herself, so be it.
His feet scuffed across the hardwood floor as he drew closer. Lucas stopped just beside her and leaned in. That warm breath of his washed over her collarbone, her neck, sending shivers up her arms she couldn’t afford to relish.
“When you come to your senses, you know where to find me.”
She closed her eyes as he walked by, and attempted to hold her breath so she didn’t have to inhale that sexy scent of his. But, even after he was gone, his presence lingered. A powerful man like Lucas knew how to make an impact without saying a word.
But she’d gone to him initially, so she had no one to blame but herself for awakening the beast.
Still, taking the risk had been necessary because there was no one to tell her the truth and Paisley deserved to know who her father was. It wasn’t like she could just march into the jail and demand Sterling tell her what he knew...if he even knew anything to begin with.
Lucas was the best P.I. He would and she believed could find the truth so the benefit of the outcome would far outweigh the pain of marrying the only man she’d ever loved and lost.
Blowing out a sigh, Paisley moved through her bridal boutique and headed for her white antique desk toward the back. She often did consultations here, but today she needed to check her emails and make sure her incoming orders were on time. Timing was everything in this business with jittery brides and deadlines.
Paisley took a seat at her desk and pulled up her messages on her laptop. The most recent one stopped her heart.
No. This could not be happening.
She read through the email once again, praying she’d read it wrong. Her hands shook as she tried to clasp them in her lap. Tears burned her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat.
The thirty-five-thousand-dollar gown she’d ordered for a bride was now no longer needed. The wedding had been called off and the mother of the bride was refusing to pay the remainder of the fee she’d agreed to pay. She was sure Paisley would understand and could return the gown.
Sure, in theory that sounded great, but in the real world a gown with that price tag couldn’t be returned like a pair of shoes.
Paisley didn’t know if she wanted to just sit there and cry or throw a tantrum. Her eyes darted to the minibar she kept for brides and their guests. Mimosas for morning guests and rosé for the afternoon and evening crowd. Paisley had never indulged while at work, but today was proving to be worthy of a good buzz.
Once she got home, she’d open the bottle of Reisling she’d been saving for a special occasion; after all, she’d given up on something special actually happening.
Slouching back in her seat, Paisley wondered how she’d ever recover from not only the Sterling debacle, but now the major setback with the gown that she would be stuck with. A gown that cost more than her car. A blow like this could absolutely destroy her business and her livelihood.
Dread curled low in her belly. There was a temporary answer to her problems. She just didn’t want to admit it even to herself.
But at this point, she didn’t have much of a choice. She was going to have to marry Lucas Ford.
Sterling Perry sank on the edge of his cot and rested his elbows on his knees. This was no way for a man of his standing to live. He was Sterling Perry, damn it. When he spoke, people snapped to attention and obeyed his every command.
Whoever the hell had framed him would regret the day they ever crossed him. This was no accident. Someone outside these prison walls knew the truth and they’d yet to come forward. He wasn’t a damn murderer.
But here he sat, still in this blasted cell, all because he’d made a few minor mistakes and then a body had been found at one of his construction sites once the floodwaters receded. The body hadn’t even been identified, so how the hell did they even have a motive to pin all of this on him?
Sterling had been locked up too damn long, having been denied bail. According to the powers that be, they considered him a flight risk.
Bullshit. He wasn’t going anywhere, except maybe to see his son, Roarke. One would think a crusading attorney son would come to his father’s defense, but not Roarke.
What the hell did a man have to do to earn a little respect?
According to his attorney, there was another chance to petition for bail coming up. Sterling needed out of this place and he needed to get back to the Texas Cattleman’s Club because he sure as hell had every intention of becoming the president of the newest chapter.
Sterling came to his feet and blew out a sigh. He wouldn’t be in here forever and the time he’d spent so far had only got his gut churning and mind rolling. Roarke had never approved of Sterling’s business dealings, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he hadn’t come to his father’s aide.
But was he even Roarke’s father? Because Sterling had some serious doubts about his late wife’s fidelity.
Maybe there was a way to get that rumor out there without sounding like a jaded husband. Shouldn’t Roarke know the truth? There was that period where Sterling’s wife had been sneaky, distant. He’d always suspected an affair.
He wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Roarke was a love child.
Sterling couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Soon. Very soon people would know just how powerful and mighty Sterling Perry truly was. If they thought he was a shark before, they’d better watch out. Even these bars couldn’t hold him back.
The murderer needed to be found, and Sterling needed to secure his position at the club and find the truth about Roarke. There was too much to do and he had run out of patience.
* * *
Lucas didn’t even try to hide the smile as he waited for the penthouse elevator to slide open the next morning. The security guard for his building had already notified Lucas of the petite blonde heading his way...and according to Nyle, she didn’t look too happy.
All the more reason for him to celebrate. If Paisley was here and in a bad mood, that could only mean one thing. Wedding bells would be ringing soon.
Lucas hooked his thumbs on his belt loops and whistled. “Here Comes the Bride” seemed appropriate, but there was no need to completely piss her off so he went with an old country song instead.
The door whooshed open and Paisley stepped into his penthouse. That narrowed gaze and set jaw said more than any words could. Yes, definitely not the time for “Here Comes the Bride.”
“Beautiful morning for a visit,” he called out to her.
Paisley shot him a glare and Lucas bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He hadn’t been out at all, but the sunshine beamed through his wall of windows.
“Stop looking so damn smug,” she stated, marching farther into his penthouse. “This is not going to go the way you think.”
As she brushed past
