Devil in the Details

by Morgan James

  “Would you like some coffee, Ms. Winfield? Water?” I reluctantly lifted my eyes to meet Gavin’s intense gaze. He was the only person outside of my patients who called me by my maiden name. Though I had taken Steve’s last name for personal use as per tradition, I’d chosen to maintain my maiden name professionally. I was damn proud of what I’d accomplished, and I wanted my name—and my name alone—on that degree.

  Those midnight brown eyes continued to bore into me, and I shifted under the scrutiny. As lawyers went, I couldn’t have chosen better. Gavin Price was a shark. Better than that, though, he was gorgeous. Not just attractive, more than handsome, the man was model material. The lines of his face were sharp, almost angular, with high cheekbones and the tiniest hint of a cleft in his chin. Coffee colored eyes stood out from his lightly tanned skin, and his thick, dark brown hair was cropped short. He left just enough at the top for a woman to run her hands through, to play with the silky-looking strands. At a couple inches over six feet, he was every fantasy come to life.

  Heat raced through my blood and I forced myself to swallow and respond. “No, thank you.”

  He studied me for another moment before turning away to pour himself a glass of water. He made his way around the table then unbuttoned his suit jacket before sliding into the seat next to me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes. This close to him, I could smell the unmistakable scent of his aftershave, or maybe his cologne. It was musky and masculine, an apt fit for the man sitting only inches away.

  I glanced over my shoulder as Richard Patterson entered the room, thankful for the distraction. He slipped into the seat next to Steve and flashed a smile in my direction. He was a nice enough guy, but since he was Steve’s lawyer, I kind of disliked him on principle. “Good morning, Kate.”

  I nodded politely, eager to start the proceedings. I was tired of this dragging out. All I wanted was an expeditious resolution so I could get on with my life. Whatever the hell that meant. Ever since the incident at the Healthplex, I’d been seriously contemplating my future. Maybe it was time to leave the past where it belonged and start something new.

  Gavin spoke up. “All right, are we ready to begin?” After a quick check around the table, he launched into his diatribe. “So, we’ve decided that Mr. Gerber will retain the house and my client will receive compensation for her portion upon completion. Now we have the matter of the office at the Healthplex. In light of Mr. Gerber’s infidelity, I feel that Kate should be awarded the business and—”

  “Actually...” His words trailed off, and his head snapped toward me as I laid a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m strongly considering selling out. Would you mind if Steve and I spoke alone for a moment?”

  Gavin’s eyes blazed with fury. “Kate, that’s not—”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Steve spoke up from the opposite side of the table.

  Gavin threw a glare his way, then swiveled toward me once more. “As your lawyer, I strongly advise—”

  I curled my fingertips into the fabric of his suit jacket and felt the muscles of his forearm tense beneath my touch. “Just give us a minute. Please.”

  He searched my eyes for a long moment, then finally seemed to accept my need for privacy. He didn’t look at all happy about it, but he shoved his chair back from the table and stood, nodding to Richard as he did so. “We’ll give you two a moment—but we’ll be right outside.”

  I couldn’t decide if it was a warning or... something more. There was something in his tone that I’d never quite heard before. As soon as it flitted through my mind, I shook the thought way. It wasn’t like I knew the man well enough to make any assumptions about his behavior. He was my lawyer—he was paid to act in my best interest. And right now, it was like a train derailing that he couldn’t stop.

  I waited until the door latch clicked into place, then I met Steve’s gaze. For a long moment we just stared at each other, separated by the table between us and a mountain of lies. How had we gotten to this point? I’d loved him once; now there was far too much to overcome.

  I cleared my throat. “As I’m sure you can imagine, I have no desire to work at the Healthplex.”

  He dipped his chin, and his eyes swept over my face again. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I offered a tight smile. “Thank you.”

  “Libby and I are getting married.”

