Page 38 of Laying His Claim
He looked around himself, at the soaked carpet and his ruined business documents, and then from Lorena’s patently innocent face to Jalissa’s agitated one. He didn’t have to think long. His eyes held Jalissa’s for several seconds, and then he turned to Lorena and said, “Come with me.”
* * *
Justin shut the door behind them and then faced Lorena squarely. With everything inside him, he struggled to remain in control of his anger. Could it be possible that this woman, who he had trusted with his child on a daily basis, had been plotting against Jalissa? But why?
Then Justin remembered Finn jokingly suggesting that the younger woman was sweet on him. Thinking back, Justin could recall the way he’d sometimes caught her looking at him, doe eyes fluttering. There was the occasional baring of a leg; the “forgotten” top button undone. Had he become so used to ignoring women who looked at him with desire or sought his attention that he failed to notice it happening on his own turf?
A cold mask replaced his normally warm countenance. Arms folded across his chest, shoulder squared, Justin looked at Lorena. Really looked at her.
“I am going to ask you one single question, and you have only one chance to answer,” he informed her, all pleasantries gone. The easy, comfortable relationship he’d forged with her had evaporated. They were employer and employee. And this employee was in a heap of trouble. “Have you been deliberately trying to make it look like Jalissa is incapable of taking care of our son?”
Lorena took a step toward him. “Justin–”
“I asked you a question.” His voice was low, frighteningly so. Remembering how he’d roared at Jalissa when he’d found Seb missing, Justin felt ashamed. But he knew that there was a stage of anger beyond yelling—and that was the white cloud of calm that was even now enveloping him. It was far more deadly than a yell.
Apparently, Lorena didn’t realize the danger she was in and stepped forward again. Her lips curved into an odd little smile. “You don’t understand. She doesn’t belong here. She isn’t good for Seb. I am. You and I are. All those months, we took care of him just fine. We don’t need anyone else to help us raise him.”
“First of all, there is no ‘we’. Second, Jalissa is his mother.”
The woman looked genuinely confused. “But I thought… you’re always so nice to me. I figured I can be Sebastian’s mother and you…” Lorena pursed her lips, her eyes hardening as if a decision had just been made. Then, to his horror, she began to unbutton the ridiculously low-cut blouse she was wearing.
“What the hell are you—”
Lorena grabbed his hand and rammed it against her breast, which was now heaving dramatically, as if she was having conniptions. “You know this is what you want. Nother,” she threw a sneering look in Jalissa’s direction. “This.” She pulled his hand closer.
Justin snatched his hand away as if it burned, then stalked behind his desk to put distance—and a huge piece of furniture—between them. The girl was clearly insane, and it sickened him to think that he had trusted her with his child. With a few quick moves, he wrote out a check, returned to face her, and shoved it at her. “Here is your payment for the month, plus severance. Your services are no longer required. You have three minutes to collect your things and then get out.”
Lorena looked poleaxed, but to his relief, didn’t cry or plead. He followed her to the kitchen to collect her things, return her keys, and then head to the door.
“How will I get into town?” she asked, suddenly docile and helpless.
“I don’t care,” he snapped, infuriated that she would dare try such as act on him after… “Call a cab. Walk if you like. Just. Get. Off. My. Property.” He leaned closer to her face, to make sure she understood. “And if I ever see you anywhere near my family again, I promise you, youwillregret it.”
Showing that she had some self-preservation, Lorena hurried away, face pale and head lowered.
Justin hit the switch to open the gate and waited there until he was sure she was gone and his property secured. He then went in search of Jalissa to apologize, and promise to never doubt her capabilities again.
Chapter 15
Jalissa was surprised at how much she was enjoying the Mommy and Me group sessions at the community center. It was the kind of thing that seemed awfully silly until you had a child. At which point you craved the opportunity to share experiences with other moms, look for advice and support, all while your kids played in a safe, nurturing environment.
Eight or ten kids sipped on apple juice and clambered all over each other in a heap; looking like a litter of puppies. Meanwhile, the moms sat around and sipped tea and nibbled on the platter of lovely pastel-colored macarons Jalissa had brought to share.
“These are amazing!” said the woman on her left. She was a remarkably tall and capable-looking brunette called Melanie, who Jalissa had been on good terms with ever since they’d bonded over a disaster involving Sebastian, Melanie’s twins, and a bottle of Elmer’s glue one of the kids had swiped off a table.
Jalissa smiled gratefully. “Thank you. Seems like I can hardly tear myself away from the kitchen these days.”
“Oh? You like baking?”
“I like it all, although I have to admit baking has its special appeal. It’s so relaxing, you know?”
“I know what you mean. I learned to cook at my grandmother’s elbow. I’ve loved it ever since!”
The memory of her own grandmother brought a smile to Jalissa’s lips. “Me too! Cooking with your grandma, or even your mom, sets you up for a lifelong passion, doesn’t it?”
Melanie finished one macaron and happily tucked into another. “It does. I even decided to make it my career. I opened up an intimate family dining restaurant four years ago. I figured I’d try to turn something I loved into a source of income, you know?”
“Sounds wonderful. How’s it going?”
