Page 233 of The Maxwell Brothers
SHOW ME FOREVER
CHAPTER 1
DECLAN
She was goingto be the death of me. I was lying in bed at two o'clock in the morning, and my neighbor was listening to music. Elizabeth Watson—Liz—wasn't technically my neighbor. She was renting the guest house on my property, and I needed to find a loophole in that contract, because these sleepless nights were getting to me.
I rose from the bed, putting on jeans and a shirt before heading downstairs. I’d had a difficult day. A client's husband was fighting dirty in their divorce proceedings, and I'd stayed up late, prepping the case against that asshole. I’d promised her the best deal possible, and I was determined to deliver. I never made a promise I couldn’t keep. It was one of the reasons I was the most sought-after attorney in Chicago.
My job came with a hell of a lot of responsibility. I balanced that by relaxing when I came home.
My neighbor was making the latter impossible. Why did she have to turn the volume up so loud?
I walked across the yard to the guest house. When I reached the front door, I banged loudly a couple times, then waited.
The woman who sold me the property did so under the condition that I allowed Liz to continue renting the guest houseuntil her contract ended in five months. I’d only agreed because I liked the place so much.
When my parents saw it, Mom immediately remarked that it was the perfect place to raise kids. That had been the last thing on my mind when I bought it. As a lawyer, I’d seen enough divorces to know that most marriages weren’t happy like my parents’. Personally, I bought this house because I liked the neighborhood and the architecture. It was huge at six thousand square feet, but I loved having my space.
Dad said my niece would like it. He was right. The house was a hit with Paisley. She was welcome here anytime, as were my five brothers. I loved having my family around—they grounded me.
Liz didn't answer. I banged again even louder so she could hear me. That time she did open the door. She was wearing a red tank top, her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and sweat dotted her temples and neck. She was gorgeous. Yeah, I noticed.
"Liz," I said in a measured voice.
"Declan," she replied. "I hope you're not here again for the music."
"Why else would I be at your door at two o'clock in the morning?"
She folded her arms over her chest, keeping her chin high. "You tell me."
"We've had this conversation before," I said. I forced myself to maintain eye contact and not check her out.
"I'm doing my workout. I need music, and it's not that loud."
"Then how come I hear it from inside my bedroom?"
"Dancing helps me relax," she said, putting her hands on her hips. She was ignoring my question and shifting focus. I knew that tactic from the courtroom.
"You know what helpsmerelax? Sleeping through the night."
She pressed her palm to her forehead, shaking her head. "Oh, Declan. We've been through this a couple times."
"I know."
"Ihaveturned the music down.”
“Not enough."
This woman was a spitfire. I was used to opponents balking at my mere presence in the courtroom, but she didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, she seemed to enjoy this.
"I told you I want to have a cordial relationship," I told her.
"Yes, so very cordial. That's why you show up in the middle of the night at my door. You aren't hoping I’ll invite you in, are you?"
"I just want to sleep." I said every word calmly, even though I was feeling anything but. I needed my sleep. I had a big court case later this week, and I had to be in top shape to prepare for it. I cared about every case, and I always gave 100 percent to my clients.
Liz looked at me like this was all a big joke. She was exasperating. And far too sexy.
