by Karen Booth
“I’d rather wait on the line and hear your reaction.”
This couldn’t be good. “Ten minutes. I’ll call you back. I promise.” He ended the call and did exactly what she suggested. When the headline popped up in the search results, Jeremy’s stomach sank so low it felt like it was at his knees. The words “secret affair” jumped right out at him.
Jeremy only had time to scan the article. He wanted to call Mr. Summers before he spoke to Isabel and he knew she’d hold him to the promise of ten minutes. The story laid out the facts as the two parties generally understood them. The bad of it was that these details had now become public information. The worst of it was the comments from Mr. Summers as contrasted with those from Mindy Eden. Mindy’s only comment was, “Mr. Summers has made a claim and we’re doing everything we can to negotiate with him in good faith. My sisters and I loved our grandmother very much and want everyone to know that she was a generous and kind person with a big heart.”
Mr. Summers’s comment wasn’t quite so delicate. “Victoria Eden barged into my parents’ marriage and destroyed it. She was a vile money-hungry woman who handed her naive granddaughters a business wrongly built on my father’s money. I will get restitution if it’s the last thing I do.”
Jeremy physically winced when he reread it. Then he picked up the phone and called his client. “Mr. Summers. I saw your quote in the newspaper today. You have painted us into a corner.”
“That reporter misquoted me.”
“You might have to prove that to me. Do you know who fed the story to the papers in the first place?”
“I don’t.”
Jeremy wasn’t convinced, but he had no evidence that his client had started this. “Okay, then. I’m calling to let you know that the Eden’s team has read the article and they are not happy about the things you said. They could easily countersue you for defamation of character.”
“You can’t defame the dead. I looked it up.”
“Ah, but survivors can make a claim that the defamation of their dead relative reflects on their reputation. Knowing Ms. Blackwell’s previous legal work, I have no doubt she will make exactly that argument.” Jeremy took in a deep breath and kept going. “Also, the Eden sisters are immensely popular in the city of New York. They are in the tabloids all the time. People love them and their store. So if you think that you could somehow get somewhere by bad-mouthing them to the press, you were sorely mistaken. Public opinion is important, Ben. And you have officially hurt your own chances by trying to mess with the Eden heiresses.”
Mr. Summers cleared his throat. “What do you suggest I do? Call the reporter?”
“What’s done is done. Nobody reads retractions, anyway. I want you to give me permission to negotiate with Eden’s. You’re going to have to give a little.”
A distinct grumble came from the other end of the line. “Promise me you’ll give up as little as possible.”
“I’ll do my best.” Jeremy said goodbye and hung up, wasting no time returning Isabel’s call. “I’m sorry,” he said when she answered. “I saw the article. He claims he was misquoted, but regardless, people are reading it and I’m sorry that it happened in the first place. We need to get this hashed out.”
“I can’t negotiate with you if you won’t give in on anything, Sharp.”
He caught himself smiling. How could she do that when he was as stressed as could be? “Will you please stop calling me that? You’ve seen me naked. Can we go with Jeremy?”
“Are we starting negotiations already? Because I think you know that you’re now the one at a disadvantage. Which means that technically, I can probably call you whatever I want.”
Jeremy sat back in his chair and glanced out the window. It was starting to snow. He was tired. He really just wanted to get home. “If you’re going to call me something bad, I think you should say it to my face.”
“Oh, so now you’ll meet with me in person? Now that you’re forced to do it? That doesn’t say much about your good faith, Jeremy.”
Good God, it made heat rush through him to hear her say his first name. Inviting her to his place was not a great idea. But he had to get this done, get his dad and Mr. Summers off his back, and well, there was the matter of Cat, too. Isabel seemed to know what she was talking about when it came to his feline houseguest. “I know. I know. You were right all along. I owed you this meeting days ago. You can come to Brooklyn and meet Cat and we’ll get things worked out.”
