
“I’m a big girl. I don’t need anyone to hold my hand.”
“Then hold mine.” When she gave a maybe not look, he added, “I won’t beg. Unless I have to.”
She surrendered a smile. “Okay. But remember, we have flights to catch.”
He held up one hand and put the other out, horizontal and palm down. “I swear on the Bible. Best behavior.”
Her brows pinched and for a moment he thought she was going to say he was trying too hard. Maybe, but not to make an impression or to cling. He liked Teagan, more than any woman he’d known, but he didn’t have a stalkerish bone in his body. When he finally said what needed to be said, he wanted Teagan to be in the position of power. In her own space. Closing the door in his face if need be.
Moving out of the bedroom, she collected her gown and evening bag while he found the key card. They took the elevator to her floor and made their way down the hall. After she’d swiped and stepped inside, he did it.
He came clean.
“I need to ask you something,” he said. “Confirm...something. Your surname. It’s Hunter, isn’t it?”
Her smile was tight. “Jacob, I told you that last night when we met.”
“I, uh, didn’t catch it.”
“It’s okay. All’s forgiven.”
Rubbing his temple, he muttered, “I wish.”
“What was that?”
“I didn’t realize it until we spoke over breakfast. About your family. About your brother. Wynn Hunter.” All your cards on the table now, bro. “He’s the Wynn I’m looking to sue.”
Teagan’s shoulders slumped. Finally, she exhaled. “What a crap note to finish on.”
Crap was right. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry that you want to take down my brother? Or sorry that you didn’t share this with me before the shower?”
“The last one.”
“That’s what I figured.”
But she appeared calm, as though he’d admitted to liking baseball more than hockey. Where was the name calling? The face slapping? He wanted to sue the pants off her brother, for Pete’s sake.
“I thought you’d be more cut up about it,” he said.
“Oh?”
Maybe he hadn’t been clear. “I intend to decimate Wynn when I get him on the stand.”
“I assume that’s what clients pay you for.”
He dragged a hand down his face, shifted his weight. “You told me how close your family is. When news of this hits, when your brother receives the verdict...it will affect the entire Hunter conglomerate.”
Again. Totally unruffled.
He lowered his voice. “I don’t play around in a courtroom, Teagan.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Got it.”
Then it hit. Her reaction.
Well, of course.
“You’d already worked it out,” he said.
“When you said the case hadn’t been filed yet. Before we shared that shower.” Her mouth hitched to one side. “I didn’t want to spoil things, either.”
“So you’re not mad?”
“I told you. I grew up with the constant drama of big business. Everything’s about control and making sure you’re top dog. Kill or be killed.” Leaning against the doorjamb, she sighed. “No, I’m not mad. I’m just over it.”
So... Okay, then.
This didn’t have to be goodbye. Of course, they would want to be completely transparent from now on. No more misunderstandings. No holding things back.
He told her, “We won’t be able to see each other while I’m working on that case.”
“Conflict of interest.”
And then some. “But sometime in the future...” Finally giving in to a smile, he edged forward. “We really need to see each other again.”
When he moved in to seal it with a kiss, she stepped back.
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” she told him, “and I think you know why.”
Jacob looked like he wanted to laugh, but Teagan wasn’t joking. Now that they had reached the crossroads, this was as serious as it got.
“You said you weren’t angry,” he said. “You said you understood how things work in the corporate world.”
“Right. You’re trying to bring down my brother. His company. My family’s name. I understand perfectly.”
“So you are mad.”
“You have principles. So do I.”
Standing in the hall in those smoking sweatpants and an overly starched business shirt, he looked so blindsided—for once, so not in control. The moment he’d realized that the man he wanted to sue was her brother, he should have spoken up. But, to be fair, that wouldn’t have changed her decision now. She couldn’t continue to see someone who was determined to use a courtroom to destroy a member of her family.
However, given the circumstances, she obviously didn’t hate the guy. She wanted to show some understanding. Soften the blow.
“I really enjoyed our time together. It was exactly what I needed.” More than Jacob, or anyone else, could ever know. “But this is where it ends.”
He cocked a brow. “In a hotel hallway?”
“That was your choice.” She would have much preferred to have this conversation in private.
“Would you ever have said anything? That you knew?”
“I thought I would if you asked for my number and called.”
