The Case For Temptation. Robyn Grady

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      Jacob looked like he wanted to laugh, but Teagan wasn’t joking. Now that they had reached the crossroads, this was as serious as it got.

      “You said you weren’t angry,” he said. “You said you understood how things work in the corporate world.”

      “Right. You’re trying to bring down my brother. His company. My family’s name. I understand perfectly.”

      “So you are mad.”

      “You have principles. So do I.”

      Standing in the hall in those smoking sweatpants and an overly starched business shirt, he looked so blindsided—for once, so not in control. The moment he’d realized that the man he wanted to sue was her brother, he should have spoken up. But, to be fair, that wouldn’t have changed her decision now. She couldn’t continue to see someone who was determined to use a courtroom to destroy a member of her family.

      However, given the circumstances, she obviously didn’t hate the guy. She wanted to show some understanding. Soften the blow.

      “I really enjoyed our time together. It was exactly what I needed.” More than Jacob, or anyone else, could ever know. “But this is where it ends.”

      He cocked a brow. “In a hotel hallway?”

      “That was your choice.” She would have much preferred to have this conversation in private.

      “Would you ever have said anything? That you knew?”

      “I thought I would if you asked for my number and called.”

      He ran a hand through his drying hair and scrunched his toes in the carpet. “There’s no way around this?”

      “Not unless you drop your client. Drop the case.”

      His jaw tightened. “You know I can’t do that.”

      Sure. “I understand.”

      Jacob studied her like he was sizing up an opponent. Then he squared his shoulders and summoned a nondescript smile. “I’m glad we did this face-to-face.”

      “Me, too.”

      He nodded and then nodded again. “This isn’t going to end with a kiss.”

      “Afraid not.” When he nodded a third time, her chest squeezed and she added, “Put yourself in my place. You’d do the exact same thing. Family is family, Jacob. Blood is blood. You can’t turn your back on that.”

      His eyebrows hitched and his gaze dropped to the floor.

      “You can if your family sucks.”

      Teagan blinked. She must have heard wrong.

      “Can you say that again?”

      “Nothing,” he muttered. “Forget it.”

      “Jacob, did you actually say what I think you said?” That my family sucks? The idea was too juvenile, too spiteful, to comprehend.

      He only exhaled and wrapped it up. “I should go.”

      Before she could think to pull back, he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and left, striding back down the hall, disappearing into the elevator. It was all she could do to stop from calling him back to bawl him out.

      What a jerk. And to think she’d practically fallen for that guy. Who was one hundred percent definitely not her type.

      A week later, when Jacob Stone tracked down her business number, Teagan was still fuming. But she’d gotten over her urge to let him know how childish his parting jab at her family had been. She preferred to simply never hear from him again. So she told her receptionist to let Mr. Stone know that she was preparing for an overseas vacation. And a trip was indeed penciled in. So she wasn’t lying.

      And dealing with the likes of him, so what if she was?