Always With You Read online

  She straightened. “Of course, I do. I showed them, right?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Averting her gaze, she went on. “Err... I got suspended for getting into a fight.”

  Her words hit me like a punch. “Bianca....”

  My sister had never gotten into trouble. She was a good kid. She liked movies more than school, and her grades weren’t all that great, but she’d never gotten into a fight until now. She’d never been suspended.

  She shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It was just three days.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “A while ago.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t Mom and Dad tell me?”

  “We all thought you had enough on your mind already. It’s no big deal.”

  Yes, it was. A huge deal. Bullies were after my sister because of me. I took a deep breath but failed to calm myself. How had I let it come to this point? I’d ignored the tabloids because I didn’t care what Marion said, what anyone thought. But I’d never imagined it would escalate like this. Did my parents have to deal with uncomfortable questions? Had they kept this from me just so they wouldn’t worry me? I was thirty-two. They didn’t have to protect me.

  I needed to fix this.

  Was this what Hailey Connor had meant when she’d said innocents could be dragged in?

  Despite myself, I’d slid Hailey’s business card into my wallet after she left my office last week. I smiled, remembering the unabashed way she gave me shit, the way her brown eyes had narrowed on me. I’d liked her eagerness to do her job. I admired her persistence, even though I’d been pissed that my team had blindsided me with the meeting. She hadn’t been intimidated by me. That had been sexy as hell. And the way her dark hair fell over her breasts, highlighting her small waist had been even sexier.

  When she’d left her card on my desk, I’d nearly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her flush against me to kiss her. Clearly, I was out of my mind.

  But the fact remained that my approach had been wrong. I’d thought I didn’t need anyone managing the scandal, that it would just fade away on its own. I was still convinced that it would eventually die down, but if there was a risk it would harm those I loved before that, then I’d do whatever it took to manage it.

  “Did you hear anything I just said?” Bianca inquired as we headed to my car.

  “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

  “Hmmm... were you thinking about a woman?”

  “No.”

  “You totally were. You answered too quickly.”

  “Mind your own business, Bee-Bee.”

  “Let’s make a deal: you stop calling me that, and I won’t annoy you. On second thought... nope. I like annoying you too much. So... who were you thinking about?”

  “Bee-Bee,” I warned.

  “Fine, keep your secrets. I hope to meet her soon.”

  I said nothing. I didn’t want to bash my sister’s hopes. Bianca was too young to understand what it was like to be so deeply betrayed, hurt, and disappointed that you could never imagine trusting anyone with your happiness again.

  I was hoping she’d never have to find out. I would do my damn best to make sure no asshole broke her heart. Then again, I wasn’t the best judge of character, or I wouldn’t have bought Marion’s spiel.

  After dropping off my sister, I called Deborah.

  “Reid, I’m about to leave the office. Anything you need me to do before?”

  “Listen, Bianca just gave me some troubling news. Kids at school are picking on her because of the things the tabloids are saying.”

  “Ah....”

  “Are you sure no one in our PR team can handle this?”

  “They wouldn’t be half as good at it as someone routinely dealing with tabloids and gossip sites. I have a list of other specialized agencies. I’ll call another one and set up a meeting for you since things between you and Ms. Connor clearly didn’t work out.”

  I clasped the steering wheel tighter, considering this. Judging by the fact that the first thing that came to mind when I thought of Hailey Connor was the way her hips had swayed when she walked out the door, I should tell Deborah to find someone else. Yet I couldn’t ditch the thought that Hailey was the right person for this.

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll contact Ms. Connor myself.”

  I needed to fix this mess. The first step was getting back in Hailey Connor’s good graces.

  Chapter Three

  Hailey

  “Val, your cheesecake is addictive,” I said.

  “Why, thank you, sis.”

  I sipped my chardonnay, patting my belly. My family was gathered at my oldest sister’s house for Friday dinner. We’d just had dessert, and we were sitting in the living room. As we often did lately, we talked about weddings. The wedding season was open.

  My brother Jace was getting married this coming August, and we’d just had a wedding three weeks ago. Val and Carter had discovered that she was three months pregnant at Christmas and decided to have a shotgun wedding mid-February.

  I’d been ecstatic at the news. I knew how much my sister wanted a child. If I was honest, I wanted a new baby in the family too. I kissed the top of my niece Willow’s head in between braiding her hair. She was two and a half years old already, and I missed the days when she was tiny. My niece Evelyn, my sister Lori’s daughter, was still in her toddler days, but the more the merrier.

  “So, Hailey, do you think you’ll bring anyone to the wedding?” Jace inquired.

  I was the last single one among my siblings. Will was the only other who didn’t have plans for a wedding right now, though he was engaged to a kick-ass woman. I expected them to set the date soon.

  I schooled my voice to sound serious. “Yes, I am.”

  Jace and Will exchanged glances. Even Landon stood a bit straighter, zeroing in on me. Oh, brothers.

  “Do we know him? Has to be serious if you think he’ll be around until August,” Will said.

