Page 11 of Perfect Persuasion (Love’s Second Chance #2)

Jamie stepped into Claire’s line of vision. “That’s Stewart,” she ground out, voice low. “He’s a walking carbon copy. You say it, he tells the King.”

Claire fought the urge to roll her eyes, but lost and gave in. Jamie’s middle name had to be Drama. But despite her tendency toward dramatics, she was a sweet woman.

“My office it is,” Claire conceded.

Not thirty seconds later they were ensconced in Claire’s office, the door safely closed against prying ears.

“So here’s the deal.” Jamie tugged at the hem of her short skirt. “Monroe came looking for you and he looked pissed. More pissed than I’ve ever seen him. He almost waited for you in your office until I told him you’d be more than ten minutes. Men have no patience, you know.”

She tried but failed to wrest her gaze from Jamie’s blindingly lime-green skirt. “Is that crocodile?”

Just the thought of it was oddly repulsive to Claire. It made her feel like gagging.

Jamie touched a hand to the waistline of her flamboyant skirt.

“It’s fake croc, less pricey than the real thing.

I think it’s pleather, actually, which I’m totally okay with because I don’t believe in hurting animals for fashion.

But if Irene from Client Services asks, it’s real and I got it at Nordstrom.

God, I hate her.” She frowned. “Don’t you even care that Monroe is on the rampage? ”

Claire thought about it for a moment, her gaze caught on the earrings dangling from Jamie’s ears. They were huge. “Isn’t he on a perpetual rampage? I mean, when isn’t the man angry with me? I’ve ceased to care.” She paused. “Are your earrings palm trees?”

“You like them? I got them at a little jewelry boutique—” Jamie glared at Claire. “Stop trying to distract me. What’s going on, Claire? Why is Monroe constantly looking for you?”

“I’m his creative director. You know what it can be like. Besides, this isn’t any different than any other time we’re in the middle of a project.”

“It is and you know it. What’s going on?”

Oh I’m just going to have the man’s baby, that’s all. Nothing unusual here .

“I don’t know.” She pressed her fingertips to her throbbing temples. “All I know is that my feet hurt, I’m tired, my head hurts, and my life is more screwed up than a soap opera heroine’s.”

Jamie gave her a sympathetic look. “Wait here and try to avoid Himself. I’ll run down to the café and grab you an Earl Grey, decaf.”

“You’re a dear.” Claire made her way to her chair, happily sinking into its familiar comfort. “Oh, and Jamie? Make it three packs of sugar this morning, please. I need it.”

When Jamie disappeared, Claire pulled out her laptop and started it up.

As she waited for her desktop to appear, she contemplated the fiasco that was currently her life.

At least Garrett had agreed to the divorce settlement her lawyer had hammered out.

That took a tremendous weight off her shoulders.

The last thing on earth she wanted or needed to deal with right now was an ugly court battle where she and Garrett fought over everything down to who would get the ottoman and who would get the sofa.

Now if only things with Logan would work out as nicely.

How they were going to cooperate as parents was beyond her.

How she was going to manage to keep her hands off him, and that included both sexual advances and strangulation, was an utter mystery.

She wanted him and she couldn’t stand him all at the same time.

Damn it.

Claire came back to the present with a jolt, realizing she’d been spacing out, staring at her screensaver. A series of Impressionist paintings flicked by in a steady rhythm. Where was Jamie with that tea?

Her office door opened and she looked up, expecting to be blinded by key-lime croc print and ugly palm trees. Instead, Logan walked into the room. He didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries.

“Why the hell weren’t you answering your phone last night?” He stalked across her office, circling her desk to stop and stare down at her.

“I turned off the ringer,” she told him. “I had enough arguments for one night.”

“You didn’t even answer my texts. I was worried.”

“You didn’t have to be.”

He leaned a hand on her desktop, bending so that they were at eye level. “You were at home the entire time?”

“Yes.” She sighed. “Do you expect me to keep a log book now? Or would you prefer if I call you every time I leave the house?”

“Don’t be a smart ass.” His lip curled into a sneer. “I’m concerned about my baby. The one you were never going to tell me about, remember?”

“Very funny. I’m sort of doing this thing called work at the moment. Remember that? Do you think we could discuss this later?”

“You can’t just keep avoiding me. We need to talk. We’re having a—”

A knock on the office door interrupted Logan’s tirade. Jamie popped her head inside, looking both hesitant and worried. “Am I interrupting?”

