Tanner Goldstein was a tall man with classic good looks for a forty something man. Salt and pepper hair made him look smart and seasoned. He was smiling at her as she walked into his classroom.
“Good morning, Steele,” he said as he moved from behind his desk to run an arm around her narrow shoulders. “I have something I want to offer you. Stay after class so we can talk. You and Rowan are getting a rare opportunity to learn more than any class could ever teach you.”
He let her go as she went to her seat on the front row. Rowan sat at the desk next to hers and offered her a small smile. He most likely wasn’t super happy about having to share the opportunity with her.
Rowan was extremely competitive. Steele smiled back as the smile had yet to leave her face anyway. She leaned over a bit and whispered, “Did he tell you what this is about?”
He shook his head. “He said he’ll tell us both after class. I do have an idea though. A criminal lawyer named Arsen Sloan is being looked at for a triple homicide. Serial killer style. Three young woman all bound and strangled to death. And all three of them were his past girlfriends. If you can even really call them that.”
Steele’s smile faded as she thought about the idea all the women had been strangled. A death she’d thought brutal and had turned into a real phobia for her. “That’s awful. I don’t know if I want to be on the man’s side.”
Rowan rolled his dark green eyes at her and ran a hand through his blonde curls which were closely cropped to his head. “Then you clearly don’t have what it takes. You should just let me do this on my own, Gannon.”
She sat back and thought about what the young man had said. Maybe she didn’t have what it would take to defend people she knew were guilty. But it was a thing she’d dreamt of.
She took notes as Professor Goldstein talked about a case where all the evidence pointed to one of his defendants, but when it came down to it there was a reasonable doubt and that alone had the jury giving the man an acquittal.
Steele decided by the end of the class she would accept the offer her professor gave her, no matter what it was. This was her passion after all and she’d have to toughen up if she was to become the success she wanted.
Rowan and Steele remained seated as the class was dismissed and Tanner came to talk to them about his offer. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he said, “Arsen Sloan is a man in a tough spot and he’s retained my services in case he’s charged with the murder of three women who he knew well. I’d like to offer you both an internship on this particular case. It could lead to a permanent internship with my office.”
Rowan spoke up quickly, “I’m in, Tanner.”
Steele’s eyes shot to Rowan. She wondered when it got to be okay to call the man by his first name. She looked back at her professor.
“Count me in as well, Professor Goldstein.”
He smiled and said, “Call me Tanner, Steele. I want you to feel just like a real part of the legal team I’ll be putting together if Arsen is charged. We all are pretty informal with each other and I don’t want you two made to feel you’re anything but part of the whole team.”
She nodded.
“Thank you, Tanner. It’ll be quite a privilege to get this opportunity to work with you. So, Rowan told me a bit about what he’s accused of. Do you think he did it?”
“I don’t ever think like that. I just need to know the facts, every last sordid detail and there will be sordid details. The relationships Arsen had with the deceased women were violent in many people’s eyes. Have you heard of the term BDSM?”
Steele nearly passed out. That’s a term she’d been thinking of last night. Though she never could come up with the term exactly. She nodded, and a chill ran through her. “Whips and chains, right?”
“Among other things. Anyway, I want you two to accompany me to my first meeting with Arsen this afternoon. We’ll take my car over to his office, so meet me here at four-thirty and we’ll be on our way to meet the man.” He gave Steele a wink. “And Steele, try really hard not to be repulsed by his demeanor. He’s what you would call an alpha male. He may come off chauvinistic. You’ll come up against that a lot in this line of work and it is best you learn how to deal with that sooner rather than later.”
Steele nodded and gathered her things to go to her next class.
“I’ll be okay. See you this afternoon.”
Rowan walked alongside her as they left the room.
“Think you can handle the BDSM thing, Gannon?”
Inwardly she cringed as she’d thought of little else last night.
“I’ll be able to handle it. I’m no baby, Rowan.”
“No, but you aren’t exactly well experienced in sex.” He grinned at her as they walked down the long hallway.
“How the hell would you know?” she said as she blushed.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I just know. So, don’t you think the sordid details might make you sick? You really should consider dropping this case. Maybe the next one won’t be so bad. More your speed, you know.”
She found her fist balling at her side as she wanted to knock the crap out of the annoying man.
“I’m not dropping this opportunity, Rowan.” She sped up and walked away from him.
“See you at four-thirty, partner,” he called out after her.
The only reason she saw not to take the opportunity was the fact she’d have to spend so much time with Rowan and his way of trying to get her to quit just so he could gain the permanent internship with Tanner’s office. But she wasn’t about to hand the position over to him.
Steele sat between the men as they rode into downtown in Tanner’s town car. His driver let them know they were there and parked in front of the large building Arsen’s law office was in.
Steele’s heart was jerking in her chest and her stomach was tight as she went inside with Tanner and Rowan. The building was magnificent, and she looked around, hoping that one day she’d have her own suite of offices in a building like that one.
