She adored him, and Cade had loved Ellory like a brother. So it was a shock when, after a shared pizza and T.V. night, Ellory had kissed her. A real shock. Not that Ellory wasn’t gorgeous, but by God, it would complicate everything.
Except she hadn’t stopped the kiss, had she? And she didn’t deny the fact that, as he undressed her slowly, she had wanted him as much as he had apparently wanted her. The sex had been good, but after he had made her come, she’d burst into tears and sobbed in his arms. They hadn’t spoken about it since.
She was grateful to her old friend that he hadn’t made things awkward at work. But she knew he wouldn’t, and that was the thing she struggled with. Yes, she could easily fall for Ellory, but would it really be love? Or was she settling for someone she knew, without doubt, would never hurt her and who was a link back to her brother? Freud would have a field day with you, girl, she thought to herself now.
Tahlia got out of the bath, dried herself, and dressed quickly in regulation jeans and tee. No, she would talk to Ellory, tell him that she adored and loved him, but it wasn’t right or fair to him. She tried to justify the feeling; You would want me to be happy. You were always such an unselfish person, she thought, looking at his photograph by the bed. Spikes of sadness ran through her. How the hell has it been a year, Cade? How can it be that you’re gone a whole year? The tight feeling in her chest was starting again. She shut off the hairdryer and wound her long chestnut brown hair up into a bun. She toyed with the idea of make-up, then shrugged. She preferred the way her skin felt when it was clean and natural. Her dark brown eyes could shine when she smiled. Right now, they looked dull and sad. She forced a smile onto her face. She knew she was considered pretty, even beautiful, but she rarely dated, buried in her work. She was maybe too serious, she knew, but sometimes, when she let go, she was fun to be around. She glanced at her reflection now. Tall, slim, but curvy. In her suit, she looked efficient and professional. She liked that. A little voice in her head piped up. And so does Ellory. She ignored it. She thumped downstairs and made herself some tea before she grabbed her cell and called Ellory.
“Hey, kiddo.”
His easy manner made her body relax and she smiled down the phone. “Hey, Ell. What’s up?”
“How about the biggest case of your career yet?”
“Huh?”
“Defending a movie star against the accusations of a crazy stalker lady? Ring a bell?”
Tahlia squinted. “Nope. Which movie star?”
Ellory paused for effect, she assumed. “Ludo Ricci.”
Tahlia grinned. “I have no idea who that is, Ell.”
“Jeez, Tally, watch a movie sometime,” Ellory said, sounding both exasperated and amused. “He called this morning. He’s being countersued by the woman who has been stalking him for years, for what she’s calling ‘harassment,’ and is actually what most sane people would call ‘self-defense.'”
Tahlia wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like a day job.”
“Well, it would be, but she’s saying he slept with her after he got a restraining order out, and so the restraining order is both null and void and he should drop his case against her. Which would be fine, but now she’s pregnant and swears it’s Ludo’s, but won’t submit to a paternity test.”
“I might need an Advil for this,” Tahlia said. “But, yeah, okay, I’m in. You want me to come in today?”
Ellory hesitated. “Do you mind? I know it’s the weekend.”
“It’s not a problem.”
Ellory sighed. “I didn’t think it would be. You need to get out more, Tal.”
That stung a little bit and she choked back a retort, knowing he didn’t mean it in a hurtful way. “I’ll be in the city in an hour. See you then.”
“Wait …sorry about that last thing I said, Tal. Also, I was going to say, Ludo knew Cade a little. Apparently, they had a great time in Cannes once and kept in touch. Ludo’s Italy’s answer to Brad Pitt, except talented and fifteen years younger.”
Tahlia laughed then. “You are such a bitch sometimes.”
Ellory chuckled. “Anything to make you laugh. Anyway, he’s filming in Seattle at the moment, which is why he asked me to represent him. Come in. He’ll be here about two p.m. You can meet him then.”
Nick Santorini strolled over to the local drug dealer, who was sitting on the hood of Nick’s car. “You might wanna move if you don’t wanna get run down.”
Carson Hicks’s lip curled. “Thought I told you to mind your own beeswax, asshole.” He made to step around him, but Nick stopped him.
