Page 12 of Cougar Chronicles

He didn’t look back.

Five

He was waiting at her law office the next day.

He looked luscious, of course. He was still wearing jeans and a western shirt. This time the shirt was a creamy beige that accented his golden skin tone. Could he be any more tempting?

“Mr. Sherwood’s been waiting for a while, Holly,” Cindy, the receptionist, said. “Said he had an appointment.”

Holly let out a harsh breath. Reprimanding Cindy would do no good. The young woman took phone calls and manned the lobby, and each tenant contributed to her salary. But each tenant who rented an office here kept his own calendar. Executive suites, the offices were called, and many sole proprietors found them an economical way do business while keeping the professional air of a downtown building. The situation usually worked just fine.

“Is everything okay, Holly?” Cindy asked. “It’s not like you to miss an appointment.”

I don’t miss an appointment…when I have one. Holly smiled at the receptionist. “Just running late is all.” Now, what to do with Jack? He’d already been waiting and to keep him any longer would look bad to Cindy. “Come with me, Mr. Sherwood.”

She opened the door to her office, gestured him in, and closed the door. “Don’t you have a home to go to?”

“Yup.” He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He looked completely comfortable and at ease. And absolutely edible.

Damn him.

“Then why aren’t you there?”

“I have a legal problem.”

“How’d you find me?”

“A little bird.” He chuckled. “With a raspy voice and smoke on her breath.”

Holly rolled her eyes. “Sheila. One day I’m going to revert to my teenage years and kick that woman’s ass. I could take her, you know.”

Jack’s smile lit up the room. “Aw, leave her alone. Poor thing’s going to be on oxygen in ten years anyway.”

“That’s her own doing.”

“True enough, but don’t blame her. I was persistent.”

“Of course I blame her. She should keep my private information private.”

“Sugar, your business name and address are hardly private. I would have found you eventually. Sheila just sped up the process a little by telling me you were an attorney. It was easy enough to find you after that.” He leaned toward her and whispered. “I could’ve Googled you and found you myself.”

Holly moved away from him. Being too close to him kept her from thinking straight. She sat down behind her desk, inhaled, and looked right at him, determined not to be mesmerized by his dark gaze. “What is it that you want, Jack?”

“Besides you in my bed?”

A rush of heat crept over Holly’s skin. She cleared her throat. “Yes, besides that.”

“I told you. I have a legal problem.”

“Which is?”

“I need a document drawn up, giving me sole custody of my son.”

An anvil landed in Holly’s stomach. He had a son? “You have a son?”

“Sugar, you look like someone just told you pigs could fly. Surely this can’t be that surprising.”

“Well, I just—”

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