Page 64 of Speak of the Devil

I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. One of the worst ideas I’ve ever had comes to mind. I ask myself, what would Luna do? What do I want to do? I look up, doubting the words even as they come out of my mouth. “You have forty-eight hours. That’s it. You better make the most of it.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“This isn’t about me, Shane. This is about you.” I turn to my attorneys and say, “I’ll agree to the amended terms on one condition of my own.”

“Anything.” Shane’s winning smile makes quite the appearance, then it stumbles. “What is it?”

21

Shane

“What doyou mean it’s sealed?” I ask, walking toward the elevators with Stuart.

My attorney says, “She doesn’t play ball. She hits back. Ms. Farin just flipped the script on us.”

“How?”

We both go silent when the door to the offices is pushed open.

My. My. My.What have we here?

The little vixen herself. I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to her than I am after she reverse-played me with her own secret weapon.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I shift back on my heels and give her a wink. “Well played, Cat.”

“Touché.”

The elevator doors open, so I step aside so she can get on first. “Want a ride?” I tease, the line never getting old.

“You’re wearing it out, Faris, and nice try. I’ll be taking the stairs.” She pushes into the stairwell, and I can hear the soles of her shoes clacking as she gallops down.

I jump on the elevator and hit the lobby button repeatedly to get the doors to close. “Get on, Stuart.”

He steps on, not fast enough for my liking, and the doors close behind him. “You got your forty-eight hours,” he says, knowing exactly what I’m up to.

“I’ll take anything I can get.”

“This isn’t like you, Shane. If she’s that special, why aren’t you staying married?”

I’ve never had to answer for the sins of my past, but I need to get used to it if I’m going to win Cat back. “I was an asshole. Right woman, wrong time. And a whole other slew of fuckups that led us here.” I get ready as the elevator is about to land on the bottom floor. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

The doors open, and I rush to the stairwell exit, tugging it open and leaning against it.

Cat slows as she comes down the last flight of stairs, a slow smile growing before my eyes. “That’s quite the party trick.” She passes in front of me, tapping my nose as she goes. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I reply, watching that ass as she shakes it walking away. I release the door and double-time to catch up to her. “You’re all mine for forty-eight hours.”

“Don’t make it sound so lascivious.” She glances at me out of the corners of her eyes. “There will be no sex involved.” Suddenly stopping before walking out the front doors of the building, she squares her shoulders to me. “You getaccessto me for forty-eight hours. You don’t ‘get’ me.” She uses finger quotes for emphasis, but as stern as she’s trying to be, I don’t believe she’s as upset as she’s pretending.

The way the edges of her mouth turn upward is a dead giveaway, but there are plenty of other signs. Her eyes are bright,the gold shining even in the bad lighting of the lobby. But the way she’s happy to stop and talk about it makes me glad I made the effort. For me. For us. For her, though she may not realize it yet.

I’m not the man she once knew, and I intend to show her I’ve changed.

“I have no intentions of forcing you to do anything you don’t want to. Remember, the papers are signed. Our fate is in your hands.” I leave her standing there with her lips parted in shock. But I didn’t miss the fire I lit in her eyes.

Stuart waits by my car when I head in that direction. From behind, my little Cat calls, “What do you mean our fate?”

I glance back over my shoulder, and reply, “I’ll be in contact soon about our date.”

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