Chapter 14
MAX
Paige continues her verbal attack. “Do you not have anything better to do, like, oh, I don’t know, work, defend people, and be out there saving the world instead of talking about virgins?”
Shit, she heard that. But how much did she hear before that? Hopefully, none of it.
“What are you four egos in suits talking about anyway?” Her eyes dart from me then to each of my brothers.
A quiet chuckle bubbles inside of me. Sometimes, just sometimes—okay, maybe always—I fucking love that smart mouth of hers.
Shut up. No, you don’t. She’s the enemy and works for the competition.
“We are working on a case, if you must know, Ms. Bradshaw.” Nathan stands up again to his full height and stares her down. “Hunter versus Hare. Have you heard of it?”
We all titter like naughty schoolboys at Nathan’s quick-witted answer.
Paige shakes her head vehemently as if annoyed, her bun so tight and firm, not a hair is out of place or comes undone. In every way, Paige Bradshaw is unshakable, something I told my sexy stranger I was. It couldn’t be further from the truth; since that night, I’ve been shook.
“No?” Nathan asks. “Well, I’m sorry, I can’t tell you anything about it then, unless you accept the job offer I made you last month.”
Nathan offered her a job? What the fuck? “I’m sorry, what?” This is the first time I’ve heard about this.
My eldest brother glares at me. “You know it makes sense, Max.” He gestures to the air between us. “If you two co-counseled, you would be formidable.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” I retort. “I’d rather eat broken glass.”
“And I’d rather French kiss an alligator,” Paige drawls, sounding bored with this conversation.
“Sounds kinky,” Eli interjects. “Or is that code for something else?”
“What the fuck could that be code for?” I snap, biting Eli’s head off.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs, not offended by my razor-edged question.
“I hate coming here.” Paige sighs, walking to the sofa. “It’s like stepping back in time into some bizarre Hart brother time zone where you all become ten years old again. Weirdos.”
Why the hell is she sitting down?
“What star sign are you, Paige?” Cole asks out of the blue, throwing me sideways.
Without hesitation, she replies, “Virgo, why?” She reaches down to pull paperwork out of her workbag, and when she sits back up, she realizes we are all staring at her.
No fucking way.
Impossible.
A rush of adrenaline sets my chest aflame and my stomach twists, but deep down, a strange fascination grows, pushing Cole to ask more. Instead, there’s this long stretch of silence bouncing between us all.
“What did I say?” she asks.
In a low monotone chorus, we all reply at the same time, “Nothing.”
Leaning forward, I drop my attention to her feet, trying to catch any small glimpse of a tattoo on her ankle, to be met with spiky black heeled ankle boots that would look sexy as fuck on anyone else but Paige.
I’m lying about the sexy part. Paige Bradshaw has this innocent, elegant look, like a swan gliding on still water.
But get too close, and she’s fierce as hell.
Just like a swan, she’ll bite you when you least expect it, and I secretly like that about her.
Hell, part of me fucking loves it. And those boots would look better wrapped around my ears.
Never. Going. To. Happen.
Unfortunately for me, the length of her ankle boot covers the area where my bunny had a tattoo.
She can’t be Bunny. Paige is the last person who would go to a sex club. Fierce, yes, but she’s beautiful, sexy, and I can’t imagine she’s short of offers on the dating scene. Also, she doesn’t have a kid, so there’s no way it’s her.
My shoulders relax with relief and my brothers notice my change in demeanor, as if they know I figured out it’s not her. I subtly shake my head from side to side just to make sure they get the message.
Nathan throws me a wink and walks to the door, talking over his shoulder as he leaves. “Call me if you change your mind about the position here, Paige. Or inform Max.”
“I’m good. Thanks, though.” She’s quick to reply.
I hope she doesn’t change her mind.
“And remember, your last fitting for your tuxedo is next week. That applies to all of you,” Nathan shouts back over his shoulder, reminding us of our best man duties.
We had his bachelor party two weeks ago. It was the first time I’ve ever seen Nathan drunk to the point he couldn’t string a sentence together. I will continue to applaud Cole’s idea to have Nathan take a shot every time he mentioned Arianna’s name. Fucking idiot should have known better.
“Right, I gotta go.” Cole rakes his fingers through his hair before removing himself from my office sofa. “I’m off to inform a family that their father bought hundreds of properties behind their backs and unfortunately didn’t leave a will to decide who gets what.”
“Sounds like fun,” I say dryly.
Cole loves the complex stuff. “It is. The ranch next to Mom and Dad’s is one of those properties.” He’s by my office door in two long strides.
I blow a descending whistle. “That’s got to be worth at least three million.”
“He owns numerous ranches, plus commercial and residential properties throughout the state.”
Paige inserts herself into the conversation. “Lucky family.”
“They will be if they agree to my proposal,” Cole agrees.
She asks, genuinely interested, “Will it go to court?”
“Most likely.” Cole taps the doorjamb before pointing at me. “Meet you later for dinner.”
I nod, confirming I’ll meet him at Taboo, a new place in town that’s just opened.
“Paige, a pleasure as always,” Cole lies, and I almost burst out laughing because that woman scares my brother shitless. She scares most men, if I’m being honest.
