The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction

by Trish Wylie

  Her brows lifted. ‘Wow—that’s actually quite—’

  ‘Smart?’

  ‘I was going to say insightful.’

  ‘You could try looking less surprised.’ When he smiled and she smiled back at him, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before he lowered his arm. ‘So is that why you quit?’

  ‘It was the start of it.’ She nodded. ‘When you’re a rookie you know stuff like that is going to happen. Everyone has a bad shift; it’s part of the job. But it wasn’t one bad shift. They just kept on coming. You think you’ll handle it. I didn’t. The first time I drew my weapon my hands were shaking.’ She looked down and folded her fingers into her palms. ‘That’s when I knew I was done.’

  ‘And went to Law School…’

  ‘Took me a while to figure it out.’ She smiled again. ‘But it seemed like a logical move when I thought about it.’

  Blake couldn’t remember ever respecting anyone as much as he respected Liv at that moment. He knew what it took to pick up, dust down and move on but he’d never known what it took to stand still and regroup the way she had. Possibly because he’d never had anything to fight for—at least nothing that mattered to him as much as the oath she’d taken to ‘Protect and Serve’.

  Because she was still doing it, wasn’t she?

  Apart from her concern for the thousands of little guys employed by Warren Enterprises, Blake realised she’d been doing it with him. More than simply serving her position as his lawyer, her opinion was offered—even when he didn’t want to hear it—to allow him to see things from a different perspective. If she thought he was wrong, she challenged him, protecting him from the kind of clouded judgement that could get in the way. She was right about that—it had done, more than once in his life, but he wouldn’t let it happen with her. He was determined to give her what she wanted. No regrets, only bittersweet memories.

  ‘Thank you—’ it was something he should have said before, for more than one reason, but this time ‘—for telling me.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ The blue of her eyes softened with warmth that reached deep inside him, wrapping around the emptiness the way it did when they made love.

  Gaze roving over her face, he took in all of the familiar details he still found fascinating. What was it about her that was different from any of the women he’d met before? With Liv, he felt things more intensely: desire, need, hunger. He was frustrated at his inability to give her more than a sexual relationship and that warred with new sensations of jealousy, possessiveness and a newfound protectiveness he felt towards her—even if it meant protecting her from him.

  Someone with the ability to care as much as she could shouldn’t be around someone like him. Not if the emptiness he carried would lead to him leeching emotion from her in an attempt to fill the void. If he thought for a second that might happen he would have to let her go sooner rather than later, whether he was ready to or not.

  ‘You hungry?’ she asked, letting him off the hook when it came to his part of the sharing bargain they’d made.

  He was okay about that, not because he didn’t want to make the effort to talk to her, but because she was right. Even if talking about it helped—which he doubted—it wasn’t all about him. Nor should it be.

  ‘Yes.’ He smiled with meaning.

  ‘I meant for food.’

  He grinned. ‘That, too.’

  ‘You’re insatiable, you know that, don’t you?’ She got to her feet and reached for his hands to pull him up.

  ‘Is that a complaint?’

  ‘Did it sound like a complaint?’

  Smile becoming a grin as they walked down the hall, he nudged his upper arm off her shoulder and rocked her sideways. ‘So it’s another compliment…’

  ‘It’s amazing to me the size of that head doesn’t topple you over.’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘I THINK you should keep this house. It needs you.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s particular about who looks after it so long as someone does. Houses can be funny that way.’

  Walking hand in hand along the beach, Olivia took a long breath and smiled. She was happy, closer to Blake since their breakthrough than was sensible, admittedly, but the way she looked at it, a girl had to grab moments of happiness where she could find them, even if part of her was waiting for a pinprick to burst the bubble they were living in.

  She tilted her chin and looked up at him. ‘Did I point out the advantage of it being in The Hamptons?’

  ‘No, but you’re going to.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have to be here the whole year round. Most people aren’t.’ She continued smiling. ‘And when you get itchy feet, it’s not like you don’t still have plenty of places to go. You own places all over the world now.’

  ‘And a choice of private jets to take me there…’

  ‘Precisely.’

  ‘I’d be happy to help you join the Mile High Club.’

  ‘I’m serious.’ She laughed.

  ‘So am I.’ He winked.

  When she rolled her eyes, he stopped and leaned down to kiss her—firm, practised lips drawing a hum of approval from low in her throat. It was a gentle, almost tender kiss—one that had been happening more frequently since he’d started sharing little details of his life with her—but it wasn’t always like that with them. There were times it was all about hunger and need, times when it was more about giving than taking, times when it was teasing and times—like this—when it soothed and said everything was going to be all right. Even if she knew it wouldn’t.

  If she hadn’t already known, when he told her about some of the places he’d lived, the people he’d met and she watched his eyes shine with memories she was reminded how different they were. Blake was a rolling stone, free of ties and the burden of any responsibilities beyond taking care of himself, while Olivia was tethered to the people she loved and the place she called home. She was a New Yorker, a Brannigan, a best friend and a lawyer who put long hours into her work—she didn’t even know where a relationship with a man like Blake would fit into that. And knowing she’d be willing to find out took a little of the brightness off her day…

  ‘Just think about it,’ she mumbled against his mouth.