  “We need to give him the brother treatment first.” Jace was smiling, but I knew he was only semijoking.

  When Landon casually said, “You could bring him by for dinner before the wedding,” I knew I had to fess up. I couldn’t help giving in to laughter.

  “I was joking. Just wanted to ruffle your feathers a bit. I didn’t bring anyone to Val’s wedding. How could I have found someone already?”

  Jace grinned. “Damn. You’re getting better and better at giving us shit.”

  “Right. Oh, Val. Told you they’d buy it hook, line, and sinker.”

  “True.”

  “We should have bet on it.”

  Val faked a shudder. “No can do, sister. You win all bets lately.”

  Well, what could I say? She was right. My brothers’ habit of betting on anything had rubbed off on us. It was fun. Especially when I won.

  Willow inspected her braid, then gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek before running off to her mom. I’d noticed a gorgeous flower girl outfit a few days ago that would fit Willow perfectly.

  I didn’t mind going solo to my siblings’ weddings.

  They were an excellent opportunity to meet and scout eligible bachelors. I’d scored dates at both Landon’s and Lori’s weddings. They hadn’t amounted to much. I hadn’t brought either to the weekly Friday dinner, but you never know when you might meet the right person. I was animated at the thought of Jace’s wedding.

  I became a little melancholic after I left my sister’s house. Mom and Dad would have loved all these weddings. They passed away when I was eleven. Landon and Val raised the bunch of us, and they’d been the best parental figures one could hope for, but even at twenty-nine, I missed my parents terribly, especially during weddings.

  When I arrived home, I sat on the couch, ready for a date with my favorite show on Netflix. Oh, yeah. Nothing like some sexy lawyers to end the week on a high note.

  I also took the phone out of my bag, intending to check for any urgent calls or messages.
This was the only downside to my job. Scandals could break out at any time, and timely action was crucial. But, to be honest, my old job as a business consultant had required me to work late into the night. At least this career was fun.

  I had a message from an unknown number.

  Unknown: We started off on the wrong foot. Could we have a do-over?

  Hailey: Who is this?

  Only after pressing Send did I see that I had a missed call as well as a voice mail from the same unknown number.

  Unknown: You often give potential clients shit?

  Ah, I had a feeling I knew who the sender was.

  Hailey: If they ask for it, yes.

  Since more than a week had gone by since I was in his office, I’d given up on Davenport. This didn’t stop me from further researching him online. Might be because I’d hoped to find some more pics of him. Might. But who could blame me? The man was hot as all get out.

  Just like in my first round of research, I didn’t find much. Just that he’d taken over the hotel at a young age and had not only measured up to his father but had even opened a second one.

  Other than that, he was a mystery. Was he a recluse, perhaps?

  If he was, it had to be by choice. Other hotel owners in town often mingled with stars, and as such were darlings of the press.

  My stomach flipped when my screen lit up. He was calling.

  “Hello,” I greeted.

  “Ms. Connor, hi. This is Reid Davenport.”

  “I figured as much.”

  His voice was rich and sensual. It sounded even sexier on the phone than it had in person. My entire body reacted. A low thrum hummed in my blood.

  “About last week. We started on the wrong foot. I apologize. Could we begin again with a clean slate?”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I see. I’m still going to have to fight you for every word, won’t I?”

  He laughed. “Probably. It’s not personal. I’m just not used to talking about my private life with strangers.”

  “But you’re willing to give it a try.” I hadn’t phrased it as a question, but I did want to hear a confirmation. When he said nothing, I pushed. “There really is no point meeting again if you’re not convinced you want to go through with this.”

  He laughed again, a low, gravelly sound. A sexy sound. What had gotten into me? The man had antagonized me every second I spent in his office. I couldn’t be attracted to him.

  “You’re hard on me, Hailey. I admire that. I am committed to this. I am just warning you that it’s still not going to be a walk in the park.”

  “I can work with that. I’ll review my schedule and get back to you. I can probably squeeze in a visit at your office sometime next week, though it’ll be rather late.”

  “I can meet you somewhere else, if you prefer.”

  “Oh?”

  I was suspicious of his sudden generosity, when he’d been an ass in his office. A sexy, drop-dead gorgeous ass, but still an ass. Was this an act?

  “You drove all the way to my office, and I was uncooperative. How can I make it up to you?”

  “Such a loaded question to ask. Making it up to me might turn out to be an excruciating business. I can be quite demanding,” I teased. Not very professional of me, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. Besides, I hadn’t yet decided if I would take him on as a client.

  “Is that a warning?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “What exactly do you have in store for me?”

  “Don’t know yet.”

  “I’ll prepare for any scenario, then, Ms. Connor.”

  Was that a double entendre or was I making up things? I licked my lips, realizing the broody and mysterious Reid Davenport was teasing me. Maybe he wasn’t an ass, after all. Maybe he had a bit of Mr. Darcy in him.

  Shit, no. Where had that thought come from? I was a sucker for Mr. Darcy: broody, misunderstood white knight. Davenport wasn’t like that. If anything, I imagined him more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I wasn’t buying his one-eighty.

