I happily obliged. He looked so worn, and this morning he still did. It made me more determined to go with him. He had been so adamant about me staying out of it that he didn’t even discuss what was going on with me, but like he said, he had never known anyone more stubborn than me.
As soon as our breakfast was cleared away, I reached into my satchel and pulled out a large manila envelope and slid it across the table to him.
He looked at me curiously. “What’s this?”
“Your insurance policy.”
He still looked confused.
I grinned mischievously. “Just open it.”
He immediately complied. I watched him as he looked through the small stack of papers. I could see his chocolate eyes brighten as he read through the lawsuit Chandler was filing against Ms. Manselle for breach of contract, corporate espionage, and violating her NDA. He looked up from the papers with a happy smirk on his handsome face.
I took that as my opportunity to hand him a DVD. “This video shows Ms. Manselle taking pictures with her phone of your laptop screen showing the framework of our software. It also shows her talking to who I assume is your ex-wife discussing their ‘plan.’ I’ve asked Ms. Ayers, Chandler’s attorney, to subpoena her and Marissa’s cell phone records. I also have Delfia’s handwritten statement that she overheard her conversation and her plans to take you down, for lack of a better term.”
He just shook his head at me in amazement; he was speechless.
“So, can I go with you to the courthouse now?”
His face erupted in a smile. “I love you.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Ian called his attorney and basically insisted on meeting immediately, if not sooner. His attorney agreed, and we were on our way. I watched him as we drove over, and I could visibly see that his stress level had diminished. He looked so relieved. I even teased him that I would be willing to get up and swear, under oath, I was still a virgin.
He laughed and briefly looked my way as we sat stopped at a red light. “You say the most absurd things sometimes,” he said as he looked me over from head to toe and grinned devilishly, “and unfortunately, no one would believe you.”
I raised my eyebrow at him.
“Except for me, of course,” he added. “Besides, I had no intention of letting anyone come near you. I would have given it all up to protect you if needed.”
I reached up and touched his cleanly shaven face as he drove. “Ian, you don’t have to protect me, but thank you.”
“Maybe I don’t have to, but I want to, for the rest of my life.”
My eyes began to water, and I quickly flipped down the visor mirror and tried to keep my makeup in place. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed to cry in front of him, especially not a happy cry, but I just wanted to make sure I gave my best impression today.
“You’re beautiful,” Ian said as I dabbed at my eyes.
“Stop being so sweet, you’re going to make me cry some more.”
He just laughed at me. I was happy to hear him really laugh.
Ian’s attorney’s office wasn’t far from our hotel, so it didn’t take us long to get there, even with Denver’s insane traffic. On our walk in, he even held my hand.
“So, I get to be Kelli today?”
He gave me a wry smile and applied gentle pressure to my hand. I squeezed back. I hoped someday he would get over all of this separation nonsense. I mean, I get why he did it, but this was me. I wasn’t Marissa or Alexa. I fell in love with Ian long before he was ever wealthy or successful, at least in the worldly way. He could trust me, and it wasn’t like I wanted to make-out in the office or anything. I just wanted to be us. Ok and, if he felt the urge and it was behind closed doors, I wouldn’t mind at all if he kissed me in the office.
Ian’s attorney, Mr. Nathaniel Clark, saw us immediately. By the looks of his office, he did very well for himself. I expected no less, considering who had elicited his services. He was probably around Ian’s age, maybe a tad older, and was handsome. He had a commanding presence to him; I could see instantly why Ian had chosen him.
Ian introduced me and then took no time getting down to business. He handed over the packet to Mr. Clark and explained the contents.
Mr. Clark grinned at me. “Are you sure you’re in the right profession, Ms. Bryant? I could use someone like you.”
I didn’t get the chance to reply.
“She’s taken,” Ian replied for me.
Mr. Clark smiled at the two of us before he continued to look through the documents. “This is amazing leverage,” he commented. “And why we didn’t think of it, Ian, I don’t know.”
Ian looked at me proudly. I just winked in return.
Mr. Clark made a couple of phone calls to the opposing lawyers, and then the fun began. After an hour, we all headed over to the courthouse that was conveniently across the street from Mr. Clark’s firm. Again, Ian held my hand as we made our way over. I couldn’t wait to see the looks on the faces of the boob twins.
As this wasn’t a jury trial, we met in a conference-style room. Apparently, the opposing side wanted to meet without the judge first. Shocker. They knew they were in trouble. We got there first and took seats on the hard wooden chairs at one end of the table. Ian looked more relaxed than I had seen him in days. That was until the boob twins made their appearance. His demeanor changed in a split second. I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen such a look of disdain on anyone’s face.
The twins didn’t look happy either, especially when they saw me. I couldn’t help but wickedly grin at them. Oh, yes … they were going to be very sorry. They quickly turned away from me, and I smiled lovingly at the man by my side. He grabbed my hand under the table and held it firmly. I so badly wanted to get out my phone and take a picture of the painted ladies for my sister. They both overdid it today, with the hair and makeup, and for some odd reason, they looked like they color coordinated. They were each wearing navy blue and red, and of course, they each showed way too much cleavage. I didn’t think that was going to help them today.
