by Diana Nixon
“Starvation can be good too,” dad said. “Sometimes.”
I knew he wasn’t talking about food. “She’s not that kind of a girl,” I said.
“I know she isn’t. But it doesn’t make her less attractive.”
I sighed. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Liv wasn’t just attractive. There was something about her that called for me. Even when there was a wall between us, I could feel she was right behind it. When we were in the courtroom, I felt her eyes on me. And every time I turned around, I caught her looking at me. I couldn’t read her mind, but I really wanted to know what she was thinking. Because it looked like every time we talked, she was trying to figure out something about me, and I wondered if her opinion about me had changed. A part of me – the one that had never heard about the existence of conscience – suddenly felt so much happier about the resolution of Mr. Simons’ case. Maybe I wasn’t that heartless after all. Maybe there was something inside me that still believed people were capable of true feelings and not just getting themselves into fake marriages.
***
Dad and I agreed to meet over the weekend and to my surprise – he also invited Olivia to join us for dinner. She declined the invitation, saying she would be visiting her parents, but she promised to visit my folks another time.
Since my food stayed untouched and I didn’t want my charming assistant to think I didn’t like it, I called the cleaning worker and asked her to take it away. She told Olivia she was here to empty the trash can. So everyone was happy in the end.
“You spellbound my father.” I looked at Olivia who was sitting across from me, busy writing something in her notebook.
With her eyes still on her notes, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“I’m sure he’ll spend tonight telling mom how wonderful you are and how lucky I am to have you here.”
She unglued her gaze from the notebook and stared at me. “Well, isn’t it true?”
It was true, of course. But I decided to change the subject. “Do you remember about your task for tonight?”
“I do. I still have time to get ready for my spying work.” She looked at her watch. “Do you mind if I leave earlier to get changed?”
I didn’t mind her doing it in my office, but I doubted she would like that idea.
“Sure. You can leave now if you want.”
“Good.” She closed her notebook and stood up to leave.
“See you later, Liv.” She shook her head, probably about to tell me one more time she never let me call her Liv. But no comments about the name followed.
With her back to me, she waved one hand, saying, “Laters, sir.”
I chuckled and crossed my arms, watching her leave.
What am I gonna do with you, Liv?
***
Olivia
The moment I walked into the lobby of Sunrise Hotel, I knew the idea of sending me here tonight was brilliant. According to the marriage agreement that Mr. Morgan and his wife signed, a cheating spouse was going to lose their rights for everything bought in their marriage. And now I knew who was going to be the winner in this case.
The asshole was so into his young lover, he didn’t see anything or anyone around him, including me. I took a few pictures and sent them to Leonel.
“Is this what you wanted me to see?”
“What I want you to see is in my boxers. But yes, your pictures are good too.”
I rolled my eyes. “What do I do with them?”
“Print them and bring them to me. Now.”
I looked at my watch. “It’s almost eight. Are you still in the office?”
“No. Bring them to my place.”
The next thing he did – he sent me his address.
Great, just great.
Frustrated, I typed, “Checking on the contents of your boxers wasn’t a part of my plan for tonight.”
“But it was a part of mine. I’ll let you touch it as much as you wish… Preferably with your lips.”
Asshole. Not that it was news to me anymore.
I found Rose’s number and called her, saying, “Hey, can you please stay a little longer with Bella? My boss wants me to do something for him.” The picture of what he just mentioned me doing flashed behind my closed eyes, but I quickly opened them, blinked a few times, and switched my attention to Mr. Morgan again.
“No problem,” Rose said into the handset.
“Thank you, dear. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Take your time, Liv. If needed, I can stay for the night.”
“This won’t be necessary. I’ll try to make it quick.”
“Okay.”
I ended the call and left the hotel to catch a taxi. The way to Leonel’s place wasn’t supposed to take long and I really hoped this unplanned meeting wouldn’t last forever. I hated the idea of Bella falling asleep without me. She got easily scared by the nightmares and I wanted to be there in case she would have one again. Since Winter was taken to the rehab, nightmares had become Bella’s most unwelcome guests. I was the only person who knew how to make her feel better.
About forty minutes later, the taxi stopped at the building where my boss lived. It was a fifty-storied modern condo. I paid for the ride and headed for the glass doors.
“Good evening, ma’am. Can I help you?” One of the guards asked.
“I’m here to see Leonel Cohen.”
“What’s your name?”
“Olivia Lambert.”
He checked something on his iPad and gave me a key to the elevator. “Top floor.”
“A penthouse, of course.”
I should have guessed that Leonel wouldn’t go for anything but the best.
Turned out the elevator I had a key to was private, and it took me straight to his apartment.