  “I’ll check my schedule and get back to you.”

  “I’d be very grateful if you could make time as soon as possible.”

  Alarm bells went off in my mind. Something must have definitely happened for him to switch gears like this. Had his team pressured him into this somehow?

  I was tempted to prod him more on the phone, but I had the uncanny feeling that he was still convincing himself to go through with this, and if I pushed too much too soon, he’d shut down again. Reid wasn’t my first difficult client. I understood the defensive behavior.

  I dealt with my clients when they were at a vulnerable time in their life, and their first instinct was to enclose themselves in a shell. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he wasn’t a complete ass. Maybe his shell was just harder than I’d anticipated.

  “I’ll make that happen,” I promised.

  “I look forward to our collaboration. Have a great weekend.”

  That gave me an idea.

  “I don’t have plans this weekend. We could meet tomorrow or Sunday.”

  “If it isn’t too much trouble.”

  He was definitely desperate.

  “Would you like to meet at the bar of the hotel?” I asked.

  “Something less public would be better. To have some privacy while we talk. My penthouse?”

  I was shocked that he was willing to meet at his home. I took that as an omen that he really wanted to give this a try, that he wouldn’t end up wasting my time again.

  “Sure. Where is it?”

  “Inside the hotel.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  That made me think he really was a recluse, and the hotel was his fortress. If he’d lived in the one located in Hollywood, he’d have a harder time staying out of the limelight.

  “Tomorrow. Eight in the evening?”

  “There is an event at the hotel, and the garage will be full. I’ll send a driver for you.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. I’ll send a driver.”

  A shiver ran through me. I could fight him on this, but I still had plenty of rounds to fight. I could let this go, give him the illusion that he was in charge.

  “Tell him to be at my house at seven thirty. Thank you.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow evening. I am... in your debt.”

  “Careful, I will cash in.”

  He laughed again. “I’m not expecting anything less of you, Ms. Connor. Text me your address.”

  My breath was shaky when I hung up. Holy hell. How could a simple phone call leave me all out of sorts like this? So on edge?

  I had no idea what to expect tomorrow. Maybe he’d be just as much of an ass as he’d been in his office and make the decision not to take him on as a client an easy one.

  Chapter Four

  Reid

  The laps cooled me off, helped clear my mind. I’d never been a gym rat, though I did cycle every afternoon, but I loved swimming. By the time I’d finished my three miles, I was cutting it close. I’d lost track of time. I rushed back to the penthouse and had just finished buttoning my jeans when the receptionist called.

  “Reid, Ms. Connor just got in the elevator.”

  “Thank you.”

  The ding of the elevator sounded a few seconds later. I sucked in a breath when Hailey Connor stepped out.

  I was fucked.

  I’d thought my reaction to her in my office had just been a momentary lapse. I’d been wrong. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was wearing a simple white dress. Again, she wore absurdly high heels that made it too easy to imagine her legs wrapped around me.

  I stretched out my hand. “Ms. Connor. Thank you for coming here, on the weekend, no less.”

  I shook her hand, determined to stick to formalities, to ignore the tightening of my jeans. The joke was on me, because instead of letting her go, I wanted to pull
her closer.

  “No problem. You sounded like you wanted to get the ball rolling right away on the phone, so I thought it’s best to hurry up. Strike while the iron’s hot and all that. Before you changed your mind.”

  By her tight voice, it was clear she hadn’t forgiven me.

  “I apologize again. My assistant had informed me about the meeting about five minutes before you arrived. No doubt she didn’t want to give me a chance to cancel. I don’t appreciate being blindsided.”

  “Clearly. Let’s set a few things straight. This is how our cooperation is going to work. I’m going to ask you questions. Some might make you uncomfortable. I need you to answer them anyway. And I need you to be completely honest. I also need you to follow my advice. These are my terms.” She gave me a daring smile that only fired me up more. I could count on one hand the people who disagreed, hell, even challenged me.

  “Your terms?” I asked incredulously.

  “Yes.”

  “We’re doing this on my terms. I’m the client.” I stepped closer, enjoying the sight of her licking her lower lip. She straightened, pushing her chest out, but her cheeks turned pink.

  “No, you’re not. Not until I agree to sign you on.”

  Her brown eyes flashed. Her body language told me she’d stick to her guns no matter what. The longer I looked into her eyes, the more challenging her gaze became.

  Working with her wouldn’t be easy. I was certain of that. I should have told her I could contact another PR agency. Instead, all I wanted was to close the distance between us, claim her mouth, kiss her on my terms, have her bend to my rules.

  “I promised I will cooperate. So, I will.”

  I took a step back, gesturing toward the living room. “Come on in. Want to have a drink?”

  “Since I’m not driving, why not?”

  I led her to the enormous bar area, which had a glass wall next to it. The penthouse had been designed for entertaining. I never did. I’d always been that way. Just one more thing Marion had been unhappy about. I lived here because it was practical. I only needed three minutes to get to my office.

  “What do you want?”