The Deal

by Holly Hart

  At the time, I thought it would be a horrible moment. But seeing him under arrest, completely robbed of his freedom even for just a short period of time, and knowing that I’d done the right thing, had been empowering.

  “He was arrested, found guilty, served a short sentence, and will now spend the rest of his life as a registered sex offender. For the most part I put the entire experience behind me, but I never visited another man’s place when it was just the two of us. I always made sure someone else was there.”

  A muscle on the side of Jeremy’s face jumps. His mouth flattens into a grim line. Standing and closing the short distance between us, he takes me in his arms, pulling me into his chest and holding me tightly.

  “And I took advantage of the situation.” His voice rumbles against my cheek as his hands stroke my back, desperately offering comfort. “I’m so sorry.”

  I shake my head. “You have nothing to feel sorry about. I told you I wanted you, and I did.”

  “But I put you in a tight spot.” Remorse colors Jeremy’s tone. “And I pushed my advantage.”

  “Nonsense.”

  Irrationally irritated by his self-flagellation, I shove back against his chest, putting space between us. “I chose to go up to your place with you. I’m the one who asked you to kiss me, not the other way around, and multiple times, you asked if I was sure. I have no regrets. You shouldn’t either.”

  Jeremy drags a hand through his hair, messing up the style he spent several minutes creating. “It’s just—” He blows out a heavy breath. “I know how it feels to be trapped, to feel like you have no choice. I swore I’d never put anyone in that position.”

  My eyes narrow. This is new. There’s a rawness in his voice, a vulnerability in his stunning eyes that I’ve never seen before. I suspect no one else has either.

  I go completely still, sensing that if I move, he’ll come to his senses and not share whatever demons are haunting him.

  His wild eyes meet mine. “Evan is like that. We’re identical twins—well, except for this.” He gestures carelessly at his eye that’s half Caribbean blue and half the color of melted gold. “Physically, we’re nearly a perfect match, but our personalities couldn’t be more different. I’m cautious and seldom make a move without weighing all the pros and cons, whereas he’s reckless and seldom considers consequences before he leaps.”

  Which is how he ended serving time for assaulting a police officer, I think, but decide to keep my thoughts to myself.

  “He also had, probably still has, a knack for manipulation. He’s able to say things to bend others to his will, like he’s altering reality and even though you know he’s wrong, you can’t help but go along with him. And he exploits weaknesses. He did it to me when we were kids, but I thought it was normal. It wasn’t until he was arrested and I took over Caldwell Industries that I learned he’d turned it into… I want to say a lifestyle. There wasn’t a single person in the organization who wasn’t worried or afraid of him. He turned all the employees against one another, and then fed on their paranoias to get whatever he wanted. I’ve only just managed to sort out all the damage he did.”

  “And that’s why you’re so desperate to get that two percent of the company your dad put in trust for the first grandchild?”

  Jeremy nods his confirmation. He looks so dejected, so miserable, I want to go to him, to offer him the comfort of my touch, my body, but I don’t. We’ve both exposed our deepest secrets, stripped one another bare, and in doing so, changed the tone of our relationship. Every single one of my instincts tells me that what we both need right now is space, just a few minutes alone to regroup, to come to terms with what has happened.

  Unable to resist, I reach out, place a hand on his shoulder, and offer a little comfort. “I’m going to go get something to drink, okay?”

  He nods, and I see my thoughts, my emotions reflected in his eyes. He needs a little space as much as I do.

  I leave the room, shutting the bedroom door behind me with a small click, and head toward the kitchen. The pale white envelope Jeremy took out of his pocket when he first arrived here several long hours ago, the contents of which we still haven’t discussed, catches my eye.

  Heart pounding, I pick it up and use my fingernail to slice the top open.

  73

  Caitlin

  Sasha the cat winds lazy figure-eights between my ankles as my fingernail slices through the expensive envelope. With trembling hands, I reach inside and withdraw a small packet of papers and start reading.

  Jeremy’s lawyer is good. Really good. She’s written a contract that not only lays out the reason Jeremy and I would be getting married, but also goes to great lengths to make sure that the contract is easy for someone like me, who has no understanding of legal jargon, to understand.

  Grateful tears burn the back of my eyes by the time I finish reading the three sheets of paper the envelope contained.

  Whatever doubts I’ve had about Jeremy dissolve, replaced with a warm, bright glow that starts directly behind my breastbone.

  With regards to our marriage, should we decide to marry, everything is in my favor. The only rule I have to follow is that I won’t cheat for as long we’re wed and that same rule applies to him as well. If we get divorced, not only does Jeremy promise to not go after my business or personal possessions/wealth, but he’ll also pay an enormous alimony.

  But the part that really causes my heart to race, that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, is what he says about any children we conceive together. He very clearly states that no matter what happens with regards to our relationship, both of us will share equally in our children’s lives and that we’ll set aside any personal differences we might have and do whatever is in our child’s best interest.

  Sasha’s rumbling purrs fill the room as I place my palm against my flat stomach. Since I wasn’t having sex, or even interested in sex, before Jeremy blasted into my life, I’ve never paid much attention to my cycles, something that would have changed if I’d decided to go through with my half-baked idea to become a surrogate.

