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Behind me, Cat mutters, “Now she suddenly cares about how she looks.”
“Cash hasn’t released something to set everyone straight?” I ask, ignoring the jealous woman behind me.
“Um, no. I asked him to let me handle this. He’s a client of the firm. It’s my job.”
I sigh. What is wrong with the damn Jameses? Are they all incapable of admitting the truth about their love lives? “He’s also the one you are actually dating. He should be protecting you.”
“It’s not the right way to go about this. No matter what we say, people are going to assume that I cheated, since no one knows about Steven’s affair. And I really don’t want to get into a mudslinging contest. The most important thing is my business. I can’t have people thinking I sleep with my clients.”
I turn around and pin Cat with a look. Hopefully, she’s actually listening to Grace’s words and coming to the realization that she’s misjudged the entire situation.
“I know I’m asking a lot, but would you consider going out with me a few times and letting the media think it’s you I’m dating?”
I mute the call and rake a hand through my hair. “Let’s end this charade,” I say to Cat. “Tell your brothers we’re together, and I’ll tell her no.”
She shakes her head and takes a step closer. “No. Say yes. Date her.” She taps her finger against her lips. “This is good,” she whispers, almost as if she’s trying to convince herself.
She sure as fuck isn’t convincing me. “No,” I say, a bored expression marring my face.
“Jay, I can’t watch her with my brother. It takes me back…” Her voice catches, and she looks away. It’s that look, the stormy expression, the brokenness, that kills me. Then she pulls her shoulders back and drags her attention back to me, pinning me to my seat. “You say you love me. Prove it. Help me break them up. Don’t worry about Grace’s feelings.Choose me.”
As if it’s ever even been a competition.
Unmuting the phone, I hold Cat’s gaze. “Gracie, I would do anything to protect you. If you think this is the right thing to do, I’d be happy to take you out to dinner.”
Across from me, my girl sags in relief as she mouths a thank you. When I end the call, I roll back in my chair again and pat the top of my desk, summoning her.
“This is good,” Cat hedges as she leans against the edge.
Unable to stop myself, I settle my hands on her hips and stare up at her.
Her golden eyes soften, and she pushes my hair out of my face, then settles her hand against my cheek. “Thank you,” she whispers.
“I would do anything for you.Anything.But you’re playing with fire here. Your brother has real feelings for her. And she has them for him.”
Her look of relief crumbles. “She’s married.” Her voice is tortured. Exhausted.
“Was,” I say pointedly. “Her husband cheated on her. Not the other way around. She’s not a bad person, Kitten.”
Cat drops her hand from my face and focuses on something outside the window behind me. “I can’t go back to that time, Jay. And seeing her with my brother…I just can’t do it.”
Fuck.
I close my eyes and rest my head against her abdomen. I don’t know how to take away her pain, and seeing her this way kills me. There’s nothing I can say to make it better. Nothing I can do to convince her. Until she hears the truth about what happened all those years ago from her grandfather, she won’t understand. And I have too much respect for Theodore James to take that opportunity away from him. The information I have on his family could destroy them, and he deserves the chance to explain.
“I can’t lose you, Cat.” In quiet desperation, I plead with her to find a way to see the truth, even if I can’t give it to her yet.
She bites her lip and shrugs. “You can’t keep me either.”
29
DON’T GIVE UP ON ME BY ANDY GRAMMER
Cat
“Bug!” I grunt as Chloe launches herself into my arms and wraps her legs around my waist.
“I’m here!” she shouts.