The elevators were in several banks in the huge lobby and Tanner took them towards one set of gold elevator doors. Etched in them at the top were the words, ‘The Law Offices of Arsen Sloan; Criminal Lawyer.’
“He’s loaded, huh?” she asked as they got on the elevator that went straight to the top of the building to the entire upper floor.
“A billionaire to be exact,” Tanner told her.
“How old is he?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“Thirty-five,” Tanner answered. “Now, I don’t want you to think I agree with any of the things he does, but please don’t speak, either of you, unless he directly asks you a question. Just sit back and take notes.”
Rowan and Steele gave him a nod and the elevator doors opened. Steele’s jaw dropped as she saw a monster chandelier hanging in the reception area. A giant salt-water fish tank was the other centerpiece of the large and richly furnished room.
A tall blonde woman sat at a Cherry wood desk and smiled at them as they came in. Rowan’s shoulder brushed hers as he said, “Close your mouth, Gannon.”
Steele slammed her lips together and knew she had to be turning all kinds of shades of red. She was overwhelmed with the office and she’d yet to even see but the very front. She made a mental note to make sure her lips stayed closed, so she didn’t look like an idiot in front of the powerful man they were about to meet.
The receptionist who she noticed was a complete knockout led them to a large office with four overstuffed leather chairs that sat in front of a massive oak desk. It was meticulously cleaned and only one small stack of papers sat on it.
The man who they’d come to see was nowhere around. She took a seat on one side of Tanner and Rowan took the other as she tried hard not to drop her jaw again at the different crazily expensive items he had on a bookcase behind his desk.
Her mouth had gone dry, and she pulled out her notepad and a pen, getting ready to take down every word that was said at the meeting. She was determined
to get the internship and one day an office just like this one.
“Okay guys, remember the rules. This man is professional to the hilt. Maintain that, or he’ll tell me I have to let you off the case. He puts up with nothing, and I do mean nothing.”
Steele’s mind went to the fact the man was into BDSM and said, “I suppose that would be how a man who likes the kinky stuff that he does would act.”
Tanner leveled his eyes on her.
“That’s right, so watch what you say. I can’t be sure he won’t threaten to spank the shit out of you if you talk without being spoken to and for God’s sakes, do not look him in the eye. So many rules with this man, but follow what I tell you or he does or you’ll get dropped and I’d hate for you to miss out on this.”
Steele nodded and the door to the office opened. Not sure if she was supposed to look, she just looked at her lap as Tanner got up and shook hands with the man who’d walked in.
“Hello, Arsen. I hope your day has been going well.”
“Not as well as I’d like it to,” Arsen said and Steele’s ears prickled with heat.
His voice was deep and sounded like the man from last night. She continued to look at the notepad in her lap and shook her head slightly, knowing that she just wanted to hear the guy’s velvety voice again that was all it was.
That had to be it!
Tanner came and sat back down. “These are a couple of students I may use as interns if we end up having to go to court.” He tapped Steele’s knee that was exposed as her black skirt had ridden up as she sat down on the large chair that barely allowed her feet touch the floor. “This young lady is Steele Gannon.”
Steele let her eyes flicker up, but not long enough for the man to think she was eyeballing him or whatever the dominating people called it.
“Hello, Sir,” she said quietly.
“Look at me when you’re speaking to me,” he told her.
Her heart was pounding as she’d heard the man from last night say nearly the same thing and with the same tone to his deep voice. Her eyes snapped to his, and she stopped breathing.
It was him. His hair had been cut, the silky waves shorn, leaving only the slightest curl at the end of his dark hair. His face was still covered by the meticulously groomed dark beard and his dark eyes danced as they stared into hers.
“I am Arsen Sloan, Steele Gannon. What a strong name. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a woman called something that strong before.” His tongue ran over his lips with a quick motion that made her heart speed up.
“My father named me. Thank you for the compliment, sir.” She had no idea if she was supposed to drop her eyes or not, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. All she wanted to do was jump over the desk and pull his mouth to hers in a hot kiss.
“No thanks necessary.” He looked at Rowan. “And who is this, Tanner?”
“Rowan Stevens, my other top student,” Tanner said as he gestured to Rowan.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sloan,” Rowan said.
“You too. Now tell me are the two of you supposed to work closely together if this becomes a case?” Arsen asked Rowan.
Rowan gave him a nod.
“Not to worry sir, we can work well together, I assure you.”
Steele was back to looking at her lap as all types of thoughts were storming her brain. The man from last night might be a murderer. Never had she done something so reckless and she’d gotten into a probable murderer’s car and allowed him to fuck her like a damn prostitute. Her stomach was twisting on itself and bile was rising in her throat.
“Can you?” The way his voice sounded he must be looking at her and she lifted her eyes and found he was.
“Of course, Sir,” she answered.
“Arsen, call me Arsen, Steele,” he said with a commanding tone.
“Of course, Arsen.” Her hands twisted in her lap and he looked at them.
