#1 Rival Page 4

  “Yes, really.” His voice was laced with amusement as he leaned back on his heels, his menacing grin widening.

  “I have to say, Roman, I didn’t think you would be so . . .” I searched for the word, “okay with this.” And more to the point, why was I questioning it? Why had I not nodded and then walked myself back to our client and started our new plan of attack?

  “Oh, you think I was agreeing with you?” He shook his head as a chuckle made its way up his throat. “No, I stand behind everything I said. You are making a huge mistake, Harper.”

  In the twelve months we’d know each other, he had never used my first name. I wasn’t even sure he knew it was Lauren, preferring to call me Harper like I was a cadet in basic training. And if it had been reserved just for me, I would have shoved his Harper right down his throat, but he called all the lawyers by their last name. Except for the partners, of course. And the paralegals and the secretaries were exempt too. But then I assumed he was trying to sleep with most of them so it didn’t fit with his agenda—whatever that agenda was.

  So, the fact I was annoyed as hell at my last name coming out of his mouth right now made no sense.

  It seemed to be the morning for it.

  Being pissed off, and things not making sense.

  “You said we’d do it my way.” I was sure I hadn’t hallucinated that part of the conversation. I distinctly remembered my shock that he’d given in so easily. “You don’t get to turn it around now and say I misheard.”

  “No, you heard me correctly, but you clearly didn’t understand what I meant.” He could barely contain his grin. “I asked you if you wanted a war, you said if that’s what it took. So we’re doing it your way. You present your defense and I’ll present mine, and whichever the client picks will be the way we go.”

  Speechless.

  My mouth opened and closed a few times as I struggled to find words.

  Nope.

  He made an exaggerated display of checking his watch. “Oh, and she’s been waiting awhile, so we should get back and plead our cases, don’t you think.”

  “I haven’t had time to prepare my case. You had all of yesterday.” I stopped short of saying it wasn’t fair because that would sound too childish, but it was exactly what I was thinking.

  “Well then, you better think on your feet.” He tipped his head toward the door. “Maybe appeal to her sense of sisterhood. Girl power, that kind of thing.” He raised his eyebrow and continued to mock me.

  “Game on, Pierce.” I didn’t bother waiting for him to move, shoving him aside as I marched to the door and flung it open.

  I also didn’t wait, heading back to the boardroom with quick, confident strides, feeling the sense of power surging through my veins.

  When I entered, Daniel was going over assets with Jana and most likely apologizing for our hasty exit. He would want to speak to both of us at some point too, but that was a concern for another time. Right now, I needed to talk fast and think faster and turn this around somehow.

  “Glad you could rejoin us.” Daniel might not have been hostile, but he didn’t sound glad either. “I trust the two of you are ready to proceed.” The warning loud and clear as Roman and I retook our seats.

  “Yes. We wanted to present Ms. Cane two lines of defense,” I said, knowing the minute Roman started talking he would try and bewitch her with his sexy self-confidence. He might have encouraged me to try and use the sisterhood as a means of swaying her, but he would be bringing his own big guns. And charming was not something that was in short supply.

  “So, if you will allow me to start.” I waited for Jana to nod before continuing. “Here is why I believe settling would be a mistake and what should be our plan moving forward.”

  I didn’t leave room for interpretation, spelling it out as clear as I could that an aggressive approach would be what we needed and why.

  Both Jana and Daniel listened intently as I built my case on the fly while Roman sat in silence, his fingers tented in front of him, with the urge to say something probably eating him alive.

  He waited.

  Waited until I was finished, and I could almost taste the victory.

  And it was at exactly that moment that he calmly opened his folder and double-barreled his counter argument like he was presenting new found evidence for an innocent man on death row.

  “Well, they are both compelling arguments.” Jana adjusted her jacket as she looked to Daniel. “I’m going to need some time to process it.”

  “Of course, Ms. Cane.” Daniel nodded. “Take the afternoon and I’ll get my secretary, Stephanie, to schedule a meeting for tomorrow.”

  She lifted herself gracefully out of her chair, shaking Daniel’s hand first before moving to Roman’s and mine as she thanked us for our time. Daniel escorted her out while Roman and I managed to keep the fake smiles in place.

  “You honestly think you can get him to agree to your terms.” She stopped at the door, looking back to me. “And he will have no claim on the patent?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “SHE WON’T AGREE.” HE WAS the first to talk, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he sat down. “You think you have it in the bag, but she is going to go home, think about the risk and what she could lose if we go your way. She isn’t a gambler, Harper, and that was your mistake.” He leaned back smugly, not the slightest bit concerned I had basically kicked his ass before and I would do it again.

  “Why, because she is a woman?” My back straightened, ready to show him exactly what a woman could do.

  “No, because she is scared to lose.” His eyes stayed on mine. “Fear doesn’t play out well in a courtroom which is exactly where this is heading. She’s scared shitless and if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have asked for the reassurance at the door. She isn’t sure about you, but she knows I can deliver what she asked. And that’s why tomorrow she is going to stay with her original agreement of a quick and quiet divorce.” He simmered with the confidence he always seemed to possess.

