We discuss time lines.
“I’ll get started on it right away,” I tell him.
Lewis stands and walks toward the door. He glances back while I’m sorting through colored pencils from my stash of art supplies. Sallee Construction could use software for artists’ renditions, but the old guys are loath to learn it, and apparently I’m cheaper and leave them time to work on other stuff.
“Tell Gen…” He grips the doorframe. “Tell her I said hello.”
I hesitate, then remember he’s my boss’s son and I can’t be rude to him. “Sure,” I say stiffly.
I trust Gen, but I don’t trust this guy. He’s uptight and, more important, unavailable as far as I’m concerned.
Lewis walks out, but I hear him talking in the front area, which I can see from my desk. His manner is clipped as he speaks to the receptionist, but she says something and his face softens. She has that effect on people.
While they’re talking, the front door opens and Mira walks in wearing a short summer dress and platform sandals. I don’t have a good read on Mira. She’s super proprietary over Lewis, and that seems to be her main focus. What I can say about the girl is that she’s breathtaking, not that Lewis seems to notice. He looks at her like he does his friends, which is entirely different from how he looks at Gen.
Lewis’s body stiffens and he speaks so low to Mira I can’t hear what he’s saying. She seems to ignore his words and greets our receptionist as if they’ve known each other for years. They probably have.
After a moment, Lewis pulls Mira aside. They argue, her voice rising, until she smiles without it touching her eyes, and glides calmly out the door, the bells chiming behind her.
Lewis looks over and our gazes meet. I quickly look away, but I catch him storming off out of the corner of my eye.
A door slams down the hall, punctuating my earlier assertion. Lewis is very unavailable.
And maybe this time, I should warn Gen.
That evening when I arrive home from work, Gen’s getting ready for her shift.
I walk into the bathroom and sit on the toilet lid. “Lewis works at Sallee Construction. He’s the owner’s son.”
Gen sets the hairbrush in her hand on the counter and stares into the mirror at her reflection.
Not the reaction I was looking for. It answers the question of whether or not she still thinks about him. “You don’t actually care for this guy…?”
She sighs and walks out. “Leave it alone, Cali.”
“Gen—” I trail after her into the living room. “I was stupid at the start of the summer. I didn’t really understand what you were going through, because I’d never been in love. You were more involved with the A-hole than I ever was with Eric. I get that now. And I don’t want to tell you what to do, because when it comes to this, I’m not as experienced as I thought, but I’m scared for you.”
Gen looks up from rifling in her purse and shakes her head. “Cali, there’s nothing to fear.”
I lean my hip against the side of the couch and study her. “I’m worried I pushed you to date guys before you were ready and now you’re running headfirst into the same situation you escaped.”
“You’re giving yourself too much credit. I do actually select when and who I want to date, and I told you, the situation with Lewis is not the same as my past relationship. Besides, I’m not actually in a relationship,” she adds, and heads into the bedroom while I stand in the doorway.
Gen grabs a shirt from the closet and sinks onto the bed without putting it on. “I can’t help who I’m attracted to. That’s just nature.” She looks up. “But I’m not planning on repeating the past, if that’s what you’re worried about. Even if I did, it wouldn’t be your fault.” She tugs the printed T-shirt over her head.
“Okay. But Mira visited Lewis at work today. If you’re spending time with him, just—be careful.”
Gen pauses. “I will,” she says without looking up. She pulls on dark jeans and walks around the bed toward me. “You don’t need to protect me, Cali. I’ll be okay.”
God, right now, I could use protection. Every day with Jaeger is a lesson in what it means to care for someone. I want what’s best for him, even if that means not being with me. If I can’t be the right person for him and his daughter, he needs someone who can.
Eric spoke to me like I was an idiot when I told him that I’d given up law. He never once asked me what made me happy. Everything Jaeger does is to make me happy. A profound difference, and something I’d like to be able to return.
Jaeger texts shortly after Gen leaves for work.
