Commander

by Sienna Snow

  “Your client’s celebrity status is the reason this case has gone on as long as it has. From what Judge Trammel conveyed, you’ve become a celebrity yourself.”

  I ignored the last part of her statement and responded to the first. “I disagree, Your Honor. The length of this meaningless case is due to Ms. Bassett’s need to continue her five minutes of fame after her divorce for cheating on her husband.”

  Damn, I shouldn’t have added the last part.

  “How dare you? You’re just another one of his tramps. I’ll ruin you. If it’s the last thing I do. I’ll ruin you!”

  Judge McGregor rapped her gavel. “Counselor, get Ms. Bassett under control, or I’ll remove her from the courtroom. Threatening opposing counsel is a chargeable offense.”

  The woman needed to learn new insults. She’d called me tramp and whore so many times that I’d lost count.

  It didn’t matter much longer anyway. I wouldn’t be on the case after today. I was going to transition my client to Karina Taylor, one of the junior attorneys in my law firm. She was foaming at the mouth to defend this case. She wanted to make her mark in the world and prove she was qualified to become a partner.

  From the look on Karina’s face as she sat next to Clint, I could tell she was shocked by how this non-session had started. I hadn’t been able to get a real word in, and I wasn’t even sure if Judge McGregor was aware I no longer represented Clint.

  “I didn’t threaten that whore,” Kimberly countered.

  I felt the distinct urge to walk up to her and smack her.

  The way things were looking, even with Judge Trammel’s approval for attorney change, I was never going to be able to leave this courthouse.

  It took another ten minutes to get Kimberly and the media under control.

  I could see a vein pulsing on the side of Judge McGregor’s face.

  Celebrity divorce scandals weren’t her usual type of proceeding. She spent most of her days dealing with murder trials and felony litigations.

  She glanced between the opposing attorney and me. “I’d like to see both parties in my office. We will discuss this case without distractions so that I am brought up to speed with the numerous changes Judge Trammel approved before she stepped down.”

  She rapped her gavel, then released an exasperated sigh as she stood and spoke again. “Once this is over, Ms. Kumar, I hope I never have to encounter you in a courtroom again. Your celebrity clients could encourage the most pious person to drink.”

  Ten minutes later, the courtroom was cleared, and our clients and their respective entourages were the only ones left.

  Opposing counsel Nathan Travis and I made our way to the hallway leading to Judge McGregor’s private office. I glanced over my shoulder toward Clint, who had a pained expression as he gazed at Kimberly.

  Poor man—he still loved her.

  Then I took a peek at Kimberly, and she had a similar yearning in her eyes. She was trying to ignore Clint, but every so often she’d glance his way, and her lip would tremble.

  They had been happily married for twenty years before one stupid, yet enormous, mistake destroyed it all.

  Turning back to follow Nathan down the corridor, I shook my head.

  “If they end up back together, I’m going to be so pissed that I wasted four months of my life on this case,” I muttered to myself.

  “You and me both,” I thought I heard a distinct Louisiana accent mumble.

  I paused, inhaled deep, and looked to my side. Devin Camden, the one man who starred in every one of my fantasies, sat on a bench, reading a newspaper. He oozed Southern charm without uttering a word, but then when he spoke, any woman with a pulse had to keep her panties from melting.

  His sky-blue gaze bored into mine, making my pulse accelerate and reminding me of things best left forgotten.

  Why did I have to run into him today?

  We had too much history, and our careers ran on separate paths.

  He was the type of man I’d always dreamed of being with: strong, confident, self-assured, with an edge that screamed rebel bad boy.

  He came from a long line of conservative Louisiana senators. Politics was in his blood. However, to his family’s dismay, he’d chosen a different route for his life. He’d moved to a new state, pursuing a law career outside of the political spotlight, and desired a simple existence.

  With his looks and manner, he made the sexy prime minister of Canada look like a wimpy old geezer. And below his gorgeous face was a body chiseled to perfection and ideal for the covers of magazines.

  Shit, I had to stop thinking about him like that. He was a federal magistrate judge whose career came before a relationship with a celebrity attorney.

  There was a slight smirk on his too-good-looking-for-his-own-good face. God, he was such a cocky bastard. He knew how he affected me.

  He’d have to remain in the world of make-believe and lost possibilities.

  Nathan touched my arm, returning my attention to the task at hand. I knocked on the office door and entered when summoned. We’d arrived as the judge moved to her desk.

  “Have a seat. This shouldn’t take long without either of your clients present.”

  Nathan and I took our spots on the other side of the large oak monstrosity.

  I could almost envision Judge Camden being the one before us, taking off his robe, hanging it on a hook near him. I pictured his muscled arms bunching and bulging under the fitted white button-down shirts he favored. The thought made me nearly swallow my tongue.

  What I wouldn’t give to lick every inch of that body again.

  A throat cleared, making me refocus on Judge McGregor.

  What the hell was I doing?

  My hormones were going haywire. It had been too long since I’d gotten laid. The last thing I needed was to have Judge McGregor hate me even more because I wasn’t paying attention.

  “Counselors, we didn’t even get to start today’s discussion without chaos ensuing. Do I need to make it clear that you have to keep your clients under control?”

  Before I could respond, a knock sounded on the door, and Devin Camden’s head peeked inside.