  “Yeah, well we’ll just have to wait and see then, won’t we?” I crossed my arms, not willing to concede that he’d won.

  There was no way to know yet and her body language gave nothing away. And as for Roman’s bullshit observation, that didn’t prove anything. He just wanted to rattle my cage a little, make me think he had already won, but the truth was he knew nothing.

  “You want to make it interesting?” His hands anchored at the back of his neck as he spun around on his chair to face me.

  “Seriously? You want to gamble over whether or not she will gamble?”

  The irony was not lost on me.

  “Do you have any fun at all?” he deadpanned. “Like anything that could mildly be perceived as a good time?”

  “Shut up and tell me what you had in mind.” I still hadn’t agreed to it, but part of me was curious.

  “Winner gets to pick the loser’s next case.” His eyebrow arched, drawing me in. “And the loser takes it, relinquishing complete control.”

  The way his lips moved around those words was ridiculously erotic, and I could only blame the high emotions of the morning for my confused aroused state.

  “What do you say, Harper?” He toyed with me further, his mouth twisting around my name seductively. “You game?”

  It was hard to swallow, the air seeming to be thicker as I breathed, and I couldn’t make myself say no.

  I didn’t want to say no.

  But giving him that kind of dominion over me wasn’t wise. Especially when I didn’t know his intentions.

  Of course, all of that only mattered if I lost.

  Which I wouldn’t.

  “Tania Pearson needs help with the L Corp merger,” I said before I could stop myself.

  He’d be buried in litigation for weeks, maybe even months. Stuck in corporate hell with forensic accountants and a team of brown-suit-wearing Wall Street guys. Chances were good he’d probably have to fly to New York. Out of sight, out of mind, and more importantly, out o
f my way.

  “It has your name all over it.”

  “Oh yeah?” He didn’t look concerned, almost as if he welcomed the challenge. “Well, ITP wants to acquire a fiber optics company. Happy scouting.”

  Wow, he was a lot kinder with his case suggestion than I had been, still we didn’t have time for me to question his motives or wonder if he was getting soft. Besides, all of that only came into to play if Jana went with his strategy, so there was no point thinking about something that wasn’t going to happen.

  We shook on the deal, Daniel walking back in with a face full of fury. “I’m not sure if this was some bullshit role-play or if you two have lost your damn minds. But if you lose Jana Cane as a client, you’re both going to get knocked down to filing claims against market stalls selling counterfeit goods. And I assure you, it is not as interesting as it sounds.”

  And by the look of Daniel’s flaring nostrils it wasn’t a threat, more a promise, if one or the two of us screwed up what should have been a slam-dunk.

  “We’ve got it handled.” Roman oozed with his trademark composure. “Just want to make sure our client has the best options available.”

  “You might be able to pull that with her, Roman, but I’m not buying it,” Daniel warned, meeting Roman’s eyes before turning back to me. “Whatever she decides tomorrow, you will both play nice and wrap this up. We get her divorce in the can and we sign her as an ongoing client. And we already know what kind of money is on the table.”

  “We’re not going to blow this,” I added, meaning every word.

  “Good.” Daniel’s hands sunk into his pants pockets, not looking any more reassured than when he walked in. “Now, because of your excellent work today, I’m going to reward you. The two of you get to take the rest of the day to knockout both angles. I know how much you love spending time together. Enjoy.”

  He didn’t wait for a response, walking out the doorway and leaving us alone in the boardroom.

  “You got another date?” Roman baited, ignoring we had unofficially been put on notice by our boss who was a named partner. “You might want to call him now, get the disappointment out of the way.”

  “What about you?” I glared, wondering why he enjoyed pushing my buttons as much as he did. Surely he had bigger things to worry about. His job for one. “Tuesday nights.” I tapped my lip pretending to be deep in thought. “Isn’t that your regular hook up with Carla? Or is she Friday nights? And Rebecca is Tuesday. I get them confused—they all look the same.”

  I hated that I knew their names and the frequency of which he seemed to entertain his female “companions.” All in the name of knowing your adversary, information was useful. And that was the only reason I knew.

  He laughed, not bothering to deny it. “Carla. And she knows that my work comes first. I’m sure she’ll find some other way to fill her evening. But I’ll let her know you were concerned. Maybe the two of you can have lunch sometime, talk about how wonderful I am.”

  Ugh. Excuse me while I go throw up. Who even thinks like that, let alone says it out loud?

  “Don’t flatter yourself, Roman.” I waved him off trying to get my gag reflex under control. “If I had anything to say about you, I’m positive you wouldn’t want her or anyone else hearing it.”

  “Rule number one, Harper.” He leaned in closer, so close every breath I took came with an inhale of his infectious cologne. “Don’t assume you know what I want.”

  He was too close, and I didn’t hate it.

  No.

  Of course I hated it.

  I hated him. Every part of him. And that was why I took a step back.

  “Your rules won’t mean shit if we don’t get to work.” I moved to the safety of the table and sat down. “I’m not getting demoted because of you.” The file on the table getting my full attention.

  He didn’t answer, keeping his usually well-timed comebacks to himself as he took a seat beside me. I felt his stare on me but ignored it, ignored him as I reread the same paragraph three times and it still didn’t make sense.

