Jackson had never cared much about a woman being well-endowed or not. The truth: since his marriage crashed and burned, beyond physical companionship, he merely required a woman be unattached and not looking for anything more than a liaison or two to sate baser needs.
But sitting here trying his best to keep his mind from wondering what was beyond the first buttons of her blouse and vest took considerably more effort than it should.
“I’m afraid that’s not a real answer to my question, Aja.”
When she still didn’t answer, he put down his pen and crossed his arms. “Ms. Everett? How exactly can you afford this as an unemployed lawyer?”
“I was the managing partner of my law firm in New York. We weren’t a small-time operation. We specialized in what I like to call ‘celebrity criminal law.’ All the celebrities you see getting into major trouble on all the gossip news shows, my firm was usually responsible for getting them off with little to no legal ramifications. Our clients paid us very well for our services. As managing partner, I received the biggest slice of the profit pie. I have more than enough liquid cash to build this resort. And even if it goes belly up, my investments will keep me nice and comfy until I close my eyes to this world.”
Jackson picked his pen up and scribbled a few lines on his notepad. “So you’re paying the ex-convicts a fair wage?”
“Market value,” she answered. “So no, neither of them would have reason to retaliate against me for making them work for a pittance. I treat my workers well. Their employment and compensation packages are competitive with their education and work experience, minus the cost of room and board, since housing comes with the job. My people have no reason to do this, Jackson. So can we stop focusing on them and look for the real culprit?”
“What if you’re wrong? What if your little social experiment has gone belly up and the very people you’re protecting are the ones responsible for damaging your property and terrorizing and nearly killing you?”
He knew he’d crossed a line the moment the words left his lips. He saw a spark of anger flash in her eyes before she stood and collected her used dish and coffee cup from the table. Her movements were aggressive and quick, and he worried the innocent paper products might pay the price for his words.
“Aja—”
She held up a finger to interrupt him. “I don’t like repeating myself, Ranger Dean. However, since it seems you didn’t get the message earlier, I’ll reiterate it now. My uncle’s idea of help was to send you and your men. I wasn’t on board with that. But I’m willing to put my dislike aside and work with you to keep my people and my property safe. However, if you can’t let go of your bias long enough to seek the truth, then you may as well stop wasting both our time.”
She didn’t turn away from him as she spoke. No, Aja leaned in, bringing her face and the controlled fury he could see bubbling beneath the surface of the calm veneer she wore closer to him. “The Rangers are our last hope. The sheriff will lock Seneca and Brooklyn up for the mere crime of being parolees in his town. He has made it abundantly clear he doesn’t want them in Fresh Springs. So if you and your men are here simply to pile on, I can tell you I’ve officially had enough. You can close this case, and I’ll tell my uncle I asked you to do so. There’ll be no repercussions for you.”
She turned and started zipping up the now-empty food insulation bags on the cart. A quick glance to either side of him found hard set eyes glaring at him.
He’d been working long enough with these men to catalog their disapproval of his behavior without them needing to say a word.
He pointed toward the door and whispered, “Give us a minute,” before he stood from the table. Colton and Storm followed suit, walking through his office doorway and closing the door behind him with an intentional click. Jackson cleared the rest of the table before facing her.
“Aja, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“I’m a big girl, Jackson. I’m not worried about you offending me. I’m worried about protecting Seneca and Brooklyn from being sent back to prison based on nothing more than their past convictions. Prior bad acts aren’t allowed in a court of law for a reason. They shouldn’t be used as an excuse to make a collar either.”
“Agreed,” he proceeded. “But I can’t ignore their pasts either. I have to look at all the evidence, Aja. And usually, no matter how much people would like to believe otherwise, it’s those with access to victims that perpetrate crimes against them.”
She was wiping down the surface of the coffee carafe with a furious circular motion. He couldn’t say what made him reach out to her and place a stilling hand at the top of her shoulder, applying slight pressure to encourage her to stop her machinations with the disposable napkins. But whatever it was, when she stopped and leaned into his touch instead of pulling away from him, a weight lifted off his chest.
“Aja.” His voice was raspier than usual, rough like he’d just awoken. It sounded weird to his own ears. “I can’t promise you I won’t look into Seneca and Brooklyn. What I can promise is that I will run a fair investigation and look at all parties that make reasonable suspects. So why don’t you stop assaulting that carafe and come sit and tell me who you think might be responsible for your troubles.”
She turned to face him. There was a gleam of something bright in her eyes, and the joy of seeing it there made him want to curl his lips into a wide grin. What the hell was it about this woman that made him want to do silly things like smile when he saw hope dancing in her eyes?
Jackson knew he’d regret giving in to the delight swirling around the bottom of his belly right then. “Is that agreeable, Counselor?”
She smiled back and Jackson felt an invisible band squeeze around his heart. He decided right there that she should always have that look of hope and anticipation painted across the soft lines of her face. It felt so good that he’d put it there, and he was certain he’d give near anything to see it remain.
“Yes, Jackson.” The breathy way his name rolled off her tongue and slid through her lips made his blood simmer. She stepped closer to him and widened her crimson smile. “That’s completely agreeable.”
And in that moment when her smile felt like pure temptation, Jackson knew one thing: he was in trouble.
Chapter 5
“Eli Bennett.” She pulled her features into tight lines as if she’d tasted something bitter. “He’s sort of the unofficial mayor there. His money and influence have garnered him the loyalty of our neighbors.”
A light knock on the door pulled their attention away from their conversation. Storm’s face peeked through the small opening with a lifted brow, silently asking if it was okay to enter. Jackson waved him in, grateful it was considerate Storm at the door instead of bullish Colton.
As his men filed in and sat around the table again, he watched Aja with careful attention. He’d never seen her in a courtroom, but the way she handled him made him think twice about taking her on. The fire she’d directed at him as she defended her two wards made him think she must have been a formidable opponent across the aisle. And there was something about the light trigger she had on her mouth that made him wonder what it would be like to be on the receiving end of all that passion for reasons that had nothing to do with being cursed out.
“Okay, so you think Bennett is the culprit. Why? What’s he done to make you think he could be capable of something like this?”