Eli is the last to leave, but before he exits my office, I ask, “How did it go with Rainbow Bright?” I can’t remember her name, but I’m sure it sounded like a My Little Pony cartoon character that Louise’s daughter brought into the office one day. She had multicolored hair just like it too.
“Rainbow Bright?” he asks, puzzled.
“The team-building woman,” I clarify. “From a few weeks ago?”
“Oh, Sapphire.”
I slap my desk, now remembering her name.
“That was it. How did it go? Did she have good ideas?” We all want this year’s staff conference to be better than last year’s disaster.
When emergency maintenance on the runway at the airport caused three of our speakers’ flights to be canceled, we decided to use local speakers and event organizers going forward.
“I’m not sure her company is right for us,” Eli informs me.
“Really?” The website and team-building activities they offer were the best when we compared them to three other local staffing event companies.
“I swear she’d been smoking pot or sniffing something.” Eli’s brows draw together. “Dinner was loud.”
Paige clears her throat, then asks, “Is that Sapphire Feelgood?” Her curiosity hints at the fact that she knows who she is.
Eli nods, his brows dipping, making him look like he’s in pain. “Yeah. Do you know her?”
“Yeah. And she’s not high, that’s just the way she is.” Paige gifts us a rare smile, softening her usually stern features. She really is fucking beautiful when she loosens up.
Hell, where did that thought come from? That’s not good.
Paige shares what she knows. “Her mom and dad met at Slab City, and I believe she grew up there for a while until they moved to San Francisco once Sapphire got a little older.”
Slab City is the only place that self-polices itself in California. I admire the simplicity of their remote and off-grid lives they choose to live. It’s not for me personally, but each to their own.
Paige beams, sounding in awe of her. “Sapphire is amazing.”
“She never shuts up,” Eli tells her, throwing me a quick glance. I know Sapphire has thrown him off balance.
Eli is usually outspoken, but from the sounds of it, it seems like Sapphire has got the upper hand and he’s finally met his match.
“She sure does like to talk,” Paige confirms in a way that tells me she’s fangirling over her.
“She hosted our staff conference last year, and it was the best one we ever had. Her keynote speech was”—Paige places her fingers on her mouth and kisses them—“Chef’s kiss.
She made me want to open my own law practice. ”
I pick up the pen sitting on my desk and start to doodle. “Do you still want to do that?” There’s no real reason to ask, but I seem to have become a nosy bastard, and this is the most civil conversation we’ve had.
Her reply is heavy with melancholy. “Now is not the right time for me unfortunately. But one day. Maybe.”
“Why is now not the right time?” She’s single, no kids, free as a bird and she would get clients lining up asking her to represent them.
Nathan is right about one thing: We would be a powerhouse if we co-counseled. But she would much prefer to wrestle a porcupine by the sounds of it than work with me.
My usual magic charm doesn’t work on her, and I hate how much I like that.
She’s not just different, she plays an elite game in another league all together, one I am not worthy of in her eyes.
“I need the financial stability of a job at the moment.” Blushing, she looks uncomfortable and quickly changes the subject. “Anyway, I need to talk to you about something regarding the Young versus Young case. I was in the area and thought it would be easier to discuss it with you than over email.”
From behind my desk, I nod once in reply and silently wave goodbye to Eli.
Just the two of us now, Paige begins to work through a list of terms I proposed for child custody.
“That’s everything.” Her eyes flit left and right from her notepad to the proposal in her hand once we are finished. “Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.”
I respond with a quiet nod, completely speechless that she sounded sincere. Usually, she thanks me then makes a cutting remark to try and undermine my confidence.
Her cell phone pings with a message, and as soon as she reads it, her face turns a paler shade of white.
Whatever has happened, it doesn’t look good. “Everything okay?”
“I have to go. That’s my nan— nana.”
What was she about to say?
“Is she unwell?” I ask.
She continues to stare at her phone, then looks up at me, her eyes slightly glazed and panicked.
I’m on my feet and kneeling in front of her before she can blink. I glance downward for a brief moment and catch a glimpse of a faint tattoo on her ankle just below the low rim of her boot.
What the hell? No way.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Also, not now; Paige needs you, Max.
Focus.
“What’s happened? Is everything okay?” I ask again, concerned as my brain goes into overtime.
Shaking her head, she waves me off, dismissing me. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” She wipes a quick tear away, her eyes becoming bloodshot as she tries to hold back her emotion.
“Paige.” I say her name more firmly to bring her out of her momentary glitch.
“I have to go.” She lays the palm of her hand on her forehead as if being hit by a sudden thought. “Shit, I walked here because my car’s still in the garage.”
I catch another look at that tattoo hiding beneath her leather boot.
What the fuck?
“Wherever you need to go, I’ll take you there.” I’m desperate to find out what’s happened to someone she clearly cares about and spend time with her.
And ask her if she’s Bunny? Along with another million other questions.
If she’s Bunny… then… what?
I don’t know, but I’m desperate to find out.
Surprisingly, Paige doesn’t fight me; instead, she agrees to let me drive her, and within minutes we’re in my car.