Page 6 of The Stalker

Tatiana opened the door and looked at Jesse, who was standing outside the conference room alone. “Where’s Cooper?”

“He went to his office. Want me to get him?”

“Yes, please. I don’t need you back in here for this portion of the meeting. I look forward to working with you, though.” She smiled at him.

He walked off down the hallway, and she went back into the conference room and took her place across from Hayden again. She figured that while they were waiting, she might as well start running through some expectations she had of clients.

“Just so you know, sitting across the table from me like that isn’t something I allow.”

Hayden’s eyebrows raised, and he asked, “Really? Why?”

“If someone came through that door with the intent to hurt you, there’s a table between us. It’s hard for me to get to you. Is it likely that someone will come through that door and try to harm you? No. Do I want to bet your life on those odds? Also, no.”

“Makes sense.” Hayden smiled at her, then he stood from his seat and walked around the table, before sitting down next to her and asking, “Is that better?”

“Much.” Tatiana grinned at him.

Now that he was next to her, though, his scent was intoxicating, and she briefly wished that she’d gotten the chance to meet him under different circumstances.

No. No. No. There are a thousand reasons why that is a no. He is a rock star, for one.

It’s not like she could ever get involved with someone like Hayden, regardless of how they met. Her job required a level of anonymity that being the girlfriend of a rock star didn’t afford.

Good. And don’t forget one Blake Stirling, either.

Hayden also had a boyfriend, of course. At least she’d have a pretty face to look at while she worked, even if he did seem to have a disconcerting effect on her senses.

Cooper entered the room again, followed by Gabriel, who raised an eyebrow at their new seating arrangement, followed by Sebastian and Harrison, both of whom looked surprised.

“I’m told that it’s time to discuss the contract,” Cooper said to Tatiana once the men had taken their seats, and she nodded as he indicated to the contract that he had just dropped on the table in front of himself. “My lawyer has reviewed it, and we have some concerns about the very hefty penalty for breaking the contract.”

“I’m sure that you also saw that there is an equally hefty penalty for me if I break the contract,” Tatiana told him as she pulled her own copy out of her bag.

“We did see that,” Cooper admitted begrudgingly.

Of course he did. The information was there as plain as day. She intensely disliked this attempt to try and make her feel as though it was somehow unfair.

“I’m not interested in playing games, Cooper. I require an investment from my client to ensure they are committed to their safety and that I have the best chance of keeping them safe.”

“Speaking of that, the clause about each party putting the sum of the penalty into escrow for the duration of the contract, that’s unacceptable.” Cooper frowned at Tatiana.

Tatiana had learned the hard way to have that clause in her contracts. As with the penalty for breaking the contract, it kept her safe from possible unscrupulous business practices.

She smiled at Cooper as she responded, coolly, “Perhaps you’re used to contracts that are skewed heavily in your favor, Mr. Powell, but all of mine are completely fair for both parties. Having the money in escrow ensures that my client and I know that we are covered in the case of an early dissolution of our business partnership. Do you have any other concerns about what’s in there?”

“No.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Good, because those points are both non-negotiable. So, now the question is simply whether it will be signed or not.”

Cooper frowned again, then drew the contract toward himself, flipped it to the page requiring signing and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Tatiana asked.

“Signing the damn thing,” he replied.

“Oh, no. You don’t sign the contract, Hayden does.”

“What the fuck?” Sebastian exclaimed from across the table.

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