“How badly do you want it?”

I stare at the man sitting across from me at the conference room table. The overhead lights are buzzing slightly and the table’s wood is heavily lacquered, almost plastic feeling. The man’s lips are wet and full, with a patchy gray beard and short white hair. His skin is sallow and wrinkled, and he’s at least seventy years old, probably older. His name is John Poplar and he’s been practicing law forever. I’m pretty sure he helped found America, the guy’s so damn old. He clings to a glass of water with a shaky hand and his eyes are squinting at me.

“Pretty badly,” Reid answers. I sigh, rolling my head back. I’m tired, bored, stiff from the flight, and I want a fucking shower. I had to come straight from the airport to this meeting, because apparently it’s important, but my god, is it boring.

I just want to keep thinking about Teagan. I sent her that dildo, and I planned on making her late for work while she loosened herself up for me, but that plan got wrecked by her son. I should have thought about that. He doesn’t factor into my plans at all, but I know I need to start including him.

Felix is a huge part of Teagan’s life. I mean, he’s basically her whole life. And he very well might be my fucking son. So it only makes sense if I start including him in whatever I’m thinking, at least just to plan for where he’ll be. Fortunately, Teagan has that nanny, so there’s almost always a babysitter to watch Felix, but still. I can’t just send her dirty things to her house, I’ll have to be more careful about it.

“Declan?”

I snap back into the room. “Yes?”

“John just asked you a question.” Reid gives me a look.

“Sorry. What was it?”

John clears his throat. “I said, are you as willing as your partner is to spend money on this?”

I glance at Reid but his face is a mask. “Maybe,” I say. Honestly, I’d rather we ended this thing right here and now so that I don’t have any more work issues standing in the way of my being with Teagan, but I know that’s selfish. This is Reid’s thing, after all.

“Truth is,” John says, as if I hadn’t spoken, “this is going to be expensive. We have a decent case, but so do they. We’re going to have to bury them in paperwork, since they’re understaffed. We have to force them to make a deal.”

“Why do we need a deal?” Reid asks. “This is insane. This is our property.”

John sighs. “If it goes to court, we’ll lose.”

Reid looks pissed and I don’t blame him. He hasn’t had a lot of leeway to take on pet projects in these last few years, and I suspect he’s taking this one really seriously. But at every turn he’s been thwarted, and I bet he’s pretty fucking sick of it. Honestly, it’s making him look bad, and I am starting to question his competency a little bit.

“Think about how the public is going to see this.” A woman at the end of the table speaks up. I think her name is Carrie. “Just from a PR perspective, this deal is a nightmare.”

Reid sighs. “How?” he asks.

“We’re the big bad developer that’s trying to destroy nature.” She shrugs a little bit. “Even if it’s just some crappy lot in the middle of the city, that’s still the narrative. It’s going to be bad for our image.”

Reid groans. “Our image,” he says. “It’s already garbage. We’re a property developer, that’s all we do. Our image is tied to how well our properties do, and this one is going to do great.”

Carrie looks like she wants to argue, but she thinks better of it. John speaks up instead.

“She’s right, Reid, but that’s the least of your problems. On top of the cost, this could drag out for years.”

His eyes go wide. “Years?”

John nods. “Unfortunately, there’s precedent for this sort of case going on a while.”

I glance at my watch. I’m sick of this meeting, but I can see why I’m here. They’re trying to convince Reid to let this thing go, and I think it might be working. I bet they want me to jump in and try to argue their side, maybe sway him some more.

Normally I would, but not with this. I know how important Reid thinks this is, and I’m going to let him have it. If he wants to waste time and money doing it, then that’s what we’ll do.

I get out my phone as the lawyers and the PR people all start discussing potential future costs. I glance at Reid and his face is starting to glaze over, which means he’s taking in maybe half of what they’re saying to him.

I type a message to Teagan. “I want to see you tonight.”

She answers right away. “Maybe,” she says. “I need to see Felix.”

“What time does he go to bed?”

“Not late. Marta could watch him…”

“After he’s in bed,” I say. “Text me and I’ll come get you.”

“Are you going to try and throw me off a bridge again?”

I smile to myself. “If I remember correctly, I think I saved your life.”

“Hardly. I would’ve been fine.”

“Yeah, but wet. Very wet.”

“You’re right. A fate worse than death.”

I grin to myself. “See you tonight.”

“Declan?”

I look up, caught not paying attention again. Like a fucking kid in high school.

Everyone’s looking at me. “Clearly I’m not paying attention,” I say.

John’s face is a tight line. “Clearly.”

I look at Reid. “Listen, if you want to pursue this, pursue it.”

He chews his lip. “What would you do?”

I stand up. “I’d leave this meeting, because it’s boring the hell out of me. Everyone, thanks for coming and for the presentations, but this is Reid’s decision.” With that, I leave the conference room.

I should probably be nicer, but I’m exhausted. Although I made the deal, I didn’t sleep much in London. I just want to go home, shower, get some sleep, and go see Teagan.

Footsteps approach me from behind. “I’m doing it,” Reid says.

I glance back at him. “Good for you.”

“If this goes south, I’m sorry.”

I shrug. “You’ll figure it out.”

He grins at me and we get onto the elevator together.

I realize that I had a chance to end this whole thing and make my relationship with Teagan simpler, but I decided not to. I have to be loyal to Reid and to the company, even if it leaves things with Teagan a little awkward and strained. Besides, the forbidden nature of it makes it just a little bit hotter.

Besides, I don’t think this is going to last. Reid is going to have to dig in and do some real work soon, start spending some serious money on lawyers, and he’s going to balk. I know he’s going to push for a deal, and he may have to back off entirely. Only time will tell, but I’m not too worried about it.

Maybe Teagan and her people will actually win this little war. I can’t say I’d be too upset. We have so many other properties and deals in the works, losing this one will probably be for the best. Besides, we’re so fucking rich at this point, it wouldn’t matter.

I grin to myself as the elevator reaches the bottom. Must be a good life if I don’t have to care about a million-dollar deal falling through.

I have bigger worries. Like Teagan and Felix and what the hell I’m going to do about them.