Jaeger: Trip unsuccessful. Kate’s sister never showed. Stayed too long waiting around. Have a project to wrap up… could be late before I make it over. Miss you.
So the wait continues. Not knowing where things stand makes me crazy. I could sit around and twiddle my thumbs, but that’s not really my style.
I jump in the shower and then get dressed. Tyler’s friend picked him up, so I have the car for the night. I’ll visit Jaeger. I won’t bother him while he works. I just want to make sure he’s okay and give him a quick hug after his shitty day, and I don’t want to have to wait until late to do it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
My stomach tightens as I pull into Jaeger’s driveway. A black Mercedes sports car is parked near his truck. Kate’s car?
I forgot when I decided to come here tonight that I might see Kate. It doesn’t matter that Jaeger isn’t interested in her. The idea of an ex-girlfriend in his home makes my proprietary instincts flare.
And why is Kate driving a fancy car if she doesn’t have any money? Isn’t that the reason she’s living with Jaeger?
I breathe deeply and smooth the strands that pulled loose from my ponytail into place. I check my teeth for lipstick stains in the visor mirror. I’m not walking in looking shabby. Kate needs to know she isn’t going to weasel into Jaeger’s heart the way she did into his house.
What kind of mother screws up her life so badly she loses her kid? And why didn’t Kate tell Jaeger she was pregnant? For as long as I’ve known him—which is a significant amount of time, given his connection to my brother—he’s been a good guy. He would have stood by her if she’d told him. Why come out now?
This chick makes no sense, and when something doesn’t make sense there’s a reason. But I agree with Jaeger: he has to find out the truth before he tells her to leave. If the little girl really is his daughter, Kate could do anything. Sell the car and leave the country with the girl, who knows? Jaeger’s playing it safe, and I don’t blame him for it.
The woodshop is silent today. I rap lightly on the front door and look out at the lake through the trees, attempting to remain calm. I’ll simply visit with Jaeger, make sure he’s okay, then go home. I won’t cause problems for him with Kate, though I’d love to give her a piece of my mind.
Nobody answers after several minutes, and the doorbell doesn’t seem to work. I’m sure he’s here. His truck is in the drive.
I twist the handle, and it’s unlocked.
Jaeger’s my boyfriend, and he’s practically living with me at the moment. I’ll just peek inside and let him know I’m here.
I step inside, but it’s not Jaeger’s presence that fills the house. A hushed female voice floats from the back bedroom. Not Jaeger’s room—thank God—gotta be his office, the man-cave. I don’t see Jaeger anywhere. He’s not in the living area, and the door to his bedroom is open, the lights off. The other two bedrooms are located at the other end of the hall.
I should call out, but there’s something about the way she’s talking on the phone, quiet and professional, like she’s conducting a business transaction, that makes me hesitate. I walk toward the back, making no effort to silence my footfalls. It’s not my fault that my Keds make no sound.
I stop outside the partly open door to Jaeger’s office. And okay, yes, this time I really do eavesdrop, because it sounds like she’s—shopping? I peek past the door.
“I�
��ll take the twistlock heel in blue and black,” Kate says into a cell phone, scrolling with a mouse on Jaeger’s computer. “Size seven and a half. And the Jennie stacked platform in red, same size.”
Online shopping.
“I want the cutout sundress in a size four, and”—she clicks the mouse and pulls up another screen—“the limited edition skater dress. I want that in pale blue, along with the lightweight biker jacket.” A pause. “That’s all for now. You can mail it to this address.” She bends over to fix a strap on her sandal and rattles something off. Her voice is slightly muffled, and all I catch are the first two digits. Not very helpful. She sits back up. “No, that’s not the billing. Hold on a sec.” Kate reaches across the desk and lifts an envelope. She reads off Jaeger’s street address.
What the hell? If she’s using his address for billing…
Kate thumbs a credit card. “Here’s my card number.” She reads off a series of numbers, the expiration date, and a security code. “The name on the card is Jaeger Lang. My husband and I have different last names.”
The bitch!
I’ve heard enough. I clear my throat loudly.
