"Something on your mind tonight?" I stood behind Jax, burrowing my thumbs deep into his muscles. It had been a week since I'd discovered Jax's plan to buy the Press Building. How ironic that the building had sat there for almost over a decade unused and unwanted, only to be coveted by more than one buyer at the same time.

I'd wished for a new solution for either party, but neither had backed down, neither knowing the other person who wanted it. I'm not sure what his actual intentions were, but Alan Phelps had really made a muck of my life, as well as Jax's and Gene's.

Jax rolled his head and sat back from his desk. "Just work." He swiveled his chair so that he could face me. He clasped the back of my thighs and pulled me closer and leaned his head against my stomach. "I'm sorry. I know I promised not to bring work home, but I have a meeting at the City Council the day after tomorrow. I need to review what my staff put together for me. A lot of things hinge on it. If this deal falls through, so do a lot of other things. If I knew what or who I was going up against, I'd feel a lot better."

My fingers stilled for a minute as a wave of guilt passed through me. I hadn't known how to handle this. But I knew I hated when other people interfered in my business, much less my life. I'd racked my brains for a different solution, but so far hadn't come up with one. It was the cowardly way out, but I'd decided until I could think of something else, I wouldn't say anything to either Jax nor Gene, letting the chips fall where they would as if I'd never discovered the link.

I threaded my fingers through his hair. "I'm sure it will all work out. You can be very convincing, you know. After all, you managed to convince me to go out with you." I winked at him.

He grinned back. "My greatest accomplishment. And the most meaningful. I've never known someone like you, Grace. Never had someone in my corner."

Ouch! Doubt filled my mind. Surely, if I confided in him, together, we could find a solution. I couldn't let him down. Gene would just have to understand.

His hands moved up the back of my thighs under my skirt to squeeze my ass.

"Jax, there's something I need to—"

I stopped when his phone rang. I saw the regret in his eyes when he looked to see who it was. "I'm sorry, but it might be important."

I smiled and stepped back, nodding that I understood. To give him some privacy, I decided to go to my bedroom and put away some laundry that I'd folded before Jax came over. I smiled as I worked, enjoying hearing the rumble of his voice in the distance. I smoothed a wrinkle in a shirt that belonged to Jax before I put it in a drawer I'd cleaned out for him. He'd started leaving a few articles of clothing and some shaving supplies, so he had something to change into if he came over straight from work.

I knew this was a new step for him. It was the start of a future together. That meant he should be my priority; his needs should be my needs. As hard as it might be, I needed to tell him what I knew about the building. It wouldn't really be interfering since I wouldn't be manipulating the decisions. He'd still have to justify why he should be the one to purchase it.

Finally feeling at peace, I headed out to tell him but was halted when my cell phone rang. I was excited to see it was Nina, Micah's mom. I'd given a lot of thought to Jax's suggestion about hiring an assistant. I studied my finances to see if I could support the addition. Jade double checked my figures and confirmed that I easily could, and with a few adjustments she suggested, I decided to take the plunge.

I'd been impressed with Nina when she volunteered at the shelter, easily seeing the big picture and breaking it up into manageable tasks and delegating them with authority. She'd been thrilled when I suggested it to her, but she wanted to take a few days to think about it rather than jump in, which impressed me further to know she wasn't impulsive.

"I hope you have good news for me," I said, answering the phone with a laugh. We chatted a few minutes, and by the time I hung up, I was beaming.

As I entered the living room, I was glad to see Jax was off the phone. "Hey, guess what? I've got good news!" As I rounded the end of the couch, I noticed Jax's head was bowed as he leaned his arms on his knees. "Is everything okay?"

"That was John, my lawyer who’s working to secure a contract for me."

"Oh. Did something happen?"

"Tell me you didn't know."

The sinking feeling I'd had earlier returned. "Know what?" I hedged.

"Tell me you didn't know that Gene Carlin was the man who is trying to bid on the building I want."

"Jax, I..."

When he looked at me, I wished he hadn't. His eyes glittered with hurt and anger. His mouth was pulled tight, and the space between his eyes was red and wrinkled. "How long?" He stood and faced me. "How long have you known?"

"Jax." I took a step in his direction and reached out my hand, but he held himself away. I shook my head. "I just figured it out last week when we were at your office, and I asked about the drawing."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

I nearly broke at the sound of betrayal in his voice. "I didn't know what to do." I waved my hands helplessly.

"Well, I do! You're supposed to tell me, the man you're supposed to care about when it's something that was so important to me."

"I do care, Jax. I love you! But I also care about Gene and the teen center. I thought it was easier to stay out of your business, the same way I asked you to stay out of mine."

He grabbed up his papers and started stuffing them into his briefcase. "Did you tell Gene?"

I frantically shook my head, 'no,' but he grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch. "Are you leaving? Can't we talk about this?"

"Talk? Now you want to talk? The time for that was last week when you figured it out." He used his fingers to make quotation marks. "My God, Grace! Do you see how stupid this makes me look? I contributed to my own competition to bid against me at the fucking charity dinner!"

Tears streamed down my cheeks. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry. What can I do?"

He strode to the door. "Nothing. I thought you were different. I thought you'd always have my back, Grace. I guess Laurel isn't the only actress in your family." He opened the door and slammed it behind him. Seconds later, I heard the engine of his car roar and tires peal down the street.

I sank to my knees, sobbing.

All this time I'd worried he'd be the one to let me down, to back out on me. Instead, I was the one who hurt him. I was the one who dropped the ball. And I didn't think there was any glove big enough to save this.