Page 59 of Tempting Eden

Shit. I felt fairly certain I would get the sellout tonight on every other unit. But no one had expressed any interest in the top floor, even after the tour with the three-sixty views and the fabulous amenities. It was probably priced too high. But now I had too much skin in the game to try and negotiate a lower price with Gray. He’d want something in return. Something I no longer felt willing to give him, not now that Jack was in my life.

“I’ll get it sold. Please go upstairs.”

“All right, little Rochester. I’ll go. But if you don’t have results and a full sellout by the end of the evening, your time’s up. Deal’s over.”

I gripped his arm hard. “That’s not the deal. I still have another week after tonight. You gave me two whole months.”

“Deals change, Rochester. Tonight or time’s up. Tick tock.” He snapped his fingers.

“Everything okay?” Jack walked up behind me.

“It’s fine, Jackie boy. Run along and play.” Gray’s voice was sharp, cutting through the surrounding noise as sure as a knife.

“It doesn’t look fine.” Jack kept his tone low, but menace was in the notes.

“What would you know about anything? Where are you from again? I can tell by the way you talk you’re from the gutter somewhere. Probably got all kinds of handouts to get to where you are, right? Did your mom drive a Cadillac maybe, when she went to use her food stamps?” Gray sniggered into his glass. “You know, one time, I hired one of them, Eden. I did. I was trying to be equal opportunity. For my secretary. But she didn’t play ball. I’d always wanted to get with one of them. See if it’s different, you know? But she wouldn’t even give me a little sample. Can you believe that?”

I wanted to shove him off the barstool. My stomach churned. I turned to look up at Jack. His façade was gone. Rage was in his face, but not the sort that burned. The cold kind, the kind steeped in disgust and loathing.

“Please leave.” I said with all the force of my anger in the words.

Gray smirked. “Tick tock.”

He rose and wove to the elevator.

Jack stayed at my back, tension rolling off him like a hard rain sluicing down the turrets of a house.

“Jack, I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine, Eden. Just sell it out, okay? That’ll put that piece of shit in his place more than anything I could ever do. Orwouldever do.”

I faced him. He was wound tight. I realized nothing I could say would erase Gray’s words. I shoved down the shame—both mine and Gray’s—and reached out to shake the nearest broker’s hand.

Jack picked me up and twirled me around. “You did it!”

The night was over. All the units were sold except the penthouse.

He put me down, his hands still at my waist. “Well, youalmostdid it. But we still have a week, so that penthouse is sure to go right along with the rest. You make a few calls, maybe show up to some brokers’ offices in that little number you’re wearing.” He frowned. “On second thought. No, you should definitely go fully clothed.”

I realized that even in the short time I’d known him, he’d grown somehow. He still kept a lid on his worst emotions, but not the ones like joy and love. The ones he seemed to have right now, he let go free. He had so much potential to become even more. The smile in his bright eyes cheered me, though I didn’t deserve it. I’d failed.

Bess flitted behind us on her way to the elevator. “Congratulations, you two.”

I gave the best smile I could muster. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d botched the whole thing. Gray had already laid down the gauntlet in his belligerent, drunken haze. There would be no extra week for me to sell the penthouse.

The hope I’d had to pay off Mason died in my breast the second the last broker left the party. There was simply not a buyer willing to spend that much on the top floor. I wanted to collapse into a heap and curl in on myself until I was small. Too small for Mason to bother with. But even if I did that, there would still be Adele. He would come after her, still thinking there was some money left in the Rochester name.

Now that I hadn’t sold out the building, Mason would forever be there, threatening. And since I’d lost Gray as a client, I wouldn’t be able to pay Mason enough to keep him silent. He would take me to court. Adele would know. Mother would know. Hot tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them.

“Hey, can you guys help with the ice sculpture?” Bess’ assistant called. “We’re afraid it’s melting onto the wood floors.”

Jack put me down and I dropped my eyes so he couldn’t see my tears. He and Bess dashed off to save the crumbling tower.

One of the event workers came up to me. “Mr. Poole said he’ll be in the penthouse and that he wants to speak with you.”

I tilted my head back and willed the tears away. Jack and Bess laughed and yelled as they and several others worked on maneuvering the ice sculpture out into the pool area. I couldn’t put this off. Gray would have the last word. He always did. I strode to the elevator and took the quick ride to the top.

Gray sat on a white divan, a glass of red in his hand. He was slumped forward slightly, showing his paunch of a stomach encroaching over the waistband of his pants.

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