* * *
“You’ve barely touched your breakfast,” Liza said, as I pushed the remainder of my egg white omelet to one corner of the plate with my fork.
Worry etched her face and I wanted to kiss it away to let her know that everything would be all right. But Liza wasn’t an idiot and she could tell I was anxious about something. I didn’t tell her about our afternoon meeting with Natalie and her lawyer, but in order for this to work, Liza had to be there, and she would find out when we were on our way.
“I’m not that hungry this morning.” I pushed the plate away and stood up, adjusting my tie for the fiftieth time and smoothing my suit jacket before buttoning it.
With a nod, Liza stood too, smoothing the jade green wrap dress she wore that matched her eyes. It was hard to look away from her but also hard to look at her. She was like the sun and I wanted to risk my sight to get one more glimpse of her beauty all to myself before we ventured out to deal with my past mistakes.
“Where are we going this afternoon?” she asked, breaking into my reverie.
“We have to meet with the attorneys,” I said as she walked around her stool and stood next to me.
Liza placed a hand on my chest, smoothing my shirt under her fingers, gently sending a chill straight to my crotch. The touch was so innocent and yet any touch from her set me alight with need. I grabbed her hand, bringing the palm to my lips, and pressed a kiss to it. Not dropping her hand, I pulled her towards the door. We shrugged into our coats and she snatched her purse from the hook by the door just as I took her hand again and pulled her into the hall. Our steps matched, we walked down the hall to the elevators in silence. I could tell she was lost in thought the same way I was, but there was no need to force conversation.
Once we were in the car, Liza scooted close to me, resting her hand atop my thigh, and I leaned into her. She was offering me her support without words and I took every ounce I could get. I didn’t know what would happen once we got into that conference room, but I knew Liza was here and that was all that mattered.
Twenty minutes later, we got out of the car and, still gripping her hand, we walked into the lawyer’s office. We were led to a small conference room, where we sat alone for fifteen minutes until everyone else came in. My lawyer was first, looking flustered but toting a large briefcase of files he pulled out and slapped onto the table. When Natalie and her lawyer entered the room, a smirk of derision on her face, I knew this wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.
“Shall we get started?” Frank cleared his throat and pulled the papers out for Natalie to sign as he spoke.
“Before we sign anything, my client has something she needs to say that may change the way we proceed today.” Natalie’s lawyer stood up as he spoke, directing a hand towards her.
Still smiling, as if she were about to drop an atomic bomb on us, Natalie stood as well.
“As you know, Jackson and I have been married for five years, four of them separated. But a few months ago, almost five, to be exact, we had another encounter,” she paused for effect, and I watched as she dropped her hand to her stomach.
Until the words were out of her mouth, I hadn’t noticed the slight protrusion of her abdomen under her dress. I looked at Frank, who had a look of horror on his face—the same look of horror that must have been on mine. I didn’t want to look at Liza, but I knew I had to reassure her I was just as surprised as she was, and that I didn’t believe for a minute Natalie was having my baby. Liza looked shocked and hurt, and she blinked her eyes rapidly to dispel the tears I could see starting to gather. She wanted to bolt, tapping her leg under the table with nervous energy. I had to prevent it; I had to diffuse the situation before it escalated, before Natalie refused to give me a divorce.
“You’re lying,” I spat at her, without looking at her lawyer.
Natalie smiled, the same evil smile she had on her lips that day she accosted us at my apartment. “As you can see, I’m not lying. I am pregnant. And it’s yours.” She rubbed her belly again for effect, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
“What do you want, Natalie?” I barked at her, pushing the chair back and standing so quickly, it fell back with a crash.
Liza jumped and both lawyers looked at me anxiously.
“Mr. Radcliffe, if you can hear us out before you lose your cool, we will get right to the point. Otherwise, I will call the police.” Natalie’s lawyer gave me a pointed look as he spoke, and I knew he meant what he said. She would love nothing more than for me to be arrested to add to her little drama.
I picked up the chair, sitting down on the edge, anything but relaxed. Liza placed a hand on my arm, though she wouldn’t look at me. My insides were roiling because, though I thought Natalie was lying, I wasn’t entirely certain.
“I think I need a minute to speak privately with my client before we proceed,” Frank said, and I could tell he was not only angry with the other party, but also with me for withholding information.
The other lawyer nodded. “We’ll give you five minutes, but would like to wrap this up quickly because Ms. Livingston has a plane to catch.”
They both stood—Natalie with a smug look on her face and her lawyer looking like a jackal out for blood—and exited the room, closing the door behind them. I released a breath and put my face in my hands before looking up at Frank and Liza.
“Did you know about this?” Frank asked me, with more fire in his eyes than I was used to seeing.
“Not at all.” I directed my answer to Liza because she needed to hear it.
“Is there a possibility that it’s true?” Frank got straight to the point.
I sighed, because there was, but I didn’t want to reveal it to Liza. It was too late for that though, because Natalie wasn’t going to let this go. I should have known that with Natalie, nothing was easy, and despite her desire to be rich, she also wanted to hurt me.