  It was too quiet in the room. Everything too still. And while I had worked with him hundreds of times side by side, today it was making my skin itch.

  “Something wrong, Harper?”

  I didn’t lift my head or acknowledge him, keeping my focus on the page in front of me. “Shut up and start researching.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was done playing or he was bored already, but either way he did what I asked and opened his own file. Thankfully, he kept his mouth shut and his invasive glances to himself.

  We fell into a similar routine as the day before. While I spared him my torture by whiteboard, we did discuss my suggestion and put together a game plan. Well, two game plans. We still weren’t sure which way Jana was leaning.

  And by the time we lifted our heads from the files and our conversation, the floor was virtually empty. Again, we were almost alone.

  “You think one of the other partners has better scotch?” I yawned, not convinced we’d be done before midnight. Sleeping under a desk looked like a very real possibility.

  “Byrne drinks Kentucky Bourbon but keeps it under lock and key. I could probably pick the lock, but the old bastard is so paranoid he probably has his office under constant video surveillance,” he answered without hesitation, throwing out the information like it was common knowledge. “And Carter is a recovering alcoholic.”

  My eyes darted around, checking to make sure we were alone as I lowered my voice. Even in private, the conversation felt wrong. “How do you know all this?”

  His eyes twinkled in delight, his lips curling at the edges. “Did I just impress you?”

  “Just answer the question.” I ignored his because it wasn’t the first time he’d impressed me, I was just usually better at hiding it.

  “Well,” he swung around in his chair, “Carter is easy. His five-year sobriety coin is sitting on his desk. He has a nervous habit of flipping it between his fingers whenever he’s working on a tough case.”

  It was funny how I’d been in Desmond Carter’s office so many times and never noticed. Not that I had a habit of walking into a room and taking a mental snapshot on the off chance I had to recreate it for a crime scene later. I wondered how much else I didn’t notice or if Roman just had incredible observation skills. And he was right, I was very impressed.

  “And Byrne’s wife is from Tennessee.” He continued when I didn’t speak. “Every month he gets a package with a bottle of Special Reserve Bourbon from a small but old distillery from the small town she grew up in. She hates the west coast, hates L.A even more. So, if I was to guess, she is trying to subliminally convince him to move. The smooth swallow of a good bourbon will probably get a man thinking about those pretty green rolling hills, sitting in a rocking chair while he watches the sun set. Or she’s trying to give him liver disease so he finds himself in an early grave and she inherits his money. Either way she gets to go home better than when she left it.” He laughed, seeming to be unconcerned for the possible untimely death of one of the senior partners.

  “You investigated them?” It was asked as a question, but I already knew the answer. While the coin on the desk was easy enough to notice—or maybe not, considering I’d completely missed it—the details on Carter’s personal life weren’t.

  He shrugged. “Don’t look so shocked. I want to know who I work for. Their weaknesses, whether or not their firms were propped up on solid foundations or if the name was the best thing going for them.”

  “Let me guess, your guy?” The earlier mention of the investigator making a little more sense. I wondered who else he’d “looked into.”

  “Partly, and I highly recommend it.” He leaned closer, his gaze more attentive than I would have liked. “But a lot is observation, just keeping your eyes open. You’d be surprised what people hide, even those you think you know.”

  “I have nothing to hide.” I straightened, mentally cataloging everything that could be remotely bad in my
past.

  Ambition had meant keeping my head down and studying. Therefore, my past hadn’t been filled with scandal or shadiness. There was nothing even close to be worth worrying about.

  His phone buzzed, the illuminating screen and vibration stopping whatever he was going to say as he brought it to his ear.

  “Roman,” he answered, his name in place of a regular hello.

  “Hmm, I see.” He kept his eyes on me as the person on the other end of the line spoke. “Okay. Sure. Thanks.” His words coming out sharp and clipped while his face betrayed nothing. “Bye.”

  “Bad news?” I asked, unable to pretend I wasn’t curious about the call.

  “Here’s an idea.” He closed his file, completely avoiding the question. “Let’s go find a bar and I’ll buy you a drink. And for the record, I’m not cheap.”

  I didn’t need it on record, one look at his wardrobe and I could tell he liked the finer things. Expensive suits, nice ties and there was his watch. Not flashy Rolex, but it didn’t look he’d got it at Wal-Mart either.

  “Are you trying to distract me?” Or spike my drink so I’d forget what he’d told me. It hadn’t escaped my attention the offer of a drink was after a secretive phone call and after he’d admitted he’d investigated the senior partners.

  “When I’m trying to distract a woman, she won’t know it.” He grinned, continuing to distractingly not be distractive. “I’m tired and I’m thirsty. Besides, none of this is going to matter anyway.” He waved his hands over the other files strew across the boardroom table. “Tomorrow Jana is going to walk in and tell Daniel we’re going with my plan, so we’re just wasting a perfectly good night.”

  “That’s not what’s going to happen.” I shook my head, refusing to accept he’d already won. “But your enthusiasm should be commended. Good for you.”

  “Suit yourself.” He shrugged, rising out of his chair and buttoning up his jacket. “But I’m done for the night.”