Page 35 of Icing the Enemy

The truck is smoldering hot from the summer sun. Daylight seems to last forever and even though the sun is setting, it doesn’t negate that it’s ninety-four degrees. The leather burns the back of my thighs.

“Hot, hot, hot.” I pull the handle above the door, bouncing. Corbin’s grin curls up on one side as he watches me. “It’s not funny.”

All he says is, “I know.” But his focus lingers on my legs. He coughs in his elbow before asking, “Did you forget to bring the documents regarding your trust?”

I unzip my purse and take out the document folded twice. He laughs. “What? I didn’t forget?”

“Do you mind if my sister takes a look at it?”

“Why?”

“She’s a lawyer. She specializes in inheritance law or whatever they call it.”

I gnaw on my lip and turn in my seat. “Can we make a copy first and give her the copy?”

“Sure, she has a copy machine at her home office.”

“She already hates me. You said so,” I hem and haw. “Will she try to talk you out of our arrangement?” I sneak a glance at him when he pulls up to a downtown high rise. He pulls in front of the green awning, and the valet opens my door. Corbin opens the door and escorts me in. He says to the doorman, “Can you ring me up to 1200?”

“Sure, Mr. Shearer.”

As the elevator doors hum to a close, my nerves prickle under my skin. My palms sweat at the thought of coming face to face with his sister again. She seems to be the tiny but mighty kind of person, and she’s going to lose her mind when she sees me. I strum my fingers against my leg, wondering what kind of chaos might occur when we reach her floor.

Calm down.Corbin is a grown man and makes his own decisions and if he wants to help me, then she can’t stop him—unless she tells the world we’re faking it.

As if he senses my trepidation, his hand brushes against my arm, instantly soothing my nerves. “She’s a softy. It’ll be fine. But you need to understand that I have to know what exactly will help you gain access to your trust fund, so she can write up a contract between us.”

There’s no venom in his voice. Maybe we took a baby step tonight.

The doors open to a hallway which has one door on each side but not perfectly across from each other. He taps his knuckles against 1200, and his sister swings the door open wide. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Sorry, are you busy?”

That’s when his sister notices me. “Noooo, but…” I give her a tentative wave. “Well, hello, person who took advantage of my brother.”

“Can we come in?” he asks.

Her eyes narrow as she glances at me, then back to him. “Yeah, have you eaten?”

“Yeah, Oakley and I went to dinner.”

“Hmm. Why?”

“Because I asked her on a date. I need a favor, and you can’t even tell your hubs. Is he here?”

Corbin looks around the grand living area. This place is immaculate, warm, and inviting. She has a wall full of photos. There must be twenty frames with even more people in them. In her wedding photo, they don’t appear to go together. Usually, beautiful people marry other beautiful people. She’s tiny and flawlessly beautiful, and her husband is small, wiry with glasses. He must be a dynamo in bed.

“Yeah, he’s on a call with Japan. It’s morning there.”

“Can you copy this?” He hands her the documents. “You keep the copy and give Oakley the original.”

She unfolds them and scans the first page. “This seems to be in order.”

“Wait until you read it all. I don’t want you to read it now. Just copy it, and we’ll go, then you can call me so I can explain.”

Becca’s brows furrow as she stares at her brother and pads out of the room. Corbin whispers, “She’ll be on my side.”

“She should be because I’m not the only one who needs this.”

---