“Then put your money where your mouth is.” We were standing close together. So close that I could smell the sweet tequila on her breath and the vanilla of her shampoo. I brushed her hand with my arm. Just a brief touch of my fingers against her skin. I was sure she shivered. I was also sure that for a moment she leaned into me.
God, I wanted to kiss her. I wanted it more than I had ever wanted anything in my fucking life. I had tasted her only once and it had been enough to know that I could easily become addicted to her. Working together was going to be difficult. But the thought of her walking away had me doing and thinking stupid, stupid things.
“Show me you’re not a scared little girl,” I murmured, dipping my head close to hers. “Show me what you can do, Marlena.”
Our lips were close together. So goddamn close.
Her eyes met mine and they boiled over with anger and challenge and a healthy dose of lust. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Lena Ducate was hot for me. But I knew she’d never admit it and she sure as hell wouldn’t act on it. She knew better than to trust me. I had taught her well.
She purposefully took a step backward, putting distance between us. I tucked my hands into my pants pockets and leaned against the bar again. All nonchalance and couldn’t-give-a-shit attitude.
“So, what do you say? You want to come and play with the big boys?” I smirked, waiting.
Never taking her eyes off me, Lena pulled her phone out of the top of her dress.
“Did you have that tucked in your bra?” I snorted.
“Shut up, Wyatt,” Lena snapped, putting the phone to her ear.
“Hey Adam, sorry it’s so late—yes, I’m out. No, you don’t need to know where.” She rolled her eyes heavenward and I had to cover my mouth with my fist so I wouldn’t laugh. “Jesus Christ, Adam, I’m an adult, I don’t need to—yes, I’m being smart.”
I covered my chuckle with a cough and Lena glared at me, warning me to be quiet. “I just wanted to tell you that I’d like to accept your job offer.”
I didn’t know what Adam was saying on the other end, but whatever it was, it transformed Lena’s hard expression. Her face softened and her smile was tender. I found myself smiling too, seeing her like that.
It made me remember a time when I saw that look directed at me.
“Ugh, don’t start talking golf. I don’t understand how you, Rob, and my brother can spend hours hitting a tiny ball around the grass,” Lena teased, leaning into my side. We were sitting on Kyle Webber’s couch. The party had fizzled out a while ago, but neither one of us was in a rush to leave.
I wasn’t sure how I found myself sitting with Lena laughing about the latest episode of Silicon Valley and defending the merits of golf. But I liked it. A lot.
“Maybe you just need the right teacher. Considering how competitive you are, I’m sure you’d be a natural,” I responded, nudging her knee with mine.
Maybe it was because we had both been drinking, but for once we weren’t engaged in a battle of words. I wasn’t trying to piss her off and Lena wasn’t trying to castrate me with her barbs. It was nice to be...normal with her.
Lena giggled and I found myself liking the sound. I wanted to hear it more. I wanted to see her smile and her eyes sparkle.
I took her hand, our fingers laced together. She turned her face upward to look at me. “Will you teach me then, Wyatt?” she asked, her lips pulling upwards.
I leaned in closer, feeling drawn to her as if being pulled by an invisible cord. “I’d love to.”
I watched her talk to Adam on the phone and felt a strange twinge of jealousy. Which was ridiculous. He was her brother and I was... well, I was sometimes her nemesis, always a pain in her ass. I’d only seen her look at me with tenderness a handful of times. It had changed me in ways that I didn’t want to admit. It didn’t matter though. Because Lena and I were nothing to each other. And we never would be.
I cleared my throat and made a gesture of impatience. Lena narrowed her eyes at my rudeness, her face hardening. Any semblance of tenderness was completely erased. “Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She hung up with her brother and tucked her phone back in bra. I caught a glimpse of black lace and I felt a tightening in my groin. Just the sight of Lena’s bra strap turned me on. What was wrong with me?
“There. It’s done.” Lena pushed past me towards the dance floor, where her friend was waiting for her. She turned to look at me over her shoulder one last time. “Don’t make me regret this.” Her words were hard, but her eyes said something else. Was she worried?
