Chapter 9 #2
Adrian: Fuck yeah.
There’s more I want to type, but Jaclyn is seeing everything we text. Her slight intake of breath when she reads what I said would worry me if she pulled away. When she stays in my lap, I hope that means she believes what I’ve told her.
“I’m guessing you’ve figured out that Adrian will be here soon. He’s coming up from his office now.”
“Up?” she asks as she leans away from my chest to see my face.
“Yes, I’ll give you the grand tour after we’re done here.” I’m sure she thinks she’ll be going home soon, but I can’t let her leave. I’m going to marry her this afternoon if I have my way. It’s part of the paperwork Adrian is bringing to the office.
Do I believe she’s involved in any of the mess at the office?
Absolutely not. However, I believe they will blame her or are setting her up, which will make us both look guilty and force our hand.
She can’t testify against me if we’re married.
It’s true and protects both of us. But Jaclyn’s it for me.
I knew as soon as I looked into her eyes yesterday.
Does that make me a creep? Maybe. Ask me if I care.
“Okay, maybe the gardens, too, before I leave?” she asks.
This is the most relaxed she’s been since I had my face buried in her cunt last night. Fuck. My cock was semi-hard as soon as had her in my arms, but now there’s no hiding the thick shaft she’s leaning against.
The moment Jaclyn realizes, she tries to climb off my lap, but I hold on tight. Then Adrian knocks on the door.
“Come in,” I yell so he can hear me through the closed door.
“I should get up before he comes in,” she hisses at me.
“Too late.” I shrug as the door opens, and Adrian strides in with two folders in his hands and raises an eyebrow at me. “You going to just stand there, or…?” I ask, when he stops next to the chair.
He chuckles as he drops into the chair I pulled Jaclyn out of and turns it slightly so we’re facing each other.
Then he crosses his leg over the other and places the files in his lap and frowns at the fear still visible on Jaclyn’s face.
“You doing okay, Jaclyn? My brother didn’t freak you out again, did he? ”
Much to my chagrin, she giggles. I guess I should be happy that she’s not crying or running for Maple Creek, not that I’d let her. But I swear on all that is holy, if Adrian says a word about the marriage before I’m ready, I’ll tear his head off and feed it to the chickens.
“I’m fine. Not sure why he won’t put me down…” she says.
His knowing smile makes me want to punch him in the face, but I can’t—won’t—not in front of Jaclyn. No, I have better ways to torment my brothers, and I do it frequently. What’s the fun of being the oldest if you can’t torture your younger siblings?
“Adrian, cut the shit. Did you bring the records for all the contract attorneys we have on staff?” I don’t even try to hide my impatience.
We may have figured out who the rat is, but I have no idea what’s driving this, or who else is involved.
I need answers and to protect Jaclyn before anything escalates.
“Yeah, right here. Who are we looking at?” he asks, as he opens the larger of the two folders.
“David Mercier.” As I say his name, Jaclyn turns to look at me.
“You think it’s him? Why?” she asks. “The last thing I want is to implicate someone else. I know how it feels to be interrogated by you.”
“Sweetpea, you just helped me narrow it down. I don’t believe in coincidence. And none of this adds up. There’s something off about that guy. I should have trusted my gut like you trusted yours, and never hired the bastard.”
Adrian looks up from perusing Mercier’s file, and his eyes narrow. “This is Charles and Dina’s grandson? Mom and Dad’s friends?”
“Yeah. He barely scraped through Harvard, as you can see. We were probably his only chance at a job.”
Adrian nods and leans back in the chair. “I’ll give Tris a call and see what he can dig up. What’s our next play?” He nods toward Jaclyn.
“Go call Tris and tell him we need it yesterday. I don’t care what it costs. That slimy fucker is not bringing JNG down. Better men have tried without success. It’s not happening now, either.”
“Got it. I’ll be right back. Do you want me to verify your appointment, too?” he asks as he drops the folders on my desk and walks toward the door.
“Yes, two o’clock, right?”
“Yup,” he replies as he steps out of my office and closes the door behind him.
“I can’t believe David lorded it over me, how he went to Harvard, and I couldn’t get into anything better than UCLA.”
“Never let anyone make you feel less than, Jaclyn. No one knows your story, nor do they have the right to judge you. Keep your head high and know your worth. I sure do.”
Her head swivels to look up at me. Emotions slide across her face. “Do you really mean that?”
“Every damn word. You got here by yourself, relying on no one; he needed family connections, and still barely graduated. I don’t know how he passed the bar.
Maybe he didn’t. But we’ll make sure he can’t do any more damage.
I’m not kidding about you remembering who you are.
If I have to, I’ll make a sign for your desk to remind you every time you see it. ”
Tears gather in her eyes, but she blinks them back.
I bet she rarely allows herself to cry, always keeping up her walls.
And I can’t wait to tear them down. Sure, I know almost everything about her now after Tristan got done checking into her past. It’s not the same as Jaclyn telling me herself—sharing her memories, history, thoughts, and heart.
I want all of her, not just her body. My desire for her is visceral in a way I can’t explain.
To have her open her heart to me and allow me to give her everything.
“Adrian said he’d be right back, so if we’re done with twenty questions, you promised to take me for a tour,” she reminds me.
“I did and we will, but first I need to ask you something. Or, really, demand it, and you’re not going to like it.” As my words sink in, she’s already withdrawing into herself.
She struggles against me until I release her. As soon as she’s free, she puts as much distance as she can between us and stops in front of the window. The sunlight shines on her, silhouetting her in a golden glow, and it takes my breath away.
Moving closer, I sit on the edge of my desk. “Jaclyn, I need you to agree to marry me.”
Her sharp inhale echoes in my quiet office.
