Her voice rose to a dangerous level. "I don't want to figure it out together! I want to figure things out myself. Oh, for God's sake, look at this place." She flung out her arm and gestured to his expensive loft apartment situated in the coveted location of Tribeca. The huge open space was split into two levels with a sleek glass staircase connecting them together. Windows lined the walls and overlooked the city of Manhattan. Pricey art, bamboo floors, edgy glass tables, granite counters, and huge leather recliners completed the look of bachelor in the city.
"What's wrong with it? We have plenty of room here."
"This is your place! I haven't had anything for myself in the past three years. I'm twenty-eight years old. It's time I do things on my terms without anyone worrying if I'm going to emotionally lose it when something goes wrong."
He winced. Jane was extremely sensitive and had always struggled in such a brutal society. He watched a long line of men crush her like a gentle flower under their heels until there was nothing left but a few stray petals. He'd sworn never to let anyone hurt her again. He had to make her stay.
"Sweetheart, I know you're much stronger now. Don't ever think I'm waiting for you to implode. I just think it would be better to wait."
"I don't." Jane opened the closet door, grabbed her black wool coat, and stuffed her arms into the sleeves. "When I get settled, you can bring the rest of my stuff and visit. I think you'll like it in Verily. And I won't be lonely for long. I've decided to sign up with a matchmaking agency."
Yep. She'd definitely slugged the Mr. Hyde punch. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how many of those get closed down for fraud? There's no such thing as the perfect match, and you know it. What is going on with you?"
She stuck her chin out. "I'm tired of being afraid and meeting the wrong men. Kinnections is a well-respected company. I like the women I met there, and I trust them. So don't worry about me holing up in my apartment and getting depressed. I'm going out there and meeting people. I'm different this time."
"This place is going to take your money and give you false expectations. What if it doesn't work out and you crash? I'm not going to stand around helplessly while you're destroyed again by some ruthless people out for your money."
She let out an outraged squeal. "Are you listening to yourself? God, stop protecting me. I'm a different person than I was three years ago and you're stifling me! Mom and Dad wouldn't want me to live tucked away in your man cave while I watch life happen to other people."
"Mom and Dad never found you on a bathroom floor overdosed on pills. Mom and Dad didn't hold you in their arms, praying you wouldn't die!"
The silence shattered around them. Slade closed his eyes briefly, grief cutting out pieces of him. The words entwined with a blame and a plea that twisted his stomach. The memory of finding her suicide attempt changed him. He wanted her safe. Couldn't she understand?
His voice broke. "I'm so sorry, Jane. I didn't mean to bring that up."
Hurt carved out the lines of her face, and her lower lip trembled. "Yes. You did. I'm sorry I put you through that. But I'm not the same person anymore. I deserve happiness and I'm going to take it. Yes, I may get hurt along the way, but I can handle it now, Slade. I'm stronger." She tossed her tote over her shoulder and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "I don't blame you for not trusting me. But I'm going to prove myself. You're not responsible for me any longer."
"For God's sake, let me help you. I'll buy you dinner and we'll talk more about this."
She threw open the door. "No. The doorman is meeting me downstairs."
"But I need a number, an address, something."
"I'll call when I get settled. Love you."
She left. This time, he didn't stop her. Part of him recognized it was important she carve her own way. The other half decided he'd rip apart anything that tried to hurt her. Or anyone.
With a low curse, he stalked to his computer and typed in the words.
Kinnections. Matchmaking. Verily.
He stared at the screen for a while and made his decision.
two
SLADE STOPPED IN front of the glass door of Kinnections and took in the festive white lights and artistic sign. Scrolled in purple and silver, it promised passersby a "happy ever after" rolled up in excitement, hope, and mystery.
Temper snapped his jaw up like a well-trained karate kick. A bunch of con artists selling dreams that didn't exist. To him, it was worse than those emails promising a cut of a million dollars for a small standard fee. Worse than identity theft. In his estimation, the true evil lay not in stealing money, or goods, or even services. No, this was theft of the heart--a blatant lie to the lonely and broken to heal them with a ghost image of the perfect man or woman.
