Lance cleared his throat, obviously surprised by this odd turn of events. “Yes. Yes, I’ll be in contact. It’ll probably take about a week, though, because I have previous obligations to attend to first. I’d really prefer that we get something in writing from you today.”
Christa quickly picked up the pen, drew lines through the settlement portion of the legal papers, put a big, fat zero in its place, and scribbled her initials beside it.
“Will that be good enough for now?”
Lance simply nodded, stunned, and for once in his life, speechless.
“If you honestly believe he’s been drugged for the last three days, you should get him to the hospital to be tested. He may need medication to counteract any further effects.” Christa’s remarks were made to Lance, but she couldn’t keep the true concern for Aaron out of her voice. “If he was drugged, it wasn’t by my hand. I would never hurt him.”
Aaron couldn’t stop watching her every move. He was completely mesmerized by her, but he knew he had to break the spell. She had more natural beauty in one little pinky than all the professional models he’d “dated” combined. Her long, thick blond hair draped loosely over her shoulders—her shoulders that stood proud even when she wanted to break down.
Her petite frame and stature were dwarfed by his, but somehow, she had fit perfectly into his side. Her hand fit his like it was made for him and him alone. Her expressive brown eyes held nothing back, and she gave her love to him freely. Even at that moment, when she was hurt beyond measure, he had no doubt if he asked for forgiveness, she’d give it without question.
She was more honest, giving, and loving than anyone in his life, but he was pushing her away. She was the light in his dark, dreary world, and he was extinguishing her flame. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was the epitome of all that was good and pure, and he was the exact opposite. The sins of his past wouldn’t let him forget what he’d done. When it came to personal relationships, his judgment had been clouded, his heart jaded. He couldn’t trust his decisions or feelings, and he’d learned to bury them over the years. Regardless of the emotions she evoked, he couldn’t allow himself to give in.
Christa wiped her face again, reeled in her emotions, and stepped toward the door. She was only a few feet away from Aaron, but it may as well have been miles. Christa was simply trying to keep her composure until she could get back to her small apartment and have a total breakdown in private. She didn’t want the workers in the pretentious office to see the telltale signs of her ugly crying—red-rimmed, puffy, bloodshot eyes, red nose, and tear-streaked cheeks. Her sole focus now was to get to the elevators as quickly as possible, but Lance’s next comment stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Ms. Lanes, there’s one more delicate subject we need to discuss before you leave.” Lance was almost hesitant, and he nervously cleared his throat. Christa knew whatever was coming next couldn’t be good.
“And what’s that? What more could you possibly want from me?” she asked incredulously as she whirled around to fully face him.
Lance cleared his throat again, something she noticed he did when he wasn’t comfortable. “I need you to list anyone with whom you’ve ever had sexual relations. In the event you try to claim that you’re pregnant before this divorce is final, I assure you we will require a vast measure of tests to be performed to confirm paternity.”
Lance knew demanding that information was a far stretch if it came down to a fight in a court of law. She didn’t have legal representation present, and they didn’t have a prenuptial agreement. He knew he didn’t have a valid reason for requesting this information at this point, but he was banking on the fact that she had no legal knowledge or training.
She didn’t know the wicked ways in which he could use this information against her if she later changed her mind and pursued the path to gain a full half of Aaron’s considerable assets. But he needed to make sure his brother and their fortune were safe and secure from any gold-digging harlots.
Lance pushed a blank sheet of paper across the table in her direction. She looked from Lance to Aaron, clearly unsure of what she should do, and silently praying that Aaron would come to her rescue. But he sat stone silent, patiently waiting for her to complete the embarrassing and humiliating task Lance had asked of her.
Christa stepped to the table and scribbled a couple of words before shoving the paper back at Lance. He balked when he read the paper. “Ms. Lanes, I need you to list everyone.”
“I did,” she responded indignantly, then turned her head to look Aaron squarely in the eye.
Unable to contain his curiosity of what the paper held any longer, Aaron grabbed the paper from Lance’s grip. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked from the paper to Christa’s face, closely examining her while he tried to come to terms with what he saw.
“It only has my name on this paper,” Aaron stuttered disbelievingly.
“I know. I was waiting for the right man. I told you that on our wedding night,” she said as the blush crept up her face. If Aaron had to guess, he would say she was clearly remembering their first night together. The night he couldn’t remember at all. He suddenly wished he could remember that night more than any other night he’d ever spent in a woman’s arms.
Aaron stared back down at his name on the paper. The shame and guilt immediately started building
