Fighting History (Fighting For Love Book 4) (2 page)

That stopped her. She narrowed her eyes. “Costs paid up-front?”

“Yeah.”

“And fifty percent of my fee paid up-front too.”

“Twenty.”

“Thirty-five. Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Fine.”

Relieved, disbelieving, he extended his hand to her. “You’ve got a deal, baby.”

Her eyes flashed. “Don’t fucking call me that. Not ever again.”

“I’m sorry.” Joe dropped his hand.

Again with the ‘I’m sorry’ for all the wrong reasons. Yeah, I did the right thing when I walked away from him.

“So have legal draw up the contract and send it to me at home,” she said. “You still have all my business details? My address?”

Joe nodded. “You’ll get it this afternoon.”

“Great.” She walked past him now. “I’ll come back here tomorrow morning at ten o’clock and we can talk about the sculptures in detail then.”

“OK,” Joe said. “And Maggie…”

She turned to look at him, as disinterested and distant as a stranger.

“…it’s nice to see you again.”

Maggie regarded him. “You think?” And she walked away.

He stood in the kitchen door, watching her leave him, watching her move farther and farther away from him with every passing second. She went up the stairs, opened the door, and with a flash of bright, warm sunlight, she was gone. And Joe was left standing there, wondering just why the hell he felt so alone and upset when he’d gotten what he wanted.

Chapter Two

“My God, Maggie.” Katie Lloyd’s large brown eyes were bigger than Maggie had ever seen them. “You actually took the job from Joe?”

“Yep.” Maggie took a swig of wine. “I signed the contract this afternoon and sent it back by courier. As of that signature, I work with the asshole.”

“And how was it seeing him again?” Reena Mackay’s soft voice was cautious.

Maggie shrugged, trying to look uncaring. “OK. Fine. No big deal.”

“Yeah?” Mia Ferris asked, bringing another bottle of wine from her kitchen. “You telling us the truth now?”

“Uh-huh.”

They looked at Maggie and then at each other, knowing that she was lying. Joe Carlisle had been the first man that she’d ever really loved – she’d let him in in a way that she’d never done with any man ever before. When she’d discovered his cheating, Maggie had been beyond devastated.

Not that she’d ever said so, of course. But since losing Joe two years earlier, Maggie had become tougher and more closed, more emotionally guarded. She’d thrown all her rage in to her work, and used her sculpting as a way to keep all those feelings clenched tight in her hands.

It was this laser-sharp focus which made her an amazing sculptor, and really made her work take off over these past two years. It was this desire for control that demanded that she keep her passion within limits and lines. Thanks to Joe, she’d discovered the secret of harnessing her huge, overwhelming emotions and channeling them in to clay, metal, stone. Capturing something so fluid and unpredictable in something solid and permanent was a gift, and she had been astounded that people actually wanted to buy her frozen passion.

Letting go and trusting Joe had been a huge risk for her, a show of faith in him that he’d never fully understood and certainly never appreciated. He’d treated it so casually, like her opening up and surrendering to him was nothing at all. When she’d caught him in bed with that waitress from his restaurant, he’d been cruel and dismissive of her distress.

Maggie had ended it with him on the spot and never looked back, and her friends knew that she hated him. She also still loved him, and it was that horrible and toxic combination of emotions that was going to make the next six months hard on her… whether she admitted it or not.

“So,” Mia said. “You go back tomorrow and talk about the job?”

“Yeah.” Maggie poured some more wine; her friends quietly noted it was her third glass, and they were all still on their first. “At his new place.”

“What’s it like?” Reena asked.

“Huge. Luxurious. Fucking crazy expensive. I mean, it’s still a construction site, but I can tell how it’ll look.” She drank again. “The whole ceiling is glass.”

“Really?” Mia said. “That sounds gorgeous.”

“It is,” Maggie said. “He always said he wanted the most visually stunning restaurant in the state, and I guess the fucker will get what he wanted. He always does, doesn’t he?”

“Including you?” Katie asked.

Maggie’s green eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Will he get you?” Katie held her gaze, needing to ask the question. “I mean, he’s been after you to do this job for almost a year, and you said it’d never happen…”

“Things have changed,” Maggie said. “My Mom needs this.”

“I know,” Katie said. “I get that. But the reason for taking the commission doesn’t matter now, does it? The fact is that Joe is used to buying anything and anyone that he wants, and I’m guessing that in his opinion, he’s just bought you.”

Maggie was silent, thinking about that. Yeah, it was true that Joe was a guy who always got everything handed to him on a silver platter. Born to fabulously wealthy parents, he’d attended private schools, vacationed at one of the family homes in Switzerland, Hawaii, France, and Thailand, been given extravagant gifts. He’d gone to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and had trained with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, Dan Barber at Blue Hill, and Tom Colicchio at Craft. His parents knew each of these world-famous chefs personally, so getting their entitled kid in to their restaurants to learn from the best wasn’t an impossible feat. It wasn’t even a mildly challenging one.

