“Dad left again. She was a mess, per usual.” I rocked in my chair, the hinges squeaking loudly. “Anyway, I’ll have a look at these resumes after lunch.” I shoved the pile of papers out of the way.
Adam grabbed the bundle. “Why don’t I have Lena handle this. Isn’t that what having an associate is for? All the bitch work we don’t want to deal with?”
I clicked my fingers and pointed at him. “I like the way you think, my friend. I’m more than happy to relinquish control of this to her very capable hands.”
Adam started to get up but then paused. “Actually, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. How are things with her?”
“With Lena?” I frowned, my mind immediately goes back to Friday night, and the way her eyes had heated when she looked at me. How, no matter what we said to each other, there was undeniable chemistry between us that wouldn’t go away.
But her brother couldn’t know that.
Adam made a face. “No, the Queen of England. Yes, Lena. Are the two of you getting along okay? I know there’s... history.”
History.
That was one way to put it.
**
“What’s going on with you and my sister?”
Adam’s face was a mottled shade of red. He was clearly worked up and I knew I was the cause.
He had come into my office with steam practically billowing from his ears. He shut the door behind him and came to stand over me by my desk. I didn’t like being lorded over, so I got to my feet—just to even the playing field. If Adam was going to chew my ass out, I wanted him to have to look up at me to do it. It would make me feel better.
“What’s gotten you all freaked out, Ducate?” I played it cool. Acting oblivious was a particular skill of mine.
Adam slammed his hands down on my desk. “Don’t do that, Jeremy. Don’t treat me like an idiot. Respect me enough to give it to me straight. Is there something going on between you and Lena?”
Shit. I had never seen him like this. Not even when he was trying a case and hammering into a witness on the stand. He was usually so carefully controlled.
What do I tell him?
Was there anything to tell?
Lena and I weren’t really anything... yet.
And that was the sticking point. That one tiny word. Yet.
The truth was we were definitely tiptoeing toward something.
It was after talking to her at Kyle’s party and then walking her home that things changed. I had stood in the doorway of her apartment building hoping she’d invite me up. Scared to fucking death that she wouldn’t. Terrified as hell that she would.
Because damn it, I liked her. Really liked her. Sure, I lusted after her. I fantasized about bending her over my desk and lowering her panties. I thought about my face between her thighs and her taste in my mouth.
But it was more than that. I liked her mind. I liked that she didn’t take any of my shit. I liked that when she looked at me, she saw more than my face. Even though we fought like hell, there were moments when I knew she saw what lay beneath my carefully crafted facade.
She was the first woman I had met that I wanted to see me. All of me.
We had kissed standing in her doorway. Her lips were soft. Her hair silky between my fingers. Her body had molded perfectly against mine. And when she invited me upstairs, I declined.
I cupped her face in my hands and stared into her gorgeous eyes. “Lena, we have all the time in the world for me to come upstairs. Tonight, let’s keep this here. Like this.”
And she had melted against me and I had kissed her for so long that my mouth throbbed for hours afterward.
I had been thinking about when I could see her again—just the two of us—when Adam stormed into my office.
I took a step back from my friend and business partner, needing the distance between us. “Would it matter if there was?”
“Yes!” Adam spat out. “Because you’re you, and Lena is Lena and there’s no way in hell I’ll stand by and let you hurt her. To treat her like another one of your conquests.”
Shit, that hurt. A lot.
Is this how Adam thought of me? That I was just another raging douchebag in a suit? I honestly thought he thought better of me. I knew he would need to get used to the idea of Lena and me, but this... this gutted me.
“Wow, man, tell me how you really feel,” I muttered, sitting back down in my chair, no longer caring about physical advantages. Because I felt as if I had been kicked in the stomach.
Adam’s face softened slightly. “I don’t mean it—” he stopped, shaking his head. “You know what, yes I do mean it. You’re my friend, Jer. I’ve known you for years. I’ve also listened to your many, many, many stories of the women you’ve slept with. I’ve heard how you talk about them. I know that, to you, there just a hole to stick it in.”