  Leaning back, he used his free hand to brush her hair from her cheek. ‘You really love this place.’

  ‘I do.’

  He searched her eyes before announcing, ‘It’s yours.’

  A low huff of disbelieving laughter left her lips. ‘You can’t give me a house.’

  ‘I can do what I want.’

  Reaching up, she wrapped her fingers around his hand, lowering it from her face as her smile faded. ‘I can’t accept a gift that large from you.’

  ‘Yes, you can.’

  ‘No, I can’t.’ The second huff of laughter was tighter. ‘People don’t give other people houses.’

  ‘Not like I don’t have plenty to spare, is it?’

  ‘Stop it,’ she said more firmly, stepping back. ‘I’m just saying you should think about it before selling it. Not every decision you make has to be made in a hurry. Some things are worth hanging on to…’

  When he frowned at the words, she let go of his hands and turned away, walking ahead of him while berating herself for giving him the impression she wanted more than they had. As obvious as it was she hadn’t known the risk she was taking emotionally when she slept with him, when it came to commitment she knew exactly where she stood. What they had would end. It was simply a matter of when.

  Why did she have to keep reminding herself of that?

  ‘It’s just a house, Liv.’

  ‘You keep saying that.’ She turned and walked backwards for a few steps. ‘It’s not just a house and even if it was, I would still feel the same way. I don’t want expensive gifts from you. It would feel like—’

  A large hand captured her elbow when she turned away, holding her in place as he stepped closer. ‘Payment?’

  Frustration threaded her voice. ‘It
’s how it might look. There she goes—the lawyer who slept with a billionaire and got a house in The Hamptons out of it.’

  ‘I don’t care what people think.’

  ‘I do,’ she said in a softer voice. ‘We’re judged by our actions. How can I work with rich and powerful company owners in the future if they suspect my motives? I won’t be able to smile at a guy without someone thinking I’m out to get something.’

  ‘They won’t think that.’

  ‘They might.’

  The hold on her arm loosened, his thumb brushing over her skin. ‘I can’t give you anything? Flowers, chocolates—all the usual stuff women are supposed to like—they’re all out of bounds, are they?’

  A smile hovered around the corners of her mouth. ‘I didn’t say that. What I’m saying is there’s a gap the size of the Grand Canyon between a bunch of flowers and a house. You don’t have to woo me, Blake. Considering how much time we’ve spent in bed, I think it’s safe to say we skipped the wooing part, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘I don’t even know what it means.’

  Taking a step forward, Olivia laid a palm on his chest. ‘I don’t need expensive gifts from you—anyone who does isn’t worth your time.’

  What he didn’t know was how great a gift he’d already given her. When she’d told him what happened in the past, he’d done more than tell her what she’d needed to hear. While she’d thought she’d moved on, she realised she hadn’t let that day go—carrying the memory of it around with her like a penance. But while talking to him without getting upset, hearing the sincerity in his rough voice and seeing the resolve in his eyes when he told her it wasn’t her fault, she’d felt some of the weight being lifted from her shoulders. The department shrink, who had expected her to spend hours reliving the moment Aiden died, people she’d worked with, family and friends—none of them had been able to do that for her. Then along came Blake.

  As frightening as it was that he’d seen inside her to something she hadn’t admitted to herself, by understanding what had happened he’d given her a gift money could never buy: the first hint of real peace of mind she’d felt in six years.

  He shook his head. ‘Still doing it, aren’t you?’

  ‘Doing what?’

  ‘Preparing me for a new life…’

  ‘Your life is different. I think you know that now.’ Her gaze searched his eyes, sincerity lacing her voice. ‘Sometimes we don’t get to choose where we end up. Stuff happens. You’ll find something good you can take out of this, I know you will. You’ve just got to be open to it.’

  ‘What makes you think I haven’t done that already?’

  Flashing a smile to cover the sudden ache in her chest, she rocked onto her toes and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. ‘You can be incredibly sweet when you set your mind to it.’

  ‘Don’t go telling anyone.’

  ‘Your secret’s safe with me.’

  Blake circled her with his arms, drawing her close, her body fitting into his in a way that suggested they’d been together for a lot longer than they had. In turn, she wrapped her arms around his lean waist, placed her cheek on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart, drawing comfort from the sound.

  Sad thing was—if things had been different—she knew he was exactly the kind of man she needed in her life. Despite the things they both still held back, having someone she could lean on during moments when she got tired of being strong, and who could find the words to make her feel like less of an emotional ticking time bomb, sounded pretty darn good to her. She just wished she could find a way of helping him the way he’d helped her.

  Blinking as she looked at the sparkling ocean, she took a mental snapshot of the moment and stored it away in her memory for the day he wouldn’t be there any more. She didn’t want to leave. Not yet. As if somehow she knew when they left The Hamptons it was the beginning of the end.

  ‘We’ll forget I tried to give you a house,’ his deep, rough edged voice rumbled above her head. ‘Be a bitch to gift-wrap anyway.’

  ‘It would.’ She smiled.