His cooking ability wasn’t fake though, she knew that, and she’d seen firsthand his drive and passion in the kitchen. There were some things that money simply couldn’t buy, and honest talent was one of them. But still, Joe had never totally shaken his pampered, privileged upbringing in so many ways, and one major way was how he treated people.

In his eyes, everyone had a price and he just had to find it, pay it, get what he wanted, move on to the next thing his foolish and fickle heart desired. The world was his playground and his oyster – and women were there for him to enjoy, use, discard.

Maggie’s fatal mistake had been to think that he’d thought of her differently. She’d truly believed that when Joe had looked at her, he saw
her
, as a person, as a whole person. Not a commodity, not an asset. Certainly not a minor distraction in his bed. When he’d told her that he cared about her, she’d believed him. And
God
, how she’d loved him, and when she thought about how she’d lowered her defenses and walls, let him in, let him see her heart… it all made her squirm with humiliation now.

Never again do you let him see you honest and open. This man can still hurt you and you know it. Finish the job, help Mom, and get out in one piece. You can do this.

She looked at her friends. “I know, guys. I know what he thinks about me taking this job. He thinks that I caved in the face of his charm and hot face and money. And honestly? I don’t care what he thinks.
I
know what I’m doing there, why I’m doing what he wants, why I gave in.” She shrugged. “All I care about is my Mom being healthy again… for that to happen, I’ll put up with just about anything. Including him and his monster ego.”

They nodded.

“Will it be hard to be around him? Sure.” Maggie sighed. “I thought – I thought we had something that we didn’t. He hurt me. He never apologized, never cared that I caught him in bed with that woman. He cheated on me many, many times, I know now, though I didn’t then. That’s a lot of history, and it’s bad and I know all of that.”

“Do you want to try to forgive him?” Reena asked.

Maggie stared at her. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Reena brushed her long blonde hair back off her face. “I’m not saying get back together with the guy, or even be friends. I mean – just let go of some of the anger that you’ve been holding on to for the past two years.”

Maggie kept staring. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about forgiveness. I’ve only ever thought about forgetting him.”

Mia bit her lip. “It’s hard to do, Reena. Forgiveness, I mean.”

“Yeah, I know.” Reena was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m nowhere near forgiving Simon, you know. It’s not like I’m some paragon or poster girl for gushing forgiveness or anything. I’m just saying…hanging on to all that anger isn’t good for me. It’s not good for anyone.” Her soft blue eyes gazed at her friends. “For any of us.”

The other women considered her words. Katie had never even considered forgiving her stepfather; Mia was sure that even if by some miracle she managed to forgive Tom Devinger for herself, she’d never be able to do so for what he’d done to those kids; Maggie wasn’t convinced she even
wanted
to forgive Joe. But if Reena was willing to work on forgiving Simon Yates – a man who had beaten her badly and tried to rape her – then maybe the others could work a bit on letting some of their own rage and resentment go, too.

“You’re right, sweetie,” Mia said. “Speaking of which, what’s happening with the case against Simon right now?”

“The court date is set for next Tuesday.” Reena looked at her hands. “Assuming his lawyers don’t get another continuance, of course.”

“Do you think they will?” Katie asked.

“I don’t know. They’ve already had three, and I think even the judge is pretty fed up by now. I hope we can get things going at last… but it’s not up to me, right?”

“And the others?” Maggie said gently. “The other women? They’ll testify too?”

“Some will for sure.” Reena shook her head. “But two of them are terrified. I mean, they’re almost
suicidal
at the thought of standing up in open court and testifying about what Simon did to them. I don’t think they’ll be able to go through with it, to be honest.”

“Will that hurt your case?” Mia asked.

“Charlotte doesn’t think so,” Reena said. “We have seven women now, including me, who are willing to testify that Simon attacked them. That’s pretty compelling, no matter how you look at it, so I’m not sure that losing two potential witnesses is that big of an issue.”

“Jesus Christ,” Katie said. “
Nine
women…”

“That you know of,” Maggie added. “I’m sure there are others.”

“Yeah, me too,” Reena said. “And I imagine that when this story hits the press, others will come forward.”

“And how are you doing with that?” Mia said. “With the idea that you’ll be in the spotlight soon?”

“I think I’m doing better with it than Mitch is,” Reena said. “He’s already worried as hell what will be said about me. Keeps saying that as soon as it’s all over, he’s taking me away for a week or two to recover. Someplace with no cell or internet service.”

“Not a bad idea,” Maggie said. “Go and hide out somewhere. Throw the TV out the window, cut off the internet, pretend none of it’s happening. Stay in bed with your smoking hot kickboxer and let him distract you for a few days…”

Reena grinned. “Yeah, maybe. We’ll see.”

