“There’s my brave big sister!” Caitlyn pinched her cheek. “Now, I’ve got to head back. I shouldn’t leave Dev alone in the lion’s den.”

  * * *

  Alexa had no time to waste. She was still haunted by the look Jackson had tossed her on his way out the door. Something was broken between them, and it was up to her to fix it. Caitlyn was right. He suspected she was holding back. Who knew what he was thinking? He was likely imagining the worst.

  The funny thing was, she’d only made it through this ordeal because of him. His queen chess piece pendant had worked like a charm to keep her calm and composed even during the most contentious meeting of her life. Knowing that he was waiting for her here, at home, had weakened the blow of getting sacked. Leaving Miami had been the easiest decision of her life. With so much to look forward to, she was running toward her future, not away from her past. That evening, when she knocked on his door, she vowed to clear up any misunderstandings and put their relationship back on track.

  Jackson opened the door. No shirt, no tie —no pants, even. He wore a towel wrapped low on his hips. Her well-rehearsed script was erased from her mind.

  “Do you always answer the door like this?”

  “I just got back from work and was about to jump into the shower,” he explained.

  “I could have been anyone.”

  Oh, great. Having lost her words, she’d stolen Barbara Lattimore’s material. What was she going to do next? Correct his grammar?

  “I knew it was you,” he said. “And you’re not just anyone.”

  Alexa followed him into the main room, noting his stiff posture. The tension between them had not dissipated, and she had not helped her cause just now.

  She caught him by the arm. He could at least look at her. “I know I’ve been withdrawn these last few days, but why are you so upset?”

  “Alexa, it’s more than that.”

  “I know...”

  She rushed to him and buried her face in his chest. His skin was warm. He stiffened for an instant, but only for an instant. The next moment, his hands were in her hair and their kiss went deep. They’d only been apart a couple of days, and yet she craved his touch and missed his kiss. His muscles were taut, and they tensed under her touch. When she tried to loosen the towel, he broke the kiss and searched her eyes.

  Alexa started to tear up. “I’m not just anyone.”

  The words had slipped out in a breath. She was desperate to remind him of what they had. It was a rare connection that spanned years. Nothing she’d done was so terrible that it should jeopardize that.

  “You’re the woman who’s going to do me in.”

  “That’s not true!” she cried, her heart slamming in her chest. “I’m the woman who loves you.”

  “Alexa...” He drew her to him and kissed her breathless.

  Jackson broke away again. His expression was as serious as she’d ever seen it, but there was a glint in his eyes. They’d started as opponents and would likely match wits to the very end. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “We’re not in high school,” he said. “You have to learn to trust me.”

  “I trust you!”

  “No, you don’t,” he said. “We’re adults. If we’re going to be together, we have to communicate.”

  Alexa nodded. Communication was crucial, vital, but now wasn’t the time.

  “Make love to me first.”

  He swore, but then swooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. They made love in slow, rhythmic circles until pleasure swirled inside her, blinded her. He held her trembling body until she calmed down, stroking her back, kissing her eyelids and calling her “my love.” Alexa clung to him. If she had to lose everything that she’d worked so hard for just to get to this place, it would have been well worth it.

  * * *

  Much later, Alexa paced the bathroom’s marble floor and marveled that it was heated. She wiggled her toes. “So warm and cozy. Are the towel racks heated?”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “Fancy.”

  “You can thank my interior designer.”

  Jackson was finally getting around to that shower, and she was joining him. He switched on the water and beckoned her. “Come,” he said. “It’s warm and cozy in here.”

  Alexa quickly removed her gold earrings and watch. They were valuable vintage pieces, handed down by her grandmother. To this small pile, she added the gold necklace with the queen pendent. It was valuable, too.

  He welcomed her in the shower with a sloppy kiss and slid his wet lips down her neck. She smoothed her palms over his short hair beading with water. If there ever was a place to come clean, this was it.

  She held his face between her hands. “I have so many things to tell you. I don’t know where to start.”

  Jackson inched back, brows furrowed. “Start anywhere. I’ll make sense of it.”

  “It doesn’t make sense to me.” The water stung her eyes now. “I got fired. Can you believe it? Me. Fired!”

  “All right.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she added hastily. “I hustled for those people. Brought in clients. Won cases. Networked like crazy. I did all that and they still chose someone else over me.”

  “Maybe now it’s time to hustle for yourself.”

  “I knew you were going to say that.”

  “Well...you know me.”

  “It’s easy to build from success. It’s a whole other thing to start from ashes. Failure follows you.”

  “Babe...it doesn’t work like that. I promise it doesn’t. Just tell me what happened.”

  Alexa tried her best to link the events in chronological order in her mind. “I’ve been up nights just trying—”

  Jackson tightened his embrace. “Baby, it’s okay.”

  “I failed at the one thing I devoted my life to. That’s not okay.”

  “Darling...” He swept back her damp hair. “Walk me through it. We’ll sort it out.”

