Wild Holiday Nights: Holiday RushPlaying GamesAll Night Long Read online

  “Well, of course they would. They’re my parents.”

  Jack started to comment, but then why subject her to his cynicism? All parents weren’t created equal. Some cared more about their standing spa appointments.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” His silence had no effect on her. She stared unabashedly at him, waiting, and he shrugged. “Your parents sound like good salt-of-the-earth people. I’m glad for you.”

  She laid a hand on his arm, surprising him. He met her eyes and she gave him a smile. A very sweet smile that he didn’t deserve. A smile that made him feel worse than the guilt had a few minutes ago.

  Before she could say something that would make him feel like an even bigger jerk, he said, “I can’t do it, Carly. I can’t sign the contract.”

  “I know.” Her smile faded some but didn’t disappear.

  “I’m sorry. I really am. I hate that you’re involved.”

  “For what it’s worth, I totally understand, and I think you’re doing the right thing.”

  “I’m not being noble. I brought this on myself and everyone else. All because I’m a damn coward.” Exhaling, he stared out at the snow. “Anyway, your obligation is officially over. Call the airlines, find a flight, go be with your family.”

  “Hush,” she whispered, and kissed him.

  8

  THEIR LIPS TOUCHED. Carly had meant to give him a light kiss. Just enough contact to pull him back from the dark mood enveloping him. But her heart had started racing and maybe she was a little tipsy because standing on her tiptoes almost made her lose her balance.

  Jack’s arms came around her. She hesitated, only for a second or two, then slid her hands up his chest to the back of his neck. His lips were firm and sure moving over hers, his arms tightening until she was flush against him. His heart beat as fiercely as her own.

  She leaned into him, soaking in the solid warmth of his body and fighting off a shiver when his hand stroked the curve of her lower back. His tongue followed the edge of her bottom lip then slid inside her mouth. He tasted like champagne and something sweet, something that could get her into a lot of trouble.

  Her breasts had started to ache. She told herself to pull back. This kiss was going further than she’d intended. It was unprofessional. Crazy. Not like her at all. So he’d finally admitted he wasn’t signing the contract. That wasn’t her cue to forget she was still representing Abbott and Flynn. Things wouldn’t end here just because he’d changed his mind. Too much money was at stake. A lawsuit was likely.

  And Jack could use her behavior against her and the firm if he chose.

  The sudden thought had her jerking back.

  He blinked, clearly startled. His gaze went to the phone still in her hand. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, slipping free of him and walking toward the desk. “We’re not pretending for the employees anymore. My obligation may be over for now, but it was still unprofessional, and I hope we can move past this without it becoming an issue—” She swallowed around a lump of humiliation and met his gaze. “Or becoming public knowledge.”

  Anger flared in his eyes. She hadn’t seen him mad before and it was a bit unsettling. She tried to swallow again but couldn’t.

  Jack shoved a hand through his hair, the anger leaving his face. “You have nothing to worry about from me. Blackmail and coercion...” He shook his head. “I’m not that much of a bastard. Though working with Dunn I understand why you might be paranoid.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve implied Ryan’s underhanded. I’m not saying you’re lying or wrong, I just don’t get where this attitude is coming from.”

  He stared at her for a long prickly moment. “I have no illusions about the consequences I’ll be facing by quashing the deal. Legally, financially, it’s going to cost me a fair chunk...” His mouth curved in a faint smile. “I might need a good lawyer. When did you say you’ll be taking the bar?”

  Carly still thought he was being noble, but also foolish. She sighed. “How can you joke about this?”

  He took her hand. “Only one thing worries me, Carly. I’m afraid Ryan will try to hang you out to dry on this. And while I’m certain I can run interference, I can’t promise you won’t suffer some backlash.”

  “Quit being so damn cryptic.”

  “I’m saying that you probably won’t lose your job, but Abbott and Flynn will never hire you as an attorney.”

  “Not that I’m going to let that remark go, but what’s the deal with you and Ryan? Why are you so confident that you can make him back down?”

  He let go of her hand and started to walk away, but she caught his arm.

  “I’m a big girl, Jack. You can tell me.”

  He studied her for a moment, clearly hesitant. “Ryan is using you. He figured you had the best chance of convincing me to sign.”

  “Me? That doesn’t make sense. Before tonight, we barely spoke—” She remembered Ryan’s comment about Jack’s attraction to her.

  With a wry smile, he said, “True, but I’d noticed you right away. Ryan picked up on it.” He cleared his throat. “We were close to making a deal but I had a problem with some ambiguous language. You’d been coming in and out of the meeting supplying Ryan with documents. We were frustrated and he suggested we finish in the morning.” He paused, clearly taking no pleasure in what he was about to tell her. “On your way out of the conference room, he nodded at you and said if I was interested, he could make it happen.”

  Carly blinked. She couldn’t move or speak. No, Jack must’ve misunderstood. Ryan wouldn’t have offered her up as if she was nothing more than a bargaining chip. He respected her. “I’m sure he didn’t mean—”

  The pained expression on Jack’s face made her stop. He was very certain of Ryan’s meaning. And this hadn’t been easy for him. He’d wanted to spare her, but he hadn’t wanted her to be caught unaware either.

