I can deal with this. I can handle it. Ashley will understand.
It’s just work. I don’t have to like the guy; I don’t have to speak to him. My sister will get it, she has to.
I try to look at my computer screen, but all the letters are blurring together. I drop my head in my hands and groan.
I jump when there’s a knock on the door. I sniffle, straightening myself up and taking a deep breath to compose myself.
I clear my throat. “Come in!”
Regret instantly floods through me. Adrian Maguire steps through the door, closing it behind him.
“Get out.”
“Hold on,” he says, lifting his hands up. “Just… give me a minute.”
“My billing rates are expensive.”
“I can afford it,” he grins. Stupid fucking dimples. I motion for him to continue. “Look,” he starts. “I think we can make this work. I don’t want to cause you grief. We’re both professionals. From the sounds of it, this is a good case for your firm.”
I arch an eyebrow. “What the fuck do you care about my firm? From what I know about you, you only care about yourself.” I shake my head, scoffing. “And you call yourself a professional? Remember when you got my sister fired from her job? Or how about when you got your brother to threaten her? Huh? Was that professional?”
He drops his hands and takes a deep breath.
“I deserve that.”
“Wow, how big of you to admit that.” I roll my eyes.
That smirk appears on his face again, and it enrages me that he’s enjoying this. He’s supposed to hate me as much as I hate him. He’s supposed to avoid me, and only speak to me when he absolutely has to. I’ll win his case for him, and then we can never see each other again.
It’s simple. Easy. Clean.
I shake my head, widening my eyes at him. “Look, I’ll work your case as best I can, because I actually am a professional. But I’m not going to be your fucking friend, okay? Now, it’s been about three minutes. I’ll invoice your office.”
He chuckles, and I hate that it reverberates in my chest. His voice is low and growly when he responds, and warmth spreads through the pit of my stomach. My cheeks burn.
“Come to dinner with me. We can clear the air.”
My jaw drops open as I consider his question. His piercing, icy-blue eyes drill into mine as he takes a step forward. He flexes his hands, arching his eyebrows and opening his palms out toward me.
“What do you say?” His dimples make an appearance as he tries his best smile on me.
I look him up and down, despising how attractive he is.
“Absolutely not.”
And then I turn to my computer and ignore him until he goes away. When the door finally closes after him, I let out a sigh and sink down in my chair. I groan, exhaling in frustration.
This is worse than I ever expected.
I pick up my phone and stare at it for a few minutes. I wonder how I could say this to Ashley. The longer I wait, the worse it gets. Maybe I could just dial her number and explain to her that my boss told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t work this case, I had to find myself a new job.
And in Denver, with my specialty, there aren’t many options. I’d probably have to move out of state, and that means transferring my credentials, probably taking the bar again—in short, a nightmare.
Ashley would understand… right?
My phone vibrates. Ash just sent me a picture of her pregnant belly, side-by-side with a picture of her before her pregnancy.
Ashley: I can’t wait to get this baby out of me. I just ugly-cried because Liam finished the Nutella.
Stella: Pregnancy hormones?
Ashley: That’s what I’m blaming. Just ten more weeks.
I sigh. I type out a quick answer and then toss my phone in a drawer. This is bad. If she’s biting her husband’s head off for finishing a jar of freaking hazelnut spread, how will she react when I tell her that I’m defending the man who tried to ruin her life?
I can’t do that to her right now. She has enough on her plate.
I get up off my chair and stretch my back, rolling my head from side to side. Then, I sigh. I’m just making excuses. This isn’t about Ashley and how overwhelmed she is. This is about me not wanting to face the reality of my situation.
I sit back down and stare at my computer, and then I finally open Adrian’s file and start working. I may hate the man, but I don’t want to lose my job. I’ll figure out how to talk to Ashley later.
4
Adrian
After the meeting at the lawyers’ office, I give the statement that my staffers write and dodge the multitude of questions that come flying from the reporters. Then, I duck into a car and drive back to the Denver Mayor’s Residence. My 19,500 square foot home already has a dozen reporters outside the gates.
I sigh. I’m sick of this already. This whole thing was more fun when they adored me. My driver opens the gates and honks until the reporters part. They stick their cameras against my tinted windows and I keep staring straight ahead. The gates close behind us and I glance back, making sure no overzealous reporter has followed me inside.
I nod to my driver. “Take the night off. I’m not leaving here tonight.”
He grunts.
Once I’m safely inside the door, I lock myself in the mansion and look around.
I could lose all this. I’ve only been in this house for just over a year, but it could be all gone once this case goes to court. All the work I did to get here, all the good, honest work I’ve done since I’ve been mayor—it’ll all be gone.
I sit down on an expensive couch and look around at the glass, the marble, the expensive furnishings… it could all be taken away from me in exchange for a tiny jail cell.
The lawyers don’t think it’ll come to that, but it’s still at the back of my mind.
I did it. I took the money; I awarded the contract. It’s hard not to imagine being punished for it. A part of me doesn’t want to fight it. I did it, I should be punished.
Simple.
