Chapter 8
KAT
“Ms Kathryn, welcome on board,” Claudia says.
“Thank you, Claudia. It’s good to see you again.”
I make my way into the family jet and place my laptop on the table. I’m glad, for once, we have a bedroom. I hope I can finish up what I need to do, and then get some much-needed sleep.
“I’ll leave you to it,” she says. “Captain says we’ll be ready for take-off in a few minutes. Can I get you anything?”
I drag my water bottle out of my bag and shake it.
“I’m good.”
I need to keep my wits about me. I have too much to do, however tempting several gin and tonics sound right about now.
I take my seat and strap in as the engines begin to whirl. It’s a good thing I don’t mind flying. This job certainly has me racking up air miles.
I lean back and close my eyes as we take to the sky. The change in pressure makes my ears pop, and my stomach sink.
As the plane rights itself, the door at the back of the cabin opens. I sit up sharply, my heart rate increasing.
I turn my head sharply.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I say, my voice sharp.
“You’ve refused to take my calls.”
He folds his arms over his chest before dropping into the seat opposite me.
“Now I have your undivided attention.”
“You know it’s illegal to stow away.”
“I’m on the manifesto,” he says. “If only you’d checked.”
My hackles rise at his smug tone.
“You always did think you were clever,” I hiss, staring at the man in front of me, my body tingling, as the ache in my chest intensifies.
“There was a time when you liked that,” he says.
“That was a lifetime ago, and before I knew better.”
I cringe inwardly. Everything I thought was true has turned out to be a lie.
“You’ve wasted your time. I’ve nothing to say to you,” I add.
If it wasn’t time-critical for me to be at my destination, I’d have the pilot turn us around. Land at the nearest airport and order him off, but I can’t. Somehow, I have a sneaky suspicion he knows that.
“Well then, it’s a good thing I have plenty to say to you. We do have a project to discuss after all.”
Fuck! I’m going to kill Caleb the next time I see him.
I lock eyes with the man opposite me.
“Fine,” I say, sitting back and crossing my arms over my chest, the plane suddenly becoming very warm.
His open gaze meets mine, and the usual fluttering in my belly begins, as it always does when we’re in the same space.
Jax lowers his chin to his chest and rubs at his eyes. When he lowers his hand, his words surprise me.
“Look, can we start again?” The rich timber of his voice startles me, making me catch my breath.
Our eyes lock, and the air almost crackles at the connection.
I clear my throat, curling my fingernails into my palm, but remain silent.
“I was surprised when Caleb told me you’d agreed to me working on the project.”
I inhale, locking my jaw.
I exhale, unfolding my arms and placing my hands flat on the table.
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear,” I say slowly. “This is all my brother. He lied to you and then set me up. I never agreed to this, I was coerced.”
Jax’s posture doesn’t change.
“I know.”
I incline my head, my brows furrowing.
“If you knew, I—”
“Don’t understand?” he fills in. “Caleb admitted, after the event, that he’d been a little free and easy with the truth about your agreement. But he also told me he’s put you in an untenable position with your board and felt bad about it.”
Felt bad, my ass. He’d played us both.
“That’s an understatement,” I say. “If I don’t work with you, the project is likely to be shelved indefinitely. There are certain members of the board who are less than favourable to what I’m trying to do.”
Why am I telling him this?
Because you’re out of options!
Jaxson inclines his head slightly, his expression thoughtful. “That’s what he said. At least we know that was the truth.”
He smiles, and my heart does a flip.
He holds out the palms of his hands. “Anyway, I’m here.”
I stare at him, my eyes squinting.
“Stowing away on a private plane to the Maldives?”
He shrugs, as if it’s nothing. “Not stowing away, hitching a ride on a friend’s plane.” He shrugs. “I’m here on a working holiday. I have a large project to prepare for, and there are worse places to be. I hear the Maldives are beautiful at this time of year.
The hair stiffens at the nape of my neck.
“You can’t just turn up somewhere and hope they’ll be able to find space for you.”
“Oh, that’s all been sorted,” he grins.
I narrow my eyes, pressing my lips together.
Which sibling do I murder now?
I bite back the growl that threatens. My heart rate is elevated.
“What’s in it for you?” I ask, after getting my heart rate under control. “It’s not like you’re beholden to my board. You could just walk away.”
Jax sits back in the chair, his broad shoulders filling the back, his posture relaxed.
“That’s very true, I could. However, I’ve seen the brief and in the true spirit of transparency,” he says. “I want in.” As if it’s that simple. He inclines his head, his eyes never leaving my face. “Kat, what you’re trying to do is groundbreaking. I want Lockwood and Associates to be part of that.”
It’s my turn to sit back. I cross my arms over my chest. I search his face for anything, anything that can explain what the hell is going on here.
We sit in silence. Staring openly at each other.
Claudia takes that moment to reappear. Her face breaks out into a smile.
“Mr Lockwood. Can I get you anything?”
Great, Claudia thinks he’s a welcome guest.
“An Americano would be lovely, thank you, Claudia. And it’s Jaxson.”
The smile he offers her has my hackles rising again.
Thank you, Claudia, and it’s Jaxson. Who the hell does he think he is?
“Kathryn, can I get you anything?”
My name pulls me back into the present with a jump.
“Sorry, Claudia, I was miles away. Can I have a latte, please?”