Besides their lawyer, there was an older gentleman with them. I think he was Marissa’s father. I take back my previous comment; he was the winner for the look of disdain. I couldn’t tell who he was unhappier with, Ian or his daughter. It was a toss-up as he looked between the two. Ian didn’t even flinch though.
I leaned over to Ian. “You are so sexy when you’re trying to play it cool,” I whispered low enough for his ears only.
His eyes danced with delight as he grinned at me, but just like that, he was back to business and back to staring down the opposing side. I found it interesting how Alexa refused to make eye contact with Ian. In a way, I couldn’t blame her; I knew what it felt like to be rejected by him, and it was devastating.
The opposing side kept chatting and arguing amongst themselves as we stayed cool and collected on our end. They were scrambling, and I’m sure I took way too much pleasure in it. They had obviously been very confident about a different outcome. Finally, after about twenty minutes, their lawyer asked for a meeting just between the two parties, meaning me and Alexa were asked to leave. I was honestly looking forward to a little time alone with Ms. Manselle. She, on the other hand, looked a little worried, as she should be.
Ian stood up with me, and I couldn’t help it: I kissed him just once on those lips of his in parting. “Make sure you ditch the baggage, ok?” I said quietly.
He grinned at me, and I turned around to find all eyes on us, even Ms. Manselle’s. In response, I plastered a huge smile on my face, held my head up high, and walked out like a boss. Ms. Manselle joined me in the hall that was lined with large paintings of judges of the past. She looked at me nervously as she took a seat on one of the wooden benches that sat outside the room we exited. Just for a moment, I took pleasure in watching her squirm. She got out her phone and tried to pretend to be preoccupied. Yeah, I wasn’t buying it.
I wasn’t sure how long my window of opportunity would be
, so I walked over and sat on the other end of the bench. She tried to ignore me by turning away from me, but I wasn’t having it. “Ms. Manselle …”
She wouldn’t even turn and look my way.
“Cat got your tongue? Well … no matter. I don’t need you say anything, but you will listen to me.”
She turned and glared at me. Her face was beet red.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I’m sure they’re in there cutting a deal right now to keep Chandler’s lawsuit against you from going forward, but just know that if you even think about causing harm to Ian again, you won’t even know what hit you. And if I even see a hint of my software design anywhere, I’ll make sure you see prison time.”
Her mouth fell and her eyes widened. She looked like she wanted to hit me or at least scream at me, but she knew better.
I smirked. “That’s right, I think orange would suit you quite well.”
Without a word, she stood up and marched away in her hooker heels and short, tight skirt. Was it evil for me to wish she would slip and fall on the gleaming tile floor?
She never returned, so I took the time and texted my sister while I waited. I didn’t even have to hear her voice to know that she was completely amused with my report. I couldn’t wait to see her next week where we could have a face-to-face conversation. I sure did love her. Within a half-hour, one of my other loves emerged looking quite pleased. I couldn’t say the same for Miss Boobs and her Daddy. I wanted to yell out, “Cheaters never prosper!” and “Take that!” but when Ian put his arm around me, I suddenly couldn’t have cared less about anyone else at that courthouse.
We didn’t say a word until we were outside. Then he let me know that the ridiculous lawsuit had been dropped. “You’re a genius,” he kept repeating over and over. Apparently, Ian had also warned his ex-family that if any part of Chandler’s software showed up, they would be very sorry. I told him of my conversation with the “contractor.” By this time, we were to his car, and before he opened my door, he made me see stars. And like always, I knew how he felt by his kiss, and this kiss felt very hopeful.
Chapter 23
I, too, was hopeful about our future. I especially looked forward to the near future and our weekend in Glenwood Springs. It was so hard to keep my mind focused on our presentations over the next couple of days. By the time we were done on Friday afternoon, I was more than ready. The only thing that stood between us and the glorious mountains was rush hour traffic. Thankfully, my view inside the car was excellent. Ian looked great with his tie and suit coat off and white shirt slightly unbuttoned. I found even though I missed the Clark Kent version, I more than liked the sexy boardroom version in front of me.
When we finally made it up the 1-70 corridor into the foothills, I sighed. I missed my mountains. I was thankful to have the early evening sunlight during our drive; it was so beautiful. Nothing compared to the Rocky Mountains, in my mind, from the pine tree lined mountains to the tiny waterfalls that cascaded down the rock walls near the highway. It even smelled like heaven. There was a crispness and freshness that filled the air. I think I took at least a hundred pictures with my phone as we drove. I texted several to my sister and told her we needed to take a family vacation here. She agreed.
It was around seven-thirty when we arrived in Glenwood Springs. Our first stop was the hot springs. Neither Ian nor I could wait to revisit that beloved place together. I even brought extra chapstick and lotion for the occasion.
“I haven’t been back here since the last time I took you here,” he said as we walked in.
That did my heart good.
We entered the water just as the sun was starting to set and the cool air highlighted the steam rising from the naturally hot water. It was breathtaking. No picture could do it justice. It was something that had to be experienced, not seen through a lens. As soon as I hit the water, I was taken up by Ian, and I sunk into his arms and stayed there for the next two hours until they closed.
