Page 67 of The Charmer's Gambit
“It’s cognac, which is produced by doubly distilling white wines in certain regions of France.” He finished the glass and set it aside without looking at me. “Are you okay with hiring Beau and Sam?”
I studied his profile. “They’re your employees. I’m not going to give an opinion one way or another.”
“They’re here to protect you, Rachel.” He finally met my gaze, and what I saw there stole the air from my lungs. Uncertainty mingled with hurt behind a mask of forced professionalism. “I don’t want to make assumptions on your behalf, so I’m going to need your input. Are you comfortable with me hiring them, or should I ask Hernandez to send new candidates?”
His use of the wordassumptionswas deliberate, but not in an accusatory or provocative way. My reaction to his decision to sign the conflict of interest form had made him so uncertain that he needed my input now on something we both knew already had my approval.
“We both know I’m okay with it, Will.”
He studied me for a minute, then nodded and turned his focus back to the view. “They come highly recommended, and interviewed well. I’ll let Hernandez know.” This professional facade needed to end. I laid my hand on his arm, and he tensed. His reaction kicked me right in the gut.
“Will.” I had to pause to swallow the knot in my throat. “Look, I’m not happy about what you did, but I understand why you did it. And it saves me from having an awkward conversation after this business trip.”
The tension in his arm didn’t lessen, nor did he redirect his attention. It left me feeling alone and a little shunned. Maybe he was mad.
“Do you remember the first day we met? In your office at Baker Brown?” He ran his fingers through his hair and huffed a laugh. “Because I do. Vividly. I walked in with certain expectations, one of them being an over-and-done-with conversation where you reviewed the contract and gave Sarah the approval she needed to continue with the show, but one look at you turned my entire world upside down. I think it was your fiery blue eyes that hooked me and your mouth that reeled me in for the fight.” He shook his head and let it fall to stare at his hands.
“My dad loved my mom more than everything in this world,” he continued, voice soft. “And after they died, I went to live with my aunt and uncle, who have a relationship on the opposite side of the spectrum. The change was a bit of a shock, but it did teach me a valuable lesson. It taught me what I want out of life: a partner, someone to love the way my father loved my mother, someone to build a future with . . . It’s taken me a long time to find the right woman, but my dad always said I would know, that she would knock me off my feet with a glance. And that day in your office, his words proved true.”
His gaze burned as it met mine. “We’ve never been just friends, not in my mind anyway, and being up-front with Baker Brown was the only way I knew how to protect your career. I mean, the first day we met, I stayed the night at your apartment. Nothing happened, but they don’t know that. And I’ve been courting you ever since. To feign only a professional interest would be a lie, and I consider myself an honest man. I’ve wanted you for months, and I know you wanted me, too, but it’s on you to admit it to yourself. There’s only so much I can do here,Rachel. Our relationship will never work if I’m the only one willing to fight for it.”
Each word slammed into me with a force that left me winded. My fingers curled into his forearm for support, or maybe I just needed to cling to him, because his stature and tone said this was a pivotal moment for our relationship. He’d done everything up until this point to win me over, while I’d done everything in my power to push him away. And today, when I denied his claim regarding a mutual attraction, had finally tipped him over. I could see it in his eyes, the defeat and the exhaustion and the lurking doubt that this may never work. It was a result of my constant refusal to admit out loud what I knew in my heart.
Whatever I said next would define us. If I denied it yet again, I risked him walking away. A week ago, I would have done exactly that to protect him and myself, but things had changed between us.
Tonight, I would need to tell him everything or risk losing him forever.
26
Making a Point
Trust.
I swallowed hard and gathered the strength to do this, to confide my deepest fears to a man who could so easily destroy me. It helped that he knew about Ryan, but there were other things I hadn’t admitted yet. Not out loud, anyway.
“You asked if I remember the day we met.” He meant it as a rhetorical question, but I figured this would be a good starting point. “I do, but it was different for me. You possessed a confidence that I immediately wanted to challenge, partly because it’s in my nature to do so, but mostly because it unnerved me. I’ve always been drawn to influential men, but after Ryan, I vowed never to be involved with one again. Then you showed up, all sexy as sin in your expensive suit, and charmed your way into spending the entire day and night with me. Part of me hated how effortlessly you inserted yourself into my life as if you belonged there.”
It infuriated me at the time but also fascinated me. My cheeks heated at the memory of it, how hot and bothered he left me without even trying. I coughed to clear my throat.
“You’re right. The attraction has always been mutual, but unlike you, I haven’t wanted to embrace it. I am still trying to survive the first powerful man I fell for; there is no way I can balance two of you. Not when you have so completely shattered every wall I’ve built to protect myself. You could destroy me, Will. Trusting you not to is taking all my willpower, but I started down that path the second I told you about Ryan.” I placed a hand over my aching heart and allowed all my emotions to show in my eyes. All the pain, the fear, the love . . .
“It may not look like I’m fighting for us on the outside, but that’s only because my struggle is in here.” I tapped my chest for emphasis. “I’m my own biggest obstacle, but I’m trying, Will. I promise you that I am.”
He wrapped his arms around me in a hug that warmed me inside and out. I didn’t realize how cold I’d felt until he embraced me, and I immediately melted into him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart,” he replied, voice soft. “I knew you wouldn’t react favorably to my confession, but I feared it would drive you away. Especially after revealing what you did about Ryan. I’m aware that it was heavy-handed on my part, but I did it to protect you.”
“I know.” I kissed his jaw, then his cheek. “It was the right thing to do. Nothing about our relationship has ever been strictly professional, but I need to know something.” I pulled back to read his facial reaction. “Why did you go through all the trouble of hiring me? Why not just try to date me?”
His brow furrowed. “Because you’re brilliant. Why would I hire another lawyer when I could have you?” He sounded genuinely confused, which placated me a little. It meant he’d recruited me for the right reasons.
“But what about Garrett? Surely he wouldn’t mind representing Mershano Vineyards.”
“He manages my personal estate. I needed a corporate lawyer, and your work with Sarah’s contract impressed me. Did you think I only hired you to get you into bed?” The last was said with a twinkle in his eye. “Because although that might be a benefit of working together, it wasn’t part of my decision process. I would never hire a woman just to sleep with her, and I believe I’ve proven that I would never need to either.”
I rolled my eyes. “So cocky.”
“I’ve more than earned my confidence, darlin’.” He smiled against my lips. “Or do you require a reminder?” I opened my mouth to reply, and he silenced me with his tongue. My toes curled from the sensual assault. The man possessed the mouth of a god, and he knew it. Each skillful twist set my blood on fire. I clung to him and held on for the ride as he devoured me. My legs went around his waist as he lifted me off the ground and pushed me up against the wall. I shivered as the cool air caressed my exposed thighs. Will’s hands rivaled his mouth, stroking and touching me in all the right ways.