“That’s not fair, Adam,” I retorted. Because none of it was really true. I may talk a good game, but a lot of it that was just that... talk. Dude talk. I didn’t necessarily mean the stuff I said. But I realized how all those years of guy banter had painted me in a very bad light. Particularly to the brother of the woman I wanted to be with.
Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not? Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that’s not how you talk about the women you’re with.”
I couldn’t say anything. Because it was true. And it made me feel lower than low.
“That doesn’t mean that’s how I’d be with Lena.” I needed him to know that his sister was different. But how to make him see that when my history was working against me?
Adam let out a long, agonized breath. “I can’t trust that, Jeremy. Not when it comes to my sister. There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her. She likes you. I can see that. I’m not blind. I can smell the sexual tension between the two of you a mile away.” He shuddered as if the idea grossed him out. “And maybe things would be different. Maybe the two of you could have a loving, healthy relationship.” Adam’s eyes zeroed in on mine. Cold, hard steel. “And maybe you couldn’t. Maybe you hurt her. Because frankly Wyatt, that’s what you do.”
He was going straight for the jugular. Taking no prisoners. The worst part was... I deserved it. Because he was right. Damn him, he was right.
“And if you hurt her, I’ll have to hurt you. Then what happens to us? To this firm? Because messing with my sister is something I can’t forgive. Not ever. You get that, right? We’ve got a good thing going here. We’re on the cusp of expanding this firm beyond our wildest dreams. I know Lena is special. She’s my sister, of course, I get it. But leave her alone. Don’t risk her heart and don’t risk this firm to whet an appetite that may not have any staying power.”
I wanted to fight for her. For the possibility of us. But in the end, I knew that I had no leg to stand on. This firm was my life. I had put everything into it. If I messed this up, it would be confirming every awful thing my father ever said about me.
That was something I would never let happen.
So, I shook Adam’s hand. “I understand, Adam. And I hear you. Loud and clear.”
**
After my chat with Adam, I reverted to Asshole Number One. I froze Lena out... again. Because that wasn’t the first conversation Adam and I had had about his sister. But I knew, deep down, it would be the last one. There was no way in hell Marlena Ducate would ever give me the time of day again.
She had made that abundantly clear on Friday night. After she had dicked me around a little bit first.
And while I hadn’t seen her yet today to gauge the awkwardness levels after our interaction at Sweet Lila’s, so far, working with Lena hadn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I knew when we hired her, we were getting a fierce addition to our team. She had proven herself tenfold when she worked for us as a paralegal and I expected nothing less than grade A success from her now that she was an associate.
My answering laughter sounded strained. “History? I think that’s putting more weight on it tha
n is needed.”
Adam didn’t look fooled. He was always too astute for his own good. Nosy fucker. “Just answer the question, Wyatt. Are things okay between you and Lena? There’s nothing I need to know about? No problems to report?”
The dull throbbing in my head morphed into a full-blown migraine. Just super. “Except for the fact that she has obviously inherited the Ducate “know-it-all” gene, all is fine. She’s a hard worker. She has her first case tomorrow. I suppose we can reevaluate then.”
“Jacob Baker’s drug charges, right?” Adam asked, referring to Jacob Baker who was being brought up on his third drug offense. This time the dumbass was caught with a gram of coke and almost three ounces of weed. Police got him for intent to distribute, which carried a hefty fine and possible jail time. Jacob’s dad, Mitchell, was a Ducate family friend apparently, though Adam claimed it would be better for me to handle the wayward son, given my experience with defending and successfully avoiding convictions for drug offenders. It was small potatoes, so I was more than happy to pass it off to Lena when she started.
“Yep, that’s it.”