  When she leaned back to look at him, he lowered his mouth to hers for one of the kisses that lit a flame inside her body. She’d been wrong about the attraction between them flaring and fizzling out. If anything, knowing him better had added a depth and richness to their lovemaking that hadn’t been there before. She wanted him more, not less. Making love and sharing the moment when they were at their most vulnerable, falling asleep next to him and waking up in his arms—she knew she would miss it when it was gone. He’d be a hard act to follow, too.

  ‘We should probably think about packing.’ She sighed with regret, loosening the arms around his waist and backing away. ‘The chopper will be here first thing.’

  ‘We still have time.’

  ‘I don’t want to leave a mess behind.’ She forced a smile to hide any subliminal message he might read into the words. ‘You were the one who told the staff we could fend for ourselves, remember?’

  Hand held in his again, they headed back up the beach in a silence she didn’t feel the need to fill.

  ‘I won’t sell it,’ he said before they left the sand.

  ‘I’m glad.’ Wrapping her arms around his waist again, she clung to his side, his arm draped across her shoulder as she added, ‘If you’re lucky, next time I’m in The Hamptons, I might look you up.’

  ‘You’re gonna call first, right?’

  Blake settled back against the pillows, lifting his arm so Liv could curl in beside him before she fell asleep. As her cheek rubbed against his chest, her breasts smooshed against his side, he found himself staring across the room, fingers tracing lazy circles on her back while he thought.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d found himself focusing on the mental picture she’d helped create of the house he’d told her he would keep. She was right, changes could be made—some of them he would probably enjoy making. Old houses had always been his thing, after all. Not that he’d ever had one he could call his own, but he suspected it would add to the sense of pride he put into his work. But while mentally working his way from room to room, thinking about the changes, Liv was always there. He couldn’t imagine it without her.

  But even if he had it in him to put down roots, there were no guarantees. Especially when staying put would mean making decisions he hadn’t wanted to make—ones he knew would put him in a perpetually foul mood until he worked his way through them. Not wanting to run the company wasn’t just the issue of responsibility. Much as it killed him to admit it, part of the problem was—maybe—he didn’t think he could. If there was one thing Blake hated more than finding something he wasn’t any good at, it was being surrounded by people who were better at it than him.

  But he could delegate. He’d been known to allocate work to guys who knew what they were doing. Wasn’t that kind of the same thing as running a company? But considering doing something he would enjoy—like renovating the warehouse—was one thing, making changes that large to his life was another. Why was he even thinking about it?

  Liv moved her calf against his leg, her murmur of contentment calming him. He remembered the first morning in his apartment when he’d felt better with her close to him. Then he thought about how it felt worse when the distance between them increased. She was the equivalent of an open fire in the depths of winter. Step too close and flames would consume him, licking his body and igniting his senses until he exploded in a shower of white heat and bright light. Step too far back and he could find himself standing in arctic temperatures that seeped into his bones, numbing him until he wouldn’t have the strength to step close to the warmth again.

  Was that how it would feel when she wasn’t there?

  Just the thought of walking away from her made him keenly aware of the cold empty place inside him. He needed to deal with that—plunge into the middle of it and get to the heart of why he couldn’t feel anything about the death of the man who had contributed half his DNA. He couldn’t stay
numb for ever or get angry every time he was faced with something he couldn’t communicate clearly. Hadn’t talking to Liv the last couple of days proved he could find words if he made the effort?

  ‘We moved around a lot…’

  He wanted her to know—to understand why staying in one place and putting down roots was something he knew nothing about.

  ‘It started when I was seven. A guy turned up outside school and argued with my mom. He followed us home, parked outside the house, took pictures.’ He felt the blink of Liv’s lashes against his chest as he spoke. ‘When none of that got him anywhere he hung around at recess, calling me from the other side of the fence, “Hey kid, where’s your dad? Ever meet him? I’ve got a picture—you want to see?”’

  Blake could still hear the man’s voice and remember what it felt like to see the picture—the sense of curiosity and a childlike awe. ‘It was the first time I’d laid eyes on Charlie Warren. I’d hit that age where I was starting to ask the questions kids ask when they notice they don’t have two parents. My mom would tell me he was busy or had important stuff to do—how his job made him responsible for lots of other folks. Sometimes she’d just change the subject. Guess it wasn’t easy to explain to a kid why you loved someone but couldn’t stay with them.’

  Pausing to take a breath, he checked to see how he felt about that. When he was a kid it had hurt and made him think his dad didn’t care, but now, nothing.

  ‘Within twenty-four hours of seeing the photo we were packed and headed to a new town.’ He remembered being angry, not wanting to leave his friends or his school and arguing with his mom until she’d promised him the dog he wanted so badly. They’d never got a dog.

  ‘My mom was always looking over her shoulder after that. Maybe she was right and there were others. After a while, I think it was paranoia. Nobody cared who we were.’

  ‘He was a reporter?’ Liv asked in a soft voice.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘She was protecting you.’

  ‘The only way she knew how. It’s why she left Charlie. She couldn’t handle the spotlight—didn’t want me under it either—finding out she was pregnant made her decision.’