There wasn’t a lot of talking, but what was said, I found quite interesting.
After about the hundredth kiss, Ian stroked my wet hair and slid his hands silkily down my arms to where we interlocked hands. His eyes were warm, and they added to the heat I felt from the water. “You know,” he said. “This is where I fell in love with you.”
I shook my head ever so slightly. “Really?”
He shook his head yes, and for a moment I saw regret in those beautiful eyes of his. “But I knew I couldn’t have you. I knew I would have to let you go. I tried to think of everything I could to make it last as long as possible. I knew I shouldn’t have, and it was selfish of me, but I wanted you, so I started telling you I was crazy about you, instead of how I really felt. I hoped you would just go with it, because I knew if ever you felt about me the way I felt about you, I would have to walk away. And you did for a while. I tried to keep you at arm’s length, but in the end, you weren’t having it.” He placed our still entwined hands behind my back and pulled me closer.
I shook my head at him. “You know, for someone that’s so intelligent, you sure were dumb,” I tried to say lovingly.
He smiled down at me. “Kelli, you were so young. I didn’t want you to wake up fifteen years later and regret that you never lived life or that the only real relationship you had was with me.” He dropped my hands and brought his wet hands up to my face and held it. “And let’s not forget how innocent you were and still amazingly are. I didn’t want to do anything to ruin that, but believe me, you pushed my self-control to the brink sometimes. You still do.”
I placed my hands on his nicely toned bare chest. Boy did it feel nice. I, too, had to use self-control around him. “Ian, thank you, but I always knew you were the one for me. I wish you would have just told me the truth, because the only thing I regret is that I missed out on being with you these past thirteen years.”
His shoulders dropped, and he ran his thumbs gently across my cheeks. “Me too,” was all he said.
I smiled at him and slid my hands up his bare skin and placed them around his neck. “I guess we better quit wasting time then.”
He barely grinned before his lips found mine and proved to me why the extra chapstick was a good call.
His parent’s home was about thirty minutes west of the hot springs. I felt bad we kept them up waiting for us, but after the week we had, the water and closeness was just what the doctor ordered. In fact, the whole weekend was.
The next morning, after sleeping in Ian’s old room that looked identical to the way it had almost fourteen years ago, I got up early to watch the sunrise. I tip-toed past Ian, who was sleeping on the couch. I guess the old sofa bed had seen better days, and it was now long gone. I didn’t want to disturb him; I knew he hadn’t been sleeping well.
I wrapped up in a blanket that I had taken from the bed and sat on one of their patio chairs on their weathered deck. The air was clean and crisp with a slight chill in it. I could barely make out the ridge that sat behind their home, but it didn’t take long for the sun to begin its slow rise over it. At first it was just a few strands of light. It was almost as if the night was fighting for control, but it was no match for the powerful beams that broke through. It was breathtaking, but not quite as breathtaking as the man that slid open the glass patio door. He looked disheveled with his untidy hair and wrinkled pajama bottoms and t-shirt, but it was all perfect to me.
He didn’t say a word. He just sat on the chair across from me and pulled me over onto his lap. I curled up against him and just listened to his heartbeat. He held me tight as we watched the sun take her rightful place in the sky and illuminate the fields that surrounded his parent’s home. The warmth of the sun’s rays burned off the dew of the night, and steam began to rise across the landscape. It was a moment of pure perfection.
The rest of the day we spent walking through those fields and picnicking near the river bank. Dinner was spent on the same deck with his parents. As I looked at each of the Greyson clan, I wished I could have mad
e the weekend last longer. I didn’t want to go home to reality and to being Ms. Bryant during working hours, but reality called, and on Sunday morning we made our way back down to the busyness of the city. Back to that oddly shaped airport and back home.
Chapter 24
As the next two months flew by, I was personally happier than I had ever been. Not only was I back with the man I loved, but this time around I got to share him with my family, which only added to the bliss of it all. But professionally, I was oddly unsettled and unfulfilled. I didn’t know why. Chandler was making a name for itself with our marketing software. My baby was finally taking off. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.
Maybe that wasn’t true. If I was really being honest with myself, I think my real problem was work wasn’t as fulfilling as it used to be for me, because Ian had awakened something in me that made me want even more. I was ready for some domestic bliss, right down to picking out the perfect suburban home next to my perfect sister with whom I could be a domestic diva, but more than anything, I was ready to have what I knew all along I should have had.
So, in the middle of July, I decided to seize the day, or at least the moment. We had just gotten out of an account managers meeting, and Ian was riding high. Sales were up and the interest in our marketing software was through the roof. I found myself being happier for Ian than for my own part in the company’s success. It was then I decided it was time.
I didn’t bother knocking; I hadn’t for the last few months. I just walked through the adjoining door and straight to Ian’s desk.
He looked surprised at my presence, but I didn’t let that stop me. I strode right over to him and really surprised him by spinning his chair around, sitting on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck, and kissing him like a woman that was in love. He hesitated at first, but he nicely fell in line, if only for a brief moment.
Professional Boundaries Page 22
