“Dude, that’s ridiculous. It’s a mistake, it happens.”
“Were the kids good?”
“Angels.”
“Hey look, it’s like almost three am now, if you want to crash here you’re more than welcome, I don’t want you driving if you’re tired.”
“I’ll be ok. I have to get home. Text me tomorrow and tell me how your night went.”
“I will.” I shoved the hundred dollars in her purse as she walked toward the door. I don’t think she noticed, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer.
I royally fucked up tonight. Tate has a way with completely messing with my damn head and bringing me to lala land. Exhausted and reliving the night, knowing I dealt with Cage in just a few short hours and I had to pretend what he did didn’t affect me. Then my thoughts turned to Tate as I curled up in my bed and turned the fan on. Cliché because the fan needed to cool me down from my thoughts about him. This always wasn’t the problem. The physical chemistry we shared had no trouble, not even the relationship part. But, there was a lot of water under that bridge. Pain mixed with love and hurt didn’t make for an easy love story. I kicked the covers off and shimmied my pants down leaving me in my shirt and underwear. Watching the fan spin round and round my brain finally shut down and sleep took over.
CHAPTER TWENTY
T he morning alarm blaring in my ear was dreadful, but it was my fault for fucking up my night. The kids were extra cranky taking them to school, which made me need to down three cups of coffee before I even got to work. My nerves heightened at the mere notice of Oakley and Bennet. The thought of seeing Cage and working beside him in my first open meeting rattled my stomach in knots. What exactly happened last night? The entire thing wasn’t acceptable. I pulled up my big girl panties and got out of the car. My phone rang reminding me to silence it, but saw it was Clint. Ugh!
“Hello?” I answered, probably sounding a bit annoyed.
“Hey.”
Silence.
“What Clint? I’m heading into work.”
“I-um—“
“Spit it out, I have work.”
“Can I see the kids?”
“Your mama is taking them tonight. Frankly, I have no other words for you. Goodbye.”
“Wait!”
“I’m not doing this with you.”
“Paisley, you make me crazy. I just want to, I don’t know, talk?”
“The time for talking was before you served full fucking custody papers threatening to take my babies away from me. I am done talking.”
I ended the call before he could say anything else. Silencing my phone, I tucked it into my purse. Taking a deep breath, I strolled into the office by passing a bunch of people and heading straight to my desk.
“Hey,” Delaney said. She popped her head around the office door.
“Morning, what’s up?” I slapped my purse down on the chair already rolling my eyes that people were bugging me in my office.
“You ok? You seemed a bit placid last night?”
“Not one to air my dirty laundry at the business table.”
She sighed, looked both directions, before coming in my office and closing the door behind her.
“Did something happen last night outside of the table?” She kept her voice low.
I stared at her trying to figure her out. Had she suspected something? Or was this part of Cage’s evil plan to see what I would say?
“I’m not sure what you mean.” I powered up my laptop and plopped down in the swivel chair.
“I just know how Cage can get sometimes that’s all.” She glanced out the office window making sure nobody saw her like it was some big secret she spoke with me.
“How is that exactly?”
I played dumb. This was my damn job on the line. I needed this job and would figure out a way around last night.
“I’m sure you know. Look, meeting is in ten. Bring your laptop for notes.”
“Will do.”
She exited my office without another word. The thought of her knowing more than what she led on came to my mind more than once in a few second conversation. My stomach swished with uncertainty about this meeting. A bunch of big lawyers for some type of event they’re hosting. Not prepared or ready for this day and I craved another hot cup of coffee to wake me the hell up.
Cage poked his head in. “Coffee please. Meeting now.”
He was out of my office before I could respond. Goosebumps scattered across my skin and I stood up right away. I grabbed my laptop and made my way to the kitchen to get our coffees. Nobody to lollygag with so I made the coffee and juggled it all in my hands to the meeting room. Cage sat across from the large round table next to Van, Van sat beside Delaney, and others scattered about. One seat sat open next to Cage, which I presumed for me as I hustled over with his coffee. Setting his black coffee down in front of him, I got situated next to him. Not receiving a thank you or so much as a look my way, I ignored it and opened my laptop.
Taking a sip of my super-hot coffee, wishing it was cooled off so I could down some hoping it would ease my jitters.
“Good morning everyone, now that everyone is situated, let’s start. If at any time you have something for me, papers, questions, you can shoot my assistant here, Paisley, an email and she’ll further assist you,” Cage announced.
I smiled at everyone in the room and began taking notes as they talked. I had a few documents open, an excel sheet paired with a list of who attended and any questions they asked. Delaney shot me a private chat that popped up off to the side. Making sure Cage wasn’t glaring over at me, I opened it.
Delaney: I hope I didn’t come off strong or anything earlier.
Me: You’re fine.
Delaney: Ok good, maybe we can get drinks sometime just us girls.
I stared at the message before me. Delaney wasn’t a person I’d ever step foot with outside of work. We were polar opposites and mostly hasn’t been that inviting to me since I started. The whole thing just screamed off to me. I played it off, but I began to sense something.
Me: Yeah, maybe.