Then she was gone. Lost in a sea of writhing bodies. I started to go after her—for what, I had no idea—when Derek and Todd found me.
“Natalie is blowing up my phone. I need to get home,” Derek said.
“Yeah, my mother-in-law has left, so I’d better head back too,” Todd agreed.
I glanced around the club but couldn’t find Lena. I thought about staying. About finding her again.
And then what?
Any possibility could only lead to trouble. It was best I removed all temptation.
“Sure, let’s go,” I said, following my buddies towards the exit.
Chapter 3
Jeremy
Two months later
“Come on, just let me,” Sheila Moore rasped in my ear, taking my lobe between her teeth and biting down. My back was pressed against the wall of the bathroom stall while Sheila worked on my belt buckle.
I chuckled. “We have to be in the courtroom in twenty minutes,” I pointed out, though making no effort to stop her.
She reached into my pants and wrapped her hand around my hardening cock. “I’ll be quick. Promise.” She dropped to her knees; her breath hot on my dick. “I want you in my mouth.”
I groaned, pushing her head toward my crotch. If you asked me, a quick blowjob was an excellent way to start the day, and Sheila Moore was damn good at it. Her tongue flicked the head, and I pulled her hair hard enough to make her gasp. “Don’t tease me, Sheila,” I warned.
Her lips had just circled my penis when I heard the door to the restroom open. I could hear Rob talking on the phone. Well shit. Sheila had taken me to the back of her throat and was massaging my balls, but it was difficult to keep a hard-on when your partner was chit-chatting three feet away.
Sheila sucked and sucked, but it was no use. The moment had passed. I gently pulled my cock from her mouth and tucked it back in my pants. She struggled to her feet in the cramped space. She frowned up at me and I put my finger to her mouth, indicating for her to be quiet.
We waited for Rob to finish with his phone call and when he left, I pushed open the stall door and walked to the sink, quickly washing my hands.
Sheila went to the mirror and fluffed her hair, pulling a tube of lipstick from her purse and reapplying it. “Well, that was completely unsatisfying,” she pouted, slithering a hand up my arm.
“Yeah, another time,” I said dismissively with a smile. Sheila was trying to pull me toward her, but I put my hands on her shoulders, keeping her at bay. “Another time, Sheila,” I repeated a bit more firmly. She went up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against mine. I was annoyed knowing she had covered me in her bright red lipstick.
“I’ll see you later. Call me,” she purred, slinging her purse over her shoulder and wiggling her fingers in a wave.
“Sure,” I said, grabbing a paper towel and wiping my mouth. I left the restroom a few minutes later to find Rob waiting on the other side of the door.
He shook his head and fell into step beside me as we walked down the hall. “What?” I asked innocently.
“In the public restroom, Jer? Really? You have no shame. None at all.” Robert Jenkins was clearly not amused. Rob and I were polar opposites in every single way except one. We were both damn good attorneys.
Rob was straight edge and frankly, boring as hell. Though I personally believed all that buttoned-up repression had to be hiding something dark and maybe a little twisted because there was
no way anyone could be that dull and still be breathing. He must have a secret life that neither Adam nor I knew about. Otherwise, he was just plain sad.
“She was willing and I’m not one to say no.” I shrugged and popped a mint in my mouth. I had a deposition in fifteen minutes and Rob was headed to divorce mediation. We both had jam-packed schedules for the day, so this was the most we’d speak until much later.
Rob made a noise of disgust, which I ignored. I knew that even though he didn’t approve of my “extracurricular activities,” he never held it against me. He and Adam were good friends. “She’s in the District Attorney’s office. That is potentially very messy.”
He had a good point. Mixing sex and work was bad business but I knew for a fact that I wasn’t the only notch on Sheila Moore’s bedpost. But she wasn’t one to fuck and tell. I respected that about her.
“You don’t need to worry about Sheila.” I patted Rob’s cheek patronizingly. “But thank you for looking out for me, buddy.” Rob swatted my hand away and I laughed.