Sighing, I let my thoughts drift back to Stella. She sat behind her desk like a queen on a throne, and all I could think about was sinking my cock so deep inside her she forgot how much she hated me.
It’s wrong to be this attracted to someone. I don’t know if I’m attracted to her, or to how much she dislikes me. It’s written all over her features, in every movement she makes when I’m around, in every sound that comes out of her pretty little mouth.
And I love it.
My entire life, I’ve been surrounded by people who are just trying to crawl up my ass. My family is rich, and my parents like to flaunt it. So, when I was a kid, that changed the way people treated me.
When I went into politics, it got even worse. Cheryl is the only one who has the guts to say no to me, and even she ends up being full of flattery.
But not Stella King. She doesn’t care about flattery. She wears her emotions on her face, loud and clear. There’s no hiding behind fake smiles and micro expressions. There’s no doubting what she thinks.
She wears her hatred for me like a badge of honor, and I have to respect that.
My doorbell chimes, and I glance toward it. I’m not expecting anyone, and most people close to me would have called. It could be a brave reporter that made his way past my security team, and I have no interest in opening that door.
The doorbell rings again and I sigh, pushing myself up off the couch and trudging toward the front door. I open it up, bracing myself for a deluge of questions.
My eyebrows jump up. “Liam!”
“Hey.”
My little brother stares at me, his face unreadable. Well, ‘little’ probably isn’t the right descriptor. He’s an ex-Olympian who’s taken up weightlifting since he retired. He’s as tall as me, and a bit wider. Right now, his green eyes are dark and stormy.
I step aside to let him in, and then glance behind him. Cameras flash as reporters try their best to get a shot of me
. I groan, closing the door and locking it firmly. I motion toward the living room, and my brother nods.
He looks around the Mayor’s Residence and whistles. “Glad to see you’ve landed on your feet.”
“Might not be in here much longer. Drink?” I start walking toward the bar in the corner of the room. I uncork a crystal decanter of cognac and glances at my brother.
He shakes his head. “I’m good.”
“You sure?” I pour a bit of cognac into my glass and look at him again.
“Haven’t touched the stuff in over a year, and I’m not going to start now.”
“Really?” I spin around to look at him, eyes wide. My brother, certified party animal, is completely sober now? “Things have changed,” I say.
He grunts. “I’ve changed. Things have mostly stayed the same.”
We sit down across from each other. He looks around the room and I look at him. His dark auburn hair is shorter than I remember, neatly cut and styled. He looks tired, but otherwise healthier than when I last saw him.
“So, to what do I owe this honor?”
Liam finally swings his eyes back toward me. He interlaces his fingers and watches as I take a sip of my drink.
“I’m here about the case. It’s all over the news.”
“I’m aware.”
“I’d like you to keep Ashley out of it.”
“It’s not really up to me.”
Tension ripples in his shoulders and he keeps his green eyes trained on me. “Adrian, she’s very pregnant. We’re about to have a baby, I’m about to graduate, and this whole mess would just put too much strain on everything. I’m asking you, please, to do what you can to keep us out of the case.”
I sit back and exhale. “I knew you’d gotten married, but I had no idea she was pregnant.”
“Six months,” he nods. His face softens and he glances out the window. A smile twitches at his lips and he sighs again. “Going to be a little boy.”
“Congratulations, little brother. I would have sent a present, I had no idea.”
“I don’t want your presents. I just want you to stay out of our lives.”
He doesn’t say it with venom. He doesn’t say it angrily. He just says it matter-of-factly, and that stings more than I expected.
Until now, I hadn’t really considered how Liam was doing. I knew he’d cut my parents off and stopped talking to me, but I guess I hadn’t thought that he might actually be happy in his new life. Seeing him now makes me reconsider. Maybe he’s the one who made the right choice. Maybe I’m the fool, and not the other way around.
He sighs, running his fingers through his hair and finally nodding to me.
“I’d better go. Ash is at her sister’s and I need to go pick her up.”
“Stella?”
He frowns. “Yeah, why?”
I sit back and shake my head. “No reason.” I stare at him curiously, but I see no hint of recognition on his face. He says nothing more about the case, and my eyebrows arch in understanding. She hasn’t told them yet.
She hasn’t told her sister that she’s defending the Big Bad Wolf—the evil man that they all think I am.
Looks like Stella isn’t as fearless as I thought she was. I stand up and walk Liam over to the front door. I extend my hand toward him. He hesitates, but finally shakes it.
“Look, Liam. I… I’m sorry. I’m happy for you, it sounds like you’re doing really well. I’ll do what I can to keep you guys out of this. I promise.”
Liam nods. “I appreciate that.”
I take a deep breath, chewing my lip. “I’m sorry for how it all went down last year.” I shake my head and open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I want to tell him that I miss him, that I’m glad to see him, that I don’t like being cut off from his life. I want to tell him that I want to meet the baby and that I regret being such a fucking dick to him for the sake of a doomed political career.
But how can I say that? How can I say anything in the foyer of the Mayor’s Residence? The house looms over us like a massive reminder of what I chose over him.