He wouldn't allow such scum to tear his sister apart.
Slade pushed open the door and strode in.
The woman at the main desk seemed surprised to see a client, as if the cheery bell warning her of his entrance hadn't worked. His gaze dismissed her as the receptionist, but he refused to waste his time moving up the chain. He switched into his lawyer voice that brooked no refusal. "I'd like to see the manager, please."
One brow arched. Yes, she was perfect for the first appearance of a matchmaking agency. Her hair was magnificent, so blond it was almost white, hanging past her shoulders in pin-straight strands that shimmered like corn silk. Her wide blue eyes assessed him with a thoughtful air, as if deciding whether or not to call her boss. Not a deep blue like the ocean, but more of a cornflower, so light her features seemed to blur in a type of angelic radiance. He shook himself out of his trance and wondered what the hell he was doing thinking in corn terms about a woman he didn't intend to have a conversation with.
"Can I ask what this is about?"
Smooth and mellow, her voice teased his ears like a wisp of smoke before vanishing. He wanted to hear more, but the whole meeting was beginning to freak him out. He cleared his throat and looked over his gold-rimmed glasses. "None of your concern," he clipped out. "Please get me your manager."
She crossed her arms in front of her and studied him with a thoughtful air. "If this is regarding a client, we won't be able to give you any information. We adhere to confidentiality agreements."
He snorted. "Convenient way to try to avoid lawsuits, huh?"
"Having a bad day, sir?"
Was he amusing her? He drew himself to full height and leaned over her desk. His court presence was well known to be deadly, but this slip of a woman dared mock him? "Now I am. I'm sure it will get better once I speak with your boss."
"Okay. Go ahead."
He let out a short breath. "Can you please get her?"
"I'm already here."
He barely concealed his jerk but fought through giving her the satisfaction. Slade knew two things well in life: the law and the way people worked. He'd used both to live quite successfully and remain mainly unscathed.
He blanked his features to hide any emotion. "I see. Somehow I'm not surprised."
Her pale pink lips tightened. Ah, good-bye amusement. Hello irritation. Much better. "Why do I suspect you're rarely surprised?"
Her correct assessment threw him off. "Because I'm not. People are quite predictable if given certain circumstances. Take love, for instance. The promise of something Disney has made into a fortune with kids' movies is like the Holy Grail. They'll fight, steal, and pay money they don't have for the opportunity of believing in a mirage."
He waited for a feminine temper tantrum and got . . . nothing. A gleam of interest sparked in her eyes. She waited him out, taking her time studying his appearance and making her own judgment. Oh, yeah, this one was good. There wasn't a man alive who wouldn't put himself in her hands, and not a woman who wouldn't want to be like her. The perfect combination to sell love.
"You seem a bit jaded for thirty, sir."
"Thirty-three."
"Ah, I see. Well, let me try to clear something up immediately. At Kinnections, we use a wide variety of services to he
lp a person find a companion. What that means to him or her is subjective. Some want friendship, some want sex, and some want the crescendo of music playing when their eyes meet. I'm not here to judge. Our job is to try to get our clients what they want in a safe, consensual environment."
He clasped his hands in front of his chest and tapped his thumbs together. A favorite position with the jurors, giving the appearance of relaxation with full control. He eased his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "A lofty ambition. And if it doesn't work? Do your clients get a refund?"
Her chair squeaked. "No, they sign a contract up front agreeing to the terms."
"Convenient. I must give you credit, ma'am. You have a nice setup here. The businessman in me respects it. But I have one question I'm dying to know the answer to."
"What?"
"How do you sleep at night?" Finally. Her muscles tightened, and Slade circled his prey for the kill shot. "You're selling something that doesn't exist. Do you take responsibility for the broken relationships and hearts you created along the way? Is there a disclaimer clause for divorces that occur from your matches? Do you like taking a lonely woman's hard-earned savings while she keeps pouring money into a search that never gives her what she wants?"