  Now I try to count backwards to my last period. Based on what little I remember from my high school health class, it seems like it’s possible that the timing could be right, that somewhere deep inside of me, one of Jeremy’s little swimmers is getting cozy with one of my eggs and taking the first steps in what will become a life-changing event for everyone.

  I hope so.

  The thought startles me almost as much as the sound of my bedroom door swinging open. I spin on my heel, my wide eyes meeting Jeremy’s guarded expression.

  “Hey,” he says as his eyes drop to the papers clutched in my hand. “Oh.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “I guess there’s a few things we still have to discuss.”

  Nerves pulsating under my skin, I turn and cross the room to the small desk on the opposite side of the room. Jeremy’s stare practically drills holes in my back as I rummage through the drawers until I locate a dark blue pen.

  I carefully sign my name on all the dotted lines I can find. I sense more than hear Jeremy approach. He leans close, reading over my shoulder.

  “Are you sure?” His voice is whisper-soft and strangely vulnerable.

  “Yes.” The single word rings with confidence. Not only is this contract the answer to my money problems, the best answer I could have possibly come up with, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Jeremy is a good man, an honest man, and that’s something I may never find again.

  I step back away from the desk. “What about you?” I hold my breath. Just because Jeremy took the steps to have the contract drawn up, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed his mind in the several hours he’s hung out with me.

  Jeremy picks up the pen, twirls it around his fingers a few times, and stares down at the contract. His expression is unreadable.

  My pulse pounds against the side of my throat and a whole herd of angry frogs romp around in my stomach.

  He taps the pen against the desk
and slants a sideways glance in my direction. “There’s something I should have told you before you signed.”

  “What?” It takes all my willpower not to cover my ears to block out bad news.

  “I made arrangements to put your father on Caldwell Industries’ health insurance plan. Whether you agree to marry me and have my baby or not, his medical treatments will be covered. Anything he needs, he’ll get.”

  One of the frogs leaps straight out of my stomach and lodges in my throat. “Seriously?” I can hardly believe what I’m hearing.

  Jeremy reaches out and brushes the back of his knuckles against my cheek. “Seriously,” he echoes with a somber nod.

  “But why?”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  His words swirl around my brain. Just like that I’m free. Free to stop worrying about what’s going to happen to my parents. Free to focus on building my business. Free to have a baby whenever and if ever I choose.

  I blink at Jeremy. He’s not free, I realize. The weight of everyone who works at Caldwell Industries, everyone in the community connected to his business, rests on his shoulders. In order to protect them, he needs to beat his brother in a bizarre baby race his father set in motion, and the only way that will happen is if I agree to the terms of the contract. This contract, the one that’s right in front of us.

  Now it’s my turn to reach out. My hand brushes against his arm and slides lower until my fingers thread through his. He looks down at our joined hands and I realize that, aside from casual, almost accidental, touches, this is the first time I’ve initiated contact with him.

  “The contract still stands,” I whisper. My words, my decision, effectively calms the horde of angry frogs. They’re replaced by a sense of calm, of rightness.

  Jeremy blinks owlishly at me. “Are you serious?”

  Smiling serenely, I stand on my toes and brush a light, closed-mouthed kiss across his lips. His hands settle on my waist, supporting me.

  “One hundred percent serious,” I tell him, meaning every single word. “I’m yours, as long as you still want me.”

  He releases his grip on my waist so quickly I stumble, and turns to the desk. Without the slightest hesitation, he grabs the pen and starts signing, wrinkling the paper in his haste. Once the last signature is in place, he turns back to me, a familiar light burning in his two-tone eyes. His mouth bends into a lusty smile and he leans close, nibbling the side of my neck.

  “Now that that’s done…” His words are hot against my skin and send a shiver coursing through me. “How about we get started on the making a baby part of the deal?”

  He cups my face between his massive hands before crushing my mouth with his. I moan against his lips before closing my eyes and leaning into his hard body. His intimate taste chases away all my doubts and inhibitions. Right here, in this moment, I won’t deny any of his requests. If he asked me to, I’d follow him through the gates of hell.

  But … there’s just one nagging little problem …

  “That sounds great.” I laugh as he starts to bear me backwards towards the couch, “but there’s something you’re forgetting.”

  “What?” he growls.

  I pat his chest. “The dinner at the special needs school. You helped me with the floral arrangements, which I’m supposed to be putting on the table in—” I rotate my wrist and glance at my watch “—about twenty minutes.”

  74

  Jeremy

  It’s a good thing that I already had a private driver parked outside Caitlin’s florist shop and that she only lives fifteen minutes away from the school; otherwise we would have been very late. As it was, Caitlin practically leaps out of the car as soon as it glides to a halt.

  I follow at a more reasonable pace and go to stand beside Caitlin, who is bouncing on the balls of her feet while she waits for my driver, Findlay, to open the trunk.

  “We should have waited until after this thing before talking about that damned contract,” she hisses, half under her breath, as she bends into the trunk and pulls out the first of the three boxes with flowers in it.

