Page 58 of Enemies with Benefits

‘I’m saying that before end of business today, the threat to your company will be over. And before I’m finished with him, Hugh will know that his lastborn son isn’t weak. That like I’ve always done, I’ll fight for those who matter to me. To the death if I have to.’

Her eyes grew into alluring saucers and I wanted to grab her, wrap her tight in my arms and never let go. But we’d been through the mill the last few days. I knew it would take more than a few declarations to make things right. Plus I had a feeling that, while I might have won this skirmish with my father, he would continue to be a nuisance for a while.

As those thoughts flashed through my head, the light died from her eyes. ‘It’s too late, Jasper. The Bingham board are seriously thinking of selling—’

‘Fuck that. You won’t be selling Bingham’s. Not to someone who’ll break it into little pieces and sell it, and certainly not to my father.’

Her chin went higher. ‘It’s not up to you, though, is it?’

I tried a different tack. ‘Did I tell you Damian is married now?’

She frowned. ‘What?’

I shook my head, the very thought still bewildering in the extreme. ‘My hard-hearted, closed-off brother, whose only friend in the world is my certifiably psychotic cousin Gideon, is in love. With an actual red-blooded woman. Who apparently loves him back.’

Her confusion grew. ‘Why are you telling me this?’

‘Because he’s proof that the unthinkable can happen. And they’re not just in love, they’re also in business together.’

‘That’s great, but were they locked in a family feud before they got together?’

‘No, but fuck that, too,’ I snarled. ‘Tell me you don’t want this to end, once and for all, Wren. That we haven’t paid enough for the wrong decisions our parents made?’

She swallowed and that small hesitation sparked hope in my chest. Her gaze flicked to the phone she’d tossed onto the coffee table, and my instinct latched on to it.

‘Who were you talking to just now?’

Her lips pursed for a second. ‘Perry. Apparently he’s allowed phone calls after the first four weeks.’

‘What did you talk about?’ I pushed, that blind hope still building.

She slicked her tongue over her bottom lip. ‘He said he didn’t hate me for sealing the deal with you. Or...for going out with you.’ The relief in her voice was palpable.

‘Good. What else?’

‘He said he would support me in whatever decision I make about the company. And...’

‘And what?’

‘He knows he was the favourite child, that I got a raw deal when it came to our parents’ love. He wants me to forgive him for taking advantage of it.’

‘As he should.’ I paused for a heartbeat before speaking the words that blazed from my soul. ‘While you’re giving your brother a chance, would you consider giving me one, too?’

Panic flared over her face before her gaze swept away. ‘I told you, I’m not some lost cause you need to save. You can go ahead and bid for Bingham’s if you want but I—’

‘I love you. Does that count?’

Her jaw dropped and a visible tremble shook her body. ‘What?’

‘I love you, Wren. And you’re far, far from a lost cause. You’re fit to command armies and your indomitable spirit makes me fall harder for you every passing second.’

She inhaled. Right before her eyes narrowed into accusing slits. ‘You refused to take my calls. You left me floundering in the dark for days, Jasper!’

‘Because I was scrambling to stop Hugh from getting his hands on Bingham’s. Between Gideon, Damian and I, we’ve been up round the clock for days, blocking every conceivable avenue Hugh might exploit.’

Several layers of anger drained away. ‘You...have?’

‘If it was just a question of money, it would’ve been easy. Between the three of us, we have enough to stop Hugh financially. But before you got your lawyers to implement the freeze on the votes, he was busy trying to buy off your board members. And I was busy trying to put this together.’

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