“Yes.” Logan angled an intimidating glare her way.

“No.” Claire made eye contact with her assistant and mouthed “meeting.”

“Oh yes.” Jamie smiled. “I’m sorry, but you have a meeting with one of the Creative Teams in five minutes, Claire.”

Claire glanced at her watch, feigning surprise. “I’d almost forgotten. Thank you, Jamie.”

Jamie nodded, cast Claire an apologetic glance and ducked out of the room. So much for her tea. Claire turned back to Logan.

“I’m sorry but we’ll just have to discuss this later.”

Logan’s gaze narrowed. “Which Creative Team? I thought you already had a meeting this morning.”

Claire searched her brain, trying to recall which teams she had concentrating on which projects. “Amy and Leo.”

Logan flashed her a flawless smile that told her he didn’t believe a word she was saying. “I’ll accompany you. If you don’t mind,” he added, calling her bluff.

But Claire wasn’t about to retreat now. “Of course not.” She smiled with a lack of concern and rose from her chair.

Claire ruminated the entire way home that night.

Logan hadn’t been able to corner her and get her alone for the rest of the workday.

Of course, she’d skipped out half an hour early, just to avoid him in case he decided to come looking for her again.

Fortunately, Amy and Leo had taken the impromptu meeting in stride and had been surprisingly well prepared.

If Logan suspected Claire had lied to him, he hadn’t approached her about it.

But she knew it wouldn’t last long. Her delaying tactics only held off the inevitable.

She would have to sit down with Logan Monroe and accept the fact that he was the father of her child.

She could only hope that he would prove her wrong and be an incredible father invested in peaceful co-parenting rather than opting for his standard steamroller effect.

Claire sighed and pulled into Sophie’s driveway, stunned to see her brother-in-law Trevor’s car parked there already. In a blur, she parked and rushed to the house, completely disregarding both her purse and her miserable state of personal affairs.

Her sister was home.

The front door opened before Claire could reach the knob, and Sophie dashed out, grinning like the blissfully in love, just-off-her-honeymoon woman she was.

“Soph.” Claire swept her sister into an ecstatic hug. “I missed you so much. You weren’t due in for another three days. What’s wrong? Nothing happened, did it?”

“No.” Sophie laughed, hugging Claire fiercely. “We just missed home and thought we’d surprise everyone.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Claire realized she was gushing, but decided she didn’t care as she pulled back to get a better look at her sister now that their initial hugging frenzy was out of the way.

“You look so great, Soph.” Sophie’s dark hair was pulled from her face, with a few stray tendrils curling against her radiant cheeks.

She truly looked beautiful and happier than Claire had ever seen her.

Claire’s gaze moved to the obvious belly visible beneath the pink strapless dress Sophie wore. “And huge.”

Coincidentally, Claire and Sophie nearly shared due dates, but Sophie’s tummy had grown considerably more than Claire’s in her absence.

Sophie giggled. “Blame it on Trevor and the French pastries he made me eat.”

“Speaking of Trevor, where is he?” She’d been so excited to see her sister that Claire had nearly forgotten about her brother-in-law.

“Right here,” came his dry response.

Claire looked up to find him right behind Sophie. She extricated herself from Sophie’s hug and moved to embrace the forgotten Trevor.

“Sorry,” she told him. “I didn’t see you.”

“I know, I know, it’s a sister thing,” he said, giving her a squeeze. “How are you doing, Claire?”

She stepped away with a smile. “Fine,” she lied, not wanting to depress them with the sad story that was her life. They were still all happy, starry-eyed, and glowing with Paris joie de vivre .

“So.” She put her arm around Sophie. “Why don’t we go inside and you guys can tell me all about your trip. I can’t wait to see pictures.”

“They’re on Trevor’s laptop,” Sophie said, allowing Claire to lead her back inside.

“Your sister wore out the camera,” Trevor said with a grin. “I thought we’d have to get it surgically removed from her hands.”

Sophie laughed lightly and put her arm around her new husband’s waist. “You never should have taught me how to use it.”

Claire felt a smile tugging at her lips anew.

It felt so good to see her sister so happy after so long.

When Sophie had lost her first husband and daughter in a tragic car accident, she’d been devastated.

For over two years, she retreated within herself to a place of misery and despair, but miraculously, Trevor had appeared in her life.

He’d given Sophie the chance to heal and find herself again.

Now the two were desperately in love and Sophie was realizing her dream of becoming a successful artist. Things had truly turned around for both of them.