Somehow, the ride made me nervous. Not that I was here to make Leonel’s stupid fantasies come true. But I felt uneasy at the thought of seeing his home. I wondered if this place was the one that he and my sister used to share. Will I find anything that belonged to her? Will I see her pictures? Of course, not. He must have gotten rid of everything that reminded him of the obligation that turned out to be so much more complicated than he expected. I was surprised Madison’s files didn’t say anything about the time Leonel dated Winter. It wasn’t just one date, it was a whole year of dates. Or maybe he was really good at hiding their romance from everyone he knew.
“Hello?” I said as I walked into a spacious hall. The walls and the floor were made of white and dark-brown marble that mixed the two colors in an intricate pattern.
“It’s me – Olivia!” The place was quiet and I wondered if Leonel still remembered about my visit. I took a few steps forward and entered the living room that was three times bigger than my entire apartment. The main colors here were white, gray, and black. Though it still looked very homelike and cozy, with lots of plush pillows on the couch and a beautiful rug near the fireplace. There were many books in a huge bookcase that took one of the walls. The opposite wall belonged to a giant projection screen, but there was no TV in the room.
I didn’t hear Leonel enter the room. “I hate watching TV,” he said.
I turned to the sound of his voice. “I brought what you’ve asked for and…” I stopped mid-sentence; heat rolled down my back.
Sweet heavens…
He was almost naked, except for a black towel wrapped around his waist. His dark hair was wet after the shower, and I could see water drops running down his shoulders, chest, and arms.
“Wanna dry me?” His raspy voice had never sounded as sexy as it did right now.
Fuck…
Chapter 5
He stood under the lamp that highlighted every sharp muscle of his torso that looked as if sculptured by an artist. Perfect lines, flowing from his shoulders and disappearing beneath the towel. His every intake breath gave away the strength that his body possessed. I bet women were dying to spend at least a couple of hours in one bed with him. And in any othe
r situation, I wouldn’t mind being one of them too.
Damn it, Liv! What the hell are you thinking?
My hands itched to touch his smooth, tanned skin. It called for me, begging me to reach out one hand and press my palm against the warm surface. But I couldn’t let that thought turn into real action. I swallowed and blinked. It took all of my willpower to unglue my eyes from his chest and finally look him in the eye.
“Do you always meet your guests half-naked?”
“If you want me to be fully naked for you, just pull the towel, Liv.”
I grimaced at the unhidden sarcasm in his voice. “Very funny. Here are your pictures.” I slammed the envelope against his chest. “Good night, Mr. Cohen.”
He caught my hand and stopped me. “Not so fast.”
“What else do you want?”
“You.” He paused for a second. “I want you to stay and share dinner with me.”
“Isn’t it a little too late for another eating?”
He shrugged. “Let’s call it our late dinner.”
“I can’t stay.”
“Why?” His grip on my hand tightened.
“Someone’s waiting for me at home.”
His brows pulled together as if he just now realized there were other people on the planet apart from us, as well as other men I could be more interested in spending my night with. “You are not married, are you?”
I smirked. “Why, would my marriage be a problem for you? Don’t you share late dinners with the married women?”
“I don’t. I don’t share what’s mine, as well as I never take what doesn’t belong to me.”
“How very noble of you. Who would have thought?…”
“Are you surprised to hear I respect morals?”
“Honestly? Yes.”
“Then why don’t you stay and learn a little more about me, Liv? Trust me – I’m full of surprises.”
“I haven’t answered your question about a husband.”
“You have. You don’t have one.”
“How do you know that?”
His lips twisted in a cat-like smile. Then he leaned closer to my face and whispered against my lips, “If you had one, you wouldn’t be flirting with me now.”
“I’m not…”
He put one finger to my lips, shushing me. “Two days in your more than pleasurable company were more than enough to know that you, unlike what you thought about me, do have morals. And if you were married, you wouldn’t be staring at my naked chest the way you did – as if you wanted to lick every water drop running down my skin.”
“You…” I tried to break free from his grip. Which only made his desire to lock me in his apartment, and in his arms, grow stronger.
He wrapped his free arm around me and pressed me harder against him.
“Let me go,” I hissed. The envelope that I brought with me dropped to the floor and now there was nothing between me and his nakedness, but my clothes. “I thought you never let yourself touch your female employees.”
“We are not at work now, but it’s certainly a pleasure to have you in my embrace.”
“If you don’t release me, I’ll scream for help.”
He almost laughed. Almost.
“Go ahead. There are no neighbors on this floor, so I doubt anyone will be able to save you from me. Scream as much as you want, I’ll be the only one to hear it.”
Silence fell between us. Neither of us spoke as if thinking about the screams that could happen in his apartment and that they would have nothing to do with calling for help.
“What game are you playing, Leo?”
“Oh… I love the way my shortcut name rolls off your tongue. Though I don’t think I remember letting you call me that.”
“It’s a payback for Liv.”
He smirked. “Fair enough.” He removed a lock of hair from my face and cupped my cheek, obviously enjoying the effect his touches had on me. “Will you call me Leo at work as well?”
“If you wish.”
“I wish you did so much more than that, Olivia. I like your full name too, by the way.”