The blond half rose from the chair, fists clenched, anger pouring from her figure in choppy waves. Triumph coursed at finally breaking the hard shell of pretense. Get someone angry, push their buttons, and you get the truth. Tricks of the trade. Slade waited for the long tirade with a bite of enjoyment he rarely experienced out of the courtroom.
Those luscious lips opened. Then shut. She dragged in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and seemed to do some type of meditative thing. When she opened them, she seemed calmer. Her hypnotic voice sang in his ears and promised him earthly and heavenly delights. God, what sounds did she make during sex? Moans? Husky whispers? Screams?
What the hell was that thought?
"You're good. You almost got me to lose it, but I'm working on my anger management skills, so I win this round. I'm very sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
A touch of gentleness lit her eyes. "For what happened to you. You were obviously hurt by a partner. Man or woman?"
Slade yanked his hands up and broke his position. "You think I'm gay?"
She clucked her tongue. "No need to be embarrassed. We match all kinds of sexual interests at Kinnections."
His breath choked him. "I'm not gay! And stop poking around in my head--I'm a master and know all about manipulation games. No wonder my sister fell for this charade."
She frowned. "Sister?"
"Jane Montgomery. She signed up with your agency last week. I'm sure you remember her."
The hot blonde tapped her finger against her lips. Slade noted the lack of stylish nail polish in favor of clear. A definite contradiction to her American cheerleader looks. "Of course. We're very excited about working with Jane."
"And she will no longer be working with you. I came here to tell you personally to shred her file and do not contact her again."
She had the audacity to look puzzled. "Why would you do that? We've already spent some time going over her wants and needs, and she's enthusiastic about starting to date."
Obviously this woman needed therapy. Or reality counseling. He spoke slowly, as if talking with one of his dim-witted clients strung out on too much extramarital sex. "Jane is sensitive and quite emotional. You may have a misguided idea of helping, but you will shatter her self-confidence, and I won't allow that. She's had a hard time in the past. If you continue to see her as a client, you will destroy her."
The woman crossed her legs like she had all the time in the world and was contemplating what to order for lunch. Slade noted the sleek black pantsuit, tuxedo jacket, and stylish low-heeled boots. No nonsense, but chic comfort. The silver hoops flirted with her hair, and the silver cuff bracelet gleamed. He wondered what type of underwear she preferred, and then sliced off the thought as cleanly as with a surgeon's scalpel. Holy crap, he needed to get laid. It had been way too long.
"You seem quite protective. But I'm sorry I'll have to decline your request. Again, our client information is confidential, and I think we can help Jane here. I do appreciate your concern and promise to go slowly and carefully with her dating experiences."
Slade clamped down hard on his impulse to circle around the desk and tell her just how dangerous screwing with his sister's head would be. Instead, he turned on his inner switch and fell back into business. Cold, clinical, and dependable. He'd tried to be nice. Now, he'd get what he wanted the hard way.
"I think you misunderstood. I'm not asking you. I'm telling. You will shred Jane's file, inform her you will not be able to help, and never contact her again."
Fury shimmered from her figure. "Make me."
Again, surprise hooked him on the chin. Huh? Make her? Was he trapped in a bad Western? He lowered his voice to a silky drawl. "I can, you know. Make you. My sister has had enough heartbreak in her life, and I'm not going to allow you to deceive her with a mirage. If you don't willingly cut off her account, I'll draw up a legal suit to sue. I'll publicly drag out all your secrets and make sure you're buried so deep in papers, Kinnections will be bankrupt by the end of the year."
He ignored the pang of guilt for stooping to threats, but he needed to protect his sister at all costs. Slade watched the stream of emotions flicker over her face. Anger. Frustration. Fear. Resolve. Good. At least he'd walk away from this encounter and this woman who disturbed him and get on with his life.
"Ah, shit, you're a lawyer."