  Alexa took a breath and began. She poured out her secrets, wishing each revelation would swirl down the drain and disappear. She told him everything: Theo Redmond and the whole mess at A & C. How she’d been forced out, despite having done her best work for them. How lost she felt now even though, deep down, she was relieved to be free and excited to explore her prospects. She shared her dreams, the ones she hadn’t dared articulate: moving back to Royal, for good this time, and starting her own firm. She admitted that all her dreams swirled around him and that he had, in some way, guided her home.

  Jackson listened, wiped the tears that had mingled with the shower water, kissed her when she hesitated and did not say a word until she asked him what he was thinking. “You need to sue,” he said. “Take them to court.”

  Oh, God, here we go... “I want to look forward, not backwards.”

  “You want to avoid conflict.”

  He had it wrong. She was a litigator. Conflict was her bread and butter. But a lawyer was not supposed to be the plaintiff and victim. It would make her look weak. Plus, she wasn’t naive. These sorts of complaints were more often than not settled out of court. She didn’t want or need A & C’s money. “There’s more to it than that. They’ll fight, drag it out forever and trash my reputation. The most I’ll get out of it is a cash settlement.”

  “Alexa...” He caught her chin with wet, rough hands. Fragrant steam from the shower thickened around them, a buffer from the world. “They’re already trashing your reputation.”

  “That’s not true.” That day in Arthur’s office, they had come to an agreement.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How do you know?”

  How could he possibly know? She’d only just told him about the whole ordeal two seconds ago.

  “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but here goes.”

  As it turned out, Jackson had secrets of his own. Those damn roses! A quick call to her office to verify the delivery address had ended with shocking revelations. Sweet-as-cake Patty had trashed her. Alexa closed her eyes. Fat drops of water pelted her skin, aggravating her frayed nerves.

  “You knew all this time?”

  “All what time?” he asked. “I came rushing over to you as soon as—”

  “You let me carry on as if nothing had happened.”

  Jackson released her. “Alexa, I gave you every opportunity to open up to me.”

  The steam was suffocating. She swiveled around and pushed open the shower door. Cool air slapped her face. Jackson cut off the water. His voice was strained when he called after her. “What are you doing?”

  “I need fresh air.”

  She grabbed a towel off the warming rack and rubbed her body with vigor. All the while, shame and mortification blazed through her. Patty had called her a troublemaker to a random stranger who called to inquire about a delivery. Who else was she bad-mouthing her to? The mailman? The sandwich-delivery guy? Had A & C orchestrated a full-on smear campaign? And Jackson knew! All this time, he knew and was feeling... What? Sorry for her? Nausea swirled inside her belly. How could she ever look him in the eye again?

  “Darling, don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve already returned fire.”

  Alexa froze, clutching the heavy bath towel to her chest. “What do you mean?”

  “A new client of mine mentioned she was meeting with a lawyer from your firm’s Dallas office. She thought they had a good reputation. I set her straight. She dropped them and advised two others to do the same. I hope it goes on like this. I’m not going to rest until their reputation is mud.”

  He stood naked, hands on his hips—dark, dripping, quite obviously unbothered by the cold air. A pity... All she wanted to do was strangle him right now.

  “Jackson, stop talking. Every word you say makes me want to scream.”

  “Mind telling me why?”

  “You’re intervening...meddling...stirring things up.” She was babbling now. Outrage and indignation had short-circuited her brain.

  “Or just taking action, which is something you’ve forgotten how to do.”

  “Oh, shut up! Don’t you dare judge me!”

  Jackson let out a low whistle. He grabbed the last remaining towel and wrapped it around his waist. She was back to being someone he had to shield himself from. It hurt, but she couldn’t let that distract her. He’d overstepped.

  Alexa scurried around, looking for her clothes. She found everything where they’d left them, scattered on the bedroom floor. She quickly dressed and was about to storm out when she remembered her grandmother’s watch, gold earrings and the necklace.

  Jackson was still in the bathroom, apparently too stunned to move. The nerve of him! He was not the aggrieved party here. His brown eyes were muddied with confusion and pain. The look he gave her tore her in half. She wanted to run to him and run away at the same time. The bathroom was still warm, a reminder of how close they’d been only a moment earlier. Was she kidding herself about Jackson? They couldn’t manage to sustain momentum. The glimmer of the queen pendant drew her gaze away. Anger zipped through her again. She grabbed the watch and the earrings off the vanity and stormed out without a word, leaving the necklace behind.

  Twenty-Four

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  The light knock on her bedroom door grew insistent. Alexa ignored it and sank deeper under her duvet. Unless the house was on fire, she had no intention of budging. It was early, barely seven, and her blackout drapes were sealed shut. Even if she hadn’t spent most of the night crying, she still wouldn’t be open for business. Her mother—and it could only be her mother—would have to learn to respect her boundaries.

  A voice broke through. “Hey! Are you in there? It’s me!”

  Alexa peered out from under the duvet. “Caitlyn?”

  The door creaked open. Her sister popped her head through the crack. “Morning, sunshine! May I come in?”

  “Does it make a difference what I say?”

