Claim Me Now (Heron Harbor Book 2)

by Lea Nolan

  “He bought out the company on Friday, and I lost my job,” Raven answered.

  “No, he wouldn’t do that.” Panic edged Lark’s voice. “He’s not that kind of guy.”

  “He did, and he is.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Lark sounded truly stunned.

  “Did you hear the part where I said I lost my job? A quarter of the company’s workforce was also fired. All because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.” Raven wondered what color her aura was now. If Lark suggested that she rub a crystal over her temples or drink a tonic, she’d go ballistic.

  “Oh, no. I . . . I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Is this why you went to the beach house?” Lark asked. “I knew something was wrong.”

  Raven could get derailed by talking about her feelings, but she needed to stay focused. “Why did you tell Jack about Paulson Diagnostics?” She stretched out beside Brilla and pulled her close.

  “Um, let me think, it must have been this one time we were at dinner, and Jack was talking about work. I didn’t understand most of it, but then he said something about efficiency. I remember trying to make conversation, so I told him I’d heard about a company in Philadelphia that wasn’t very efficient but had a lot of potential.”

  “And that was it?” Raven asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Pretty much” could mean a lot more than Lark was willing to admit.

  “Did you tell him your sister worked for that company?” She needed to know if Jack had lied about not knowing she’d been a Paulson Diagnostics executive.

  “No. Why would I do that?” Lark asked.

  At least he wasn’t a liar.

  “I don’t know. Why would you tell him about the company in the first place?” Raven responded.

  “I’m sorry I said the wrong thing that night. It was a very difficult time for me,” Lark’s voice broke. “I don’t know what he did, but I know I didn’t mean to hurt you. I would never have done that on purpose.” She sounded on the verge of tears.

  Raven’s heart pinched. Her sister was a sweet, sensitive soul. Of course she didn’t mean to do this. “I know. You don’t have a mean bone in your body.”

  Lark made a small whimpering sound. “I try not to, anyway. So what about you and Jack?”

  Raven bit back a mixture of bitter tears and fury. “There is no me and Jack.”

  Raven heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of her apartment door. The last few hours had been so exhausting that they’d drained her bones. She slid the key in the lock, stepped inside, and headed straight for her bedroom.

  Things had changed so drastically in such a short period of time. Had she only known Jack for five days? Yet she’d been ready to take a leap that had been unimaginable a week before. Her heart had opened to him and the possibility of something beyond vacant, emotionless sex. She’d liked the connection growing between them, had wanted more and even begun to need it. But the revelation that he’d purchased Paulson Diagnostics brought her desire to a screeching halt.

  She’d been sleeping with her enemy and hadn’t known it.

  As Jack promised, the helicopter delivered the generator to the open field behind the nursing home, cementing his status as Heron Harbor’s visiting hero. She’d climbed aboard with her few bags and flew away without a parting word to him. There was nothing more to say. She’d made her feelings clear, and he’d said his piece. They were two diametrically opposed points, utterly incompatible.

  When the helicopter touched down at the helipad at Northeast Philadelphia airport, she was met by a rental car representative named Danny. He handed her the keys and rental agreement to a blue, late model BMW 5 Series. She tried to decline it, but he told her it’d been prepaid for a month and that he’d been instructed not to return to work unless she took possession of the car.

  It was another heroic gesture. Thoughtful and caring, but also manipulative. If she didn’t hate him so much, she’d be impressed and maybe even swept off her feet.

  Now home and grateful for her bubble bath and tub, Raven indulged in a long, hot soak, washing the weekend—and Jack—off her body. After, she slipped under the soft covers of her queen-sized bed.

  Silence blanketed the room. There was no sound of Brilla’s paws clicking against the floorboards, her panting as she trotted through the room, or her soft snores as she dozed under the blankets.

  There was no hulking man beside her, either. No one to curl up against, wrap his strong arm around her, then tug her close. No one to kiss her senseless, drive her wild with lust, and touch her in places no man had ever reached.