  Of course, the man I was envisioning licking would be the one to interrupt the meeting.

  “Oh, excuse me.” His gaze held mine as he spoke to Judge McGregor. “I didn’t realize you were meeting with the counselors. I’ll come back later.”

  “No, Devin. Don’t worry about it. We will finish in a moment. Just take a seat over there.” Judge McGregor gestured to a set of couches in the back of the room.

  “Samina. Nathan,” he greeted Nathan and me.

  “Judge Camden,” I responded and inclined my head.

  “Devin.”

  “Excuse me?” I said, not sure why he’d said his name.

  “Out there, I’m Judge Camden. Out of the public eye, I’m Devin.”

  No way in hell was I calling him by his first name right now, no matter our history. I peeked at Nathan, who shrugged his shoulders. Nathan and the judge played golf together, and he never called him by his first name when in work mode. Our relationship was frosty at best to justify any familiarity.

  This was a test. It had to be.

  “Judge Camden, it’s good to see you, as always.” Nathan broke the standoff between Judge Camden and me.

  “I doubt you’ll be saying that tomorrow after eighteen holes,” he answered Nathan but held my gaze as he sat down and pulled out his phone.

  “Ms. Kumar, you may continue.” Judge McGregor checked her watch as if I was wasting her time.

  I took a deep breath and spoke. “My client has been on his best behavior, Your Honor. He was willing to settle this in private, but Ms. Bassett wanted it aired in a courtroom as well as in the court of public opinion.”

  “Do you have anything to counter, Mr. Travis?”

  Nathan shook his head. “I do what my client wants, and she wants to make her ex-husband suffer. I would rather be spending my weekends with my wife and kids
.”

  “I take it you aren’t enjoying the notoriety of this case?” Judge McGregor watched me, but asked Nathan the question.

  “Let’s say my family prefers a quieter existence.”

  “What about you, Ms. Kumar?”

  “I’m not following, Your Honor.”

  “You’ve become a celebrity in your own right. You’re on the cover of at least four magazines and half the people filling the courtroom were there for you. What does your family have to say about this?”

  She looked behind me toward Judge Camden, telling me she was aware of my past with him.

  Shit, how many people knew about us?

  “It’s complicated things.”

  If she only had a small inclination of the true depths of how difficult my life had become.

  “How so?” Judge Camden asked from behind us, surprising not only me and Nathan but Judge McGregor too.

  I turned, glaring at him for a brief second before I returned my gaze to Judge McGregor.

  “My private life is just that, private. I do not like it invaded. That is the reason I sent my special request to Judge Trammel last week. One that she approved before your assignment to preside over the case.”

  A frown appeared on her face. “What request?”

  She searched through the stack of papers on her desk.

  “As of this afternoon, Karina Taylor will take over Mr. Bassett’s litigation.”

  “What?” both Nathan and Judge Camden said in unison.

  “Sam, you aren’t serious.” Nathan gave me a pleading look. “Kim’s going to lose her mind when she finds out someone even younger than you will defend Clint.”

  “What does Karina’s age have to do with anything?”

  “You don’t know?” Nathan stared at me like I was clueless.

  Was I missing something? I glanced at Judge McGregor, who shrugged her shoulders. “Mr. Travis, both Ms. Kumar and I are confused by your statement. Care to enlighten us?”

  Nathan’s face reddened with embarrassment, and he pulled at his collar. He turned to me and spoke. “Sam, you’re, umm…you know, you. And it’s… How do I put this without being sexist and completely out of line? Never mind, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

  “Nathan, I’m not following this train of thought either.” I furrowed my brow.

  “Let me clarify for you, Samina,” Judge Camden said from behind me. “What Nathan is attempting to say is that you are a very attractive person who happens to make Ms. Bassett very jealous. And changing to another attorney who is equally attractive but younger will not bode well for Mr. Travis.”

  When was being thirty considered old? Besides, Karina was only a year younger.

  “Honestly, that isn’t my problem.”

  I tried to have sympathy for Nathan, but his life wasn’t the one on perpetual hold. I couldn’t step outside my home without a camera pointed in my direction. If I was going to be a celebrity, I’d rather it be on my terms and not as part of a media spectacle.

  Because of this case, my life was in complete shambles. The man I’d thought I’d spend the rest of my life with couldn’t look at me without getting angry, and I was left to live in fantasies. My friends hated going anywhere in public with me, not to mention there was no way in hell I could spend a night out on the town without causing more problems for myself.

  “Ms. Kumar, I have to say, I respect your decision,” Judge McGregor said. “I was in your shoes before I took my current position. It isn’t one I wish to revisit. I have to say, I’m impressed how you’ve maintained a solid reputation, considering your poor choice in clients.”

  Okay, was that a compliment? Maybe she didn’t hate me after all.

  “Thank you.” I checked my watch. “Your Honor, I’d like to return to my client before anything unexpected happens.”

  It wouldn’t surprise me if Clint had arranged a wrestling match between his and his ex-wife’s supporters.

  “I agree. We don’t need any more spectacles. I’ll announce the changes to the case. Congratulations, Ms. Kumar. You are no longer representing Clint Bassett. Good day, Ms. Kumar. Mr. Travis.”

  * * *

  Order here → KOBO.COM