Page 25 of Crossing the Line
They’re in front of us now, and his hand is still on Paisley’s back. I’m losing control, rolling my shoulders, rubbing behind my ear, fighting the urge to tell Clive that he can now remove his hand from…What is she to me? My woman? The person I want to be my woman? Fuck it. She’s PG.
“I’m Clive Alden.”
“I know who you are. Where’s Max Grove?” Nero asks, insistent.
Clive remains as cool as a cucumber. “Max is out today. He has the flu.”
Nero and I snort facetiously. He’s lying, and Paisley’s widening eyes prove it.
“We’re playing it this way, huh?” Nero asks.
Clive’s wearing a shit-eating grin as he inclines back, feigning ignorance. “And which way is that?”
Nero laughs, but there’s no humor in it.
“Good morning, Paisley,” I say. It becomes deathly quiet as we wait for her to respond.
Her eyes are cold as she glares at me. “Good morning.” Her tone is cold too. She’s never spoken to me that way. She must have found out the truth about Lauren and me. I’m certain she heard Achilles inquire about Lauren.
“Paisley,” Clive says, turning to her, making sure he has her full attention.
She’s not looking at me anymore, and the absence of her attention is driving me crazy. I have to talk to her alone and explain my obligation to Lauren in complete detail. I was going to leave a message about Lauren with her purse when I had the concierge return it to her this morning, but then I thought that would be too insensitive. I wanted to explain as much as I can about Lauren to her in person. All Paisley needs to know is that I’m never going to marry Lauren, especially now that she’s back in my life.
Clive nods. “Remember my instructions.”
“What were your instructions to Miss Grove, Alden? She’s not supposed to speak to my client? They’re old friends.” Nero leers at Clive. “Very good friends.”
It takes everything I have to stop myself from elbowing Nero for landing a nice punch. I like how his subtle insinuation that PG and I have gone beyond the friend zone has landed with Clive who is trying to pull himself out of his state of shock. However, on the flip side, Paisley looks horrified.
“Nero,” I blurt, chastising him.
“I’m not calling this off, Alden,” Nero continues. He’s fired up, not giving a damn what I want. “Let’s go fight.”
Clive jerks his head back. “Oh, fight? Wow. I didn’t know this was a schoolyard brawl. This is an arbitration hearing. This is about agreeing, not fighting.”
Nero glances at me as if to ask, “Can you believe this guy?”
“May I speak to your client alone, please?” I ask. I want to talk to Paisley before Nero goes into that room and tries to rip her apart.
“No,” Clive and Paisley say at the same time.
I focus solely on her. “PG, let me explain.”
“Explain what?” Nero asks.
I’m staring into her gorgeous eyes, pleading with her. She quickly looks at the floor, breaking our intense eye contact.
“There’s no talking to my client, and you know it, Lord.” Clive puts his hand on her back again. “Let’s go inside.”
I smell her as she passes to enter the conference room. I tilt my head back, close my eyes, and massage the bridge of my nose.
I know we’re alone when Nero asks, “What the hell was that?”
“Just let it be.”
“Hercules, we’re close, so don’t fuck this up. You understand? I bet that was why he sent her. He must have known you would be here and that you had a thing for his sister. Oh… that fucking Max Grove. He’s cunning as hell.”
My head hurts as I glare at Nero who’s shaking his head. His conclusion makes no sense at all. I should say something to set his mind at ease, but he’s right to be worried. Max certainly didn’t strategically plan to have his sister sit across the table from me. But it’s just as it was in high school. Whenever Paisley Grove is near, I’m not at my best. She ruffles me. No other girl or woman has made me feel this way—like I want to experience her twenty-four seven. It’s insane.
Finally, Nero takes me by the shoulders and makes sure we have solid eye contact. “I need you to concentrate on what we have to do today. Don’t screw this up over a girl you can never have. Because we’re close. We’re on the precipice.”
The thought of that sits in my throat like a lump of clay.I can’t have Paisley? Bullshit.
I shrug his hands off me. “Let’s get this over with.” The faster it’s over, the sooner I can have her all to myself.
