A low level of anxiety pushed at him as he drove to the Donaldson home. For the first time in his life he experienced a brief moment when he wanted to turn around and retreat from a problem. But that was not a practical solution to the issue. He toyed with the notion that it was Kim Donaldson who had caused his apprehension rather than the circumstances of the business matter. The possibility made him nervous, something very unusual for the always-confident Jared Stevens.
As he climbed the steps to the porch, Kim opened the door. On more than one occasion over the past couple of days he had visualized the beautiful barefooted woman in the shorts and T-shirt—her slightly mussed hair giving her an earthy look, her full lips revealing a sensuous mouth, a flash of emotion sparkling in her blue eyes even though that emotion had been anger.
A little pang of disappointment jabbed at him when he saw the conservative way she had chosen to dress for their appointment. Unlike the first time he had arrived at her father’s house, she wore a simple white blouse, charcoal gray slacks and low-heeled shoes. His realization of that disappointment said more than he wanted to know. In their one brief meeting she had managed to capture his undivided attention and hold on to it. She was as much of a puzzle as she was a fascinating woman, far more complex than the women he usually associated with.
Kim stepped aside as he entered the house. At that moment he regretted his decision to set the appointment away from his office. This was one business meeting that he wanted to have over as quickly as possible. A little shiver darted up his spine. He had a strange sensation of upheaval, almost like a premonition that his life was about to take a strange detour from his intended course.
He sat on the couch, making a concerted effort to appear casual. He wasn’t as sure about how to proceed as he had been two days ago when he’d confronted Kim Donaldson. He gathered his determination. The debt wasn’t a personal matter, it was a company financial transaction and as such needed to be resolved.
“Has your attorney looked over the documents?”
Kim nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then finally sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the coffee table. For the previous hour she had been rehearsing what she wanted to say when he arrived, but now that he sat across from her, that confidence started to erode. He looked so calm and in control, as if he didn’t have a worry in the world, while in contrast her stomach churned in knots.
“I met with him yesterday.”
“And?”
She forced out the words, her voice barely above a whisper. “He tells me it’s a legal, binding agreement.” She glanced at the floor, unable to meet his steady gaze. It had been the most difficult thing she had ever said, far more so than when she’d told her fiancé the engagement was off and they were through.
“Then I assume you’re prepared to pay the debt.”
Kim squared her shoulders, steeled her determination and forced herself to make eye contact with him. A quick ripple of anxiety darted across her skin. “No…I won’t be paying the debt. This apparent obligation was my father’s business transaction, not mine. You have no legal claim against me or anything I own.”
“You think not?”
A nervous tickle poked at her consciousness as she watched him place the document in his case. He closed the lid and snapped the locks shut. He stood, picked up the attaché case, then turned toward her—every movement, every gesture, slow and deliberate, sending a wave of trepidation through her body.
He cocked his head and shot a curious look in her direction. “Not paying the debt…is that the advice of your attorney?”
“I didn’t consult him beyond his inspection of the documents. It’s simply the way it is.”
“You realize that you’re leaving me with no choice other than to file a claim against your father’s estate, which will tie it up for quite a while and prevent you from selling or otherwise disposing of any of his property, such as this house and its contents.”
Kim’s breath caught in her throat, and a hard knot twisted in the pit of her stomach. Had she heard him correctly? Everything about Jared looked very determined. Her legs trembled to the point where she feared they would no longer support her as the seriousness of what he said sank in. How would she ever be able to fight a multimillion-dollar corporation on a matter that her attorney said was a legal obligation? The anxiety churned through her body as a throbbing headache attacked her temples.
She needed the money the sale of her father’s house would bring to pay off his debts. She couldn’t afford to have his estate tied up in court. A wave of anger threatened to erupt. Jared was nothing more than a predator circling his prey. He had chosen a time when she was most vulnerable and had pounced on the opportunity. He had taken unfair advantage of a situation just like the Stevens family had been doing to the Donaldsons for the past three generations.
She tried to rally her courage while forcing a calm to her anger. “Then I’ll consult my attorney about that.”
“I have legal counsel on staff. You’ll have to hire an attorney, and it will probably end up costing you more than simply paying the debt your father owes.”
At that moment his tone reminded her exactly of her ex-fiancé’s overbearing and controlling manner. She fought the urge to lash out at him for trying to manipulate her life and causing all this trouble. Then a realization hit her. Which him was she talking about? Was it her ex-fiancé or Jared Stevens who had earned her recrimination? She pulled her composure together and tried to look at the situation in a logical and dispassionate manner. He was only trying to collect a debt he believed was owed by her father. She tried to convince herself that it didn’t have anything to do with the Stevens–Donaldson feud. He wasn’t trying to control her life or go out of his way to make trouble for her. It was a straightforward business arrangement, nothing more.
And the enormity of that business nearly overwhelmed her—the amount of money at stake and Gary Parker’s words that it was a legal binding contract and the promissory note was, indeed, long past due. He had told her that Stevens Enterprises had every right to exercise their legal muscle in collecting it. A sinking feeling settled inside her, effectively shoving down whatever fight she had left. She was in a very precarious situation. Being defiant wasn’t going to help matters. She needed to find some sort of cooperative middle ground with Jared Stevens in order to resolve the money situation without putting everything in jeopardy.
Her voice quavered, her words barely above a whisper as despair filled her. “I can’t afford to pay the debt. There’s no way I can raise that kind of money. I need the proceeds from the estate to pay several other obligations of my father’s.”
The strong determination had vanished, and in its place Jared saw a vulnerable woman who didn’t seem to know what to do. He had been prepared for Kim’s strong stance. He could handle her anger. He knew he was more than capable of dealing with any business negotiation. But this touched him on a surprisingly personal level, and he wasn’t at all sure how to handle it.
He allowed his gaze to drift over her features. A tightness pulled across his chest. Yes, indeed—she was an incredibly desirable woman who had definitely heated up his libido.
He turned on the charm that never failed to produce the desired results, but the words were out of his mouth before he could evaluate where they had come from—words that were as much lustful desire as they were serious.
“Perhaps we could reach a compromise. According to my attorney, you’re a high school teacher. I’d be willing to let you, uh…” His words trailed off as his libido shoved at him again. He flashed a smile that was as much pure