He held up a hand in greeting as he caught sight of his client, an older woman with red-rimmed eyes and frizzy blonde hair. “I’ve got to get going, but don’t forget about dinner tonight.”
Ah, the dinner. As if I could forget. My stomach did that strange clenching thing that I purposefully ignored. “Sure, dinner. I’ll be there.”
Rob raised an eyebrow as if sensing my mood change at the mention of the dinner that had been planned for weeks. “You bringing a date?” he asked.
“I hadn’t planned on it,” I told him.
“Greta finally out of the picture?” Robert asked, referring to my on-again/off-again fuck buddy. Greta Hayes was perfect for a dirty romp in the sheets, but not for a work function.
“I don’t think this would be Greta’s thing. We don’t usually do... dinner,” I answered suggestively. “What about you? Anything on the radar?” I said it more as a wisecrack. For as long as I had known Rob, he had never taken a woman out on a date, let alone had a relationship. Sometimes I wondered if the poor guy was still a virgin. I had joked to Adam once about hiring Rob a hooker.
“Leave him alone, Wyatt. There’s nothing wrong with Rob. Not everyone goes through women like underwear,” Adam had said. Though he had acted as if he were kidding, there was a punch of judgment that I didn’t miss.
Rob gave me a bland look that was all the answer I needed. One day I’d figure out what was up with him. But today wasn’t that day. “Adam made reservations at The Grove for 8:30. Don’t be late for once.”
I feigned indignation. “Where’s the trust, Rob? Seriously.”
Rob didn’t bother to respond, walking away from me toward his waiting client.
**
I arrived at the restaurant at 8:29.
Take that, Jenkins!
I straightened my tie and got out of my tiny sports car, bumping my head on the ceiling as I untangled my legs. I was a tall guy and the Porsche Boxster—a total splurge on my part—wasn’t forgiving to a dude with long legs. But the chicks loved it.
I went around to the passenger side and held the door open for Sheila. She took my hand and carefully got out of the car. And didn’t let go. She clung to my hand as if I were going to run away. Which wasn’t out of the realm of possibility at this point.
I was already berating myself for inviting her. It was a spontaneous decision of the most idiotic order. I had originally thought I’d be fine without the buffer. But as the day wore on and the dinner drew closer, my nerves got the best of me and I had texted Sheila with the invite. I figured she knew Rob and Adam, so she wasn’t the worst choice for a date.
Plus, you know, buffer.
I handed the keys to the valet and extracted my hand from Sheila’s grip. “You’re cutting off the circulation,” I joked with an edge to my tone. Sheila was smart enough to know when to give me space, which is one of the reasons I felt it safe to bring her. Plus, she looked good. She was dressed tastefully in a long black dress and high heels. We moved in the same professional circles, so I didn’t worry that she’d be a liability.
“I have to say, I was surprised when you invited me to a work dinner. I didn’t think we did that sort of thing,” Sheila commented as we walked toward the restaurant.
“I eat dinner, you eat dinner. There was a dinner planned, so why not?” I answered vaguely. Sheila frowned but didn’t say anything else.
The maître d’ led us to the back of the restaurant toward a glass conservatory. Adam had booked a table for eight, but only four people were seated. Adam was saying something in his animated fashion and his fiancé, Meg Galloway, was laughing. Rob was of course alone, looking as if he hadn’t changed from the court earlier. And he probably hadn’t. He was a good-looking guy, but he dressed as if his mom were still buying his clothes.
I purposefully waited until the last possible moment to lay eyes on the final member of the party. Because of course, Lena looked hot as hell. She had piled her long, dark hair on top of her head, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. She never wore much makeup, because she honestly didn’t need it. I had never met a woman who was more naturally beautiful.
I swallowed, my mouth feeling suddenly dry, and put my hand on Sheila’s elbow, leading her to a chair. “Good evening, everyone,” I called out, making my entrance. “You all know Sheila Moore from the District Attorney’s office?” I asked.
Adam got to his feet and shook Sheila’s hand. Meg nodded hello. I pretended that I didn’t see the look Rob threw my way. “Hi, Sheila, lovely to see you.” Adam turned to his sister. “Lena, Sheila is an assistant over at the DA’s office. Sheila, this is Lena Ducate, our new associate.”