  The words exploded from his throat, and my heart seized in my chest. All of a sudden, I knew exactly how a deer felt in its final seconds before being splattered all over the highway. Steve looked uncomfortable, his gaze fixed on the table, and I forced myself to draw air into my lungs. Our divorce wasn’t even finalized, and he was ready to sprint to the altar with her the second the ink was dry? It wasn’t totally unexpected considering the circumstances, but... damn. Hearing those words hurt.

  “Congratulations.” Hot tears stung my eyes, and I quickly blinked them away.

  Silence fell again before he finally let out a harsh sigh. “Look. I’m sorry.” I quirked a brow and he continued. “I want to do what’s right. You deserve better. I should have done things... differently.”

  No shit. I almost snorted a laugh but managed to smother it before it could escape. I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just nodded.

  Steve studied me. “What are you going to do?”

  I shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. But I think it’s better for both of us if I bow out.”

  “What about your patients?”

  “I’ll finish out the month, if that works for you. That’ll give you some time to bring in another physician, or... whatever you want to do.”

  “So, you’ve really thought about this?”

  I nodded. “I have. Ever since...” I trailed off, and he nodded sympathetically.

  “I understand.” He took a deep breath. “If you truly want out, I’d be more than happy to buy you out. At a premium.”

  His mouth quirked into a small smile at my look of skepticism. “I don’t want to fight over this anymore. When you got hurt...” His eyes darted to my forehead, and I barely resisted the urge to lift my hand to cover the wound from his inspection. “I was so worried about you. It got me thinking about old times. We had fun together.”

  My throat tightened, and I closed my eyes. How could he say that to me? If we’d had fun together, then how the hell had we ended up here? If he’d loved me, why had he cheated on me? The pain was still too fresh for me to look back on the fond memories of our times together. I wanted to lash out, to scream at him for his unfaithfulness, but what was the point?

  He’s not worth it. Repeating my new mantra in my mind, I swallowed down every acrid word on my tongue and met his gaze.

  “I really am sorry, Kate. I should have been up front with you. Let me make it up to you.”

  Trying to come up with something other than the words that started with “F” and ended with “U”, I bit my lip and swallowed down my contempt. “That’s... generous of you.”

  “It’s not nearly enough, I know. I’m sorry I hurt you.” His gaze cut toward the window as he spoke. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really do love Libby.”

  And, just like that, my heart broke a little more. There was nothing quite like sitting across from the person you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with only to have him tell you how much he loved another woman.

  “You’re wonderful, Kate. Some guy will be lucky to have you.”

  But not you, I thought bitterly. I clearly hadn’t been wonderful enough, otherwise he wouldn’t have left me for the blonde bimbo with more boobs than brains. It was uncharitable, but I couldn’t give a damn at the moment. I’d never actually met the woman—nor did I ever intend to—but alcohol and the internet were a deadly combination. After a couple glasses of wine one night—oh, who the hell was I kidding? I’d drunk the entire bottle—I’d dug up everything I could find on the young woman. Barely twenty-two, she’d just graduated college with a degree in Liberal Arts and was workin
g as a trainer at Steve’s new gym. How fucking cliché.

  The door opened and Gavin entered first, his gaze immediately zeroing in on me. He must not have liked the expression on my face, because he strode toward me and leaned close, one hand resting on the back of my chair.

  “Are you okay?”

  Those intense brown eyes seared into mine, and I offered a small smile. “Everything’s fine.”

  The corners of his mouth dipped into a frown like he didn’t believe a word. I lifted a brow and nodded to the chair beside me. If possible, his expression darkened further, but he sat anyway. I let out a soft sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair. From my vantage point, I watch Gavin’s leg bounce anxiously under the table.

  I knew he was just doing his job. He hated to lose, and I was just one more case to him. But the way he looked at me sometimes, I couldn’t help but feel... more. It spoke of a sort of protectiveness, and the thought filled me with warmth.

  “So, have we come to an agreement?” Richard asked, dispelling the discomfort in the atmosphere.

  My gaze slowly lifted from Gavin’s leg, up and over the table to Steve. I curled my hand into a fist. “Yes. He’ll buy me out.”