“Well, if you want a nice, quiet place to be alone with Mitch, let me know.” Mia smiled. “I know the perfect spot.”

“Where Nick took you after you were hurt?” Reena said.

“Yep, Open Skies Ranch. Amazing place. Private and beautiful. Healing, even.” She glanced around her living room. “I have the business card around here somewhere, if you want it.”

“Yes, please. Quiet and beautiful sounds good.” Reena sighed as she thought about what was surely coming: the trial and questions and cross-examination. The attacks on her character, the digging in to her personal and sexual history, putting her current relationship with Mitch under a public microscope. “Sounds perfect, actually.”

Chapter Three

“So did you tell your friends last night? That we’re trying?”

Katie looked over at Adam Pierce, and smiled. He was standing in the kitchen with a steaming cup of decaffeinated coffee, his blue eyes bright in his handsome face. He was dying to be a Daddy, she knew, and she was dying to see this hulking ex-boxer cradling their tiny child in his tattooed arms.

“Not yet, babe,” she said.

His face fell. “How come?”

“Honestly? Because it wasn’t the right time. Reena’s worried about the trial, and Maggie’s upset about being around Joe again, and I think that Mia would be hurt by it.”

Adam walked over and handed her the coffee. “Mia hurt? Why? Has she said something?”

Katie sighed. “No, not in so many words. But… well. She and Nick have been together longer than any of the rest of us – but they’re the only ones who don’t live together. I know when I moved in here with you, she was happy for us, but she also kind of hoped that she and Nick might finally have the ‘living together’ talk. She brought it up with him a couple of weeks ago, but he said he wasn’t ready for that.”

“He did?” This was surprising information. Nick Spencer was Adam’s business partner and best friend, and he knew for a fact that Nick wanted a future with Mia. He wanted it badly, in fact.

“Yeah.” Katie shrugged, equally perplexed. “And if she heard that we were trying to have a baby, she’d be upset. I know she really wants to be a Mom, but she’s scared to even mention the word ‘baby’ to Nick. I mean, if he can’t handle the thought of living with her, how’s he going to react to that level of commitment?”

Adam shook his head. “I really don’t get this. I mean, the guy adores Mia. He worships the ground she walks on. Why won’t he take the next steps?”

“No idea.” She sipped her coffee, trying to not miss the caffeine too much. “Anyway, that’s why I didn’t bring it up. Too much going on in my friends’ lives right now.”

“Aw, but I
want
to tell people we’re trying.” Adam’s face lit up again. “I’m so ready to see you pregnant, and I want a baby with you. Like,
now
.”

She smiled at him. “I have never met a man so ready to be up all night taking care of a squalling infant, I swear.”

“I’m nuts, I totally get that, but I’ve wanted to be a Dad forever.” He looked at Katie. “And I want to marry you, you know.”

“And I’ll say yes to that, as soon as you ask me formally.”

“I’m still working on it.” He looked mysterious. “I want the proposal to be special.”

“Oh, Adam.” Katie touched his face. “It
will
be, just because it’s you asking. I don’t need a fancy proposal or an expensive ring. You get that, right?”

“Yes. I do.”

She laughed. “Isn’t that my line?”

Adam took her in his arms, loving her long, slim curves against his muscle and bulk. “It is indeed, sweetheart. And mine too… eventually.”

**

Maggie showed up at the restaurant at exactly one minute to ten. She paused outside the door, took a deep breath. Exhaled and then entered.

OK, girl, come on now. He’s just a guy you used to go out with. Right? Get the assignment straight, then get to the studio. You don’t have to see him again until the first sculpture is ready for his approval.

“Maggie.”

She looked across the massive room to see Joe standing there. She blinked in surprise at him actually being on time. His whole thing when they were dating was to always keep her waiting. She had been too dumb and in love to see it at the time, but it had been a subtle message that
his
time was far more important than
hers
. It was also about keeping her in her place, she thought now. She had sat patiently waiting for him to grace her with his presence, no matter how flimsy or pathetic his excuse for being late.

He was on time today, though. Early, even. He was standing there in jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his toned, tight arms and muscled torso. In his huge hands he held a cup of coffee.

“Hi,” she replied, forcing her eyes away from that amazing body.

God, what it had felt like to have him inside me. Fuck. Focus, Maggie.

“Coffee?” he said.

“Please.”

“OK, come on in to the kitchen. We’ll talk there… stay out of the way.”

Maggie glanced around at the workmen. “Sure.”

Joe led her away from the assholes staring at her curved, full ass in those jeans, her amazing breasts in that clinging orange shirt. Even though he had no right, he felt jealousy surging through him at the thought of any other man touching her body, and he glared at the workmen over his shoulder. They gazed backed, almost mockingly.

