“What do you plan on doing to Paul?” Jared asked
“Surprising the hell out of him. And giving him a bit of crow to eat. Care to help me, Superman?"
He grinned at her. “I love your style,” he teased.
Chapter Fourteen
Twenty-four hours didn't sound like much, but Katherine was amazed at how much she had accomplished when her mother's welfare depended on it. She glanced down at Jared's desk calendar and smiled. It was clear except for ringed coffee stains and the day's date, December twenty-first. Jared had written ‘Katherine's Wedding Day', slashed across it with a big X and ‘Hell No'.
Her sentiments exactly.
She leaned back in the chair and glanced at the clock. Only five minutes till the ten o'clock showdown with Paul.
Jared sat behind his desk, wearing a dress-for-power red tie, and repeatedly clicked the pen in his hand. His warm blue eyes studied her. “Paul should be here any minute.” He threw the pen down. “You're a miracle worker, Katherine."
She shook her head. “You're giving me more credit than I deserve for getting Paul here today. I simply appealed to his greed. Before we married, he made me sign a prenuptial agreement, which he had prepared. This time, I told him to meet us and sign one for me. Just as I figured, he accused me of trying to pull a fast one. He'll probably enter your office swinging."
He raised a brow. “You want to tell me why you have a dump truck and a wrecker ready and waiting behind the parking lot?"
She grinned. “No, I don't."
The intercom buzzed twice, Jared's secretary signaled Paul's arrival. Katherine quickly glanced at her briefcase and the folders on Jared's desk.
Let the show begin.
Jared winked. “You look very professional in that French braid and suit.” He smiled faintly. They both turned to stare at the door. “Ready, set, go get him, tiger,” he whispered as it moved.
“What the hell are you two pulling?” Paul burst into the room and slammed the door shut. “I have no intention of agreeing to Katherine's prenup, so forget it.” Whipping out a document, he threw it at Jared. “She'll sign this one."
Jared whisked it aside and pulled out papers of his own. “Katherine has asked me to represent her best interest and prepare some legal documents."
Katherine bit her lip to keep from smiling. His retainer fee of one dollar had almost broken her.
Paul dropped into the chair next to her. “Back off, or you'll regret it, Katherine."
She pushed her shoulders back and sat perfectly straight in the chair. Her eyes shifted back to Jared. The tight muscles in his jaw rippled like the restless tide.
“As I was about to explain,” Jared continued, laying a document in front of Paul, “I need you to sign an acknowledgment that you have received payment in full from Katherine for her father's debts."
Paul narrowed his eyes as he read the document. When he finished, he crossed his arms. “I'm not signing this."
“Yes, you will. Katherine owes you nothing after this transaction.” Jared handed him a cashier's check for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Paul's mouth gaped as he stared at the check. He turned and gave her a murderous look. “I underestimated you.” His dark brow lifted. “Is this what it took to get you into Jared's bed?"
She gasped and her gaze flew to Jared.
His hands fisted and every muscle tensed, ready to pulverize Paul. “Katherine can't be bought, you piece of slime."
She lifted her hand to stop Jared from lashing out. Paul deserved everything Jared could throw at him, but she didn't want Jared to dirty his hands on the jerk. “I sold everything I owned."
Paul looked at her for a moment. He snorted and shook his head.
Katherine was incensed. He had obviously dismissed her statement as a lie. She would never get him to understand loving someone so much you'd sacrifice everything for his or her safety and happiness.
Jared handed him a pen, but he knocked it aside. Paul withdrew one from his jacket, signed his name to the document and threw the pen into the trash. He stood.
“You aren't leaving until Katherine gives you permission."
“Like hell.” Paul stomped toward the door.
“Leave now, and I'll personally break your scrawny neck,” Jared promised.
Katherine jumped to her feet.
Paul stood at the door, hands on his hips, staring at her. His lips thinned into an angry line. “What the hell do you want?"
“Why don't you sit down, so we can both find out what Katherine wants?” Jared suggested levelly.
After Paul dropped back into the chair, Jared turned his head toward Katherine and, offering a sly wink, said, “You've got his attention."
She remained standing, too nervous to sit down. Her mind became more alert to every detail. Her heart beat faster. Two pairs of eyes watched her. For the first time in her life, she was doing something for herself. It felt incredible.
She fisted her hands. “Damn you, Paul. How could you do this to me and my family?” She expelled a deep breath and shook her head. “I don't understand you. I never have.” Her mind tore to the past. “You purposely seduced me, made me think you loved me and married me-not for love, but for your family's approval."
She looked down at Paul and couldn't believe her eyes.
Without looking her way, Paul reached forward, extracted another paperclip from the box on the desk, and added it to a chain he was idly constructing as she spoke.
She clenched her teeth.
Dear God, didn't he care about anything or anybody? She'd never told anyone what she was about to expose of her relationship with Paul, but she had a right to know the truth. The pain still hurt as she continued, “Why haven't you ever tried to be close to Matt? Was it because I didn't go through with the abortion you wanted me to have?"
He dropped the chain and glanced up. “Don't play the innocent,” he sneered. “You ingratiated yourself with my parents for one reason-to get your hooks into me. I knew it, but couldn't stop it. You forced me to marry you."
He slammed his fist on the desk. “When we got married, I told you I didn't want kids. I took precautions, but you managed to get pregnant.” He threw her a knowing look. “Don't blame me if I ran around. You deserved it, in spades."
It wouldn't do her any good to argue with Paul's twisted logic. Her mind returned to the night he had ordered her to get an abortion. His hateful words echoed around the room and she listened to them repeat themselves inside her mind. As the facts gelled, a dim, disgusted understanding took their place. She covered her mouth and stared at him in horror as a chill scraped up her spine. “You took precautions and I managed to get pregnant? You don't think Matt is your child, do you?"
“Hell, I know he isn't."
Her hands shook. Blood rushed from her head leaving her dizzy and disoriented. The room spun.
“Who do you believe is the father?"
Pure hatred filled his eyes. “William. He's my brother's stinking kid."
Her vision blurred, and she cleared her throat.
“William?” She shook her head, trying to integrate this insanity. She and William! How could he possibly believe that? “Your brother's happily married and has three children of his own. He showed Matt love because that's William's nature. He tried to make up for your neglect."
Paul snorted. “I saw the way you two looked at each other. You didn't fool me."
“The way we looked at each other?” She tried to remember any time that she and William might have given Paul the wrong impression, but drew a blank. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? We were friends, relatives. You've lost me."
“Lust. I saw it.” He pointed an accusing finger at her.
“You're disgusting.” She pursed her lips and pointed an accusing finger right back at him. “So you came here and hoped to punish William, me and Matt some more. And you'd take over the reins from your father."