“He’d like you to join him in in his sister’s room,” the volunteer whispered.
In his sister’s room? As in coming face-to-face with the woman who had stolen her husband; the woman who’d given birth to the baby Stephanie had wanted so desperately? The brave face she had struggled to show the world melted in the heat of her insecurities. Was Megan prettier? Thinner? Was she a petite little china doll who had tucked neatly into Smitty’s protective arms? Were those the reasons Smitty had chosen her? The grainy traffic-cam video hadn’t provided any clues, sending Stephanie’s imagination into the stratosphere.
Her impulsive nature had gotten her into more than a few uncomfortable situations; this had to top them all. But she had started this whole mess, and she’d finish it because she was no quitter. Nor was she a coward. By the time she got done tugging on her big girl panties, she’d have one doozy of a wedgie. But the sooner she faced Megan, the sooner this would all be over.
Stephanie stood and followed the volunteer down the hall.
CHAPTER 14
ETHAN CHECKED HIS WATCH. A quarter past twelve. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he’d kissed the top of Pete’s head and hugged his sister before heading off to work. At the time, the only thing on his mind had been getting Stephanie and her lawyer to sign off on Smitty’s estate.
Ah, the good old days.
He reached out to take Megan’s hand. The blood-red bruises that covered her arms were only the beginning of the brutal story that lay hidden beneath her hospital gown. On a normal day, Ethan would be filing excessive force charges against everyone in uniform.
He snorted. Normal day. He might never have a normal day again. God, he couldn’t believe what he was about to do. Or try to do. And he only had forty-eight hours to do it. The judge knew it took seventy-two hours to get a marriage license in Pennsylvania. She was setting him up to fail.
Nicole was researching his best options, but if he were a betting man, which he wasn’t, he’d put his money on Las Vegas. With the right flights, they could be married and back in Philly by Judge Banner’s deadline with time to spare. The only drawback was that roughly fourteen of his forty-eight hours would be eaten up in travel. At least he could sleep on the plane.
Stephanie pulled a chair up next to him and took a seat. “You look like hell.”
Ouch. But then again, the truth hurt. “Don’t tell me, Miss Congeniality?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry. That kinda slipped out. Trust me, I feel worse than I look.”
She motioned toward Megan. “Are you going to introduce us?”
He snickered. Snickered? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d snickered. It had to be sleep deprivation. “Mrs. Peter Smith, meet Mrs. Peter Smith.”
She groaned. “Damn if you don’t sound like my lame-ass brothers, always going for the cheap joke to hide their emotions. What is it with you men?”
He could argue with her but antagonizing her any more than he already had wouldn’t accomplish his objective. Battling nearly overwhelming exhaustion, Ethan pulled on the dregs of his reserves for yet another performance. “We’re basically idiots, but you already knew that. Stephanie, this is my sister Megan. She and Pete are the only family I have. Megs, this is Stephanie, Smitty’s widow.”
Did Megan flinch or was his sleep-deprived brain playing tricks on him? He gently massaged her hand before meeting Stephanie’s eyes. The green ice from earlier was gone, replaced by a warmer, softer glow.
“I saw the video on CNN,” she said. “It was intense. They came so close to being hit.”
Her words nearly punched a hole in his heart. “I know. They’re going to keep Megan for at least five days. The judge isn’t going to allow me to have emergency custody of Pete. He’ll be staying with CPS for at least the next forty-eight hours.”
A small squeak escaped her taut, drawn lips. “That’s outrageous. Can he do that?”
He nodded. “She can do anything she damn well pleases, and it pleases her to torture me. Not that I blame her, I’ve given her plenty of grief over the years.”
Stephanie peeked over at Megan’s sedated form. “So where do I come in?”
Didn’t he hear somewhere that a person’s life flashed before their eyes right before they died? Because his love life was doing exactly that. Every one of his former lovers was parading through his mind; laughing at him, at the ridiculous thing he was about to do. He hadn’t been good enough for any of them, what made him think he was going to be good enough for Stephanie? Sac up, buddy. Yeah, it was time to take another one for Team Webb.