  “I’m sorry, Carly. I’m very sorry.”

  She stayed outwardly calm. Inside she was shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she should trust her voice. “What did you say to him?”

  “I almost punched the bastard. But then, explaining myself would’ve made everything worse. So, I just walked away. It was one of the hardest and most adult decisions I’ve ever made.”

  Carly smiled but she was still jittery. Her stomach was a giant knot and her breathing was off.

  “Look, if he plays dirty with you, a private reminder should be enough to get him to back off. He doesn’t need the senior partners knowing about his dumbass move or worrying about a sexual harassment lawsuit. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t say another word about the incident.”

  “Frankly, I think I’m in shock. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it.” Hugging herself, she turned to the window. She and Ryan had had some really fun times. How could he? “I won’t make it easy for him to fire me or even put a reprimand in my file. I’m not leaving here until he gives me the go-ahead. He’s banking on me giving up. I bet that’s why he’s ignoring my texts.”

  “You can leave. How will he know?”

  “The company bought my ticket. I can’t afford to buy another one.”

  “I’ll cover it.”

  “No,” she said sharply, turning to him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bite your head off.”

  Jack smiled. He’d moved closer, right behind her. He circled his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “Part of this mess is your fault.”

  “How?” She tried to look at him but he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, and she decided they could talk just as easily with her staying snug in his arms.

  “At one point during negotiations you’d come into the conference room and stood to the side waiting to slip Ryan a note. We were discussing which employees were needed to make
the transition smoothly. It was like a giant chess game. In the end a few managers would still have their jobs, assuming they were willing to relocate to New Jersey. No one cared about the employees who were being cut loose. It was all about the bottom line. Do you remember?”

  She nodded. Oh, she remembered. Despite working for attorneys for years and going to law school herself, the casual disregard for people who’d worked so hard for so long had made her doubt herself. Made her wonder if she was following the right career path.

  “I was right in the middle of the whole thing, getting off on the negotiating, showing off my skills. And then I saw your face. You looked so damned sad. I was ashamed. I walked out of there feeling like I’d just made a deal with the devil.”

  “Funny, I remember you fighting for the employees. You were pushing for huge severance packages. Everyone else thought you were crazy.”

  “Hey, at least I had some conscience.” He released her and rubbed his eyes. “People working here aren’t doing it for the money. They’re loyal and take pride in their work. They go to each other’s kids’ weddings and grandchildren’s baptisms. Everyone’s family.”

  “Including you.”

  “Yeah, I’m a real prince.”

  “Stop beating up on yourself. You weren’t the only one who wanted to sell.” She saw her words made no impact. He stared gloomily out the window. “Okay, you want to know the truth? Yes, I was sad for the people being displaced. For all of ten seconds. Then it was all about me. I was terrified that I’d made the wrong choice, that I didn’t have the backbone to be a good attorney.”

  “Ah, right, you have compassion.” He looked at her with a faint smile. “What a disgusting trait.”

  “I’m serious. It was a horrible feeling. I’d spent so much money, time and effort on law school. My father loves telling everyone his daughter is a lawyer.” She sighed. “He can’t seem to comprehend being a paralegal isn’t the same thing.”

  “There are all kinds of law. You’ll find the right fit.”

  She nodded. “I thought about environmental law, but then I probably wouldn’t be working for Abbott and Flynn.”

  “Why not? Environmental law is cropping up in more and more companies. The world is changing, and they know they have to keep up. I’ll bet if they don’t have a place for you now, they will soon.” Jack reclaimed her hand. “The question is...would you be happy working for them?”

  Carly shrugged. “I have a proven track record with them. And the firm is highly regarded and pays well...”

  “Duly noted, now answer the question.” He held her gaze.

  “We’re not supposed to be talking about me,” she muttered.

  “And here I thought you were trying to make me feel better.”

  “Nope. Just clearing my conscience.” She ignored his skeptical smile. “So why did you stay in negotiations? Why didn’t you walk away then? Now it’s going to cost you.”

  “I admitted I was a jerk. I didn’t say I was stupid,” he said with a wry smile. “Backing out won’t cost me as much as you might think. I inserted an escape clause. We’ll forfeit earnest money, which is a chunk, and I’ll have to pay Luxury Lighting’s legal fees. Naturally, it’ll come out of my own pocket.”

  “Ryan went for the clause?”

  “He missed it at first. But then Dad was eager to sell and Ryan probably figured it was better to push forward than hold things up and risk the partners finding out.” He turned back to the window. “The old man’s going to be pissed. But I can stay and run the company. As long as we’re profitable and he doesn’t have to worry about the details, he’ll get over it.”

  “You can stay?” She frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “I miss practicing law,” he said with a shrug. “I’d never intended to stay with the company full-time. But the longer I was here the harder it was to walk away. When my dad said he’d been approached by Luxury, I figured it was my chance to go do what I should’ve had the guts to do without screwing everyone over.”