  “Nope.”

  Her mother wasn’t the only one who would have to learn boundaries. Alexa waved her in. Caitlyn redeemed herself with coffee, a mug in each hand. She pushed the door shut with her foot.

  Dressed for work in a light blazer and jeans, Caitlyn was far more chipper than anyone had the right to be. Her career was on track. She had worked as the ranch’s office manager since graduating from college. Recently, she’d started a horseback riding program for foster children at the ranch Dev bought. She was quiet and understated yet focused and determined. Alexa could take some career tips from her little sister.

  Caitlyn set one of the mugs on the bedside table, right next to the bouquet of roses. Her mother had had it sent up to her room yesterday afternoon. Now the blood-red blooms served only to remind her of the tragic end of her affair.

  “I brought coffee, but I have to get to work soon,” Caitlyn proclaimed as she moved about the room, opening the curtains. “Now, spill it! How did it go with Jackson last night?”

  Seduced by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Alexa sat up in bed and reached for the cup. Her sister took in her appearance and froze. “Whoa, Medusa! What happened to you?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Alexa had tumbled into bed last night, her hair still damp and tangled from the shower. By the feel of things, she was wearing a mop. She sipped her coffee. It needed sugar.

  “Want to talk about what happened with Jackson? I expected you to be at his place and was surprised to see your car in the garage.”

  “Don’t you have your own ranch to run? Why are you here so early?”

  “I’m stealing a ranch hand for the day. Dad is actually okay with it. Surprised the heck out of me. Now, quit stalling and come out with it,” Caitlyn replied.

  “And I wish I could paint you a rosy picture, but I can’t. Things went from bad to worse.”

  Caitlyn sat on the corner of the bed, a look of clear exasperation on her face. “How is that possible?”

  “Don’t do that,” Alexa said.

  “Do what?”

  “Look at me as if I’m to blame, because I’m not.”

  But you are! her inner voice declared. That voice hadn’t shut up once through the night. This is your fault. Had you been straight with him, you could have spared yourself a ton of grief.

  “Tell me everything,” Caitlyn said. “But keep it short. I’ll be late for the new kids arriving today.”

  “Fine! Long story short—Jackson called my office to arrange to have these stupid flowers delivered. The receptionist told him I no longer worked there. When he asked why, she called me a troublemaker and tried to refer him to another attorney. So, in brief, Jackson knew all along that I was holding out on him.”

  More like, he knew she had lied to his face.

  Caitlyn opened round brown eyes. “Yikes! And then what happened?”

  “Of course, we had a big fight.”

  “Why ‘of course’? Couldn’t you have talked about it? I’m trying to get you two to a space where you use your words to work out conflict.”

  “Save your efforts,” Alexa said. “We had a huge fight...in the shower...which explains my hair.”

  Caitlyn winked. “A little shower action. I like it!”

  “Please, don’t.”

  Alexa set down her coffee mug. She needed both hands to rant like a lunatic. “You’re not going to believe what he told me next.”

  “Go on!”

  “He told his client not to do business with A & C because they were mean to his girlfriend. Can you believe that?”

  “Honestly? No,” Caitlyn replied. “I doubt very much he used those words.”

  “Okay. I don’t know the exact words, but he said something to that effect.”

  “In his defense, Counselor, it’s not like your coworkers forgot your birthday or stole your snacks from the company fridge. They harassed you and treated you unjustly.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Alexa cried. “But Jackson’s out there trying to singlehandedly destroy the reputation of a well-established law firm.”

  “He won’t have to go it alone for long,” Caitlyn said. “I’m ready to join the crusade. I’ll order some T-shirts and make signs.”

  “He overstepped,” Alexa snapped. “And I knew this would happen. I knew it! Why do you think I didn’t tell him? These Royal men are all the same.”

  “That’s not fair. Dev is not like that.”

  “Dev isn’t from here. He grew up on the East Coast.”

  “My point is—”

  “My point is, I was right.”

  “Great! Now, give yourself a gold medal and get past it. There are more important things than being right.”

  Sure... But none were so satisfying.

  “Can you imagine calling an office—or anyplace, really—asking to speak with a friend, someone you know, and getting that sort of response?”

  The answer was quite simple: No. It was as rude as rude could get. It was low down and dirty. It was terrible, and she hadn’t deserved it.

  “After that experience, would you go around recommending that business to your colleagues? Would you do it if the roles were reversed?”

  The answer to that was also quite simple.

  Caitlyn stood to retrieve a hairbrush and fastener on the vanity. “Sorry. I have to do this. Your hair is driving me crazy.”

  Her sister brushed her hair into a neat ponytail, all the while doling out standard-issue advice. “Don’t give up. Try again. Give him a chance to explain.”

  Alexa allowed herself to be groomed. It was oddly soothing. Feeling calmer now, her sadness returned. “He says I don’t trust him.”

  “You probably don’t,” Caitlyn replied. “Let’s face it—you have trust issues.”

  “I had some issues with this particular matter. I don’t have trust issues in general.”

 

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