  No one to trust with her heart.

  No, Raven was alone.

  Because Jack wasn’t who Raven had thought he was. The kind, sweet, funny, romantic, and sexy-as-hell man she’d come to know was, at heart, a vampire who took what he wanted, damn the consequences.

  And now Raven was suffering those consequences.

  Jack should have been a lot happier to be back at work. But the only thing that made it halfway tolerable was that he’d brought Brilla to the office. After spending so much time with her on Heron Harbor, he couldn’t stand the idea of leaving her alone in the residential hotel near Paulson Diagnostic’s headquarters.

  That alone proved how soft he’d gone. He had a dog, with her very own pink princess bed, and a mountain of chew toys in his office. What the fuck had happened to him on that island?

  Raven had, that’s what.

  Raven and her warm, chocolate eyes. Her soft, satin skin and caring heart had made him do things he never would’ve contemplated before setting foot on that island. He’d bagged sand, served food, and chopped up a veritable forest—and the kicker was, he’d liked it.

  And he’d liked her. No, what he felt for Raven was so much more than “like.” They’d only known each other a handful of days, but the feelings he had for her transcended those he’d felt for any other woman. He couldn’t call it love yet—that developed over time—but he’d come to adore her. What man wouldn’t? She was extraordinary.

  And just when he’d thought she might be ready to give a relationship with him a go, it fell apart. All because he was good at his fucking job.

  How often had he picked up a tip and run with it, purchased a company, and made a shitload of money?

  Paulson Diagnostics had been a rare prey. Instinct told him when to pounce, and he’d make a killing. Painful sacrifices were made, but that was business. He had a fiduciary responsibility to his investors and new partners. They wanted maximal profits, so he’d deliver.

  It was the cold, hard fact of business.

  But Raven was warm flesh and blood. And he’d lost her in the collateral damage of his latest deal.

  No. He’d lost her because she believed he was a financial predator. She’d called him a vampire, for Christ’s sake. That was who Beckett Winthrop had raised him to be. But it wasn’t who he wanted to be.

  He’d prove that to Raven. He’d show her that he could be the guy she thought he was on the island. He’d change her mind, and they’d get back on track.

  Kiara knocked on his office door, then craned her neck inside. “You’re here.” She did a double-take. “And you have a beard.”

  Jack rubbed his jaw. “I grew it while I was stuck on the island. I thought I might keep it.”

  She examined his face. “You should. It looks good.”

  Raven had said that, too.

  “Come in.” He gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

  When Kiara entered, Brilla sprang to her feet and darted across the room, yapping.

  Kiara recoiled, protecting her pristine suit. “Is that the dog from the island?” she called over the din.

  “Yeah.” He pointed to the cushy bed in the corner. “Brilla, lay down!” Her furry head sunk, and she whined as she slunk back to her mat.

  Jack couldn’t help but laugh. “How’d you guess?” He asked Kiara.

  “Bless her little heart. She’s so ugly she’s adorable.” Kiara eyed Br
illa as she sat, then turned to Jack. “We’re ready to vet marketing options for TouchDown.” It was the name his team had come up with for the gamification app and device that helped bring down blood sugar levels.

  Jack sat back and steepled his hands. “First, tell me what you know about Raven Donovan.”

  Kiara’s head tilted. “You never ask about acquisition employees.”

  “I’m asking now.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I’m curious.” He was endlessly curious about Raven. Probably always would be.

  Kiara quirked a brow. “You’re . . . different.”

  “It’s the beard.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s something else.”

  He didn’t need his assistant in his head, too. “Just tell me about Raven.”

  Kiara sighed. “She’s the Executive Vice President Tiffany Paulson forced us to fire. Which is a damn shame. We could’ve used her around here. She was the brains behind the old CEO. TouchDown was her baby.”

  “That’s it?” Jack asked.

  “She revolutionized the supply chain and trimmed a lot of fat,” Kiara added.