“Who do you think you are, Hicks? Calling me an asshole? That’s rich coming from a filthy junkie piece of shit like you.” Suddenly, Nick wanted to goad Hicks into …something. He didn’t know what. If he lost his temper, that gave Nick a reason to throw his ass in jail for the day. “Do you have any friends, Hicks? Anyone that gives a shit about you?”
Hicks sneered. “Henry Calman was my friend. He was a good man. How he put up with you sniffing around his wife, I’ll never know.” He stepped closer to Nick Santorini, grinning. “Never got you anywhere, did it? Surprising, really.” He got into Nick Santorini’s face then. “Always figured she’d turn out to be a whore just like her momma.”
Nick’s fist slammed into the man’s nose and Hicks went down. The older man hacked, spitting out the blood that poured from his nose into his mouth. He stared up at Nick, grinning.
“Your wife know you’ve got a hard-on for widow pussy, Santorini? Guess some folks ain’t too fussy where they put their dicks.”
Nick Santorini’s hands were around his neck, then, choking, squeezing. Arms clamped around Nick Santorini, dragging him away. Mike kept his arms locked around his struggling deputy.
“Hey! Quit it, Nick. Stop.”
Nick acquiesced, still staring at the junkie with hatred. Hicks staggered to his feet, cackling to himself.
“Guess they’d call that police brutality,” he mocked, brushing himself off. He looked at Mike. “You the new chief?”
Mike, satisfied Nick was calm, nodded at Hicks “Yep. I think you should probably get back to work now, mister. Get along now.”
Hicks saluted him. “Yeah, chief, I’ll do that. Good luck with that.” He nodded at Nick. “Goddamn useless cops …” He walked off, muttering. Nick turned on his heel and started back to the police station. He heard Hicks call something back to him and whirled around.
“What did you say?”
Hicks ignored him. Nick looked at Mike.
“What did he say?”
“I said, you better pray your little whore doesn’t end up with a knife in her gut like her momma.”
Nick lunged for him.
“And cut! Awesome. Thanks, guys.” The director smiled at them and turned to his assistant. ‘Nick Santorini,’ or, in real life, Ludo Ricci, held out his hand to help his good friend, ‘Carson Hicks,’ aka Josh Prentiss, up from the ground. He grinned at him wryly. “Did I connect?”
“Just a little. Doesn’t matter.”
Ludo patted the other man’s back. “I’ll let you get a shot in during the next scene.”
Josh laughed. “Yeah, right.”
Ludo went back to his trailer to grab his cigarettes. He was done for the day, but he always liked to hang out with the crew on his movie sets, especially now that he was working abroad more. In Italy, he was the movie star. His dark good looks were on every magazine cover and his intense green eyes stared out moodily from the huge billboards. He was just starting to gain traction in his Hollywood career—a marquee role as a criminal mastermind in a billion-dollar franchise last year had led to this lead role in a suspense thriller. His female lead, a multi-nominated actress, was already a good friend, her sweet nature belying her onscreen temptress presence. She was also very, very much in love with her off-screen wife, and although Ludo thought she was fantastic, he wasn’t attracted to her. It wasn’t exactly unknown for any actor, including Ludo, to hook up with his co-stars, but on this set, he w
as happy just to hang out with them all as friends.
And god knows, he had recently had his fill of relationships. His stalker, a scrawny blonde by the name of Marianne, had made his life hell. But he hadn’t helped matters by being so drunk at a hotel one night that, when she tracked him down, he’d screwed her in his hotel room.
When he’d dumped her the next day, she’d went crazy on him. Things had escalated and he’d had to have her arrested. Now the restraining order was in jeopardy after her claims. A kid?
Fuck. He hadn’t touched alcohol since that night. His lawyer had confirmed Marianne was pregnant, but couldn’t confirm whether the baby was his. The thought of being forever linked to the crazy woman made him feel sick, but Ludo had been raised by his Italian family to be a stand-up guy and to take responsibility. If the kid was his, he would be there for him or her financially, and be as good a father as he was capable of.