Kate’s gaze darts to me. I cock my head. Her eyes widen a fraction, but her expression remains calm. “Thank you,” she says cheerily into the phone, and ends the call. For a moment we stare at each other.
“You must be Cali.”
Good, she knows who I am.
Remain calm. I promised myself I wouldn’t cause problems for Jaeger. “What do you think you’re doing?” Okay, that didn’t come out as diplomatic as I had hoped.
Kate lifts her legs, bared to the rump in cut-off shorts, and plants her feet on the corner of Jaeger’s desk. Her shorts are so small the curve of her butt cheek hangs out. She’s pretty, with light brown hair tumbling over her shoulder in soft waves, but the energy she gives off is cold as that minnow I caught in Lake Tahoe.
“Jaeger said he had a female friend who might stop by from time to time. I’m Kate, the mother of his child.”
My jaw clenches. Calm, must remain calm. “Why are you using Jaeger’s credit card?”
“Oh, just ordering a few necessities.” She smiles prettily. “Jaeger told me to make myself at home.”
“That’s interesting. I would think you’d be spending less money on necessities and more time figuring out how to get your daughter back.”
Her brow puckers. “Oh, I am, but there’s only so much I can do. I hate this waiting around, but the court hearing isn’t for another month.”
A month! Freaking hell.
“The most important thing Jaeger and I can do now is create a loving home for our daughter.”
No. Way. This has got to end. She’s using him. “Where’s Jaeger?”
“In his outhouse.”
Woodshop, dumbass.
I’m not leaving Kate in Jaeger’s office. She might decide to use his credit card to purchase a hot tub or a tropical island. “Do you think you can show me the way?” I ask sweetly. “I always forget which door to use.”
Kate smirks. She knows I’m full of shit, but she lowers her slender, mile-long legs and saunters into the living room and out the back door. We pass her fancy sports car, and I do a double take at another luxury vehicle in the drive, this one red. Who’s here now?
Kate raps on the woodshop door and walks inside, clearly having no problem barging into his private space. It pisses me off, until I see Jaeger—with another woman.
He’s sitting on the couch with a beautiful brunette standing between his legs in nothing but a bra and a short black skirt. The same woman I saw him with at Blue the night I went home with Drake.
“Jaeger!” Kate exclaims in a nasally, high-pitched screech.
Okay, I can be understanding—my boyfriend is living with his ex-girlfriend—but this is taking it too far. “Sweetie, you seem to have one too many women in the house.”
Jaeger glances over, his face startled and confused. He didn’t budge when Kate yelled, as if he’s grown accustomed to tuning her out, but my comment grabs his attention. “Cali?”
The woman in front of him eases back, making no move to cover her chest. She’s in a pretty black bra with perfect abs—noticing meaningless details helps keep me from fleeing the scene in a huff of indignation. I’ve had my fill of shit, but I love Jaeger, and the expression on his face is one of shock. He’s as surprised as me, and I don’t think it’s because I walked in on him.
Jaeger stands and staggers to me. He grabs my hand, angling toward the woman. “Danielle, this is my girlfriend, Cali.”
Kate snorts beside us, her face contorted in annoyance. Jaeger doesn’t introduce her.
Danielle lifts her purse from the floor beside the couch and casually pulls out a silk tank. She turns and slips on her top as if she dresses in front of an audience every day. “I see I’ve caught you at a bad time.” She walks over and squeezes his thick bicep. I’m tempted to bite her hand like a rabid animal. “Call me later.”
I’ve gotta hand it to the woman—she’s got balls.
Jaeger watches Danielle leave, then looks at me. His eyes widen. “What? She ambushed me. I had no idea what she was up to.”
“Jaeger!” Kate screeches. I’d forgotten Kate, and at this point, I’d prefer to tune her out too. “How can you do this? Think about our daughter!”
“Kate,” Jaeger says curtly. “Give me a moment with Cali.”
Kate leaves and slams the door on her way out. Jaeger marches to one of his worktables. He shoves tools into a drawer and bangs his fist on the table. “What the fuck!”