“Actually, I was about to get on a plane back to DC. I’ve been kicked out of my hotel for the weekend and there are no vacancies this close to Christmas. My brother and Mindy both have some dreadful cold, so I don’t want to stay with them. I can’t afford to get sick.”
Jeremy’s mind was racing. He had more than enough room for Isabel. But could he resist her for a night or two? “I could put you up. If it’s just for the weekend. In your own room, of course.”
“You have that kind of space at your place?”
Jeremy wanted to keep things simple. He wasn’t about to explain to Isabel that he had a big empty house because he’d been stupid enough to hope that someday he and his wife would have children. “I do. Plenty of room.”
“Okay, then. Text me the address and I’ll be there a little after noon, suitcase in hand.”
Eight
Isabel had no idea what to expect when she got out of the car in front of Jeremy’s brownstone. Overhead, the early-afternoon sky had darkened with clouds and big, fat flakes were falling steadily. Ahead, an ornate wrought iron gate awaited, with a long flight of stairs up to a beautiful arched wood door. It was straight out of a movie, but Isabel couldn’t help but notice that Jeremy’s neighbors all had Christmas wreaths or holiday garland adorning their facade. Not Jeremy. Not the guy who couldn’t be bothered to give a cat a proper name. Which was just fine with Isabel. It wasn’t like she was doing much better with celebrating the holiday.
She rang the bell and waited for Jeremy to answer. When he unlatched the lock and opened the door, she was presented with an image she admired a little too much—Jeremy with his salt-and-pepper temples wearing a black sweater and dark jeans. “You weren’t kidding about the suitcase.” He gestured with a nod.
“I never joke about imposing on someone for a night or two. Are you sure this is okay? Are you sure you have enough room?”
Jeremy rolled his eyes and reached for her bag. “I wouldn’t extend the invitation if I didn’t have the space. I’ve put up plenty of clients at the house.”
“But never opposing counsel, I’m guessing.” Isabel followed him inside, where a square of beautifully restored ebony penny-tile floor marked the landing. From this first peek, his home was a showplace, every detail exceptional. Above, the ceiling soared with graceful moldings, lit up by vintage fixtures of seeded glass and rich bronze. To her left, a staircase with neat white treads and a scrolled black railing led to the floor above, then doubled back, climbing to yet another level. Ahead, a glossy dark wood floor stretched the full length of the house, past what appeared to be living room and kitchen, ending when it reached tall leaded windows through which she saw only snow-dusted trees. Taking this all in felt like more than a view of Jeremy’s residence. It felt like a look into his soul. For the man who seemed to bristle at any personal burden, keeping this home had to be, on some level, a labor of love.
He closed the door behind her, set down her bag and came up beside her, giving her a whiff of his irresistible smell. It was like the finest bourbon, rich and warm without any trace of booziness. “Actually, you’d be wrong about that. I did a negotiation here when another lawyer had a long layover at JFK. His flight got canceled and he ended up spending the night.”
Isabel felt a little better about the propriety of this now. Although given her history with Jeremy, their situation wasn’t exactly the same. “I see.”
“No need to be jealous,
” Jeremy said. “He wasn’t anywhere near as cute as you.”
Isabel blushed and smiled, but then a spark in his eye caught her gaze and she was immobilized by the zap of electricity only Jeremy could deliver. Mere inches separated them, reminding her body of how blissful it was to be pressed against him, comb her fingers through his thick hair and kiss him. The fact that he was tossing around words like cute wasn’t making him any easier to resist.
“I hate that it’s this close to Christmas and we have to do this,” he said, leaning against the stair railing.
“As far as I’m concerned, as long as the fire alarm doesn’t go off, this is a vacation.”
“Brooklyn is lovely this time of year.” It was Jeremy’s turn to smile, but that only made her want him more. She was going to have to learn to ignore the four or five hundred irresistible traits he seemed to have. Too bad she needed the negotiations ahead to go smoothly. A little jerkish behavior on his part might help stem her personal tide of desire.