“Yes.” I didn’t offer an explanation.
Liza took a sharp breath in, covering her face with her hands. I could tell she was trying not to cry. This whole situation was so fucked up, I couldn’t even think of a way out of it.
“I need the whole story, Jackson, if I’m going to get you out of this mess,” Frank said pointedly. He didn’t usually call me by my first name.
I nodded. “Several months ago, I was in a really bad place. It was the anniversary of my mother’s death, the opening of my hotel was being pushed back again, and the clothing line was struggling with the spring line. I went out for some drinks with Harry, and Natalie was there. I don’t usually drink enough to forget myself, but that night, I had one too many and took her back to my place.” I turned to Liza, taking both of her hands in mine as I finished. “It was the first time I had seen Natalie in years, and maybe I hoped that something I did wasn’t going to be a complete shitshow. Or maybe I was too drunk to care and was in self-destruct mode.”
I shrugged, the weight of the whole thing pressing down on my shoulders. Liza waited for the finale of my story and my chest ached with the need to reassure her it wasn’t true, but I couldn’t.
Liza bowed her head and Frank cursed softly under his breath.
“We’ll ask for a DNA test, first thing. I don’t know what she wants, probably more money, but we have the right to refuse until there is proof that the child is yours.”
I nodded, the ache in my chest deepening as Liza pulled her hands away from mine. The door swung open then as Natalie and her lawyer made their way back into the room. Liza sat back, clasping her hands in her lap, and I looked away from her, though I wanted to beg her to believe I wasn’t this baby’s father.
“Are we ready to discuss terms?” Natalie’s lawyer said as he sat back down.
“How am I supposed to move forward when I’m not even sure if the baby is actually mine?” I looked right at Natalie as I asked the question.
She glared at me and started to rise from her seat. Her lawyer put his hand on top of hers to stop her.
“We were pr
epared for you to ask that question. Natalie will submit to a DNA test, once the baby is born, and—”
“Once the baby is born!” I roared, jumping from my seat again.
“Ms. Livingston doesn’t want to subject the pregnancy to any undue stress, so we will operate under the assumption that the baby is yours, as she has assured me, until we can determine further.”
I shook my head, rage bubbling in my chest. “Frank, isn’t there a way we can make them do the test?”
Frank looked at me, but I could tell by the look in his eye, I wasn’t going to like his answer. “I don’t think there is. I’m going to have to do some research.”
I ran a hand through my hair, through with sitting, and turned to pace around the back of the room.
“What do you want, Natalie?” I finally spoke directly to her because I was tired of the whole charade.
Natalie sighed dramatically. There was something behind her eyes I didn’t recognize. She was manipulative, cunning, but underneath everything, I could have sworn I saw fear. “I think we should seriously consider not getting this divorce. I know what the prenup says, but it also states that if we are to have a child, there is a one year waiting period before I have to legally sign the divorce documents. I want my year to see if we can reconcile.”
“Reconcile?” My head was spinning. This was not happening. Liza and I were to be married in three days, pending the signing of these papers. “Why would I want to reconcile with you? We’ve been separated, legally, for five years. Five years!”
Natalie shook her head and I heard Liza make a small noise next to me. “But that was before our encounter four months ago. Something is still there.”
For the first time, I realized Natalie looked desperate and not vindictive, and I wondered what was really behind her push for us to maintain our marriage based on a lie.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked again.
This time, she didn’t smile or smirk as she glanced at Liza, then back at me. “We owe it to each other, and this child…” she began.
“No, you know this isn’t my child, Natalie. Admit it now and save us months of legal battles.” I wanted this done before I walked out of this room today.
She shook her head, a resolute look crossing her face. I knew that look—she wasn’t going to back down.
“I think we’re done here.” Natalie stood up and her lawyer followed.
I wanted to scream at her to stop this sham, but I knew it wouldn’t help. Instead, I sat there, helpless, avoiding looking at Liza while Frank shook his head at me. I finally managed to get Liza to trust me, just for everything to suddenly fall apart again.
He’s having a baby.
First, a wife, and now there was a baby. Every one step forward with Jackson was another five steps backward. I wanted to trust him, to believe he knew nothing about this. But even if he didn’t know and the baby wasn’t his, what basis did I have to believe him? Mired in thought, I didn’t even hear Jackson and his lawyer stand up to leave until he placed his hand on my shoulder to get my attention.
“You ready?” Jackson asked, and he reached for my hand to help me up.
I wanted to take it, I almost did, but at the last second, I balled my fist instead and stood up on my own. The gesture wasn’t lost on Jackson and a pained look crossed his face before he locked his emotions down again. We walked out in silence, Frank in the lead, talking a mile a minute about court orders and other legal terms I didn’t understand. Jackson grunted an agreement now and then, but didn’t answer him. When we reached the car, Frank stopped and looked at the both of us, his expression grave.
“I’m not going to lie to placate you, Jackson. This doesn’t look good. I don’t think I will be able to compel a judge to order a woman to put her fetus in danger to determine paternity.”