Fuckers
.
Get to work.

In the kitchen, she sat at the table he’d arrived early to set up. Joe’s laptop was there, a pile of notes, some ideas for the menu. It was his unofficial office, and he loved being in the space where he’d be cooking in just a few months. Assuming he could get his shit together and have everything ready in half-a-year.

He brought her a coffee. “Milk and a bit of honey.”

Maggie glanced up sharply. “You remembered that?”

“Of course I did.” He sat across from her. “You drank how many cups of coffee at my place, Maggie?”

She looked away, not wanting to remember the morning-after coffees that had followed all those amazing nights of lovemaking. “Tell me about the job.”

“Sure.” He swallowed his disappointment that she was all business, but then again, he shouldn’t be surprised.

She hates you, remember? And it serves you right. It’s a surprise that she hasn’t taken one of the hammers out there to your fucking skull, Carlisle.

He clicked on a few links. “Here are some pictures of apsara sculptures that I really like. I thought you could use them as inspiration.”

She didn’t move.

Joe almost sighed aloud, then he turned the laptop to face her. “See?”

Maggie studied them closely. “What do you like about them?”

Joe leaned back. “This one? I like the color. That soft gold, like a glowing sunset… see that?”

She wrote something in her notebook. “Yeah, OK.”

“And this one – I like the way her body curves… see the hip? The thigh? I love that. It’s graceful, but still strong.”

“OK.”

Joe went through all the pictures with her, and she listened carefully, asked lots of questions, took notes. After an hour, she stood up.

“So, as soon as I get the first thirty-five percent of my fee in my business account, I’ll get to work on the preliminary sketches.” She looked down at her notes, thinking. “I figure I can have them ready in three days. Shall I courier them here?”

“Why don’t I come to your studio?” he asked. “You can show me in person, and I can propose any changes right away.”

“I’d prefer to limit our contact, if possible.”

“Maggie.” He fought to keep his voice even. “Time is short. You know that, right? If we can save two or three days and the whole back-and-forth with couriers and e-mail comments, don’t you think we should do that?”

She narrowed her eyes.
Lord, I
hate
it
when
he’s
reasonable
. “I guess so.”

“OK,” he said, relieved. “So, I’ll drop by your studio on Friday morning. Does nine o’clock work for you?”

She shrugged. “Sure.” She turned to go.

“Wait. Maggie, wait. Please.”

“What?”

Joe struggled with his words. “Don’t you think – maybe we should – since we’re working together now, do you want to clear the air? Between us?”

Maggie crossed her arms. “I have nothing to say to you, except send me my damn money and I’ll see you on Friday at nine o’clock. If you have anything non-professional to get off your chest, go ahead.”

“Uh. OK.”

She stared up at him calmly.

“I – I just… oh, God, Maggie. I wanted to say I’m sorry. To finally apologize to you for what happened… that night.”

He dared to look at her. Her face was still and almost disinterested. There wasn’t even a hint of anger on it.

“I – what I did to you, the things I said to you, it was all unforgivable. I know that.” Joe took a deep breath. “You were – you were right to walk out on me. To break it off.”

Silence.

“But I’m different now, I swear it… I’d never treat anyone that way, not ever again. I was a fucking spoiled brat. An arrogant asshole. A womanizing dickhead.”

“And now you’re not?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Now I’m not. I’m – I’ve learned a lot in the past couple of years. I’ve been knocked around a bit by life, and I’m – I’m not the same man.”

“And you’re telling me this… why?”

“Because I know you hate me, and that’s fair enough. But we’re going to be spending lots of time together over the next few months and I was thinking, can we at least try to get along, get to know each other again? Maybe even be friends?”

“No.”

He paused. “Just – no?”

“Just no.” She turned again. “So, send me my damn money and I’ll see you on Friday at nine o’clock. Take care.”

She swept out of the restaurant, fighting to keep her anger in check.
Friends
? Holy fuck, was he serious? Nope, no way. Not ever. He was a commission that was going to save her mother’s life, and for that much, she could be grateful to him. Beyond that, it was all noise and distraction.

And I can’t afford noise or distraction. I need to meet every single term of my contract, hit every single deadline, get my full fee. One slip-up, and he gets to withhold ten percent right off the top. And don’t kid yourself, girl, he’d withhold it in a heartbeat and with a smile on that gorgeous face. I can’t relax. Not for one minute.

Maggie jumped on the light rail to the hospital. She needed to sign the final financial agreement, and then she had to get her ass to the studio and start sketching. She had lots of work to do, and her Mom’s surgery was scheduled for first thing the next morning.

I’ll stay up and work all night, so I can be there all day tomorrow.

Maggie closed her eyes, gathered her strength.

I can do this. I can do
all
of this.