Claudia grins at us, her eyes sparkling before turning away.
Heaven only knows what she thinks is going on here.
After Claudia leaves, I turn to Jax.
“So, I take it I have Caleb to thank for this little fiasco?”
Jax chuckles, running a finger over his lips. My eyes track the movement, butterflies dancing in my stomach.
I sigh.
Not that it matters. The damage is done.
I stare out of the window, out into the wispy white cloud surrounding us.
Claudia returns with our coffees, placing them down on the table.
“Can I get you anything to eat?”
Jaxson holds up his hand. My stomach rumbles. I skipped breakfast, but there’s no way I’m going to sit here eating in front of him.
Claudia nods and withdraws.
Jaxson picks up his coffee, and I watch his throat bob as he swallows.
“How? How’s this going to work?”
He shrugs. “Like any project, I presume. I’ll ask you questions, you’ll give me the answers I need. I’ll go away and write up my proposal. I’m sure we can be professional,” he says, taking another sip of his coffee.
I growl before I can stop myself, making the pretentious prick laugh.
My breathing picks up, and a hot flush spreads throughout my body.
“But we’re not any people, Jaxson,” I say, folding my arms over my chest. “This project could take months, if not years.”
How am I not going to throttle him?
He shrugs again, the movement setting my teeth on edge.
“Well, I can, if you can,” he says, throwing down the proverbial gauntlet, making me want to scream.
“Are you serious? Just like that. Sixteen years of animosity, simply pushed to one side?”
His face hardens. “You seem to be the one with the problem here, Kat. As I said, I can be professional. Can you?”
“Fuck you, Jax,” I say, before I can stop myself.
“You already did that, and isn’t that part of the problem?”
Don’t rise to the bait! Don’t rise to the bait!
“I think we’re done here.”
I move to stand up.
Jax stays put. He runs a hand down his face, stopping at his mouth. When he pulls it away, he sighs.
“I’m sorry, that was completely uncalled for.”
“You say?” I’m unable to hide the sarcasm in my tone.
I grimace. He always brings out the worst in me. I close my eyes for a second, and when I open them, he leans forward.
“Caleb has stitched us both up. For what purpose, I don’t know. What I do know is, it’s in both our best interests to make this work.” He leans away again. “I know I can help the FHG and you with this project. It’s my main area of expertise after all.”
He sucks his top lip between his teeth. I zoom in on the movement, flipping back to his eyes when he continues. “I also know you’re a consummate professional, and you always want and do the best for your company. I’m the best, Kat, whether you like it or not.”
I unfold my arms and place them in my lap.
He’s not wrong.
If it were anyone but Jax, I would be selling this project to them, trying to win them over.
Can I ignore the fact that it’s him?
“You’re right,” I say, watching for any smugness.
Credit to him, his expression remains impassive.
“I’m not going to blow smoke up your arse.
As you said, Caleb stitched us both up, me especially with the board.
I can’t back out, not without serious consequences.
I’ve worked too hard to get this project through to walk away now, and I’m not prepared to go back to the drawing board.
” I lift my chin and square my shoulders.
“But let me make myself very clear. I don’t trust you.
I want to sign off on everything. Do you understand? Everything. This is my project.”
“Crystal,” he says, sending a flush of adrenaline tingling through my body. “But remember, Kat. My reputation and that of my firm are at stake here, too. I will not let you do anything to damage that. Do I make myself clear?”
Our eyes clash.
“Crystal,” I say, repeating his word back at him.
“Good, then I think we have a deal.”
He swallows the rest of his coffee. When he puts down the cup, he holds out a hand.
Our hands meet, his head lifts, his eyebrows drawing down, as if he’s trying to read me.
I school my features, ignoring the sparks shooting up my arm and into my chest.
His lips curl up, and I swallow a snarl.
He withdraws his hand, and it’s then I realise we were all but holding hands.
Ahhhhhhh! That man!
“Did you receive my answers to the list of questions you sent over?”
Jaxson looks at me, a frown marring his brow.
“No, I…” He picks up his phone and begins scrolling through his emails. I sit back and wait.
Jaxson looks up, startled. “Two-thirty this morning?”
“I wanted to send them over before I left. Did you think I wouldn’t look at them?”
He taps his screen and opens the document on his phone. All fifty pages of it. I may have gone a little overboard with some of my answers.
I’d spent every free moment of the weekend going over them. They were good questions, well thought out. Had got my creative juices flowing, as they say.
“In all honesty, I wasn’t sure,” he admits, his eyes scanning the document. “This is detailed,” he adds, sounding surprised.
“As I said before. I need this project to be a success. I don’t want any additional delays.”
Jaxson’s eyes meet mine.
“When you refused to see me. I assumed,” he runs a hand through his hair. “That you were stonewalling me. I apologise.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. Not entirely incorrectly, but I don’t tell him that.
“I do run a company. Being out of the country means meetings had to be brought forward.”
“Touché.”
I grip my pendant in my hand. A gift from Mum and Dad for my twenty-first. The boys got watches, we girls each got a necklace.
We stare at one another.
“We have ten hours to kill,” I say. “Do you want to go through some of it now?”
Jaxson inclines his head. “Are you sure?”
“As I just said, we may as well make the most of a ten-hour flight.”
At least I might get some peace on the other end.