“Would you consider...” he squeezed his eyes shut. The grinding noise from his teeth bounced off the inside of his skull. Would he be able to hear himself think over the noise? Thinking wasn’t necessary at this point, was it? He couldn’t look at her, couldn’t bear to see the mocking rejection he expected. He spoke through clenched teeth. “Would you marry me?”
If it had been August, there would have been crickets chirping as the rest of the world stayed deadly silent. Even the machines that monitored Megan’s vital signs seemed to crawl to a stop. Ethan blundered on. “The judge gave me two days to, in her words, ‘make an honest woman’ of the non-existent girlfriend I claimed to have before she’ll consider letting me have the baby. I know this sounds crazy, but I’ll do anything to get Pete out of the system. This truly is my only option.”
Could it get any quieter? Had the whole world gone on break? Unable to bear the silence, he looked up into her face, her expression a mixture of shock, disbelief, and something else he couldn’t quite name. What was going on behind those captivating green eyes of hers?
“I know men have short attention spans, but we’ve already had this conversation. Don’t you get it? I’m a new widow. Jumping into another marriage so soon would damage my public image beyond repair. My board of directors would have the locks changed on my office before the ink dried on the license. I simply cannot do anything that would jeopardize control of my company.”
He stood to pace. “I get that, I really do, but I’m desperate. Hear me out. I can make it worth your while.” He caught a glimpse of his image in the mirror next to Megan’s bed. Disheveled hair, tie askew, his eyes like two ink blots on pure white paper, how could he expect her to accept his proposal? It’s not like he wanted to do this, but what he wanted had nothing to do with anything. It never had.
Stephanie rose to confront him. “I’m listening, but from where I stand, I’m taking all the risk, and you’re reaping all the benefits. You’d better have one incredible offer to lay on the table.”
So, she was as much of a mercenary as he was. Good to know. This could all be one big, expensive business transaction. The only question was her price. Damn, that made her sound like a whore. Oddly, that didn’t repel him. It might be the only thing they had in common.
Ethan bent to brush a stray hair out of Megan’s face. There was no guarantee that getting married would convince the judge to give him custody of Pete. This could be the first of many strings she pulled, the first of many carrots she dangled in front of him, all to make his life as miserable as possible.
Neither was there a guarantee Megan would get Pete back once she was out of the hospital. The baby might bounce around the system for days, weeks. That was unacceptable, but how far would Megan want him to go to keep her baby safe? What would she sacrifice to keep her son out of foster care?
“I’ll ignore the prenup. We get the insurance policies; you get to file the wrongful death suit. We’ll keep the marriage quiet then get it annulled as soon as the dust settles. No one ever has to know.” Except the judge from Hell.
Stephanie stared at him for so long, he could practically feel the pain of the hole her gaze was boring between his eyes.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s a start. My research tells me you’re the best at what you do. I’m going to need top-notch legal representation for the wrongful death suit.”
“Yo
u want to negotiate terms at a time like this? When my back is against the wall? Kick me when I’m down? Who the hell does that?” He threw his hands into the air.
She pointed at him. “My research tells me you do, and I quote, ‘Going in for the kill is my favorite part.’ And then you said something about sweet victory.” She licked her lips. “I think I agree.”
Disappointment attacked him as that sexy pink tongue retreated into her mouth. He swallowed hard and nodded. “I’ll represent you.”
“Pro bono,” she said.
“Twist the damned knife why don’t you? You’re talking about hundreds of hours of work.”
She raised one indifferent shoulder. “So? You wouldn’t have charged Megan.”
She had him there. “True, but Megan is family.” The gleam in her eyes frightened him.
She took a step closer. “I’ll be family too.”
“Good God, even I’m not this ruthless.” He had been beaten at his own game. He rubbed his jaw before raising his hands in surrender. “Agreed.”
