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“Exactly what you’re doing. I don’t know when either of us will be back in the office.”
“Don’t worry about things here. I’ve got everything under control.” And by God, Emma would make sure that wasn’t a lie. “I plan to meet with yours and David’s secretaries soon and reschedule everything I can. What I can’t reschedule, I’ll see to personally.”
“Thank you, Emma. There’s nothing imminent on my schedule for the next few days, but I need you to touch base with Whitlow Group ASAP and officially assume the position as their lead attorney.”
“Me? The new lead attorney for Whitlow Group?” Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Brad bristle.
“Yes, David was planning on offering you their account officially once you got back from vacation. He’s been grooming you for the position for the better part of a year, and we couldn’t have picked a better attorney for the job.”
Shock overwhelming her system, Emma collapsed back in her chair. David wanted her to take over for the firm’s flagship client? Wow. She knew David respected her abilities. Why else would he and Mary offer her partner? But to give her Whitlow Group’s account? Yeah, wow just about covered it.
Her desk intercom buzzed. “Ms. Morgan, I’m sorry to intrude,” Gwen said, “but Noah Whitlow just called and requested a meeting with you ASAP.”
Noah paced his office.His company was in the middle of a firestorm of bad press. His attorney was in the hospital. His public affairs office was fielding more calls than a baseball team at spring training, and his uncle was looking for any excuse to take him down. This week was turning into a mess, and it wasn’t even Tuesday.
While Ethan’s fundraiser idea was good, it wouldn’t help Whitlow Group—or Noah—now. He needed to do something immediately, which was why he’d asked for an emergency meeting with Reynolds, Clark & Morgan. David had been planning to pass their account over to his newest partner, but Noah had yet to meet the attorney. David had assured Noah that she was more than capable of handling anything thrown her way, but Noah wanted to see for himself. If she was half as good as David had bragged, that would be one less worry on Noah’s plate.
David had wanted to introduce them at last week’s gala—the one Noah had hosted on suicide prevention and awareness—but the night had gone sideways when a mysterious stranger, in a gown the color of the sky at midnight, had sucker-punched him. Not as in physically struck him, but the jolt in his chest—and below the belt—when he’d glimpsed her from across the room had felt damn physical enough to rattle him. The reaction had reminded him too viscerally of the storyPapáused to tell about the first time he’d glimpsedMamá.
“I felt as if I’d been bucked from my horse,”Papáhad said, “and I knew I’d found the love of my life.”
So standing next to Bridget, Noah’s chest a war zone, he’d done the only thing he could think to do: retreat as quickly as humanly possible. He didn’t have time for complications in his life, and he knew she—whoever she was—would be one sexy complication.
Not that she’d left him alone after his retreat. She’d followed him into his dreams, but she wasn’t content to stop there. Even during the waking hours, her auburn curls and delectable curves tormented him, teased him. He oscillated back and forth between wanting to scour the party attendees list to learn her identity and burning said list to remove the temptation once and for all.
“You just had to muck upmyfundraiser idea with your own twist, didn’t you?” Ethan burst into Noah’s office without even a cursory knock. Rage shone in his eyes, and anger vibrated in the index finger he pointed at Noah. “You screwed me over in front of the board, not that I should be surprised. You excel at that.”
Noah sucked in a deep, cleansing breath and let it out slowly. Fighting with his cousin was one more thing he didn’t have time for. “Ethan, not now. Did you hear about what happened in court?”
“You were jealous the board was listening to me for a change, so you jumped in and took my spotlight.”
A thousand profanities filtered through Noah’s head. This so wasn’t the time. They had too much going on to be at each other’s throats.
Holding back his anger, Noah offered his cousin an olive branch. “Look, Ethan, you had a great idea. I simply built on it, trying to make the event feel more authentic. We can’t afford to be seen as pandering at the—”
“I know that! I’m not an idiot, Noah, no matter how much you think I am.”
Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t think you’re an idiot.”Just unprepared because of your father, but Noah didn’t dare speak the latter aloud. No sense making things worse. “Look, Ethan, I have a meeting with our new attorney any second. Can we get together later today or tomorrow to hash out this fundraiser idea?”
Ethan advanced, closing the distance between them to inches. “OrmaybeI’ll work alone on my proposal to present to the board, and you can work on yours. Then we’ll see who they choose.”
Ethan’s challenge was unmistakable. Whoever won the board’s approval would win control of Whitlow Group. The notion was ridiculous. The board would never stand for it, despite what Phillip was likely telling his son. Noah’s father held a controlling interest in Whitlow Group. The other two could only overridePapá’sdecisionsifCathy sided with Phillip againstPapá, and that had never happened.
Noah didn’t flinch; he didn’t retreat either. “I don’t want to be your enemy, and you don’t want to be mine.”
“Too late for that.” Ethan leaned ever-so-closer to Noah. “Do you even remember Sara?”
“Sara who?”
The rage in Ethan’s eyes turned to murder, but before he could respond—or possibly deck Noah—a knock snatched their attention. Noah turned to the new arrival.
Holy God.
It washer.