Adam rolled up the resumes and tapped his knee with them. “She’s arguing for mishandling of evidence. She discovered there was a break in the chain of custody. She’s also using the arresting officer’s history against him. Apparently, this cop has had a few allegations of misconduct.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Huh. Interesting. That’ll be a tough sell considering she’s going to be up before Judge Kleindienst. She has a very low tolerance for repeat drug offenders and even less for young repeat drug offenders. And she’s very pro-police. Isn’t her husband a statie? She should probably try to plea it down instead. Less jail time and a fine.”
Adam nodded. “That’s what I said, but she seems to think she has a solid case for dismissal. Maybe talk to her about it. We’re meant to be mentoring her. Can you do that?”
He looked at me closely and I knew what he was really asking. Did we have to have another “talk?” Would I be able to put my personal bullshit aside?
I felt myself grow angry at the insinuation.
I sat back in my chair and gave him a lazy, yet brittle smile. “If I wasn’t able to do that, I would never have signed off on hiring her. Give me a little credit, please.” I narrowed my eyes. Adam narrowed his back. Then the tension broke and we grinned at each other.
Adam slapped his leg and stood up. “Before I forget, Meg wanted me to invite you and Rob over for dinner. It’s been a while, so let me know when you’re free.”
“Only if she makes her mom’s gnocchi. That stuff is fantastic,” I said, rubbing my stomach for emphasis.
“I’ll make sure to pass the request along.” He held up the resumes. “And I’ll give these to Lena, but you’ll need to be available for interviews. Make sure to share your calendar with her.”
When he was gone, I got up and headed straight to the kitchenette to load up on coffee. It was the only thing that would get me through the day. I went to fill the fancy machine but couldn’t find the filters. I opened the cabinet where they were typically kept, but they weren’t there. In a fit of pique, I slammed the door.
“Do you want to stomp your foot as well?’
Lena came into the room, heading over to the sink to rinse out her mug. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt and black high heels that made her legs look amazing. Her long hair was down, the way I preferred it, though she didn’t know that. She appeared well-rested and alert, unlike me, who was barely functioning.
“I’m in desperate need of coffee, but it seems the filters have grown feet and walked away,” I replied, not bothering to be charming or friendly or whatever. But it was important to never let them see you sweat. It was the mantra I lived by. Whether in court or in the presence of a woman who drove you mad.
Lena pushed past me, brushing against me as she moved to open the cabinet and peered inside. “Hmm, that’s where they’ve always been.”
“As I said, it seems they’ve walked away.” Lena barely looked at me. It drove me crazy how she could act as if I didn’t matter... As if my presence didn’t get to her. Particularly when being in the same room with her was something akin to torture.
“I wanted you to really know me,”
I tried not to stare at her round ass as she knelt down to look inside the bottom cabinets. I also tried not to picture how she would look outside of that pencil skirt. Or of her sitting up on the counter, her legs wrapped around my waist, wearing only those sexy heels…
“Here they are,” she said suddenly, holding the box aloft.
“Thanks,” I said, my voice gruff. I took the filters and quickly loaded up the coffee machine.
We stood in silence. Me waiting for the coffee to brew, and Lena washing out her cup. I wondered if she would bring up Friday night. Should I? Should I clear the air? Did the air even need to be cleared?
“Would you mind having a look over the Baker file if you have time?” she asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I guess we weren’t going to talk about it. Which was fine by me. It was probably best to pretend it never happened. Though it was hard when she wouldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“Adam mentioned it would be good for you to give your input since it was originally your case,” she went on, still not looking at me. That must be one dirty cup given how thoroughly she was washing it.
“Sure. I have some time now if you want,” I offered. The air was thick with a strange tension that was driving me nuts. It needed to be dispelled somehow.
“That’d be great.” Lena turned off the faucet and left without saying another word.
I took my time making my coffee. Let her wait a bit. It would do her good.
