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"Okay, so the business, all bank accounts. The good news is that Kendrick had zero debts, so aside from a three thousand dollar balance on a credit card, there is nothing else to pay off. There is also the condo in Beverly Hills."
"Yes, that was our home. All of that leads to twenty million?" I questioned.
"Not exactly. There is also the house out in Malibu Beach."
I frowned. I had no idea what Hunter was talking about.
"You look confused."
"I am. I knew about the condo, obviously, and the business, but I didn't know a thing about a place out in Malibu."
"Give me a minute. I might be wrong." I watched as Hunter shuffled through the paperwork coming to the part about the house and spun it around to me. "He has owned it for almost eight years. You know nothing about it?"
I shook my head. Deep down, I now knew that my suspicions had been correct. He had probably been using that place as the location to meet up with other women. I suddenly wondered how often he had spent time there and how often he had lied to me about where he was off to.
"It's okay. Perhaps he mentioned it and I've just forgotten," I lied.
Hunter looked at me and then down to the paperwork in front of him. "You don't have to keep any of the properties. You can sell them if you wish or keep them and get rid of them in time. Whatever you do, I will be glad to help you along the way. When you are ready to tell me what's on your mind, just let me know."
After lunch we had returned to Kendrick's lawyer's office and returned the paperwork. Hunter and I travelled to the airport, and before we parted ways for our respective flights, he assured me that everything would be taken care of quickly and legally.
Chapter 17
Ben
I had picked Jess up on Sunday night and headed to Monterey's for somedrinks. One of the guys who was working on Jess's placewas playing there with his band, like he did every Sunday night, so I thought it would be nice to support him. Plus, Jess wasstressed, and I figured this might be a good way to help her unwind.
Jess covered her mouth, trying to hide a yawn just as the music ended. I glanced at my watch, noticing that it was almost midnight. While the music raged on, I got up and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Let's get going," I said, my lips grazing her ear.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" I asked, opening the truck door.Jess had only been back a few days,but she seemed like she had changed after her meeting in LA. She seemed more relaxed, more carefree.
"I did. It was a lot of fun," Jess said, pulling her seatbelt across her chest. "The drinks were wonderful too." She giggled as I shut the door.
A loud clap of thunder and a strike of lightning flew across the sky as I ran around and climbed into the driver's side. "Looks like a storm is coming in. Maybe we should get you home."
Jess sat forward and looked up at the angry night sky. A flash of lightning lit up the black clouds. "Yeah, I think that might be for the best." She shrugged as a loud clap of thunder and another streak of lightning flashed across the sky.
I started the engine and pulled away from the curb, heading in the building's direction. We drove through the city, and by the time we got there, we were in a full downpour. I parked as close as I could to the front doors and then together, sheltered under my coat, we ran to the building and into the lobby.
I'd just pressed the button for the elevator when Jess turned and looked at me. She let out a content sigh as we rode the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor. The doors opened, and we both stepped out, the doors of the elevator quickly closing behind us. The hallway fell into complete darkness for a split second, until the emergency lights came on. I immediately sensed Jess's tension and put my hand on her back to let her know I was there.
"God, that was close," I mumbled.
"What was?" she asked.
"Can you imagine being trapped in that elevator?" I gave a nervous laugh.
Jess looked at me and leaned into my shoulder. I placed my hand on her lower back, guiding her to her door. She searched through her purse, finally pulling out her key, and with shaking hands slid the key in the lock, opening the door. By the time we were inside, she was full-on shivering.
"Since I'm not going anywheresoon, why don't I put the fireplace on and you get warm," I said, slipping off my shoes.
"What about you? You need to dry off too," she whispered, running her hands over my chest and tugging on the bottom of my wet T-shirt.
"Don't worry about me." I leaned in and kissed her forehead as if it were the most natural thing in the world for me to do. Only my lips lingered there longer than they should have. We'd kissed a lotthe last few weeks, but this one had been a slip. Kissing her forehead had been something I always used to do when kissing her good night before I left for home after a date. I slowly pulled away and watched as her tongue jutted out, wetting her lips.
Her eyes said it all, and in a matter of seconds, I feverishly attacked her mouth. Soon we stoodwrapped in one another's arms. I pulled her against me as her fingers found their way into my hair. "God, you taste exactly how I remember," I moaned into her mouth.
Her hands gripped my hair and then ran down my chest, once again playing with the hem of my shirt, then I felt the tugging on my belt as she undid the buckle. She tugged until she had undone my belt and it came loose. I lifted her, allowing her to wrap her legs around my waist.