  “And Tiffany hates her.” Jack couldn’t resist a smile.

  Kiara laughed. “Raven slashed the family’s expense accounts.”

  So Raven could be ruthless, too. Atta girl.

  “Oh, one more thing. Our corporate spy, Mariana Hernandez, used to work for Raven,” Kiara added.

  Jack nodded. “Makes sense.”

  “Did Raven tell Mariana to break into my office?” Kiara asked.

  Ignoring the question, Jack pressed on. “What does Raven’s compensation package look like?”

  “Standard. Twelve months’ salary and benefits and a non-compete agreement.”

  Jack tapped his fingers together. That was why Raven wouldn’t accept financial help. There was one thing she couldn’t refuse. “Have legal write up a letter releasing her from the non-compete.”

  As far as grand gestures went, that was a doozy.

  Kiara lurched forward. “What if she’s the one who got Mariana Hernandez to spy? She knows everything about TouchDown. She could get a job tomorrow and be our competitor.”

  Jack shook his head. “It’s not her style.”

  “And you know this because . . . .”

  “I know her.”

  Keira stared at him, hard. “You know her.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I do. She’ll want to fix some other troubled business instead. Which is why I need you to have our headhunter subsidiary, what’s it called?” He snapped his fingers.

  “Executive Placements?” Kiara offered.

  “Right. Alert them that she’s back on the market and send them her resume. We’ve got one, yes?”

  “I’m sure there’s one in the cloud. But Jack, what the hell happened to you on that island?”

  “I fell in . . . .what’s between like and love?”

  Chapter 21

  The buzzer on Raven’s apartment door wailed.

  Too bad, she was still in her pajamas and deep into a Netflix binge. Maybe if she ignored it, whoever it was would go away.

  The buzzer wailed again, insistent.

  Dammit. She hit pause and forced herself off the couch. She spied her friendly postal worker, Irene, through the peephole. They’d gotten chatty since Raven had returned home from Heron Harbor and started receiving deliveries. Unemployment and online shopping were not a healthy mix.

  Raven opened the door. “Hey, Irene.”

  “Afternoon, Raven. I’ve got a certified letter for you today. Need your signature here.” Irene handed her a pen and pointed to the line on the card.

  “I hope I’m not getting sued,” Raven joked as she scrawled her name because that was about the only thing that hadn’t happened yet.

  Raven shut the door and examined the envelope. It was from the law office of Fleming, Jericho, and Kilduff, LLP, in New York City. She tore it open and scanned the opening lines of the letter inside.

  Holding her breath, she staggered to the sofa and reread them to make sure she hadn’t made a mistake.

  Nope. Paulson Diagnostics and its parent company, Son Co, LLC, and all associated corporations of WFG, had released her from her non-compete agreement.

  Holy crap. She was free.

  Raven collapsed against the sofa cushions. Suddenly the world was full of possibilities. The options cascaded through her brain like a digital download.

  Whoa. Her head spun. It was all too much, an overload to her system. She’d gotten so used to the idea of forced unemployment that she hadn’t thought through her next move. Hell, she’d been so out of sorts since getting back from Heron Harbor, she’d barely spoken to her sisters, dodging their persistent texts and calls. She hadn’t thought about moving, either. The only thing she’d done was manage to hook Mari up with a new job. Raven had called a few friends in the industry to recommend her former assistant for any upcoming positions and one of them had jumped at the chance to hire such a great candidate.

  Now the earth had shifted beneath Raven’s feet once again. She could drag her ass off the couch and get moving. But in what direction?

  Raven scanned the terms again. She’d still receive her severance payments, bonus, and insurance coverage. They’d given her everything she could want and extracted nothing in return. It was unheard of. The letter was signed by Alexander Fleming, Esq., the representative agent listed on Son Co’s documentation.

  Raven noticed a shadow of handwriting peeking through the page and flipped it over. Jack had left a note. His handwriting was bold and boxy. Extremely male and strong. Just like him.