She spat out the word like it was dirty, but he was immune to the standard reaction. "Correct."
"A divorce lawyer, no less. No wonder you're screwed-up."
How had she known? He stiffened and adjusted his suit jacket. "Now, will you agree to my proposal?"
She tilted her head and studied him. Used to being on the opposite end, he tried not to squirm and held her bright blue gaze. "No."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"I don't negotiate with terrorists, Mr. Montgomery. This includes bullying divorce lawyers who think they're God. I'm not stupid. I have a team of my own lawyers who will match every paper for your paper. Sure, you may get us some bad publicity, but all PR is good for business. There's another issue you haven't considered: Jane's wishes. I don't think she'll forgive you for overstepping your brotherly boundaries and telling her what she can and can't do. She may be a bit shy, but she's not a pushover. How do you think she'll react when I tell her the truth about this little meeting?"
The tables tipped, curved, and readjusted. She was much feistier than she looked, and damned if she wasn't right. Jane already kept him at a distance, determined to show him she'd make it on her own. This may break the final, fragile bonds holding them together. Slade recalculated his loss-to-profit ratio and thought quickly. There had to be another way to help his sister without alienating her and keep his eye on Kinnections to make sure they didn't screw up. The idea took root, and though he searched for any other options, Slade realized he was truly screwed. There was only one way left, and it was a wooded, thorny path he wished he didn't have to travel.
"It seems we have reached an impasse, Ms.--"
"Seymour."
"But you must understand I don't intend to walk away until I know Jane is safe."
Her features softened. "I didn't get in this business to hurt people, Mr. Montgomery. I came here to help them. Hopefully, to put them on the path of love and happiness. Unfortunately, if one opens up to love, it can mean heartbreak. But it won't be because we didn't do our best and try."
His lips tightened. "Lofty ambitions don't make screwing with people's heads acceptable. There's only one way I'll be able to test your theory and your business model."
"What's that?"
"Sign me up as a client."
She jerked back. Satisfaction coursed through him. Finally. He was back in control, just the way he liked it. "Excuse me? That's impossible."
"No, it's not. If you can find me love, you win. I'll back off and be your biggest advocate. Hell, I'll use your agency to help my own clients, and Kinnections will explode."
She lifted her hands in the air in supplication, then let them drop back down to her thighs. "Our clients need to be open and willing to find their soul mate. There's a lengthy process, and you'd fight us every step of the way. It'd never work."
"I can try." A sense of calm settled over him. "I've dated endlessly and can never seem to find the woman meant for me. If she's out there, I'd like to find her."
"Why?"
He considered her challenge. "I'd like to have children one day," he said slowly. "A companion. A friend to grow old with. Who wouldn't? I don't believe it's out there, but I'm willing to let you prove me wrong. If you think you can handle it."
She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, and for the first time since he walked in, she looked completely scattered. About time. "You'd need to go through relationship counseling. Have intensive interviews and screenings with me. Be willing to engage in social events. This is ridiculous, Mr. Montgomery. And I have no time to waste."
"Neither do I." He locked his gaze on hers and refused to release her. "Take it or leave it. If you don't, I'll know you're a scam artist and I won't care about Jane's reaction. I refuse to let her get hurt so that you can put money in your pocket. If you do take me on, and I see the value in this matchmaking agency, it's a win-win for both of us. I'll help you grow your client list and tell everyone I know. What do we have to lose?"
"How about my sanity and sense of humor?" she grumbled.
"Funny, I figured you'd lost those a while ago."
She glared at him with suspicion, as if suddenly wondering if he had a real sense of humor. Slade wondered why he was enjoying this conversation so much. He was getting tired of being around two types of women: angry and bitter or needy and clingy. Hell, his work had become his full-time lover, and wasn't that sad in the prime of his life? Of course, he didn't expect Kinnections to work, but maybe he'd get out of his rut and mend his relationship with Jane. If they both were going through the process, he'd be able to keep a close eye on her. Yes, this was definitely a win-win.