  I can’t tell if she’s talking to me or to herself. Personally, I’m glad we got the contract out of the way. Seeing both of our signatures lifted an enormous weight off my chest, leaving me free to do other things, like appreciate the way Caitlin’s sweater dress hugs her sweet ass as she bends over the back of my town car.

  She turns and shoves the box full of vases and flowers into my arms before picking up another box, which she hugs against her chest. She glances over her shoulder at Findlay. “Do you mind bringing the last box in, please? We’re running late.”

  Findlay meets my eyes. Normally, he stays with the car whenever he drives me somewhere. It’s the best way to make sure the vehicle doesn’t get stolen, and to also ensure that as soon as I want it, the car is ready to go. Willing to make an exception this one time, I nod my permission and Findlay picks up the remaining box.

  Side by side, we follow Caitlin into the school.

  She leads us down a wide yellow hallway that contains lockers and numerous childish drawings to a large auditorium where several tables have been set up.

  “Caitlin.” A tall woman approaches in a black sweater, flowing black skirt, and wearing her steel grey hair swept back in a tight bun.

  “Evelyn.” Caitlin and the woman exchange a quick hug.

  The woman draws back and flicks a worried glance in the direction we’ve just come from. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Sheila, have you?”

  “Sheila Murdoch?” Caitlin raises a brow. “No. Why?”

  “She was supposed to be here an hour ago to help make sure things are ready,” Evelyn says. “But so far, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Sheila,” Caitlin says. “She’s usually a paragon of punctuality.”

  “That’s why I’m worried. Her boy’s been having some health problems which have been running her ragged. I’m hoping she just fell asleep and forgot to set her alarm, and that she didn’t have to take him to the hospital again. If I don’t see or hear from her before this shindig ends, I’ll go over to her place and check up on her. Meanwhile, do you mind taking her place and serving as a greeter when people get here? I know it’s not your duty, but I just don’t have enough people to go around, and –”

  “I’m happy to help,” Caitlin says. She gestures at the box she’s placed on the table. “But I need to get the flowers set up.”

  “Oh.” Evelyn removes one of the blue plastic vases full of flowers from the box and clucks over it. “Lovely, as usual, Caitlin. You truly have a knack for flower arrangements.”

  Caitlin’s green eyes catch mine. Humor sparkles in them. Neither of us is going to tell the woman that this time, Caitlin had help from a complete flower-arrangement novice.

  The woman places the arrangement in the center of the closest table and looks at the boxes in Findlay’s and my arms. She nods sagely. “It’s about time that Caitlin got around to hiring some helpers for these kinds of things. She practically runs herself ragged trying to do everything by herself.”

  Findlay and I exchange amused looks. I’m the president of Caldwell Industries, and he’s a highly trained bodyguard and defensive driving expert. Not the kind of people who are commonly mistaken as “helpers.”

  The woman points to the boxes. “Now hurry up. The students and their parents will be arriving any minute and we want this place to look perfect.”

  Unable to think of a convincing excuse to get out of the errand, Findlay and I weave our way through the tables, carefully placing a vase of flowers in the center of each one. The entire time, I keep sneaking glances at Caitlin.

  “Mr. Caldwell, are you feeling all right?” Findlay’s voice redirects my attention from Caitlin to my driver.

  “Yeah,” I tell him. “Why do you ask?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t really know. You just seem distracted. And you can’t seem to stop smiling. Plus
, you and I are putting out flowers, something I never thought you’d do. I just wondered if there was something wrong that I should know about.”

  For a brief, shining second, I consider telling him the truth, that as soon as Caitlin and I get a license, we’re getting married and starting a family, but I hold back.

  Findlay has been my driver two years and earned Ben’s security seal of approval, meaning I should be able to trust him, but ever since we entered this school, thoughts of Evan have been foremost on my mind, making me too nervous to trust anyone.

  Somehow, in the few days I’ve known her, Caitlin has become important to me, and it’s not just because she has agreed to become the mother of my child and help me gain controlling interest in Caldwell Industries. The need goes deeper than that. And while I don’t understand it, I do know that she’s precious to me and that if Evan ever finds out, he’ll find some way to use her against me, and I can’t allow that, which means I can’t trust anyone.

  The banquet/party is a Grade A success. The whole reason I came was because Caitlin was going to be here, and I’m compelled to spend as much time with her as I can manage, but I never expected to enjoy myself. Yet that’s exactly what happened.

  The kids are fantastic. They’re cheerful and obviously very comfortable. Some of the more vocal and outgoing ones spend a lot of time entertaining me, especially one blue-eyed, sandy-haired young man who’s telling me more dirty jokes than a teen his age should even know. He also lets me pet his big golden retriever service dog, Helium, who keeps him safe whenever he has a seizure.

  A few of the parents shoot me knowing looks, clearly recognizing me, but giving me a wide berth, allowing me the privacy and space needed to relax and enjoy myself. They probably assume I’m here to determine if the school is something Caldwell Industries should include on the list of non-profit organizations we give grants to. And they aren’t wrong. After seeing the good work this place is doing, I’m going to personally add their name to Caldwell’s list of beneficiaries and make sure they get all the help they need with their finances.