Isabel laughed. “It’s fine. I don’t celebrate Christmas anyway.”
“Jewish?”
She shook her head. “No. Just a habit I got into a long time ago.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Come on. I’ll show you the place.”
Jeremy provided a quick tour of the main floor—a comfortable living room with chocolate-brown leather furniture in front of a stately fireplace with a carved white stone surround that had to be an antique. The kitchen was a cook’s delight with a generous center island topped with Carrara marble and custom cabinets of creamy gray. The sink overlooked a courtyard off the back of the house, with a patio shielded from the outside world by a row of snow-flocked Italian cypress trees, the kind you see growing alongside the roads of Tuscany.
Isabel went to the window to admire Jeremy’s outdoor retreat, an uncommon luxury, even in Brooklyn. “It’s so lovely out there. It must be amazing to sit out there in the spring or summer with a book.”
Jeremy came right up behind her and Isabel stayed impossibly still, keenly aware of her breaths as they filled her lungs. This house was a magical place, an oasis of calm and beauty in the middle of a bustling metropolis, and its owner a little too enticing. “Actually, it’s even better in the fall, when there’s a nip of cold in the air. I get the firepit going and can sit outside for hours.”
That sounded like sheer heaven to Isabel. “The house is beautiful. Truly stunning.” She dared to turn around and face him. In the natural light coming from the window, he was somehow even more handsome. More kissable.
“Thank you. It was a big project. It did not look like this when we bought it.”
We, meaning he and his wife. She really didn’t want Jeremy to know that she’d gone digging into his private history, so she kept that detail to herself. “Oh?”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and cast his sights down at the floor. “Yeah. I was married until a few years ago. She really wanted a fixer-upper. I wanted a lot of space, so this was the perfect choice.”
Before Isabel had a chance to comment, in traipsed an adorable orange tabby, clearly taking her time with her sizable belly. “Oh my God. That must be Cat.”
“Unless I somehow managed to get another one, yes.”
Isabel rushed over to her, crouched down and offered her hand. Cat rubbed up against the kitchen island, then did the same to Isabel’s fingers. She immediately began to purr, pacing back and forth and brushing Isabel’s knees with her tail. “She’s so sweet. And so friendly.” Isabel went ahead and sat on the floor, Cat purring even more loudly now that Isabel was able to pet her with both hands.
“Yeah. She’s been coming to my back door for a while now. I saw her the other morning and it was so cold out, I couldn’t leave her out there. My housekeeper put up flyers in the neighborhood and the veterinarian said she isn’t microchipped, so we don’t know who she belongs to.”
“Must just be a neighborhood cat. We had a few of those around when I was growing up. My mom was crazy about cats.” Isabel looked up at Jeremy. “They all ended up living at our house in one form or another. Even the ones who were too skittish to come inside got taken to the vet and immunized and fixed. My mom bankrolled it all.”
“Wow.”
Isabel’s heart felt heavy just thinking about her mom. In her mind, she could see her out on their back patio, dishing up wet food for any cat who cared to show up. She talked to them all, gave them all names. She was a woman who was so full of love that showering her kids and husband with it simply wasn’t enough. It said a lot about her—Isabel and Sam had never gone a day without feeling truly loved by their mom. “I need to get a kitty when I find a place.” She’d never taken the time to get one when she lived in DC, but now that she was shifting her life in a more meaningful direction, a cat or even a few were an obvious choice.
“I know where you can get a pretty cute orange one.”
Isabel grinned and looked Cat in the face. “If I adopt you, you’re getting a new and better name. No question about that.”
“Go for it.”
“Are you seriously not going to keep her?” Isabel asked, getting up from the floor. “She has such a wonderful personality and she seems to be comfortable here.”
Cat meowed and rubbed up against Jeremy’s leg.