He ran a hand through his drying hair and scrunched his toes in the carpet. “There’s no way around this?”
“Not unless you drop your client. Drop the case.”
His jaw tightened. “You know I can’t do that.”
Sure. “I understand.”
Jacob studied her like he was sizing up an opponent. Then he squared his shoulders and summoned a nondescript smile. “I’m glad we did this face-to-face.”
“Me, too.”
He nodded and then nodded again. “This isn’t going to end with a kiss.”
“Afraid not.” When he nodded a third time, her chest squeezed and she added, “Put yourself in my place. You’d do the exact same thing. Family is family, Jacob. Blood is blood. You can’t turn your back on that.”
His eyebrows hitched and his gaze dropped to the floor.
“You can if your family sucks.”
Teagan blinked. She must have heard wrong.
“Can you say that again?”
“Nothing,” he muttered. “Forget it.”
“Jacob, did you actually say what I think you said?” That my family sucks? The idea was too juvenile, too spiteful, to comprehend.
He only exhaled and wrapped it up. “I should go.”
Before she could think to pull back, he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and left, striding back down the hall, disappearing into the elevator. It was all she could do to stop from calling him back to bawl him out.
What a jerk. And to think she’d practically fallen for that guy. Who was one hundred percent definitely not her type.
A week later, when Jacob Stone tracked down her business number, Teagan was still fuming. But she’d gotten over her urge to let him know how childish his parting jab at her family had been. She preferred to simply never hear from him again. So she told her receptionist to let Mr. Stone know that she was preparing for an overseas vacation. And a trip was indeed penciled in. So she wasn’t lying.
And dealing with the likes of him, so what if she was?
Five (#ucfb3a503-4c39-598c-bbb8-a3aaa488dfdd)
Jacob slammed the phone down, which wasn’t like him, or hadn’t been in a long while. He’d learned to control his temper, roll with the punches, get his frustrations out in other ways. And, hey, what he’d heard just now wasn’t exactly a surprise.
The receptionist at High Tea Gym in Seattle had politely but firmly stated that Teagan was unable to take his call. Ms. Hunter was about to head out of the country and hadn’t scheduled a date for her return. She’d be sure to pass any message along.
Translation: Move on, pal.
The night he and Teagan had spent together in LA had ended with a massive twist. She was related to the defendant in an upcoming defamation suit. The bigger reveal? They had both been aware of the fact before diving in for an even steamier shower/bedroom finale the next morning.
Jacob swung his high-backed chair toward the window, set his elbows on the armrests and steepled his fingers under his chin as he took in the incredible view of the Chrysler Building. When they’d met, Teagan couldn’t have known that a Hunter lawsuit was in his pipeline. She would never have feigned interest purely to gain an advantage...to glean some inside information on her brother’s pending case, perhaps. She definitely wouldn’t have sex to hold the incident over his head. Nevertheless, a headline had built up in his mind’s eye: Sleazy New York Lawyer Sleeps with Defendant’s Sister.
But, conspiracy theories aside, Teagan refusing to speak with him now was more about how they had parted than why. She had said no one should turn her back on family. He’d responded with a dig about doing just that if the family concerned didn’t deserve loyalty. He might have used the word “sucked.” But he hadn’t meant her family. He’d been talking about his. He was a master at keeping any residual feelings about his background and not being good enough at bay, but at the worst possible moment that old serpent had reared up to bite him in the balls.
The office intercom buzzed. Jacob ignored it. He needed time to cool down, get a grip.
He’d had relationships with women before and, other than one he refused to think about ever again, he’d always been the party to walk away. Everyone got dumped sometime.
Grow up, Stone. It’s water under the bridge.
He heard a tap on the door, then his secretary’s voice.
“Mr. Howcroft is here,” Waverley McCune said in a subdued tone. “He knows he doesn’t have an appointment.” Her voice lowered to almost a whisper. “He says he’s tired of ‘all mouth and no trousers,’ whatever that means.”
Jacob continued to glare at the view, biting his thumbnail now, which he hadn’t done since ninth grade, but whatever.
“Jay? What would you like me to tell him?”
Jacob swung his chair around at the same moment Grant Howcroft strode into the room, hands fisted at his sides.
“This bloody well has to stop! I’ll see that bastard on his knees before this is through.”
Tamping down the air with his hands, Jacob pushed to his feet. “Take a seat, Grant.”
