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Chapter 1
Ivy
Ivy Taylor checked her appearance one last time before opening the restroom door. She walked briskly back to the reception area, trying to hold on to her composure. She made eye contact with the receptionist, and then purposely glanced up at the clock and back at the woman, who only smiled. How much longer is he going to keep me waiting? Apparently Mr. Remington didn’t believe in keeping his appointments on time. And Ivy was beginning to steam.
She took a deep breath, hoping it would calm her racing heart. The cool assurance she’d entered the office with over an hour ago was gradually being replaced by a mixture of anger and uncertainty. A lot of good it had done her, arriving early. All it accomplished was giving her the time to think about her brother and what he’d done to put her in this embarrassing situation. Her gaze darted up to the clock again. Another ten minutes had passed.
Five more minutes… I’ll give him five more minutes and then I’m storming in here.She crossed her legs, tugging on her short skirt. Leaving wasn’t an option, she knew that. She was there to plead her brother’s case and hopefully keep him out of jail. Stealing from a man like John Remington was as bad as it got. He practically owned the whole damn logging town. And Ivy knew her history with his eldest son wouldn’t help her.
She swallowed, growing more nervous by the moment. “Do you think Mr. Remington might see me today?” She could have bitten off her tongue but it was too late to take back the anger in her tone. The receptionist, the only other person in the office besides Ivy, looked up and smiled.
“I’m sorry, Miss Taylor, but I’m afraid his end-of-the-week meeting has run over. Mr. Remington will be with you shortly.”
I thought I was his end-of-the-week meeting.Ivy forced a small smile. After all, it wasn’t the receptionist’s fault. She began to swing her crossed leg, reminding herself why she was there. She needed to keep her composure if she was going to work out a deal to keep her brother out of jail. Anger wouldn’t appeal to Mr. Remington’s forgiving side. She knew what she had to do, thanks to her brother Wally.
Finally, at six fifteen, the door opened and several people piled over the threshold. Ivy searched their expressions but it was hard to tell if their meeting with Remington had ended on a good note or not. After clearing the reception area, they separated and went their own ways. Almost immediately John Remington came through the doorway.
“Miss Jones, call my pilot and ask him to get the plane ready. I’ll be leaving for Anchorage in one hour.”
It was clear he was in a hurry. Ivy fought down panic and stood to get his attention. “Mr. Remington.” Did he forget about me? He swung her way. She could tell by his expression that he had.
“Oh Ivy, honey, I’m afraid our meeting will have to wait until I get back from Anchorage.”
“But, Mr. Remington, I’ve been waiting for over an hour and I have to talk to you.” He started to walk past the receptionist’s desk. It was as if he wasn’t listening to her. “Please, it’s about my brother Wally.”
He turned back to Ivy. His gaze moving at something behind her was her first warning that someone was there. “Oh yes. Nice young man I thought. Turned out to be a big disappointment, though.”
“Yes, I know. I’m sorry about that. But if you’ll just give me a minute—”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, my dear. I have an emergency in Anchorage and—”
“I’ll take care of Miss Taylor for you.”
Ivy swung around with a gasp, her gaze clashing with the steely blue gaze that went with the deep sexy voice. That gaze moved down her body and back up again before she could take a steadying breath. That the owner was related to John Remington was apparent. A bigger, younger, handsomer version without the gray in his long black hair. His rugged expression was set in a way that Ivy remembered only too well. Jake Remington was still angry as hell at her.
“Thanks, son. Handle it however you see fit. I’ve got more important matters to attend to right now.”
He turned and walked briskly away, leaving Ivy to face the devil alone. “This matter is between your father and my family.”
“He filled me in on what happened. And as half owner of the company, I think I’m within my rights to make any decisions with regard to this matter. Besides, I’m interested to hear how you intend to bail your brother out of this one.”
Ivy felt sick inside. That Jake hated her was apparent, no matter that his gaze moved over her with interest, lingering briefly on her breasts. It was obvious that he still found her attractive, but what was between them was in the past. Although facing him now was bringing it back at an alarming speed. She felt heat envelop her body and knew it probably colored her cheeks. She could barely meet Jake’s quiet gaze.
Can I trust him not to take out his anger with me on my brother?As quick as the thought came to her, Ivy knew the answer. If he took it out on anyone, it would be her. “He’s my only family. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
For the first time Ivy saw emotion flicker in his eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear it was humor.
“Really?” This time when Jake’s gaze moved over Ivy, her nipples hardened into peaks of awareness. She resisted the urge to run her arm over her breasts to ease the tingle.
Damn him! He’d always had the power to make her body betray her in the most obvious way, letting him know she wanted him, no matter where they were. When they’d been together it had usually led to hot and heavy sex. Now it was the worst betrayal. She watched one brow lift arrogantly.
“Is that why you’re dressed the way you are? Were you prepared to pitch that same remark to my father?”
It didn’t take Ivy long to realize what Jake meant. There was nothing wrong with her silk blouse, short skirt and stilettos. This was how she usually dressed for a day of work at McCaffey’s Jewelry Store. But the way his gaze was running over her, he made her feel as if she were dressed like a hooker or something.
She reacted before she could think, raising her hand to respond to his obvious insult. Too late, she saw his sensuous mouth turn up in a smile.
He stopped her hand in midair. “Easy, sweetheart. There’s already one person in your family heading for jail.” His comment took the fire right out of Ivy. She relaxed her arm, although Jake didn’t release his hold. “That’s better. I think we should finish this inside.”
