by Dawn Brower
Claire turned to stare at the woman. She’d research her later. Perhaps she was Ren’s ex-wife. She recalled Dani telling her a little bit about her past with Ren. But the name of the woman who’d come between them was fuzzy in her mind—if it was Jessica, the animosity would make sense. Her comment about mistakes added to the evidence too.
“I think it comes naturally to most people,” Lana said with amusement. “It makes life interesting.”
Claire stared at the other three women and a realization hit her. A feeling of rightness filled her. This was what friendship was. To have people around her that would be in her corner no matter what. She’d never truly had that before. It would be wonderful if she could cultivate the friendship and make sure it lasts. She made a decision to do everything in her power to do that. All the seeds had been planted. It was up to them to make them bloom.
“I can’t fault your logic,” Dani agreed. “I’ve made my fair share of them, and I’m doing rather well for myself at the moment.”
Jessica snorted. “I’d say so.” She held up her fingers and counted. “Love of your life, long lost daughter of a prestigious family, oh, and so rich you could lose half your fortune and not notice.” She shook her head. “Dani, my potential friend, I think you’ve won the award for underestimation of the year.”
Dani glared at Jessica, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits. Clare reached across the table and placed her hand on Dani’s arm. She looked at her and shook her head. Apparently there was a lot of history between her boss and Jessica Clark. For a brief moment, it appeared as if Dani was going to pummel the other woman. She may be trying to be nice, but it wasn’t what Dani wanted to do. Someone had to say something so that they returned to a more congenial discussion.
“We should do this more often,” Claire said. “This is nice.”
Everyone agreed and settled into the light conversation. Claire filled Dani in on her morning and who was likely to be hired. She knew Matt almost as well as Dani did, and they both agreed he was likely to hire Olivia West. As it was, Claire agreed she was the best choice so it worked out well. Neither one of them thought they’d let Matt know that part though. All in all, it was a perfect lunch. That was ... until it wasn’t. When she turned her head and noticed Reese and Nolan enter the restaurant, any joy she’d felt faded. Well, good things come to an end at some point.
“Claire,” Reese said. A smile lighting up her features. “It’s good to see you. I’d ask to join you, but your table already looks rather full.”
“Yes, indeed,” Nolan agreed. “Isn’t that too bad.”
Claire fought the need to roll her eyes. He was probably secretly glad they had no room for them. He was constantly harping on the less savory parts of the social scene in Envill. As if it was a crime-laden environment and a maniac would jump out at them at any given moment. Sure, they had crime... Her brother’s warning flashed through her. She shook it away. It wasn’t likely to impact her.
“Right.” Claire turned toward Dani. “This has been pleasant, but I need to return to the office. Someone needs to supervise Matt.”
“The blind guy?” Nolan turned up his nose. “Why is he even working? Isn’t there someone else more capable to do his job?”
Claire bit back a retort. He didn’t deserve her attention. She ignored him and focused on Dani. “So if you manage to find a free moment stop in and speak with him, that would be fabulous. I’ll e-mail you the details about the new hire.”
Dani nodded. “That sounds good. You sure you don’t want to stay longer? I happen to be in good with the boss.” She winked.
Claire laughed. “Yeah, it’s almost as if you’re the same person.” She shook her head and stood. “I’m behind as it is.” She turned to Reese and said, “Call me later. We’ll talk.”
She didn’t want to alienate her sister. Especially as it seemed as if she was finally waking up from whatever spell Nolan had her under. If she was reaching out, Claire planned on taking full advantage of it.
“She won’t,” Nolan answered for her. “There’s nothing you would have to say she needs to hear.”
What the hell had she ever seen in him? The more she crossed paths with him, the more she questioned herself. She’d been in Reese’s place once. Every word Nolan said she’d taken for gospel. How did he manage to put both of them under an almost unbreakable spell? Claire turned to Nolan and glared at him through narrowed eyes. “I don’t believe I addressed you. In fact, you can pretend I’m not here. I’d prefer it actually.” She hugged her sister and whispered in her ear, “Don’t listen to him. Do what you think is best.”
Then she spun on her heels and left them behind before she said something to Nolan she’d regret. Like, “I hope you die a slow death.” Or, “One day a woman is going to cut off your balls and feed them to you.” A sinister smile filled her face as she thought of all the ways Nolan could come to a nasty end. None of them filled her with joy, and her lips fell at the realization. All she really wanted was for the man to leave her and her family alone. Was that too much to ask for? Perhaps it was...
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Matt paced his office, waiting for Claire to return. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he resigned himself to what must be done. He’d back off and give her plenty of space. That didn’t mean he couldn’t launch a quiet battle to win her. One that was more subtle and kept her in the forefront of his mind. She wouldn’t be happy with him no matter what he did until she deigned to forgive him. So he’d work with what he had and make the best decisions he could. He didn’t think she had any good objections to Olivia West, so he called her and asked her to come in for a second interview. He’d arrange for Dani to come in and meet her, and they’d make a decision together. Something his partner should have included him in from the start. They’d built the practice together and usually discussed everything involved with it. He didn’t understand why she’d been making decisions without him. He’d lost his eye sight, not his mental capabilities.
