Unwrapping the Playboy The Playboy's Gift by Marie Ferrarella

Author:Marie Ferrarella [Ferrarella, Marie/Carpenter, Teresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408903681
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Before Lilli could open her mouth to voice her protest, Kullen spoke up on her behalf.

“Ms. McCall has a right to be at this meeting, especially since it involves the question of her son’s custody,” Kullen informed the tall, unsmiling man. Although mildly friendly and conversational, there was no room for argument with his tone.

And, after a moment of what appeared to be somewhat annoyed reflection, Terrence obviously decided that it was in his best interest not to argue. With another curt nod of his head, the dour man bit off, “Follow me,” turned on his heel and walked into the exquisitely decorated, oversize mansion that had all the warmth of a mausoleum.

As before, Elizabeth Dalton sat waiting for Kullen in the library. There was a manila envelope on the coffee table before her.

Regal, poised and extremely confident, the woman’s smile faded when she saw that this time Kullen had brought his client with him.

The breath Mrs. Dalton dramatically exhaled testified to her displeasure. “When I said I wanted to see you, Mr. Manetti, I meant you in the singular form, not the plural.”

Without waiting for an invitation, Kullen sat down on the sofa beside the woman.

After a beat, Lilli sank down on the love seat that faced the sofa. She couldn’t bring herself to sit any closer than that to Elizabeth Dalton.

“Since everything we say here is going to affect Ms. McCall, I see no reason she should be kept away from this meeting,” he told Mrs. Dalton.

Elizabeth slanted a look toward the woman she regarded as just a shade above dirt and smirked.

“Very well, I was attempting to spare her some embarrassment, but upon reflection, she’s undoubtedly accustomed to being embarrassed on a regular basis.” Dismissing Lilli’s presence as not worth her attention, Elizabeth turned back to Kullen and what really mattered here. “I asked you here as a courtesy. I want you to drop all opposition to my custody suit, or my lawyers will be forced to enter these photographs into evidence to show the court just how unfit your client is to raise my grandson.”

So saying, Elizabeth withdrew several black-and-white eight-by-ten photographs from the envelope and carefully dealt them one by one across the surface of the coffee table as if she were distributing giant playing cards. The small, smug smile on her lips grew deeper when she heard Lilli’s sudden sharp intake of breath.

Elizabeth sat back on the sofa, admiring the photographs she’d paid a private investigator a fortune to take.

“As you can see, these are all quite damning.” She raised eyes the color of blueberries to Kullen’s face. “Although I must say, Mr. Manetti, you have a spectacularly athletic body under those impeccably tailored suits. I never would have guessed if I hadn’t seen these photographs myself.”

“How dare you!” Lilli cried. “It’s not bad enough that your son ripped apart my life, now you want to take your turn at it, too?”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed to reptilian slits as she regarded Lilli. “I will dare anything to get what I want, and I want my grandson.

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