“But you’ll try, or I’ll hire someone else who will,” Jackson barked at him and Frank winced.
“I’ll try.”
Jackson didn’t say anything else, simply turned and slid into the waiting car, with Monroe behind the wheel. I gave Frank a lame wave before sliding in after him. The urge to ask him about everything was bubbling in my chest, but I bit my lip and held it in, for now.
“Monroe, take us back to the hotel. We aren’t going to the airport.” Jackson’s voice gave away his mood, though his expression was even.
He leaned down and pulled a decanter of amber-colored alcohol from a shelf to his left, filling a short glass and tossed it back before refilling it again.
“Can you pour me a glass?” I asked him, and he looked at me with his eyebrow cocked in surprise. “Please.”
Nodding, he poured a second glass and we gulped our drinks in silence, having a second and third refill before the car came to a stop at the curb in front of the hotel.
“Where were we going?” I asked him as we waited for Monroe to open the door.
“What?” Jackson didn’t appear to hear anything I asked.
“Before the meeting, we had plans to return to the airport and go somewhere else besides Paris. Where was it that we were heading?”
“It doesn’t matter now.” He shook his head and stepped from the car once Monroe yanked the door open.
“Jackson,” I called after him but he didn’t slow down or acknowledge me in any way.
He was walking fast, with a purpose, into the lobby, and I trailed behind him, cursing that I wore heels today because I couldn’t keep up. Why I was even trying to keep up, though? If I had any sense, I would get back into the car and ask Monroe to bring me straight to the airport. I stopped, standing just inside the hotel, and looked back out to where Monroe stood next to the car at the curb. He was watching me with disapproval, almost as if he could tell what I was thinking. I sighed and looked at my feet for a minute, confusion and frustration engulfing me like a tidal wave. My life was perfectly normal and boring until the night I met Jackson Radcliffe, and I almost wished I never set foot into that club. Almost.
A large hand encircled my bicep, pulling me further into the hotel. I didn’t have to look to know it was Jackson, because the moment he touched me, I knew. When he was near me, even a few feet away, the room was electric, and when he touched me, I saw the clichéd fireworks. In such a short period of time, he had become a part of me, as if he were inside of my DNA, and when I wasn’t near him, I felt like a part of me was missing. My chest clenched as we walked to the elevator, his hand still on my arm, because I knew all of those reasons were why I would stay, even if my heart was shattering into a million pieces.
* * *
“Dammit, Frank, there has to be another way.” Jackson had been on the phone off and on for the last two hours with Frank and his associates.
They couldn’t compel Natalie to take the test, which meant he would have to wait another four months to figure out if the baby was his. I ignored the tightness in my throat at the thought of Jackson having a baby with someone else. We weren’t together when he slept with her, and who knew if we would be together when the baby was born. I was trying to live firmly in the moment, which was difficult for me, but I was trying.
Jackson had been grouchy and standoffish since we returned to the hotel, and I sat in the bedroom, my knees pulled to my chest and my back against the headboard as I pretended to watch TV. But I could hear everything he was saying from the other room and I knew what was going on. Natalie wasn’t going to let him away from this easily. She saw Jackson as not only her meal ticket but also one for her unborn child, regardless if that child was his or not. I could understand being desperate, but Natalie was taking it too far.
“Don’t call me again until you have some real answers!” I heard him scream before a loud bang followed.
I jumped despite being in the other room. His footsteps grew louder and I averted my eyes to the TV, pretending to be very interested in the BBC broadcast that was on, though I had no idea what they were talking about. Stomping into the room, Jackson approached the bed. For a minute, I thought he was
going to sit down next to me, and my heart fluttered with the need to touch him and be near him, but he paced away, going to the French doors and pulling them open.
Without acknowledging me, he stepped onto the balcony, tension rolling off of him in palpable waves. I could see the tight set of his shoulders and the tick in his jaw from across the room, and longed to go to him and soothe it away. But I was afraid of rejection, especially considering the way he started shutting me out again. He didn’t linger on the balcony for long before pacing back into the room and stopping in front of the bed, blocking my view of the TV. I didn’t care, because I wasn’t watching it anyway, but I could tell he thought I was based on the look on his face.
“Is everything all right?” I asked him, though I knew the answer.
“No, it fucking isn’t,” he said, running a hand over his face.
His five o’clock shadow morphed into a full beard seemingly within twenty-four hours, and it only added to his sexy allure. I wanted to run my hands over it and tangle them through his thick curls but I was still unsure about my position here. Yesterday, we were going to get married, today, he was having a baby with another woman and I didn’t know how to act around him. Nothing made any sense anymore.
“Fuck,” he muttered, before making his way to sit on the edge of the bed, closer to where I sat.
I didn’t resist touching him this time, and reached a hand out to where his rested on the top of his thigh. The gesture wasn’t meant to be anything but comforting, and I lay my hand on top of his lightly to show him I was there if he wanted me to be.
“Liza.” He said my name with a catch in his voice. I wasn’t used to seeing him so vulnerable, and it threw me for a minute.
One Night Page 22