Lena’s mouth was pinched, but she gave Sheila a lovely smile as she leaned over the table to shake her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Sheila,” she said sounding sincere.
“Nice to meet you too, Lena. Though I believe I’ve seen you at the courthouse a few times before.” Sheila sat down while I greeted Adam, Meg, and Rob.
“Lena worked as a paralegal at the office for almost a year. So, I’m sure your paths crossed already,” Rob added. Sheila made a noise of interest and began to ask Lena questions about the cases she worked on.
I sat down directly across from Lena, my leg brushing against hers underneath the table. Her eyes met mine before quickly skittering away.
“Can I get you something to drink?” the server asked me once Sheila and I were seated.
I glanced at Lena, my lips quirking. “Something with tequila perhaps?”
Lena’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t know, you seem like a Cosmo kind of guy to me.”
We stared at each other combatively.
“No hard liquor on a school night, I’m afraid,” Sheila laughed, interrupting our stare-off.
I slung my arm over the back of Sheila's chair and laughed too. “That’s probably a good idea. Iced tea for me, please. No tequila” I ordered with a final dig at Lena.
Lena snorted but didn’t respond.
“So, Lena, why didn’t you bring Brian?” Meg asked after clearing her throat. Brian? Who the hell was Brian?
Lena took a sip of her wine and I did not watch the way her lips parted over the rim of her glass. I repositioned myself in my seat, trying to surreptitiously maneuver my bits into a more comfortable position. Sheila was chatting with Rob about a new piece of legislation set to hit the state legislature in the next few weeks, which wasn’t really holding my attention. Plus, I wanted to hear more about this Brian fellow.
Lena waved away the comment. “Brian is so last week, Meg.” The women laughed together, as if in on a private joke.
“That’s a shame. He seemed like a great guy with a good head on his shoulders,” Adam said, joining the conversation.
“Sounds like a boring stiff,” I stated, biting down on a stuffed mushroom.
Lena’s shoulders tensed at my remark but didn’t look at me. I frowned, feeling ignored. “Brian’s a great guy. Really nice—”
> “So, he was a dog then. There’s no way a woman would describe a good-looking guy as ‘nice,’” I sneered.
“Or he could be a really nice guy,” Meg added before Adam could tell me to shut up.
“There’s nothing ugly about Brian, I assure you, Jeremy. But thank you for your concern,” Lena quipped, finally glancing my way.
I lifted my glass in a mocking salute. “Marlena Ducate, defender of fugles everywhere.”
“I swear to god if you don’t stop calling me Marlena, I’ll—”
“Guys, guys, save the battle for the courtroom,” Meg broke in with a nervous titter.
Sheila put a hand on my leg and squeezed. “Everything okay?” she whispered. I gave her a distracted nod.
“So, back to Brian. Is he your boyfriend then?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Lena pressed her lips together in a thin line. “He’s no one. Don’t worry about it,” she bit out and I relaxed back into my chair. No one was just fine with me. I could live with no one.
The server came back to the table and took everyone’s orders. The conversation then switched gears to easier topics.
“I’m ready to get my feet wet. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to get my results back,” Lena said, cutting into her thick steak. There was something satisfying about seeing a woman eat well. Lena clearly didn’t care about watching what she ate.
Sheila poked at her salad beside me. “The waiting is the worst,” Sheila agreed, taking a bite of lettuce.
“So, I take it you passed, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this dinner.” I cut off a chunk of my own steak.
“Yes, Jeremy, I passed,” Lena said, eyeing me over her fork. She said my name with every ounce of condescension she could muster.
“I barely passed,” Sheila laughed self-consciously. “I remember studying for so long and then scraping by. It was pretty humiliating.”
“You’ve done alright for yourself though,” Rob said, giving her a sympathetic smile.
“I suppose so. Or maybe the Southport DA’s office wasn’t very choosy.” Sheila shrugged self-deprecatingly.
Say You Love Me : An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 5