Stephanie held up a finger. “One more thing.”
“You aren’t done?” What had he gotten himself into? At this point, it didn’t matter. “I’m listening.” Not enthusiastically, but still...
“I thought you and Nicole were an item.”
That idea was so far beyond ludicrous, he had to smile. “Nicole is the best personal assistant in the city, in the Commonwealth. Why would I risk ruining that relationship? What in the world made you think there was anything between us?”
“The way she looked at me when I offered you a ride. She was sending out ‘get away from my man’ vibes.”
Ethan drew back. His eyes darted back and forth as if he could read some mysterious answer written inside his forehead. He shook his head slowly. “There is nothing between us. We were in foster care together. You have to be mistaken.”
“You were in foster care? Is that who Mrs. MacGregor is?” she asked.
Ethan pressed a finger into his temple in a vain attempt to push back the memories. This was not his favorite topic. Not much that had happened the first twenty-five years of his life was. “Megan and I grew up in the system, and the only good thing was that, by some miracle, we managed to stay together. I will do anything, and I mean anything, to make sure Pete doesn’t suffer what we had to suffer.”
Crickets again. He shrugged. “That’s all I got.”
“You’re telling me you’ve never had sex in that big executive chair of yours? It’s certainly big enough for two.”
“If that’s your way of asking about my previous lovers, don’t worry, I won’t ask you to consummate the marriage. Your question is moot.” Or was it? All of a sudden, he wasn’t so sure.
Moving closer, she reached out to straighten his tie. Her hands traveled lightly up his neck to comb his hair with her fingers. The sparkle in her eyes fairly shouted she had hatched a plan every bit as onerous as the one Judge Banner had forced on him.
She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “Oh, we will consummate. Every day. Several times a day. By the time Megan is better, if my plan works, I’ll be pregnant. Those are my terms. The chair?”
Was his sleep deprivation causing auditory hallucinations, or had she said she wanted him to get her pregnant? That certainly stretched the limits of anything now, didn’t it? He looked from Stephanie to Megan, then back to Stephanie. “Why would you want a baby with me? I don’t think we like each other.”
She moved closer. “I’m not talking about love; I’m talking about sex. If what I saw in your office was any indication, we like each other well enough. The truth is I’m almost thirty. I’m stuck mourning Smitty for at least a year. It might take another year or two after that to find someone to marry and start a family with. Every year that ticks by, my fertility rate drops. If we can pull this off, everyone will think it’s Smitty’s baby.”
Ethan searched her face. It was happening again—the one scenario he’d sworn he’d never repeat—a rich woman using him for her own agenda. He’d danced that jig too many times, but it was time to tune up the fiddle again. Sac up? Hell, before this was over, he was going to need a titanium cup. “If you ever get tired of stock jockeying, you’d make a damned good lawyer.”
She jerked back. “Insults won’t get you where you need to go. The chair,” she demanded.
Well, the truth was supposed to set you free. He inhaled deeply and held it for a beat before exhaling. His voice, barely above a whisper, trembled. “The last time I was with a woman was longer ago than I care to admit.”
The words stung but didn’t hurt as much as they had rattling around in his head. In a strange way, it was freeing, like getting an annoying cast off a now-healed arm. A sudden twinge reminded him he wasn’t healed. Would he ever be? No. The pain ran too deep, had been festering too long. “I’ve never had sex with anyone in that chair.” Or in my bed. “I threw away a box of expired condoms about a year ago and never had a reason to replace it.”
“Now you won’t have to worry buying a new box,” she said.
A different kind of a twinge, more of a twitch, nudged at the slumbering libido he’d forced into hibernation so long ago. Not use a condom? He’d always used one. But if a baby was the goal, how else would you do it?
He slapped on his professional mask to send his awakening desire back to sleep. “Are you healthy enough for sex without protection?” he asked.
She nodded. “Fair question. I’ve only been with Smitty the past two years. If I’m not clean, neither is your sister.”
