She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, and he followed the movement, his cock rising as she licked.
“Then I’d tell you that you have to wait until our wedding night,” she said in a taunting voice.
“Tease.”
“Not usually. You seem to bring out the lighter, more fun side of me.”
He grinned. “Glad to hear it. Because you bring out the lighter side of me, too.”
“So we’re a good pair.” At the very least, his new life wouldn’t be boring, he thought as she called her sister down for dinner.
* * *
The next couple of days flew by, and soon Macy was walking into the lawyer’s office downtown. Jaxon had insisted on picking her up and accompanying her to hear what Jonathan Ridgeway had to say about the legal process and her chances for custody of her sister. He also explained that he’d possibly have to testify before the judge, and the more he knew, the better prepared he’d be. He wasn’t wrong.
Macy was nervous about what the lawyer might say. Despite Macy being a blood relative, Lilah was Hannah’s mother, and Macy knew how much weight that status carried. But she had every intention of fighting because she understood Hannah needed stability in her life, and Macy knew she could provide it for her. Much more so than Lilah.
As they followed a secretary to a conference room with a dark wood table and comfortable-looking chairs, Jaxon slipped his hand into hers, and she squeezed tight, needing the reassurance.
A good-looking man greeted them. With dark brown hair and green eyes, wearing a European-cut suit, he looked the epitome of a high-powered attorney.
“Ms. Walker?” he asked.
“Call me Macy, please.” She held out her hand and he shook it. “And this is–”
“Jaxon Prescott,” he said, obviously recognizing him, not to mention he’d been the main referral. “It’s a pleasure!” The men exchanged handshakes as well. “Alex and Madison are good friends. I already read the papers you forwarded to me, but I want to hear it from you. What can I do for you?” he asked.
Jaxon tipped his head, deferring to Macy. “She’ll explain.”
“Let’s sit.” Gesturing to the chairs, Jonathan pulled out one for Macy, and Jaxon made sure to settle in beside her.
When they were all seated, she began, explaining how her father had married Lilah and they’d had Hannah. How Lilah had found being a parent a nuisance and that she’d ultimately left with a wealthy single guy she’d been cheating on her father with, leaving her daughter behind.
“Five years passed with maybe one email and a birthday card, and then she shows up driving a sports car and taking Hannah shopping for all sorts of things she doesn’t need to buy her love and affection. And because I’m the person who gives her rules and guidance, she’s always mad at me.”
Jonathan remained silent for long enough to make Macy anxious. “It’s bad news, right?”
He rolled a pen between his palms. “Taking away parental rights is tough.”
“Even though she signed her rights away to my dad and he named me as Hannah’s guardian in his will?” She gripped the arms of the chair and nearly leapt out of her seat, but Jaxon grabbed her hand, and she knew he was trying to calm her down.
Pulling in a deep breath, she tried to relax in the seat. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“I think we can use all of your stepmother’s past actions as proof of her inability to give Hannah a stable home. That’s the premise of our argument. I understand you two are getting married?”
“In two days. And then they’re moving in with me,” Jaxon said. “We’ll be a family and give Hannah the stability she needs. We’re bonding,” he said proudly.
Actually they were. After Jaxon had left the other night, all Hannah could talk about was how cool Jaxon was and how she couldn’t wait to see his house and bring her friends over. Which bothered Macy on one level, because she didn’t want to buy her sister any more than she liked Lilah attempting to do it.
“We’re going to have to fight the perception of a quickie marriage after you were served custody papers.”
“It’s a real marriage,” Jaxon said. “If you ask Hannah after living with us, she’ll tell you the same thing. We’ll be sharing a room. We’re a couple.” He squeezed her hand tighter.
And though she didn’t want to lie to her lawyer, she realized everything Jaxon had told him was the truth.
Jonathan nodded. “Okay, look. I’d like to meet with Hannah, too, though it can wait until after the wedding. I’m sure the judge is going to want to ask her who she would prefer to live with, and at fifteen, that could hold sway.”
Macy hadn’t seen that coming. “Oh, my God. She’s going to say she wants to live with her mother. I’m going to lose my sister!” Jumping up, Macy began to pace in a full-blown panic, and Jaxon stood and wrapped an arm around her.
“You don’t know that. Give Hannah time to adjust to your new living arrangements, and she’s going to love it. She’ll want to stay with us.”
“He’s right,” the lawyer said. “We have plenty of time before the custody hearing in three weeks. Use it wisely. In the meantime, would you agree to hiring an investigator to look into Lilah and see if we can uncover more to back up our claim that she’s an unfit parent?”
God, Macy thought. Between the lawyer fees and private investigator cost, this could eat up everything she had. “Do it,” she said. Keeping Hannah was worth anything she had to spend.
Jonathan smiled. “Good. As for the prenup agreement you had sent over earlier in the week, you’re good to sign. I’m sure you’ve read it, too, and it’s more than fair to you.”
“Thank you.”
He rose to his feet and shook her hand. Beside her, she felt Jaxon’s steady presence and support. No matter what happened, she would be eternally grateful to him.
As they started for