“I’m just not a pet person. My life is so crazy with work, it’s hard to imagine caring for another living thing.”
Isabel nodded. She’d felt that way for a long time. Not anymore. “Right. Work. I guess you’d better show me to my room so we can get something accomplished today.”
* * *
Having Isabel in his home—a woman he’d kissed, laughed with, made love to and even argued against—was leaving Jeremy off-balance. A different energy had tiptoed into his private world, and it was both confusing and exhilarating to experience. There was just enough inkling of his past to make him again question what in the world he was doing by allowing himself to be so drawn to her. He and Isabel might be opponents professionally, but there was no denying that they could effortlessly slip into comfortable conversation. They seemed to naturally fall in sync. There was a part of him, deep in his core, that craved that so badly he would do anything to have it. But a bigger part of him had hardened around his needs and desires. That shell was there to protect him, but it was exhausting to carry around all day. He could set it aside when he was at home, and with the snow coming down outside and the weekend stretched out before them, he was in no mood to put it back on again.
With her suitcase in tow, he led her upstairs to the guest room, carrying it inside and setting it down on a bench at the foot of the bed. “It’s no Bacharach, but the mattress is incredibly comfortable.”
“I’d say it’s a big step up for me. I haven’t heard a single fire alarm since I got here.” Isabel took her handbag and laptop bag and placed them on the bed. She smoothed her hand over the butter-soft duvet. “Ooh. Nice.”
Just like the night they met, Jeremy was having to remind himself to slow down. It would be way too easy to kiss her right now and show her exactly how nice that bedding was. “You have your own bath.” He traipsed over to the door and flipped on the light for her. When he turned back, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking as perfect as he could imagine.
“Thank you. Seriously. This works out great for me, and not just because I needed a place to sleep. I’m eager to get this case squared away. It’s of monumental importance.”
“To the Eden family or to you?”
“Take your pick. Yes, it’s a job, and I’m being paid well to do it, but over the course of the last few weeks, Mindy and her sisters have been amazing to me. They’ve even invited me to celebrate Christmas with them.”
“I thought you didn’t celebrate.”
“I haven’t made the effort, but that doesn’t mean I won’t take part. I love this time of year
and I used to be the sort of person who lived for every minute of Christmas. It’s just been a while since I took much joy in it. Like a bad habit, which I suppose is possible for anyone to fall into. Something doesn’t feel as good as it used to and so you turn your back on it.”
That got the gears in his head going. It was an incredibly insightful thing to say. Jeremy didn’t want to tread too heavily on Isabel’s personal life, but he was curious. “Any particular reason it stopped feeling good? Work? Career?”
“Work definitely kept me away from it, but this started way before that. My mom. And my dad.” She pulled in a breath through her nose, her shoulders rising up to her ears. “They both passed away the same year. It’s just been Sam and me since then.”
“Oh, wow. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
She nodded and painted a smile on her face, like she felt a need to comfort him. “So that’s why it’s important to me to make the Eden sisters happy. You don’t luck into a new family very often.”
“That sounds nice. A tidy little package.” Jeremy decided against giving in to his greatest inclination at the moment, which was to express the depths of his skepticism. In his experience, families like the Edens would turn their backs on you just as easily as they welcomed you in. “Your brother must be part of this for you, too.”
“Absolutely. I love seeing him happy for once in his life, and he’s so over the moon for Mindy. They are so in love, it’s amazing. I doubt they’ll ever get around to planning a real wedding. They just want to get the show on the road.”
“I wish them the best of luck.”
“Don’t you mean happiness?”
“Personally? I think luck plays a much bigger role.”
Isabel reached out with her foot and knocked it against his calf. “Hey. That’s not nice. They aren’t even married yet and you’re acting like they’re getting ready for a divorce.”
Funny, but he never fully appreciated just how pessimistic he’d become until someone took the time to pick apart his words. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. Just because I got burned doesn’t mean that some people don’t have a happy ending.”