A loud shrill filled the room, pulling him from his thoughts. He headed toward his desk and picked up the phone. “Mr. Price you have a phone call on line one,” Amy, the receptionist explained. “I tried to take a message, but he was rather insistent he speak to you.”
Matt frowned. He didn’t want to take a business call. He may be back at work, but he wasn’t completely ready to delve into the day to day operations. A big part of him wanted to tell Amy to take a message and he’d call whoever it was back at a later time. No one was aware he’d even returned to work. It wasn’t as if he’d made an announcement. Whoever it was must have an inside beat to the inner workings of the practice. He sighed. It had to be important if they were insisting. “Put them through. I’ll take the call.”
“Yes, sir,” Amy replied.
He heard a few clicks and then a voice filling his ears. He’d not been wrong. It was someone who’d know on some level what Matt was up to. “Why didn’t you call my office and make an appointment?” Ren demanded. “If your sight has returned, we need to do some tests. When you left the office yesterday you still had blurry vision. What happened to make it return?”
How was he to explain that it had returned before he even left? Ren would think him crazy for not mentioning it. At the time, it had seemed perfectly reasonable. Now he wasn’t so sure. When he saw Nolan kissing Claire... All rationale had left him. It was the only logical explanation for his actions.
“Why, hello to you too, Ren. Good of you to call.”
“Don’t take that attitude with me. Come into see me this afternoon. I’ll fit you into my schedule so we can run some tests.”
The last thing he wanted to do was meet with him and be poked and prodded. Thankfully, he had a ready excuse. “Can’t. I already have an appointment with the shrink you scheduled.”
There was silence for several moments before Ren finally spoke, “That wasn’t until next week.”
Matt grinned at the bafflement he heard in Dr. Sousa’s voice. It was good t
o keep people on their toes from time to time. Then they never knew what to expect and it gave him an edge. “It was. They called and rescheduled it this morning. She is going to be quite busy for the next month and wanted to sneak me in before she becomes unavailable.”
He wasn’t sure what was going on with the psychiatrist and frankly didn’t give a damn. The sooner he got the appointment over with the better. He was actually glad they pushed the appointment up. Now he could do his duty and see the good doctor and then promptly forget about it all. Sounded like a reasonable plan to him anyway.
“Hmm,” Ren muttered. “Fine come and see me when you’re done then.”
It appeared as if Ren wasn’t going to be so easily dismissed. Matt pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’d rather not. It’s been a trying day.”
“It really...”
“No,” Matt said emphatically. “When I’m ready to come in and get tested I’ll call to schedule an appointment. Who informed you about my condition anyway?”
He sighed. “Dani called me after her lunch with Claire. She’s worried about you.”
Of course Claire ratted him out to Dani. Why wouldn’t she? He hated that he worried either of them. It was impossible not to these days. He felt—fine, and they shouldn’t be concerned for him. Although he understood it, it also irritated him. He wanted them to forget he’d ever been handicapped in anyway. What man wanted to be considered weaker than usual? He sure as hell didn’t.
“Dani doesn’t need to worry about me,” Matt ground out. “I’m fine.”
“Are you?” A female voice filled the room. “Seems like you’re about to explode.”
Matt turned to find Claire standing in the entrance to his office. She leaned against the door frame with her arms folded across her chest. His lips tilted upward at the sight of her. He’d thought she’d go the rest of the day avoiding him. It was good she sought him out. That had to be a good sign.
“I have to go. Something important just walked in.”
He hung up the phone before Ren could protest. The conversation was over as far as he was concerned. Plus, he’d not been lying. Claire was important to him, and he wanted to continue their discussion.
“What was that about?” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not important enough to end a phone call.”
“In my book, nothing is more important than you.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. He couldn’t resist even though he believed she’d protest. Matt leaned down and kissed her lightly. “How was lunch?”
She squirmed in his arms. “This isn’t appropriate.”
He disagreed. “Lunch?” he asked again.
“It was fine,” she said mulishly. “I had food.”
He barked out a laugh at her statement. Could she give any less details? That had to be the most abbreviated statement in history. “Oh, was it tasty?” Maybe if he prodded enough she’d talk more and loosen up a little bit.
Claire finally managed to squirm out of his embrace and crossed the room. She found a chair in front of his desk and sat. With a quick gesture, she indicated he was to sit too. He shrugged and went to sit behind his desk. What was on her mind? It might take a bit of effort on his part, but he’d figure out what was really bothering her. He didn’t believe for one moment that it was solely his lie of omission.
“I discussed our interviews with Dani, and she said she’d come in and see you at the first opportunity.”
“Good, there’s a lot we need to go over. I’ve scheduled a second interview with Olivia West. I’d like for her to attend if possible. I e-mailed her the details, and I copied you in on it.”
She nodded. “I read it before coming to see you. I’ve added it to your schedule.”
When had she sneaked back in? Probably while he was arguing with Ren on the phone. He’d hoped to catch her when she returned. It didn’t matter, really. She was here, and he wasn’t about to send her packing because it hadn’t gone as he’d planned.