“Wait, before you say anything, hear me out.” I give her a moment to respond.
Asking her this way is a dick move. I should have dropped to one knee and proposed the way she deserves, offering her all of me.
Except that would make her think she has a choice, and she doesn’t.
I’m not an ass, even though she probably thinks it right now.
She feels this thing between us as much as me; last night proved that.
But it’s important that I keep her and JNG safe.
That will always be my priority, even if it means she’s unhappy for now.
If she gives me the chance, I’ll prove this is the right thing to do, that she belongs with me, even if there wasn’t the threat.
“Fine, I get it, but you’re still crazy. I’m not marrying you. My life is in San Jose, and my job is in Sunnyvale. We haven’t even known each other for twenty-four hours.”
“You’re right. But you’d be lying if you didn’t admit what’s between us, the attraction, the magnetic pull.
You can’t hide that from me. I give you goosebumps when I touch you, your heart rate picks up when I’m close, and you turn the most gorgeous rosy pink when I call you Sweetpea, little bit, or my baby.
None of that would happen if there wasn’t something there.
“If we had more time, I’d gladly give it to you.
Fuck, I’d even follow you back to California to prove this is real.
But the issue you helped us uncover at JNG is dangerous, and the FBI cleared out your office.
You’ve been implicated, whether you deserve to be or not.
They want to bring you in for questioning.
Our legal department is holding them off—for now.
But the only way I can truly protect you, is to marry you.
Husbands and wives can’t be forced to testify against each other. ”
“Fuck. You’re really serious? Married? Are you sure there’s no other way? There’s got to be something.” She slides her fingers through her hair and turns to look out the window. “This is insanity. Who does this?”
“Yes, I’m serious. We’ll do it this afternoon. We can’t wait. And as for who does this, the twins got married immediately, and Asher less than two weeks after meeting Emma. You can ask them, they’ll tell you.”
The last thing I want is to force her into this, but I will do anything to protect her. Once I put my ring on her finger, I’ll bring her back to our cabin and worship her body until she can’t think straight.
“I need time to think about this. Are you sure there’s no other way? Because this is crazy. We don’t even know each other.”
“I know you’ve worked hard to get where you are, that you’re a survivor and went through hell in foster care.
I know your best friend is a mafia princess, writing romance books under a pen name and hiding from her family.
I know you’re sweet, caring, innocent, and the only woman I’ll ever want.
No, it doesn’t make sense, and yes, it’s fast, but give me a chance to prove it. I know we’re meant to be together.”
“Mafia adjacent…” she murmurs.
“What?” Of all the things I said, that’s what she picked out.
“Cheri is mafia adjacent. She swears her family isn’t in the mafia.
And all the other things you said, they just prove you did a thorough background check on me.
I’d expect nothing less, Mr. Gallant. But I know next to nothing about you.
You sound crazy, like some insane stalker.
If I say no, are you going to whisk me off into the woods until I agree? ”
She has no idea how close I am to doing just that. But I won’t, not unless she forces my hand. I won’t allow anyone to ruin her life. Even if it feels like I’m the one destroying her dreams.
“Jaclyn, please think about this rationally—”
She cuts me off, “Rationally? What part of any of this is rational? And your brothers agree with you? Are you all insane? Is this some kind of weird cult you have going on up here? Marry young women and knock them up?”
I’m dying to hold her, but it would only drive her further away. I couldn’t have fucked this up more if I’d tried. Instead, I take a step back, move behind my desk, and sit down, giving her space.
“Adrian and I have gone over every angle. There’s no other way. But I promise you, if we do this and you can’t tolerate being my wife or living here, I’ll let you go once we’ve removed the threat.”
Jaclyn spins around to face me. All the softness she had before is gone, she’s hiding behind her mask again. Her fists are clenched by her sides. “In writing? Will you promise to dissolve the marriage in writing?”
“I can’t do that. It has to be real—everyone has to believe we fell in love. Anything less would put you in danger. I won’t take the chance.”
For a moment, I think she’s going to agree, until she shakes her head mumbling something I can’t make out.
“I need some space. I’m going for a walk. Please don’t follow me, it’s not like I can go far without a vehicle.” She doesn’t wait for my response and heads for the door, nearly colliding with Adrian, who’s standing on the other side. Pushing past him, I listen as she walks down the hallway.
“I guess that didn’t go as you’d hoped,” Adrian says as he walks in and sits down.
“Not even close. I fucked up. Now she thinks I’m crazy, or trying to induct her into a baby-making cult…” Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I try to ease the growing headache.
“Holy shit. She said that?” Adrian leans back in the chair and runs his hand through his hair. “I imagined her telling you to fuck off; I didn’t see that coming.”
“Yeah, neither did I. Maybe I’d have done better to just toss her over my shoulder and drag her to the courthouse.” My father is probably spinning in his grave. So much for being the stable one of us. “At this point, I’m half expecting her to make a run for it.”
“Do you really think she would?”
“Honestly, if she believes what she said about me, then probably, yes.” I sigh.
“You know we can’t let her do that. She has to stay here until we can figure out the whole situation. Do you have the cameras pulled up on your screen?”
“Yeah, as soon as she walked out the door. She’s walking through the garden now and talking on the phone. Probably trying to find someone to come pick her up.”
“That’s not happening. Hopefully, whoever she’s talking to will calm her down. You did explain it was for her own good, right?”
“Do you think I’m stupid? Of course, I did.
But I might have muddled it all up when I told her we were meant to be together.
” Adrian’s eyes nearly bug out of his head.
If I’d been thinking straight, I would have presented the marriage as a safeguard for her and JNG, leaving my feelings out of it.
There would have been plenty of time to show her how I felt after we were married.
But honesty isn’t something I pick and choose when to use; too bad this time it blew up in my face.