I left it at that. Cage dropped me a paper and I quickly entered the data into the excel sheet. Funny how he avoided me like it was my fault last night. He acted like I did some absurd thing.
The meeting went on for a couple hours and boredom ate me alive. I was happy to retreat to my desk and get actual work done. When I saw it neared lunch time, I checked my phone for any messages and saw one from Belinda and one from Tammy. Wishing I saw one from Tate, because I didn’t know when he’d be back.
Belinda: Are we still on for tonight?
Tammy: I miss you friend.
Another one popped up as I was looking at my phone from Bre. Oh Bre. I felt terrible for abandoning her like that.
Bre: How awake are ya today sis?
Me: Bre, I’m dead to the world. I owe you big time.
Bre: I love you, and I really miss you here at this job. They’re such assholes here!
Me: Trust me the grass ain’t greener here.
I quickly typed a response out to Belinda letting her know I would see her later and then one to Tammy begging for a catch up soon. If she knew what happened last night she’d fight me tooth and nail about reporting it. I had a feeling leaving it to myself served the best option.
“Come on, lunch is on me.” Cage signaled.
“Oh, um, that’s ok. I don’t have an appetite really.”
“Then sit with me.”
Not wanting to kiss his ass mixed well with not wanting to make him mad either. My insides screamed no, don’t let him make him you feel this way. My strength weakening by the second, I gave in.
“Ok.”
I grabbed my purse, and my phone, and hurried after him down the hall. Looked like we were going somewhere off property as he headed toward the main door. Nerves kicked in, my hands clammed up, and my breathing escalated. It didn’t look like anyone else joined us, making it just the two of us which didn’t help the way I f
elt either way.
He stopped at his Mercedes and opened the passenger door. I took a reluctant look at him, wishing for a sign but saw nothing but his icy features. Breathing rapidly, I stepped inside and he closed the door rather loudly. Once he got in the car, he said nothing as he started it and flew out of the parking lot at a rather alarming speed.
The silence screamed loudly between us and my heart ate at my stomach confirming that appetite I said I surely didn’t have. His jaw ticked, and his eyes focused on the road.
I decided to break the ice. Hoping I didn’t sink through a hole. “Is something wrong?” I gripped the door while he weaved in and out of traffic like a professional race car driver.
My knees began to shake as I watched his knuckles tightening on the wheel.
”You haven’t spoken to me about your case.” He breathed out.
“Because I haven’t had time to read over it, let alone make any sound decisions.”
“There are bastards out there that get away with this shit every day. You need to fucking start, and get it going before you lose your kids!”
“I’m not understanding the importance to you? This is my life. And quite frankly I’m taken back by the fact you’re bashing someone I was married with.”
“Paisley, he sped up the case and paid a lawyer a huge fucking chunk of money to take your ass down.”
I looked at him eyes going wide as he flew into the restaurant parking lot. “What?”
“Why do you think I’ve been pressuring you to get on it?”
“I’m not sure how you know this information and I don’t?”
“Is that important? I am the top lawyer in the state. I get what I want.”
“Then why are you worried?”
“Because he has the second top lawyer in the state.”
“I’m not understanding this clearly. If you’re number one, then we won’t lose.”
“Van, Van is his lawyer, Paisley.”
I sat there stunned. Why would Van take on a case against mine, a co-worker? It seemed, I don’t know, illegal, or unethical at best? No wonder how he knew so much damn information. This seemed like I was set up. Had Delaney known this? Did everyone know this? I wanted this to be out of my hair, and now it seemed impossible. And Clint paid Van more money to speed up the process and make sure we lost? My hands balled into fists and my brain envisioned my hands around Clint’s throat squeezing the very life from him for doing this to me when it was always about some slut he was sleeping with promising things to. This was my damn life he fucked with.
“I’m not sure what to even say.”
“Read the papers. Get your shit together and on my desk tomorrow morning. If you want to win this, we have to get on top of it. Nothing I do will throw a curve ball, Van knows how I operate the ins and outs.”
“So you’re saying he has a chance at beating me at this?”
“I won’t lie, but he does. Because of Van.”
“Well, that’s easy.” I picked the phone out of my pocket and dialed a number. Once the voice on the other end answered Cage narrowed his eyes at me.
“Van Oakley.” He answered.
“Van, it’s Paisley.”
“Paisley? What’s up?”
“Drop Clint Watson from your clientele. I don’t care how much he paid you, if it’s about money, I’ll pay you double.”
Cages mouth parted. I didn’t know how much that was and I knew I didn’t have it, but I would sell everything I had to make sure I did.
“Paisley, you know I can’t do that.”
“You can, you will. Because you don’t want to see the destruction of me when my babies will be ripped from my arms.”
“I’m a lawyer, this is my job.”
“And I’m a mother first. An employee second. If you care about your employees and don’t want your company blasted on every TV station for worst place to work, then you will do it.”
He paused. “You have a good lawyer.”
“I’m not pitting you up against each other. Drop the case.” I seethed.
He ended the call. I looked at my phone making sure he actually hung up on me, and tossed my phone up against the dash as it crashed to the floor.