“Fine. Now that we’ve handled the formalities, let’s return to your lunch.”
She sighed with frustration. “I told you it was fine.”
“Clearly it wasn’t. You’re more tense now than you were before you left.”
She sat back and glared at him through a narrow gaze. “How am I supposed to act?” She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Was I supposed to throw myself into your arms and beg you to kiss me when I walked in?”
“That would have been a nice change.” His lips tilted into a wicked smile. “But I realize that wasn’t likely. What’s bothering you?”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with.”
Like hell he wouldn’t. Anything that bothered her would irritate him to no end. He wanted to take care of her and make sure nothing bad ever touched her. What would it take to get that through her pretty head? She was his, and he took care of those he loved. Claire may not have admitted they belonged together yet, but it was a matter of time before she did. The way she’d taken care of him when he was injured told him a lot. She wouldn’t have gone so far above and beyond if she hadn’t felt something for him. It would take a little longer because of his pigheadedness, but in the end they both knew what was going to happen. When it did, he’d ask her to marry him. They’d already wasted too much time, and he wanted to start their life together.
“I can’t make you talk to me.” His jaw tightened. “But I’m here if you need me.”
“I don’t.” She turned her gaze away from him. “If you’re done, I have some work to do.”
She stood to leave. When she reached the door, he decided to push her a little bit more. “How’s your sister?”
Claire flinched and visibly tensed. She spun around and faced him again. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she studied him. “If you knew I saw her, why didn’t you come out and ask in the first place?”
Hell. He hadn’t known. Some instinct of his flared to life; otherwise, he’d never have asked. What had happened for her to be so upset? At dinner, she and Reese appeared to be getting along. Maybe it had to do with Nolan. He observed that Reese and Nolan were in some kind of relationship. He didn’t know why Nolan had kissed Claire, but it couldn’t be good. There was a story there, and it was time to uncover it.
“Sit,” Matt ordered. “Tell me about Nolan.”
Her lips settled into a firm line. “I’d rather stand.”
She walked over to the window and stared out. After a few moments of silence, she started to speak. “We used to date.”
That hit him like a punch in the gut. He suspected there might be a history between them—he didn’t know what he was hoping to hear from her. It explained a lot, actually. That might be the reason Nolan had believed he could kiss Claire whenever he wanted. Matt didn’t agree, but that didn’t mean the other man didn’t. She’d said she left the last firm for personal reasons... Was Nolan those reasons? “Did it not end well?” What he really wanted to ask was how he ended up dating Reese. It had to be weird for her to see her sister with her former lover.
“That’s one way of putting it.” She said in a dry tone.
“Do you care to expand on that?”
She shook her head and turned to face him. “I don’t want to dig up that particular part of my past. Let’s leave it at I wasn’t good enough or ambitious enough for him, so he went for the sister who was.”
A red haze fell over his vision. What an ass. He didn’t deserve her. Matt cursed a string of words he should have kept to himself. She whitened a little at his tirade. He shut up and faced her. “He’s not good enough for you or your sister. Why is she dating him?”
“She wasn’t aware we were dating when he sought her out. He is slime, and I didn’t tell her because I didn’t want her to feel guilty. I forgive her because she’s innocent in it all. My mother, on the other hand—not so much.”
What had Rachel Jackson done? Was this part of the strain between Claire and her mother? “She introduced them, didn’t she?”
>
Claire nodded. “And encouraged them to date. She’s never been whole-heartedly on my side. She likes Nolan better than she ever has me. I don’t understand the inner workings of her mind.”
Matt stood up and crossed the room. He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. She relaxed into his embrace. Relief flooded him as she settled more deeply and pulled him against her. “Do you want me to beat him up?”
She laughed. “It’s not necessary. He’ll get what’s coming to him some day. I’m okay with moving on and living my life. He’s not worth the energy.”
He kissed the top of her head. This was what he wanted. Claire in his arms every day for the rest of their lives. “The offer remains open. Say the word and I’ll make it happen.”
“Duly noted,” she said as she lifted her head to meet his gaze.
Matt sucked in a breath at her heated gaze. He could no more resist her than a moth tumbling toward a flame. He sympathized with the winged beast because Claire’s heat was too irresistible, too alluring, and everything he wanted to revel in. So he saw no reason why he shouldn’t lean down and kiss her the way he’d been imagining all day. His lips trailed over her forehead, her cheeks, and finally landed on her plump lips. They tasted as divine as he remembered. He pushed his tongue inside and tasted her sweetness. Nothing would ever compare to Claire. Fire spread through him as desire lit up deep within. It didn’t take much for them both to become lost in each other’s arms and to tune out the world around them.
It was about damn time...
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Claire was lost in Matt’s kiss. She didn’t know where either of them began or ended, and she didn’t care. The rush of desire pooling through her was enough to keep her focused—on him and the pleasure filling her. She moaned and pulled back. What were they doing? They were making out in his office. Amy could walk in on them. She probably wouldn’t, but she could. That was enough to cool the fire streaming through her veins.