“Maddie wasn’t the fucking problem!” Connor growled, slamming his fist against the coffee machine, which immediately began to whir and brew obediently. That was exactly what machines (and most humans) did in his presence — followed his damned orders! “I made a bet with her sister.”
Cian frowned in confusion. “With Lucy? She’s taken. Hey, wait. Maddie is too! Did she break up with Matt? I thought they were getting married.”
“What the hell?” He stared at Cian in disbelief as he roughly shoved a cup under the machine. “Where do you get your information? I heard the name Lucy for the first time today. But I’m not talking about her. I got into a fight with Rachel.” God, there wasn't just one, but three James women. He was the victim of the universe’s particularly bad joke.
“Ah.” Cian nodded in surprise. “Rachel, the missing sister. I thought she was a myth. You know, like Bigfoot. Or Greek demigods…”
“I know the definition ofmyth, thank you very much!” he replied, annoyed. “How was Rachel missing?”
Cian shrugged. “Well, she’s the sister who was never here. The one who has lived forever in Chicago.”
Unbelievable. Did this guy write the Wikipedia article on the James family or something? “How the hell do you know that?”
His friend grinned broadly and clasped his hands smugly behind his neck. “You’re Mr. Hot-and-Stuck-Up, I’m Mr. Charming-Innocent. I don’t need any other magic. I don't have to sprinkleMatch Me!with holy water or throw garlic at them in the hopes they burst into flames. Hailey and Maddie just talk to me.”
Right.Everyoneliked Cian. He obtained information as easily as winning a contest for the most likable smile, whereas Connor wasn’t even allowed to enter. That didn’t actually bother Connor in the slightest. He wasn’t paid to belikable— and in his experience, as soon as you showed any signs of beingnice, you were mercilessly exploited.
“You’re allying yourself with the enemy, O’Leary!” he stated dryly.
“And you’re slowly becoming a Disney villain when it comes toMatch Me!, Stone,” Cian replied, unimpressed. “You know what your beloved goddaughter said at dinner the other day? You reminded her of Flynn Rider.”
“Who? Sounds like an old chocolate bar.”
“He’s the guy from the movie Tangled!”
“There’s a guy in Tangled? I thought it was about hair and singing.”
Cian snorted. “Flynn is the man Rapunzel falls in love with.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound like me at all. I don’t seduce innocent women.”
“My point is, Flynn is an arrogant, self-absorbed bastard who wants to do everything on his own, and his dream is to become super rich. Until he falls in love and realizes that other things in life are important too. Ada is convinced that all you have to do to finally be happy is find your Rapunzel.”
With his eyes narrowed, Connor paused and stared at Cian. Unless Rapunzel was in his coffee maker or lying on his desk, he probably wouldn’t find her. “You let your daughter watch too much nonsense — and Iamhappy.” Happy enough, at least. He had a job he liked, a family he loved, and a ten-second commute because he’d bought the house in which their law firm was located. He regularly had fantastic sex and, sometimes, even halfway decent conversations with the women afterward. There was nothing he could complain about. But since that bastardCian would surely find something he didn’t want to hear, he hastily added, “You’re getting off topic. Rachel isn’t missing anymore. She’s here.”
“Did she move?”
“How would I know?”
“You just talked to her!”
Hmm, not really. Connor rarely talked. He debated. He argued. He yelled. And with Rachel…he’d done all three.
“Her living situation wasn’t discussed. All I found out about her is that she’s just as delusional as her sister!” he growled. She had absolutely nothing else in common with Madison. Maddie hated confrontations and was simply a sweet, somewhat shy person who longed for harmony. He knew the type. Those were the clients he could do the most for because they hated arguing and wouldn’t stand up for themselves. He happily took on the role of the asshole who got them what they deserved from their stingy spouses. So, personally, he had nothing against Maddie at all. But Rachel…she was of a whole different caliber. She had absolutely no problem going on the offensive. He could tell she was practiced at arguing. Of course, she was a fucking couples' therapist. God. He found himself fighting a smile. In a different scenario, he would have been almost impressed by how easily she’d kept up with him, even though he made millions a year putting opposing lawyers under pressure. In a different scenario.
If only she hadn’t been defending her stupid agency and messing up his plan!
“Oh, I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Cian remarked with a grin. “Anyone who can irritate you that much deserves a free drink and a clammy handshake. What does Rachel look like anyway?”
He blinked. “What?”
“I’m curious!”
“She looks like a…” – like a very hot, annoying – “…woman.” He turned away and took a sip of his third coffee of the morning. Meeting women who looked elegant even in dirty Crocs, whose jutting chins combined with their alert green eyes screamedattack, required a higher caffeine intake.
“Man, your spare descriptions would make Hemingway envious,” his colleague remarked, rolling his eyes. “But seriously, you have to stop waging war with love!”
“I’m not. Didn’t you hear what the bet was about?”
