Chapter 64

"I told him I'd consider it," I replied. "The question is, what does Sean really want? James Real Estate Group? Your father's position?" I paused, letting the implications sink in. "He tried to hire you first, didn't he? At that gala."

"He did approach me," she reluctantly confirmed.

"And now you're having lunch with him," I said, deliberately keeping my voice neutral despite the possessiveness surging within me. "Planning to use your feminine charms to extract information from him?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "My methods are none of your concern."

"If you think seducing Sean will get you what you want, you're gravely mistaken," I said bluntly. "He's not some ordinary man driven by lust. Even if you stripped naked and offered yourself to him, he'd still leave you incapacitated in a hospital bed. Then he'd send your father to prison without spending a penny and take over James Real Estate Group."

Her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. "You have no right—"

My phone's ring interrupted whatever she was about to say. I glanced at the screen—Mary James. Interesting timing.

"Mary," I answered, putting the call on speaker so Jane could hear. "What can I do for you?"

"Attorney Huxley," Mary's voice came through, barely containing her anger, "can I sue Jane for intimidation?"

I raised an eyebrow at Jane, who was now staring at the phone with renewed intensity. "What happened?"

"She sent a badly beaten man to my doorstep!" Mary's voice rose slightly. "A complete stranger! I've never seen him before in my life!"

"Describe this man," I said professionally, though seeing Jane's victorious smile gave me satisfaction.

Mary provided a description that perfectly matched our truck driver. I continued asking questions, watching Jane's expression grow increasingly triumphant.

"This man," I asked carefully, "what exactly is your relationship with him?"

There was an obvious pause on the other end. "I told you, he's a complete stranger," Mary insisted, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.

"Mary," I said patiently, "if I'm going to help you, I need the complete truth."

Another pause, longer this time. "Actually, I've decided not to pursue this," she finally said. "Just... give Jane a warning. Tell her to stay away from our family."

"I'll convey your message," I assured her before ending the call.

Jane looked at me, her eyes showing both pleasure and respect. "She backed down quickly," she observed.

"People usually do when they realize they've been caught," I replied.

Before Jane could respond, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and I caught sight of Lucas Sullivan's name before she answered.

"Lucas," she said, her voice warming in a way it never did with me.

As I listened to him invite her out for drinks to discuss the case, something cold and dark twisted in my chest. Without thinking, I reached over and snatched the phone from her hand, turning it off completely to end the call.

"What are you doing?" Jane demanded, genuine shock replacing her usually controlled demeanor.

I didn't answer. The rage flowing through me was irrational, and I knew it, but I couldn't seem to stop it. The thought of her meeting Lucas tonight, smiling at his name just as she had done at his name on the phone, was unexpectedly unbearable.

"Frank," I said to my driver, "back to my apartment."

"What?" Jane's voice rose. "I need to go home. Stop the car right now!"

I remained silent, staring straight ahead. She would be safer at my apartment tonight. At least that's what I told myself. I couldn't bear the thought of her with Lucas, and the jealousy burning through me was both foreign and overwhelming.

"Hunter, I'm serious," Jane said, anger giving way to something more uncertain. "What are you doing?"

I finally looked at her, meeting those fierce eyes directly. "Keeping you alive," I said simply.

"By kidnapping me?" she challenged, though I noticed she didn't try to signal for help as we passed other vehicles.

"If necessary."

She fell silent, studying my face as if trying to decode a complex legal document.

"Fine," she finally said, settling back against the seat. "But you're going to tell me everything you know. No more games, no more half-truths."

I nodded once, willing my heart rate to return to normal now that I knew she wouldn't be meeting Lucas tonight. The intensity of my reaction had surprised even me. I was a man who prided himself on control and rational decisions, yet when it came to Jane, I was acting purely on instinct.

Jane's POV

Twenty minutes later, I found myself forcibly dragged upstairs by Hunter, who carried me straight to the bathroom the moment we crossed his threshold.

"You bastard! I told you I wanted nothing to do with you anymore!" I wrenched myself free, backing up until I collided with the counter. "Are you deaf? I said we're strangers now!"

Hunter's steel-blue eyes remained infuriatingly calm as he studied me. "I'm not your fiancé, Jane. I don't work for free."

Before I could process his meaning, he reached past me and twisted the shower knob. Cold water cascaded down, hitting me directly. I gasped as the icy stream penetrated my black skirt suit, plastering my silk blouse against my skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked, attempting to sidestep the torrent. Hunter blocked my escape with his body, his expensive suit remaining perfectly dry while I stood there completely drenched.

"Teaching you a lesson about boundaries," he replied, his voice dropping to that dangerous octave that always sent an involuntary shiver racing down my spine.

I attempted to push past him. "Move. Now."

Instead of complying, Hunter pressed me against the wall, his body effectively trapping mine.

"Let me go!" I hissed, shoving against his chest.

His response was to capture my wrists in one hand, pinning them above my head. With his free hand, he tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his penetrating gaze.

"Is that really what you want?" he asked, his voice a low, resonant growl.

Before I could answer, his mouth claimed mine in a fierce kiss that stole my breath. I tried to resist, to maintain the anger bubbling inside me, but my treacherous body had other ideas. His lips moved against mine with practiced precision, drawing out a response I couldn't suppress.

When his hand slid beneath my soaked skirt, tracing a tantalizing path up my thigh, my knees nearly buckled. Desperate to regain some control, I bit his lower lip hard.