Liam nods at me, and then opens the door and walks out. I watch him for a few seconds as he stalks down the pathway, unfazed by the reporters outside the gate. They part around him silently, as if they can sense that he shouldn’t be bothered. My little brother is more self-assured and more confident than I’ve ever seen him.
I close the door and sigh.
His visit rattled me. I don’t want to admit it to myself, but I have to. Seeing him reminded me of what I did on my path to this mansion.
And for what?
The journey from councilor to mayor was made step by step, and I didn’t realize who I was hurting along the way until now.
I was only thinking of becoming mayor, and then becoming governor, and then…
Sighing, I sit down and pick up my glass of liquor again. Those dreams all seem very far-fetched now. From where I’m sitting, they seem almost laughable. I really thought I had a chance at being the President of the United States?
Ridiculous.
I’m one scandal away from losing everything… and then what do I have left?
I have no wife, no children, my brother won’t speak to me except to tell me to keep him out of my mess. I still speak to my parents, but how many friends do I actually have?
How many people have called me to lend me their support once this story broke?
I laugh bitterly. Not many.
Cheryl—but I’m the one who signs her paychecks. There’s Barry, my private investigator, but again—I’m Mr. Moneybags to him.
How many people are around me because they choose to be, for no other reason than they actually like me?
None.
5
Stella
When Adrian Maguire knocks on my office door frame, I think I’m seeing things. I frown at him.
“Did we have a meeting scheduled today?” I look behind him at my assistant, who apologizes with a look. “What are you doing here?”
“Ms. King, so nice to see you,” he smiles. He steps through and closes the door. The room suddenly feels stuffy. I don’t move from behind my desk, and I watch his movements carefully.
He’s like a panther. Sleek and quiet as he pads over toward the chairs. He sits down across from me and tents his fingers in front of his chest. He smiles at me, with his perfect teeth and his dimples on full display. Stupid, sexy Adrian.
“Can I help you? You really should make an appointment. I have a meeting in five—”
“I won’t be long.”
I stare at him. He’s actually enjoying this. It’s like he wants to mess with me, to make me as angry as possible. I arch my eyebrows, refusing to speak.
He opens his arms and smiles wider. “I had a visit from my brother yesterday.”
My heart thumps. If he told Liam that I’m defending him, then Ashley will know. She’ll be very, very angry if she finds out from someone else.
I clear my throat and shift in my seat. My mouth feels dry.
Adrian starts laughing. “Relax, Stella—may I call you Stella? —my brother doesn’t know we’re working together.”
I exhale despite myself. Adrian is still smiling. He arches an eyebrow. “Better? You were looking a little tense.”
“Why are you here?”
“Well, I thought you might reconsider my offer. When my brother visited last night and I realized he didn’t know about you and me—”
“There is no ‘you and me’, Mr. Maguire,” I interrupt. “You are my client, and I am working on your case. There’s nothing between us, nothing beyond the strict confines of this particular professional relationship.”
“Of course.”
“But?”
“But when I realized that you hadn’t told your sister about… my case… I thought it would be an opportunity to clear the air.”
I take a deep breath. I’m sick of these games. “What are you saying, Mr. Maguire? Just say what you mean.”
&
nbsp; “Come to dinner with me. I won’t tell my brother about this until you’re ready to tell your sister. I just want to show you that I’m not the monster you think I am.”
I look at him with an arched eyebrow. His chiseled jaw and piercing blue eyes are what won him the election, I’m sure of it. He has a gift for looking sincere all the time, and he’s mastered the easy smile.
Well, he doesn’t fool me. I know what a snake he is, and he can turn his charm on full-blast, and it still won’t faze me.
Taking a deep breath, I consider his proposal. “So, let me get this straight. You won’t tell my sister that you’ve hired my firm for your case if I go out to dinner with you.”
“Exactly. Simple.”
“That sounds a lot like extortion.”
“It’s dinner, Stella. I think it’ll help you to work on my case effectively.”
“I’m perfectly capable of working on your case effectively without spending any unnecessary time with you.”
His tongue slides out to lick his lips and a current of warmth snakes down my spine. It settles in the pit of my stomach, and I can’t help but watch the way he moves. He flexes his hands, and I notice how broad they are. His eyes flash. He swallows, and I notice his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
Every second that I spend with him heightens my confusion. I despise him with every fiber of my being, but my body is reacting to his in an entirely… friendlier way.
“Stella,” he says, and I hate how good my name sounds on his tongue. “I’m just asking you to get to know me. I’m not a monster.”
“Do you realize that this sort of extortion is exactly what got you into this mess in the first place?”
“I never extorted anyone. I had a business deal with a partner.”
“Right, well, it wasn’t legal. And this right here?” I point my fingers between him and me. “This is telling me a lot more about you than a dinner at some swanky restaurant will.”
His eyes sweep from my face down my body and that fire burns in my stomach again.
“Give me a chance. I’m not the devil.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Love/Hate: The Complete Enemies to Lovers Series Page 37