  Gavin spun in his chair to look at me, fury evident in those dark eyes. “We haven’t discussed this at all. I thought—”

  “Just give him the practice.”

  He leaned even closer, practically caging me in with his body as he propped one elbow on the table and rested the other hand on the back of my chair. His tone was hushed but severe. “Are you certain this is what you want?”

  “Yes.”

  “Kate, you deserve—”

  “I don’t even care about the money, I just want out.” I was surprised to realize that the words I spoke were the truth. I couldn’t stand to be held back any longer—not by a job I liked but didn’t love, and certainly not by a man.

  “Please,” I said softly so only he could hear me. “Just... I want to move on with my life. Help me do that.”

  His expression softened a bit. “All right. Okay.”

  I listened with half an ear as the lawyers bantered back and forth for the next hour. Since we’d already had a realtor run comps on the business in case we couldn’t come to an agreement, it was fairly easy to determine the value of the business and the cost of the buyout. Gavin watched me warily as I glanced at the figure presented to me, then nodded. He looked as if he wanted to say more but I turned away, studiously avoiding him.

  The meeting finally came to an end and after exchanging polite handshakes, we began to filter from the room. Gavin waylaid me just as I approached the door.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  I closed my eyes for a moment, steeling myself before meeting his gaze. I’d given Steve years of my life only to be betrayed, my life ripped to shreds. But this was the key to my freedom. He might not approve of my choice, but now I’d have plenty of money for a fresh start. I could do whatever I wanted—and now it was time to do something for me.

  “I already gave you my answer. I just—”

  He cut me off, his eyes angry, his tone harsh. “Tell me, Kate, because I really need to know.”

  Something flickered in the dark depths. Disapproval? Disappointment, maybe? My lips flattened into a straight line, and I drew myself up to my fullest height. Who the hell was he to judge me?

  I lifted my chin defiantly. “Excuse me, Mr. Price. I believe we’re done here.”

  I strode down the hall and through the lobby, acutely aware of his penetrating glare on my back as I pushed open the door with more force than necessary and stepped into the bright sunlight. No more. Today was the start of something new. I strode forward with purpose, shoulders straight, ready to start the next chapter in my life.

  KEEP READING GAVIN and Kate’s story here!

  Also by Morgan James

  Quentin Security Series

  The Devil You Know – Blake and Victoria

  Devil in the Details – Xander and Lydia

  Devil in Disguise – Gavin and Kate

  Heart of a Devil – Vince and Jana

  Tempting the Devil – Clay and Abby

  *Each book is a standalone within the series

  Frozen in Time Trilogy

  Unrequited Love – Jack and Mia #1

  Undeniable Love – Jack and Mia #2

  Unbreakable Love – Jack and Mia #3

  Frozen in Time – The Complete Trilogy

  Deception Duet

  Pretty Little Lies – Eric and Jules #1

  Beautiful Deception – Eric and Jules #2

  *Each book can be read as a standalone but are best read in order for maximum reading pleasure

  Sinful Duet

  Sinful Illusions – Fox and Eva #1

  Sinful Sacrament – (July 2021) Fox and Eva #2

  *Books are best read in order for maximum reading pleasure

  Bad Billionaires

  (Novella Series)

  Depraved

  Ravished

  Consumed

  *Each book is a standalone within the series

  Standalones

  Death Do Us Part

  Escape

  About the Author

  Morgan James is the bestselling author of contemporary and romantic suspense novels. She spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book, and she loves all things romantic, dark, and dirty.

  She met her own husband when he crashed a friend's wedding (Just kidding. Kind of...) and they've been together ever since. They currently live in Ohio with their two kids and an adopted mutt that sheds like crazy.

  Here are a few fun facts: She can swear like a sailor. She loves to bake but hates to cook. She loves a man in uniform. She pulls inspiration for her stories from real life. Her husband is the absolute best, supplying her with infinite one-liners. Like her characters’ dialogue? There’s a good chance that those conversations have really happened!

  Find Morgan on Social Media

  https://www.authormorganjames.com

  https://www.facebook.com/BooksByMorganJames

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