When his lawyer had said they could work on the case in Seattle, he had contacted the law firm of Mackenzie, Fleeting, and Roach, because he knew a friend of his old friend, Cade Penn, worked there. Turns out, Ellory Mackenzie was a partner and more than happy to meet with him. He would meet him that afternoon.
Ludo finished his cigarette and went to grab some food from the craft services people. He sat with the crew and joked around with them. There was a reason Ludo was popular with the people he worked with. He was, at heart, a country boy from Italy, more than happy to work in an olive grove to help out a friend’s business, or in a vineyard picking grapes in his off time. He shied away from paparazzi unless it was to do his job to promote the films he made. Utterly professional, he did have one weakness—beautiful women. Now that flaw had come to bite him in the ass.
Ludo showered back at his rented condo, then changed into a suit. Few men could wear a Saville Row suit and make it look even more impressive than Ludo. He ruffled his dark curls as they dried, but left them disheveled, his five-o-clock shadow making his boyish face look older. In his twenties, his looks had earned him heartthrob status, but he’d grown frustrated with not being taken seriously because of those good looks. Now at thirty-nine, his looks were mature and distinguished…but still utterly heartbreaking.
He took a cab to Mackenzie, Fleeting, and Roach, right in the heart of downtown Seattle. There was no receptionist at the front desk—it was a Saturday after all—but no sooner than he had sat down in the waiting area, a woman came to fetch him. The moment he saw her, he knew he was in trouble.
Tall, curvy, with dusky skin …she was wearing a dark mauve tea dress, which came to just above her knees, and flat pumps. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and her eyeglasses couldn’t hide the large, soulful, dark brown eyes. The flush of pink on her skin made his senses reel. She also reminded him of someone. She held out her hand, and he stood and shook it. Firm. Confident. He liked that.
“Hello, Mr. Ricci, I’m Tahlia Penn, Mr. Mackenzie’s junior partner. If you’ll come with me, we can get started. “
Get started …taking your clothes off? Ludo smiled at her. Mio Dio, she is beautiful. “Thank you, Ms. Penn. Good to meet you.”
She nodded, giving him a half smile. All professional, but god—as he followed her along the corridor to her boss’s office, he couldn’t help admiring the curve of her waist, the slender legs, and the way her full breasts were rounded and ripe. Ludo couldn’t help imagining her naked, sweating, and gasping as his cock plowed deeply into her cunt.
“Mr. Ricci, good to meet you.” Ellory Mackenzie shook his hand and gestured for him to sit. Tahlia Penn took the chair next to her boss, across the conference table, and Ludo smiled, feeling as if he were being –assessed—which was okay as long as she liked what she saw.
You cannot fuck your lawyer’s colleague, he told himself, glad of the table because it hid his erection. He could smell her spice, clean scent, which wasn’t helping matters. He wanted to send Ellory away and fuck the woman right there on the table. He met her calm gaze and held it for a beat too long. Tahlia looked away, but he was gratified to see two spots of pink flush across her cheeks.
Ellory Mackenzie smiled at him. “May I call you Ludo?”
Ludo smiled. “Of course.”
Ellory smiled. He was a tall man, about the same as Ludo’s six feet, five inches, and was solidly built. Ludo assessed that he must be in his early forties. He wondered if Ellory was fucking the delectable Miss Penn, then decided probably not. Tahlia looked like she would want to be professional at all times. They took him through his case step-by-step and Ludo was impressed with their research and knowledge. After he’d finished relaying what he had been through and what he had felt, Ellory looked at Tahlia.
“Thoughts?”
Tahlia sighed. “Well, the fact that you slept with her and possibly impregnated her does make it more complicated. The judge could say you brought it on yourself and that you need to sort it out privately. Has she ever been violent toward you?”
Ludo shook his head. “So far, no.”
“Do you think she could be?”
He nodded. “There’s certainly a side to her that goes beyond the hysterical crying and the passive aggression.”
“Do you fear for your life?”
Ludo hesitated, then shrugged. “That makes me sound like a wimp.”
