Damn it, she should be mine.
Maybe she could be, if only I were a different man. A better man.
“Just kill the fucking project, Nate.”
“All right.” He gives me a tight nod. “Consider it done.”
“While you’re at it,” I add, when he turns to leave. “I need you to take care of something else for me, too.”
I have a business checkbook in the desk. I take it out and hastily scrawl out a payment. I hold it out to Nate, daring him to mention the subtle tremor that make the paper tremble in my fingers.
He frowns as he takes the check from me and glances at Melanie’s name and the figure representing the full amount of our agreement.
“You’re cutting her loose, too?”
I drop the checkbook back in the drawer without answering, then I get up from the chair behind the desk. “I need to get out of the city for a while. I’m thinking I’ll spend the rest of the summer in Sagaponack, come back here in a few months. Maybe later.”
A look of incredulity crosses Nate’s expression. “Holy shit. You really must be falling for her.”
Fuck, am I? It sounds ridiculous to hear him say it, yet the denial I want to lob back at him refuses to leave my mouth.
Am I attracted to her? No question. Do I want to be inside her so badly it makes me hard just thinking about it? Hell, yes.
Do I wish I had this whole fucked up situation to do all over again? Without a doubt.
But I haven’t survived almost thirty-eight years of living by looking out for myself, only to get tangled up in a relationship that can only end one way—in disaster.
I can’t let myself get any closer to Melanie so long as she’s playing a part in the payback I wanted to wreak on Daniel Hathaway, and once she learns the truth about that, she’ll never want anything to do with me again.
“Make sure that check reaches her ASAP,” I growl at Nate. “I plan to wrap up the business I have here in the city, then be gone by the end of the week.”
He gives me a grave nod. Before he can tell me what an asshole I am, or that I’m making a huge mistake letting Melanie go, a rap sounds on the doorjamb of my open study.
Gibson awkwardly clears his throat. “Excuse the interruption, gentlemen. Mr. Rush, you have an unannounced visitor waiting downstairs.”
Just what I don’t need right now.
“Not Alyssa Gallo, I hope.” I frown, wondering what kind of fire I’ll need to put out for her this time.
“Ah, no, sir.” Gibson looks even more uncomfortable, if that’s possible. “It’s Ms. Laurent. She’s insisting that she see you at once.”
Nate smirks at me, as if he doesn’t give a damn that I’m his employer in addition to being his closest friend. I should fire the son of a bitch on the spot.
“Guess you’ll be able to do your own dirty work on this one,” he says, placing the folded check on the edge of my desk. “Good luck, sport.”
As he strolls toward the door to make his escape, Melanie storms into the room without escort. She’s dressed in a pink-and-white gingham waitress uniform with white-cuffed short sleeves and a skirt that ends just above her knees. Her light auburn hair is gathered into a high ponytail and her long, lean legs are wrapped in white tights and crepe-soled shoes.
It’s not the sexiest outfit I’ve ever seen, yet my entire body ignites at the sight of her as though I’ve got gasoline in my bloodstream and Melanie Laurent is a lit match.
Desire surges through me, giving me an erection that strains the front of my dark jeans.
Just one more reason I need to cut her loose, and do it quick.
Her blue-gray eyes latch onto me the instant she steps inside. They’re as dark as thunderclouds now, and I have to wonder how pissed she was when she set out to find me if she’s still vibrating with fury now.
“Sorry, Gibson,” she says, flicking an apologetic glance at my dutiful house manager. “I know you said to wait, but what I have to say to the arrogant bastard you work for won’t take long.”
The old man inclines his head as if she just told him she’d arrived for tea. And I would swear I detect the trace of a smile playing at the edge of his mouth in the second before he bobs his head in my direction, then hastily shuffles for the exit where he joins Nate.
The two men leave, closing the tall doors behind them.
At the soft click in their wake, Melanie charges forward. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Until a few seconds ago, I thought I was having a private meeting with my attorney.” I lean back against the edge of the desk, my hands braced on either side of me, mainly to combat the urge to go to her.
She advances until she’s within arm’s length of me. “You know damn well what I’m talking about.”
Reaching into the small crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, she pulls out a folded paper and shoves it toward me. I catch the in-home nursing work order and calmly set it down on the desktop beside me.
My non-reaction only seems to anger her more. “You’re unbelievable, Jared. What part of ‘I don’t want your charity’ didn’t you understand the other day?”
“As I recall, you said that about indulging a child with some sugary drinks. I didn’t think the same rule would apply when it comes to providing your mother with a necessary service.”
“It’s not necessary,” she fires back. “It’s excessive. And you have no right.”
“Maybe not, but I have the means. I’m sure your mother could use the care, and you can’t do it all on your own.” My voice gentles in the face of her outrage. “The point is, I didn’t think you should have to do it all on your own, Melanie.”
Some of the