The air crackled between us as if we were standing in the middle of a fire with no desire to be saved. It was so hard to ignore the static dancing all around us. But I couldn’t let his charm blind me. He was my enemy and there was no way in hell I would let him seduce me.
“Let me go, or tomorrow there will be no one to bring you coffee.”
He sighed and slowly put his hands down. “What a shame… I would really want you to stay, Liv.”
“It’s the first and the last time that I agreed to come to your place, Mr. Cohen. Playing home always helps, but not in this particular case.”
The look he gave me said he didn’t believe a word I was saying.
“We will see,” he whispered as if he knew exactly what I was thinking at that moment.
“Good night.” I started to walk to the elevator.
“Sweet dreams, Olivia,” followed his response. “Hope yours will be as naughty as mine.”
I pushed the button and the metal doors opened. I walked into the cabin and looked at my boss, who definitely had no idea what morals meant.
Because right before the elevator doors shut, he pulled the towel he was wearing and let it drop to his feet. His eyes never left mine…
***
By the time I got home, Bella was deep asleep.
“I read her a bedtime story, and she fell asleep right after I closed the book,” Rose said in a whisper.
“Thank you for staying with her today. And I’m sorry for my late return.”
“Don’t worry, Liv. You know I like spending time with her. Now, I’d better go home and get some sleep to be full of energy to play with your little devil in the morning.” She took her phone from a small table in the hall and dropped it into her bag. “By the way, your mom called. She said she would be in the city this Friday and she wanted to know if you’d like to have lunch with her.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow. Thanks again, Rose.”
“You are welcome.” She put on her long, white sweater and left. Rose had been married for a couple of years now, but she didn’t have kids. I thought it was one of the reasons why she likes staying with Bella.
I closed the door behind Rose and leaned against the wooden surface, closing my eyes.
My day had been hell, not to mention its ending.
I still couldn’t stop thinking about what I saw when leaving Leonel’s apartment. No doubt, he knew the image would stick in my head forever. I wondered if what he did was to scare me away, or on the contrary – to make me believe that being more than just an assistant for him would be fun.
Whatever his plan was, one thing I knew for sure – I should stay away from him as far as possible. Despite that the furthest I could be away from him when at work was the waiting room.
I ran both hands through my hair and went to take a shower. I really needed it. As well as to get ready for tomorrow. My boss was having another hearing, and I knew he wanted me to be in the courtroom with him. Again. Only this time – to see how the evidence I got tonight would help him put an end to Mr. Morgan’s full-of-lies marriage.
***
The judge looked at the pictures I took last night and then at Mr. Morgan.
“What?” The man asked, switching his gaze between Leonel and the judge. My boss didn’t want him to know that taking pictures was his idea. Mr. Morgan was his client after all, and Leonel’s job was to make sure the idiot’s marriage ended in his favor. That’s why before the hearing started, he told me to give the pictures to Mrs. Morgan’s lawyer. She would give them to the judge, and her client would win the case.
“Can you explain this?” The judge said to Mr. Morgan.
He put on his glasses and walked closer to see what was in the pictures. “What the…?” He turned and looked at Leonel.
My boss shrugged and shook his head as if it was the first time that he saw them.
The judge looked at
the paper lying on the table and then at the pictures again. “I guess, Mr. Morgan, you know what it means. Or shall I explain my upcoming decision?”
The man took off his glasses and gave Leonel a murderous look. “You were supposed to not let shit like this happen.”
“I’m not almighty. Besides, it was your lover whom you were supposed to hide better.”
Leonel lost the case. And he did it intentionally.
The judge announced her decision without taking additional time to think about it.
After everything was over, Mrs. Morgan came to Leonel and thanked him. “You have no idea how much what you’ve done means to me.”
“I did what I needed to do. But there’s one more person you should thank for the outcome of this case.” He turned to me and motioned for me to come closer. “Olivia Lambert – my assistant. She told me to look at the case from a different point of view.”
“Thank you, Miss. You and Mr. Cohen make a great team.”
“You are welcome.” I pretended I didn’t hear the second part of her comment.
She thanked my boss one more time and left the courtroom.
Since Leonel and I came to the court separately, it was the first time we got a chance to talk today.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked, packing his suitcase. He looked uncharacteristically happy, which made my anger about the end of our last night’s conversation hit the roof.
“Like a baby,” I said in response.
He smiled. “Good. I guess it means you are ready for another day with me.”
“No amount of sleep is enough to be ready for you, Leo.”
His smile grew wider. “Imagine what you would be saying after a long night with me… You should have stayed last night. There was a huge surprise waiting for you under my towel.” He passed by me and stopped when he was at the door. “Are you coming or not? And by coming I don’t mean what you are thinking, Liv. At least not right now.”
Self-assured pig!
I took a deep breath and hurried after him.
As always, his driver was waiting for us. He opened the door for me and waited for me to get into the car.