Fifteen minutes later I walked into her cubby hole of an office to find her hunched over her desk, a pair of reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. I had no idea she wore glasses. And they suited her. They gave her a sexy librarian vibe that definitely worked for me.
I cleared my throat and knocked lightly on the open door. She glanced up and waved me inside. I had worked with her long enough to know that when she was absorbed in something there was no point in talking to her until she was finished. I sat down in the tiny chair, my muscular frame barely fitting. It was the most uncomfortable chair I had ever sat in. I tried to readjust myself, but it was no use.
Lena looked at me over the top of her glasses. Fucking hell, she was hot when she was annoyed. “Is there a problem?”
“This chair is ridiculous. Who the hell bought this thing? It barely fits one of my ass cheeks.” I finally smooshed myself between the armrests. “Is it meant for a child? Seriously.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “You’re the first person to complain about it. Of course.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I challenged.
“Never mind. Can I get your help or not? I don’t want to spend all day discussing the furniture.” She pushed the file across the desk towards me. Obviously, she wasn’t interested in chit-chat.
I picked up the file and read through what she had put together. Of course, it was great. I hadn’t expected anything less. She had written a concise and eloquent opening statement. She had dug up some key witness testimony that proved the arresting officer could potentially have a bias against her client; that they had a personal history that was downright sordid and included mentions of a threesome.
“How did you find this stuff out?” I asked when I was finished reading.
Lena had a smug smile on her face. “It’s amazing what you can find out when you’re from a small town.”
I couldn’t help but be impressed. She had unearthed information that I could admit, I wouldn’t have even looked for. “I suppose it helps when you know the players.”
“A good lawyer knows the law…” she began.
“A great lawyer knows the judge,” I finished for her and we both chuckled. It was a nice moment of levity that, after Friday’s interlude, I wasn’t sure was possible
.
“So, you think I have a chance?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip.
“I think you have a great chance. But you know as well as I do, it all depends on Judge Kleindienst. Since Jacob waived his right to a trial by jury, it’s up to her and whether she believes the story you’re selling. Waiving the jury trial was his first mistake.”
“I don’t know about that. Jacob has quite a reputation in this town. Most people view him as a... well... a good for nothing. His dad is liked, so Jacob has been given more latitude than most. But there comes a point when a town’s goodwill is exhausted. Plus, he’s had more than a few run-ins with locals. He’s known to be a nasty drunk with a loudmouth. Finding an unbiased jury pool would be difficult and changing jurisdiction would be a hard sell,” Lena pointed out and it made sense.
“You’re right. So, how are you going to get through to ol’ Battle-ax Kleindienst? She’s a stickler. She’s raked my ass over the coals more than a few times. I’m pretty sure I still have the scars.” I winced to make my point.
“By showing her this.” She opened her drawer and pulled out a tiny tape recorder. She was excited, I could tell. She was practically bouncing in her seat. “This is my slam dunk.”
She handed me the device and I pressed play. When I was finished listening to it, I put it down on the desk and started clapping. “Nicely done, Lena. Nicely done. It seems our good friends at Southport Police Department forgot to read our friend Mr. Baker his rights. And then tried to hide the fact. Tsk. Tsk.”
She gave a small bow and fist-pumped the air. “I honestly thought I was going to have to suck it up and take the plea deal. Fuck that noise!”
“Just be careful. The DA’s office will try to quash this. Make it inadmissible. They will say it was a clerical error. Make sure you emphasize the time stamp. That’s what will sway the judge,” I instructed her. “Nolan Rigby is trying the case, right?”
Lena nodded. “Yeah, he and Sheila are double teaming this one.” She raised an eyebrow at me.
“Nolan is a drama queen. He’s all about grandstanding. He’s good at presenting a case with very little meat. The way around that is knocking him over with facts. The man is allergic to them. How he’s kept his job is beyond me. Also, object to everything he says, whether it’ll stand or not. It throws him off.”
Say You Love Me : An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 8
