Page 4 of Theirs to Take

She and Evie had met when they were both hired on at Simon’s company at about the same time. Evie was one of the only employees who didn’t fault her for being married to one of the lawyers at the firm. The rest of the office gossip mill made her feel like she was cheating the system somehow, but not Evie. She didn’t seem to care who Nova was married to.

Evie was still with the firm, and she was Nova’s ace in the hole when it came to getting information on Simon that mighthelp tip the scales of justice in her favor. For now, her bestie was laying low and getting all the dirt on Nova’s ex and she was so grateful to have Evie’s help. It might be the only way for her to get custody of Jack back.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Nova said. God, that line sounded cheesy even to her. “Sorry,” she said, “I’m a bit nervous. You don’t have to tell me about your personal life. Tell me about your business—you know since I’m going to be working for you.” She was trying to cover her tracks and only digging a bigger hole for herself.

Alex reached across the table and took her hand into his own, stopping her from fidgeting with the napkin. “You don’t have to be nervous,” he promised. “It’s good for us to get to know each other, Nova,” he insisted. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. I work late some nights and if you can stay, that will be appreciated. The more you know me, the easier this will go—and vice versa.” She nodded and tried to paste on her best smile, causing Alex to laugh. “I can see that this is going to take some time. Um—you asked about my business, right?”

“Yes,” she breathed. He still hadn’t let go of her hand and she wasn’t sure that she wanted him to. He seemed to have a calming effect on her, and she had to admit, it was nice.

“All right,” he said. “Um, I started my company eight years ago, after I passed the bar. I was working for my father’s firm and decided that it was time to branch out and start something for myself. It didn’t help matters that my father and I didn’t really see eye to eye on things, and when it came to business, we never agreed. So, I left and started my own firm.”

“Wow, that’s ballsy,” she said. “I mean, you were so young; it must have been terrifying.”

“Not as bad as you think,” he admitted. “You see, my grandfather was in oil, and he also comes from old money. He left my brother and me very well off and that’s what I used tostart my company. I don’t have to work at all, but I love what I do, so failing never even crossed my mind.” Nova wondered what that would be like—never having to work a day in her life. She’d be free to do whatever she wanted, and Simon would have never been able to get full custody of Jack.

“After I took on my first handful of clients, things just seemed to take off from there. I had to hire new lawyers and even had to buy the building that we met in today. It’s grown into something that I never imagined it could be and now, my younger brother is thinking about coming on, once he passes the bar.”

“So, a family of lawyers then?” she asked.

“Yeah, but it took my brother a while to get to this place. Once he got his inheritance, he dropped out of law school and went a little wild. He traveled the world and spent money like that was his full-time job. My father and I had to do a kind of intervention with Rod—you know tell him that he was wasting his potential.”

“I bet that didn’t go well,” she said. “Most people don’t want to hear that they are not living up to their full potential.”

“No,” he agreed, “they don’t. Rod didn’t either, but after some coaxing, Dad and I convinced him to go back to law school. He dragged his feet and rode it out for as long as possible, but he’s been studying for the bar, and with any luck, he’ll be working at my firm in the next year. I’d love to turn it into a partnership, you know. Something that my brother and I can pass down to future generations.”

“Do you have kids?” she asked, suddenly worried that she hadn’t done enough digging on her new boss before agreeing to go out to dinner with him. What if he had a wife and kids waiting for him back at home? Would he even admit that to her while sitting across from her, holding her hand in a very romantic restaurant?

He barked out his laugh, garnering some attention from the people who were sitting around them. “No,” he said. “I don’t have any kids—no wife, girlfriend, or significant other either, if that’s where you were heading with that question.”

“Oh—no,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to pry into your life, Alex,” she insisted.

“Pry away, honey,” he said. “I’m an open book.” She wished that she could say the same, but there was no way that she’d admit to some of her ugly past—especially since she never knew who Simon could possibly have spying on her.

“I wish that I could say the same,” she said under her breath. “I seem to live under a microscope since my ex got custody of our son.”

“What did he have to claim in court? Wait—don’t answer that, let me guess. He’s convinced a judge that you’re an unfit mother.”

“Yes,” she said. “That was what he told the judge.”

“Typical,” Alex grumbled. “That’s Simon’s go-to. If he wants to bring down a woman, he jumps right to her being unfit. I’ve seen him argue most of his cases that way. I’m sorry, Nova,” he said.

“It’s not your fault,” she assured. “I’m just thankful to have this job now because I’ll be able to get a nicer place and then, the judge might hear my side again. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for. I only get to see Jack on Saturday and half of Sunday, and then, Simon gets him back. I feel like he’s growing up without me. I’m missing out on everything going on in his life. He’s going to be five in a few weeks, and I’m not even allowed to see him on his birthday since it falls on a weekday. Simon has arranged to have a big birthday party for him on a Friday evening and I won’t be able to go to that either. You have no idea how much that pains me, Alex,” she whispered.

Alex squeezed her hand into his own and nodded. “I don’t have any idea what it feels like to not have my child with me, but I can promise you that I will help fix this for you, Nova. I will do everything in my power to help you get Jack back. The first thing I’m going to do is file an injunction against Simon to demand you be allowed to attend your own son’s birthday.”

“I’d love that,” she admitted. “Thank you, Alex,” she said. “Simon is having his nanny basically raise my son. She’s not his mother—I am, and I want him back.”

“We’ll get him back for you, honey,” he assured, but Nova worried that he had just made her a promise he wouldn’t be able to keep. Her ex-husband was one of the best lawyers she’d ever met. She just hoped like hell that her new boss was better.

They spent the rest of their dinner talking about their pasts and what they had gone through to get to where they were in life. She wondered at just how easy it was to talk to Alex. If they ended up taking this little date any further, Nova was sure that she’d end up regretting it. Alex was her new boss and she liked how they were getting along. Jumping into bed with her sexy-as-sin boss wouldn’t help matters in the morning when she had to show up for her first day at work. No, she was going to have to give him the one word that would put a stop to their date. Alex promised her that if she told him, no, he’d back off—no strings and no broken promises. She’d still have a job to show up to in the morning and he’d still help her get Jack back. Nova saw that as her only option, really because sex would only complicate things between the two of them.

“Would you like anything else?” the waitress asked.

“Um, I wouldn’t,” Nova said. “Thank you.”

“Just put this on my tab,” Alex said. The waitress nodded and turned to walk away.

“You have a tab here?” Nova asked.

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