Playing the Playboy by Noelle Adams Read Free Book Online

the office and the man smelled like peppermint and tobacco, and Andrew’s gut sank as soon as he walked in for the appointment Laurel had arranged for him.
    The lawyer, who introduced himself as Hudson Waverly III in cultured British English, was evidently an ex-pat. “Well, Mr. Damon. Well, let’s see. Can you tell me why you’re the one handling this misunderstanding and not a lawyer?”
    Andrew couldn’t tell if the man was impressed by him or annoyed by his lack of qualifications. Andrew was unqualified to handle complex legal and business matters—except for his being a Damon and having a functioning brain.
    “The Damons have been so successful because we take care of problems ourselves, rather than delegating,” Andrew said smoothly, giving a canned answer he’d heard many times before. “If we decide to pursue our legal options, then naturally we’ll bring in our lawyers.”
    He and Waverly discussed the background for a few minutes—going over the inheritance of the inn and how Grayson had put it in his wife’s name—but he learned nothing more than Laurel had offered as information the day before.
    Andrew grew increasingly concerned as the meeting went on and he tried to get clear answers from the scattered gentlemen across the desk. Laurel would get eaten alive if she relied on this dinosaur for legal counsel.
    Finally, he asked, “Do you have an estimate of how much money she and her husband invested in the property since it came into their possession? I mean, beyond the regular upkeep and operating expenses.”
    “Well,” Waverly began, shuffling through a pile of papers. “Well, well, let me see.”
    Andrew bit his tongue as he waited in silence, summoning all his patience. A good lawyer, even a moderately prepared lawyer, would have that kind of information on the tip of his tongue.
    Finally, Waverly landed on the document he needed. He peered at it. Then put on a pair of reading glasses and peered at it some more. Evidently, he was old-school and thought it crass to talk aloud about money, so he wrote a number on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to Andrew.
    Andrew read it, his mind starting to buzz with a new idea. It was a significant amount of money, but it was a pittance compared to the worth of the property. Andrew did some quick math in his head and determined that, with some initial improvements to the inn, they could make this amount back in the first year.
    He might be able to convince his uncle to give this amount of money back to Laurel as a settlement—to compensate for what she and her husband had spent to improve the inn and to acknowledge that she’d been acting in good faith in her possession of it.
    It would be enough money to get her started. She could settle somewhere comfortably enough, perhaps on another Greek island. She could find a way to make a living or even another husband without too much trouble.
    He ended the meeting politely and walked back to the inn, since it was just a couple of miles. He was pleased with this plan. It would treat Laurel fairly, since he was convinced she didn’t know that her claim to the inn was illegitimate, and it would cleanly settle an otherwise messy situation. That alone would be worth the money.
    Andrew’s spirits rose as he walked.  Now he wouldn’t have to feel like a jerk when he saw Laurel and, at the same time, he wouldn’t let his family down.
    He was climbing down the steep stairs that led to the main level of the inn and thinking about how they might be rebuilt as less of a hazard when he saw Laurel walk out of the entrance, trailed by the dogs.
    She wore gray shorts, a black tank-top, and her big sunglasses. Her hair was pulled back in a single braid.
    “Where are you off to?” he called.
    “I’m going for a walk,” she replied, almost warily. “How was the meeting?”
    “Good. I have a few ideas. I’ll need to talk to the central office.”
    She nodded absently as she approached him, but didn’t ask