“Paisley, he’s not going to drop it.”
“I am new here, I understand that you both don’t know me well enough to vouch for my character in a case like this. His word verses mine. But I swear on my soul that if he doesn’t drop it, I will make this company hell.”
“It’s not our fucking fault your custody case is going through us. He hired Van. You approached me.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. Here I thought I was angry at him for what he did the night prior, but this angered me beyond belief. I was wrong and I knew it. My anger was directed at the wrong person.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you both.”
“Let’s eat.”
“Forgive me, but I’m not hungry.”
“I said let’s eat.”
“Cage! I’m not fucking hungry.”
He leaned across the middle console and within a second he pulled my head toward him and crashed his lips to mine. Feeling him needy, and demanding, I hated it, but a small, minuscule part of me enjoyed it. I pushed him away before my thoughts could ponder it. What the hell was that? Why did he do it? Ugh.
He wiped his lips and sat in the driver seat. “Don’t tell me you didn’t like that.”
Rapid breaths took over listening to his words on a fast repeat. “Take me back to my car.” I said softly.
This entire day was wrong. Every single thing. It all felt disgusting and painful. My thoughts betrayed me because my mind wanted to accept how that made me feel, yet logic screamed red flag. RED FLAG! The engine purred as he started and took off without a word.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
C age obeyed my orders, said nothing further and drove me back to my car. He sped off right away once I got in. Then I emailed a formal two week’s notice as I bawled my eyes out. Wiping my tears, I started my car and started to ease out of the parking lot on to the main street. He fucking kissed me. My boss. My lawyer. Everything told me trouble started if I stayed at this job. It wasn’t meant to be. The way he acted last night, now today, he was unpredictable and it was not stable. Craving to pick up the phone and call Tate, knowing full well I couldn’t. My eyes sore, blurry from all the tears, they started to clear when I thought about Clint and what the fuck he was doing to me. He wanted to see the kids? Talk? He was going to hear a fucking earful.
I steered the car in the direction of Clint’s house. The motherfucker better be home because I had words for him. Big damn words. He wouldn’t like it either. My phone rang and I silenced it seeing Cage’s name. My life very well might be ruined and I just gave up my job and my lawyer and I’d be damned if I gave up my kids over an asshole with an ego issue and a girlfriend problem. I’d go to any length if that Chasity bitch was there too.
The car slid into the gravel driveway as I made my way back into twenty acre ranch. The closer I got the angrier I became. Then, I saw the ranch, and his new flashy truck parked out front. Jittery, but ready, I parked the car and trailed up the front porch slamming my fist on the wood door.
It veered open, and my eyes met Clint’s before my fist swung back and flew forward into his nose causing him to backup off balance. “Fuck you! How could you fucking do this to me?” I pressed hard on his chest and he let me as he stood there as my punching bag. I pounded my fists into him. “Where’s that bitch Chasity? Huh? She wants to play tough I’m going to show her how tough I can be.” I slammed my arm into him trying to nudge him to the side when he grabbed my arm softly.
“She’s gone, Paisley.”
“Well get her ass back here!”
“Stop.” He said gently rubbing my arm up and down.
“Don’t tell me to stop! I hate you Clint Watson!” I roared backing away from him with a mean glimmer in my eye ready to shed even more tears a
s I said the ultimate worst thing I could say to somebody.
“You don’t mean that,” he said.
I didn’t answer but I stormed off the front porch and barely made it to my car before the tears started. Fuck Clint. Fuck Cage. Fuck men. My strength once again weakened. What had he meant she was gone? Why wasn’t he raging back at me? Why the hell would he care if I meant it? He was taking my southern ass to court! Threatening to take my children away from me. I hit the pedal down to the floor and fish tailed out of the driveway and back toward my house. My breathing rushed a swoop of air right out of my lungs and my head pounded. My chest felt like it caved in restricting my air flow. My heart beat so fast, I worried a heart attack was happening. The faster I drove, the worse I felt, and I knew I was almost home. Pulling into my driveway, I got out of the car and slowly dragged my feet to the steps of my house. Before I could place my keys in the front door, a car slid into the drive behind me. A door slammed as I turned around and saw Cage’s six foot something sexy, stalking my way as he took two steps at a time and within one giant leap pinned me to the house with his body and his lips once again crashed to mine. I sinned for not wanting to stop him. I sinned again for kissing him back with just as much force, passion. I reached back on my door and felt for the keypad and turned the lock that was already in there. The door cracked open sending us falling back into the house. My arms landed around his neck as our kiss deepened. I was technically single right? No. Red flag, red flag, red flag! Why did it feel so fucking good though? How the hell did he know where I lived? Tate. Oh Tate. Fuck!
I slammed my hand between us and pushed him away. “I can’t.”
His breathing was labored. “I am sorry. I reacted and should have talked first.”
“Ok.” I wasn’t sure what to say, this awkward stance we were doing filled the kitchen we were now standing in.
“Please, don’t quit.”
“Cage, you just came on to me, twice. You’re trying to be my lawyer when I can’t even afford my life let alone to pay you. Nor expect you to pro bono me. Plus, last night.”
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