  Raven,

  I wish I could do more to make things right, but that would require a time machine (which I haven’t acquired—yet). There’s so much I’d change if I could . . .

  In the meantime, enjoy your freedom. I’m sure there are lots of places that need fixing—and that need you.

  Always,

  Jack

  Warmth flooded Raven’s chest. He’d given her an extraordinary gift. If she were a different sort of person, she could use her knowledge about Paulson Diagnostic’s technology against him. But that would hurt the rest of the company’s employees. Her former employees. They’d been through enough already. She wouldn’t inflict the death blow. Jack must have known that about her. Otherwise, he’d never have released her from the agreement.

  Her heart squeezed as she ran her finger over his signature. It’d been weeks since they’d had contact. Their texts had been brief and transactional. He’d sent pictures when they finally cleared the willow from her car, and she’d responded with a simple “thank you.” The next week, Jack had sent another photo when the insurance agent totaled her beloved BMW and carted it away on the ferry. She’d replied with more thanks. His last message came the next day when he’d locked up the beach house and dropped off the keys with the rental agency. He’d sent a picture of his car on the ferry, but she’d wished he’d included himself in the picture, too.

  She missed him. The way he smelled. His strong arms. Big hands. The way he kissed her neck. His laugh. Pretty much everything about him was miss-able. He’d made more of an impact on her than any other man she’d ever met. And they’d only known each other a few days.

  But it was over. And while she didn’t have a photo of him, she had memories, which was more than she’d started with.

  Raven’s cell phone rang. It was probably Wren or Lark for the third time today. Their tag team calls were hella annoying, but they came from a place of love. Wren and Lark were worried about what unemployment would do to Raven, and they weren’t wrong. Losing her job—her place in the world—had made her feel unmoored.

  Wren and Lark didn’t realize that Raven’s funk had as much to do with being unemployed as it did with losing Jack. She’d downplayed her weekend with him as a fun fling that ended with the disastrous mistaken identity reveal, thanks to Lark’s monumental screw-up. (One of these days, Raven would find
a way to repay Lark.) But the truth was, Jack wasn’t just a fun fling. He’d meant so much more.

  Because of him, Raven saw possibilities she’d never considered. Possibilities she’d hoped to experience with him.

  She couldn’t explain all that to Wren and Lark because it would lead to painful conversations about why she’d never engaged in relationships before, her part in their mother’s death, and her crushing guilt. It was past time to confess to her sisters, but she was too much of a coward. She’d already lost her parents. She couldn’t bear losing them, too.

  The phone rang again, providing a merciful distraction from her thoughts. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, so she answered. “Hello?”

  “I’m looking for Raven Donovan.”

  “That’s me.”

  “I’m thrilled to reach you. My name is Susan Blackwood, and I work for Executive Placements, LLC. We’re an upmarket corporate hiring firm.” Susan sounded like she worked in an office covered in marble and crystal chandeliers.

  Executive Placements was the premier headhunter for senior executives. Even though Susan couldn’t see her, Raven sat up and adjusted her messy bun. “How did you hear about me? I didn’t submit my resume.”

  “We have contacts throughout the business world. When people recognize talent, they pass those names on to us so we can marry brilliance to available positions. I understand you’ve got quite a lot of experience turning around highly technical companies.”

  “I do. Would you like a rundown on my background?” Raven asked.

  “I make it my job to know that before I place this call. You’re exactly the kind of executive I’m looking for.” Susan answered.

  The compliment buoyed her. It was a welcome vote of confidence she hadn’t realized she needed. “I’m driven, and I’ve turned lots of troubled companies around.”

  “I’ve got a couple of great opportunities for you to consider. How do you feel about software companies? This one’s a real mess. They built a bunch of apps that sent a ton of personal data to an eastern European mafia ring. Consumers got prickly. We need a true turn-around artist to rebuild brand confidence.”