Tahlia smiled at him. “It doesn’t, Mr. Ricci, at all. Here, in this room, there is no judgment. Just the facts. If you fear for your safety, then we must consider other options.”
Ludo met her gaze. “I’m more scared she’ll hurt the people I love.”
“Understood.” Tahlia looked at Ellory. “First step, we need a more comprehensive restraining order. This is just my suggestion, but hear me out. Mr. Ricci …”
“Ludo.”
She smiled a little shyly. “Ludo, you’re staying at the Mallory apartments, yes?”
“Right.” Ludo chuckled. “How did you know that?”
Tahlia held up a piece of paper. “It’s all over the internet. You have quite the following. Here’s my suggestion—for however long you’re in Seattle, keep that apartment, but don’t stay there. Stay somewhere incognito—somewhere Marianne O’Connor won’t suspect. Out on one of the islands might be good.”
Ellory nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Tally can help you out there. She lives on one of the islands.”
Tahlia nodded. “And I know the places you could be well hidden. I have some experience of this.”
Suddenly, Ludo got it. “You’re Cade’s sister,” he said gently, and she nodded. “I’m so sorry. He was a wonderful man.”
Tahlia nodded, and it was only when she spoke that her voice cracked a little. “He was. Thank you.”
Ludo wanted to put his arms around this woman and comfort her; she was obviously still in a lot of pain. Tahlia was quiet as Ellory spoke, highlighting different scenarios to Ludo, but he was completely distracted by the sadness in Tahlia Penn’s eyes. As Ellory thanked Ludo for coming in, they all stood, and Ludo shook hands with them both, meeting Tahlia’s gaze. I want you, was all he could think about. I want to make you smile again.
He was reluctant to leave her company, but it would have been odd to linger. He needed this law firm to help him escape Marianne’s insanity, so he couldn’t very well screw his attorney before the case was even up and running.
Yet. Maybe after the case was in court. One thing was for sure—Tahlia Penn’s body and her beautiful face would haunt his dreams tonight, and the night after, and the night after that …
Back in the office, Ellory grinned at Tahlia. “That went well. You did good, boo.”
She smiled back at him. “Thanks, Ell. Nice fella. Very un-starry. A bit like Cade, huh?”
“Hmm, not sure. He’s a good actor, so I’ll reserve judgment until I know him better.”
Tahlia shoved her papers back into a folder. “Fair enough.”
Ellory trailed a fingertip down her cheek, and Tahlia stopped what she was doing. She
met his gaze, and he brushed his lips against hers. She didn’t pull away.
“Tally …I think we have to talk about what’s going on between us, yes?”
She nodded slowly. “I think we do.”
“Can I come back with you tonight?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
Ellory smiled. “Good. Take-out pizza and talk?”
“Sounds good.”
Ellory peeled the dress from Tahlia’s shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. He could see the uncertainty in them. “Don’t worry, Tally. This was meant to be.” He dipped his head, took her nipple into his mouth, and sucked gently on it. Tahlia sighed, closing her eyes and stroking his closely-cropped hair. She couldn’t deny that being physically close to someone was good after all this time nor that Ellory was her best and most trusted friend. He was a gorgeous man …and a great lover.
He stripped her underwear off, and she let him, her own fingers fumbling at his shirt, then his fly. His cock was big, thick, and long, and when he thrust into her, she gasped at the feel of him. His eyes never left hers, intense and questioning as they made love.
But Tahlia was lying to herself. All afternoon, her body had been primed to make love, and right now, she wasn't being honest. Because she was wishing that the man fucking her right now was someone different. Someone darker, with intense green eyes, and a-sexy-as-all-get-out Italian accent. Knowing she was being unfair, she closed her eyes, but couldn’t forget the image of Ludo Ricci on top of her, kissing her, his cock reaming her into submission. She felt a wave of arousal, her legs tightening around Ellory’s waist as his hands pinned hers to the bed.
Ellory made her come twice before he reached his peak. After they had finished and were catching their breath, he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Tahlia lay in her bed, stretched out, her body tingling. What is wrong with me? There’s a gorgeous, sexy, funny man who adores me in my bed and I’m thinking about somebody else. Stupid woman.
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