He cringed. “Thanks for the image; now I need brain bleach. What about child support and visitation? Whose name goes on the birth certificate?”
She shrugged. “As far as the world is concerned, any baby we conceive will be Smitty’s child. No child support. No visitation.”
Oh, hell no, she wasn’t getting off that easily. If she had proposed exactly what he’d wanted, he would have found something to negotiate over on general principle. “But the baby would be Pete’s cousin. The two should know each other.”
Stephanie pursed her lips. “Family’s important. We’ll work something out.”
He hadn’t expected her to be so reasonable. This could work. “So, you get a baby, your baby gets a family, and I get Pete.”
“I can live with that.”
But could he? He would have to. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been compensated for sex, only this time, his payment would be Pete.
He held out his hand. “Deal.”
CHAPTER 15
WHAT THE HELL HAD JUST happened? The Queen of Impulse had outdone herself this time. There was no way on God’s green earth he should have accepted that crazy counterproposal. She’d thrown it out there on a whim to see how far he would go, never dreaming he’d accept her outrageous terms. Neither I’m kidding nor never mind, both of which jammed in her throat battling for expression, made it past her lips.
Panic and excitement collided inside her creating a heady and intoxicating concoction. She was practically giddy. Could she be this close to the baby she’d always dreamed of? Not to mention solidifying her control of Kerrigan Financial Services. It was too good to be true; there had to be a catch. Oh yeah, the whole thing hinged on Ethan Webb.
She studied the man holding out his hand waiting for her response. The rumpled, distressed mess that stood in front of her was so different from the polished, arrogant attorney who had startled her so badly a few hours ago. The impenetrable wall she had sensed around him was gone. Although his height hadn’t diminished, he somehow seemed smaller, more vulnerable. His black eyes no longer menacing, but soft and pleading. Or as soft and pleading as black eyes could get. Gone was the troll blocking the bridge to her goals; in the span of mere minutes, Ethan Webb had become the bridge—the only way for her to move forward. Did she have the courage to cross that bridge?
He cleared his throat. “Megan and Pete are my whole life. They are the only family I’ve ever had. I can�
�t lose them. I just can’t.”
Wow. Pure, naked honesty from a man she had been sure didn’t know the meaning of the word honesty. Stephanie considered her options. The risk was huge, but the potential rewards were bigger. His offer to ignore the prenup meant she would keep control of Kerrigan Financial Services. Her company and a baby? It was everything she’d ever wanted, and Ethan Webb was the only way to get both. There was only one right answer.
“I’ve always said I’d make a deal with the devil to keep control of my company. I never imagined the universe would take me so seriously. Was there some kind of portal to hell that opened up in Smitty’s grave, bringing you forth to torture me?” she asked.
A smile split his face. “I’ve been called the devil a time or two. Or worse. Not that I’m a vindictive asshole or anything—okay, I am a vindictive asshole—but if you say no, I will have no reason to go easy on you. Three weeks with this devil’s spawn seems like an insignificant price to pay to keep your company. I’ve been told I’m pretty good in the sack, so you might enjoy it.”
Oh, she planned to enjoy it. She looked down at his outstretched hand. Well, a handshake was the traditional way to cement a negotiated settlement. But there was nothing traditional about this situation. It was the most intimate of intimate deals. It deserved something better. If she was going to make a baby with him, shouldn’t she find out if they were compatible? She’d never bought a pair of shoes without trying them on. How was this different?
She took a step closer, ignoring the question in his knitted brows, his slight frown. How do you kiss frowning lips? If she did it right, they wouldn’t be frowning for long. Clasping his right hand with her left, she pulled him to her and claimed his mouth. Only for a moment. At least that was the plan. She wasn’t prepared for the instant heat that engulfed her, the immediate attraction that sealed their lips together.
For Pete's Sake: An Enemies to Lovers Marriage of Convenience Standalone Romance Novel (Tobin Tribe Book 1) Page 7