“Yeah-h-h, my thoughts exactly,” I say.
He stalks over, linking our fingers. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We’ll go to your place.”
“Wait.” I tug on his arm to stop him. We will go to my place and talk, because I have a few questions for him about that woman, but first—“You can’t leave Kate alone in your house. When I arrived, she was shopping online with your credit card and claiming you as her husband.”
“Motherfucker,” he mumbles.
Jaeger is judicious with his expletives. He must really be pissed.
After spending his day searching for Kate’s sister in Reno, getting ambushed by the lady from Blue, then discovering he’s being ripped off by his ex-girlfriend, I guess I can understand.
We walk to the house and Jaeger flings open the back screen door, catching it a second before it smashes me in the face. He stalks across the living room toward the hallway. Kate moves around the kitchen island with a bag of cookies in her hand, tracking his progress. At the end of the hall, Jaeger pulls out a key, then closes and locks the door to his office.
Kate’s mouth drops open. She shuts it and glares at me.
I follow Jaeger into his bedroom. He pulls clothes out of drawers and a walk-in closet and stuffs them in a canvas duffel he’s yanked out from under the bed. He rummages noisily in the bathroom before returning with a leather toiletry bag he tosses in the duffel as well.
Throwing the whole thing over his shoulder, he places his hand on my lower back. “Let’s go.”
Jaeger stops at the front door and turns toward Kate, who’s holding a mug in her hand this time as she watches us leave. “You pull anything like that again, Kate, and I’ll file charges, kid or no kid.”
He guides me to my car. “I’ll follow you to your place,” he says.
I have questions, but I get the feeling now isn’t the time to bring them up. From the rearview mirror, I notice Jaeger parked and talking on his cell phone as I pull away.
Tyler’s still out when I get home. I plop on the couch, and Jaeger walks in a few minutes later. He drops his duffel by the front door and scrubs his face—
The front door swings open and bangs him in the back.
Tyler peeks around the corner. “Sorry, man. Didn’t see you there.”
Jaeger sinks into the recliner, elbows on his knees, head lowered.
Tyler looks at me. “What’s up?”
<
br /> He knows about Kate’s kid extortion. I fill him in on Jaeger’s failed attempt to track down Kate’s sister and what I walked in on at the woodshop.
I’ve calmed since seeing the half-naked woman between his legs. If Jaeger were any other boyfriend, I might be suspicious. But he’s totally befuddled.
Tyler flips one of the dining chairs around and sits on it backward. “Older gal, huh?”
Jaeger looks up. “I had no idea,” he says stone-faced.
I shake my head in disbelief. “What do you mean? That woman was all over you at the Blue bar.”
“But”—he looks around as if mentally searching—“she’s my client. I thought she was being friendly.”
“Dude,” Tyler says, “you’re kidding, right? She took her top off in your house.”
Jaeger frowns. “I figured it out by then, man. She walked in without her top on. Kinda obvious at that point. Still stunned me, though. She managed to back me into the damn couch,” he grumbles.
Tyler and I look at each other, and Tyler snickers. If the situation weren’t so infuriating it would be funny.
Jaeger glares at Tyler. “Not funny, man. I was attacked unawares.”
“Older women,” Tyler says. “Predators, every one of them.”
“Tyler!” I exclaim. “What do you know about older women?”
He holds up his hands innocently. “What? I’m in my prime. Older women flock to virile men like me.”
I did not just hear that. “I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.”
He shrugs. “You asked.”
Jaeger groans, leans his head back, and stares at the ceiling.
I walk over and sit on his lap. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’ll just have to get used to the older ladies not looking at you as a nice young man anymore. They want to get into your pants now.”
He glares at me and I smile.
“She seemed like such a nice client,” he goes on, as if he hasn’t heard anything Tyler or I have said. “She was friendly, but, well, you know.” He shrugs.
“Oh, she was nice, all right,” Tyler says. “She would have given you a nice, long blow—”
Off Limits Page 20