  Carly slid her arms around his neck. He seemed surprised, and then he smiled and put his hands on her waist. “In the end, you’re doing what’s right,” she said. “Regardless of the potential fallout. That sounds gutsy to me.”

  “Be sure and mention that to my father, would you?”

  “Poor Jack.” She massaged the back of his neck. “Will you be grounded over this?”

  “I might. But you could keep me company.” He pulled her closer, forcing her to tilt her head back so she could look at him. “Did you know I live ten minutes from here?”

  “No.” She tamped down a smile. “No, I didn’t. How is that significant?”

  “It’s not.” He lightly bit her earlobe. “I’ll strip you naked right here.”

  Carly laughed. “Are you propositioning me, Mr. Carrington?” She felt a tug on her blouse, felt it being pulled free of her skirt’s waistband. “Wait. Hey, wait,” she said, still laughing and fighting his hand at the same time.

  “Why?” His lips traced her jaw to that sweet spot below her ear. “Come home with me, Carly,” he whispered. “I’ll get you on a plane tomorrow, I swear.”

  She tried to think of something clever to say, maybe tease him a little. She made the mistake of looking into his sexy blue-green eyes, and all she could say was, “Yes.”

  9

  JACK’S MODERN TWO-BEDROOM condo was on the twenty-third floor of a high-rise and overlooked Lake Michigan. Even with all the marble from the foyer to the kitchen counters, the place still managed to look warm and inviting. Though the gleaming hardwood floors had made her hesitate. She would’ve just died if she’d dinged them with her heels, but Jack assured her that his home was meant to be lived in. That was the only hard-and-fast rule he’d given the decorator.

  Carrying her canvas bag, he led her down a short hall, past the guest room and second bathroom. Upon entering his bedroom she gasped. He gave her a sharp inquiring look and she laughed self-consciously.

  “This is huge. It’s bigger than my whole apartment,” she said, eyeing the art deco–inspired sitting area near the window. “Oh, and you have a fireplace in here, too.” She sighed. “All I have is a roommate.”

  “That’s New York for you.”

  “I bet Chicago prices aren’t far behind. Especially this Lake Shore Drive stretch.” She stared out the window into the darkness. A light flickered and bobbed. “Wait,” she said as he started to draw the drapes. “Is that Lake Michigan? You have the same view of the water from here as the living room. Wow.”

  “The view is much better from here.” The husky dip in his voice got her attention. He was looking straight at her.

  “That’s some line,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Use it much?”

  “Never.”

  “Oh.” Her hands shook slightly. Butterflies were tap-dancing along her nerve endings. Jeez. This wasn’t like her. Somehow he’d moved behind her and when he touched her shoulders, she jumped.

  “I’m just taking your coat, Carly.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” She cleared her throat.

  Why was she reacting to him like this now? Before he’d been a good-looking rich guy. Someone her coworkers had tripped over themselves to get a look at every time he came to the office. But not her...she’d been cool as a cucumber. She wished she could find some of that cool now.

  Her blazer came off along with the heavy wool coat. He tossed them both on the chair near the window, then turned back to her. “You seem preoccupied,” he said, searching her face, his eyes dark and questioning. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “About being here? No.” She put her hands on his chest. “Actually, I was thinking about how you’re not just another pretty face.”

  Jack grinned. “Fair enough. Since I was thinking the same about you earlier.”
r />   “Oh, you’re a smooth one,” she said, laughing.

  “Smooth?” He frowned. “I wasn’t—”

  Raising on tiptoes she silenced him with a kiss. He went for her buttons, and she yanked his shirt free of his slacks. She was tackling his belt buckle when he drew back.

  The safety pin had stopped him.

  “Wait,” she said. “Let me. I don’t want to rip the silk.”

  “Better hurry.” He toed off his shoes and sent the belt flying toward the armoire. His shirt disappeared in record time.

  Carefully removing the safety pin took some concentration on her part. When she finally looked up he’d already turned down the taupe quilt and was wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue boxer briefs. His smooth tanned chest was muscled just enough to make her breath catch. He truly was beautiful.

  She wished she’d made time to work out more...

  Jack took the safety pin out of her hand, then finished freeing the rest of the buttons. Slipping the blouse off her shoulders, he bent his head to kiss the skin above the lacy edge of her pink bra. She had a weakness for good lingerie, even if it meant skimping for weeks to afford the hefty price tags. Totally worth it for this moment alone.

  With hurried movements he unhooked the bra while she unzipped her skirt. His hands were on her bare breasts before she could slide the skirt past her hips. She shivered when he cupped their weight, then explored her tight nipples with his fingers, rubbing them, teasing them, sending tiny electric jolts to the damp heat between her thighs.

  He nipped at her lips, sucking at the lower one, the slight tug amazingly erotic. “Don’t stop,” he murmured against her mouth.

  “What?” she asked, dizzy from his touch.

  With a grunt of impatience, he removed his hands from her breasts and finished sliding the skirt down her thighs.

  Clutching his shoulders, she kicked off one high heel. The other went flying in the same direction as his belt. Then so did her skirt. She stood in only her skimpy panties and sheer black thigh-highs.