“No need to be nervous, Steele,” he said, his voice much softer, reminding her of how soft he could be.
But he could be hard as hell too and she was still mentally berating herself for being so foolish and doing what she did with him. She wasn’t fool enough not to realize that telling Tanner she knew Arsen was not a thing she was supposed to do. But she felt like saying it then running from the room.
Tanner patted her knee and her eyes flew to Arsen. He was frowning as Tanner said, “She’ll be fine, Arsen. It’s just this is her first case.”
Steele could tell that Arsen didn’t like Tanner touching her, so she shifted in the chair, crossing her legs away from Tanner so he didn’t tap her knee anymore. Her actions had Arsen’s eyes darting to her and his lips pulled back into a smile.
She smiled too, happy for some damn reason that she saw what he wanted her to do and did it without thinking much about it. Steele knew she should stay far away from the man who might be a killer, but she was drawn to him like she never knew possible. To make him mad at her for any reason was a thing she didn’t want to do.
The meeting went on as Tanner talked just a little about the way the women were murdered, but Arsen put a quick stop to it. “There’s really no reason to remind me, Tanner. It’s really not a thing I like to talk about and won’t unless they charge me and I have to.”
Tanner looked at Steele then down at the notes she’d been taking.
“I understand that, Arsen. I would like to get ahead of the police on this thing just in case they do throw the charges at you with rapid fire. Your phone records I’ll need and access to all your email accounts.”
Incredibly, Arsen’s already dark eyes darkened even more as he said, “I know you need those things, Tanner. I’ll send it all to you in an email later today. For now, I really need to get out here. So, we’ll keep in touch.” He stood and so they then left Arsen alone in his office.
Steele fought the urge to stay and when Arsen called out after them she thought he might be about to ask her to stay. Instead he said, “Leave all of your cell numbers with the receptionist. In case I want to talk to the interns.”
Her heart sped up, and she thought he might be looking for a way to talk to her again. Steele knew that wasn’t safe or the right thing to do, but her body was overriding her mind by leaps and bounds.
After leaving their numbers they went back to Tanner’s car and were barely inside it when Steele’s cell rang. She pulled it from her purse and saw a number she didn’t recognize.
She nearly refused the call when Tanner looked over her shoulder at the phone.
“Answer it, it may by Arsen.”
She did as he said. “Hello, Steele Gannon here.”
“Save this number, Steele Gannon,” she heard Arsen’s voice tell her.
“Yes, Sir,” she said, trying hard not to smile.
“I want to meet with you alone,” he said.
She looked at Tanner with wide eyes. “He’d like to meet with me.”
Tanner nodded, and she said, “Of course. Where?”
“Get out of that car and into mine. Don’t you see Paul holding the door open for you a couple of cars over?” Arsen said.
She looked out the window and saw Paul dressed in a black suit holding open the back door of the Escalade Arsen had taken her in last night. She was sweating bullets as she looked at Tanner.
“He wants me to go get in his car.” She pointed to his waiting driver.
“Do it,” Tanner said.
“Okay, I’ll be in the car,” she told Arsen, and he ended the call without another word.
Before she got out she asked Tanner, “Are you sure about this? I mean he might be a murderer.”
“He’d be a damn fool if anything happened to you with the two of us knowing he asked you to meet with him and had his car take you. You can’t be a chicken, Steele. You have to get to know your clients and they all will be accused of terrible things. The closer you can get, the more you can find out and the better you can help them to get off the charges.” Tanner patted her leg. “Keep your wits about you.”
She nodded and got out of the car and walked up to Paul who smiled. “You,” he said under his breath. “Imagine that.”
“Hi, Paul. Yeah, it’s me.” She climbed into the car she had gotten into less than twenty-four hours earlier and found the smell of leather and Arsen’s expensive cologne making her head lighter than it already was.
Paul pointed to a small refrigerator.
“Get yourself something to drink. You should really calm way down before you see him again.”
“Is it showing how much I’m freaking out?” she asked with a nervous laugh.
He nodded. “By the way, Arsen told me your name. It’s nice to officially meet you, Steele Gannon.”
“You too, Paul.”
The door closed, leaving her in the dark backseat of the car. The buttons from her shirt he’d ripped open the night before were still all over the floor. She smiled and took a beer from the fridge.
What was his plan for her?
ARSEN
Pacing in his office, Arsen had never been more nervous. It was infuriating him that the young woman had such an effect on him. Never did a woman make him nervous, yet she did somehow.
When he’d walked into his office to meet with the legal staff he’d just hired to represent him if he was officially charged with the murders, he nearly dropped to his knees when he saw her.
The woman from last night. The woman who he thought he’d never see again. He didn’t know her name because he hadn’t asked it. He kicked himself all the way home for not getting her number, name and apartment number.
He knew he’d want to see her again, but the things hanging over his head were not things he wanted to tell her about. But now she knew about them, so that was an issue no longer. And she was being taken to his penthouse and would be waiting at home for him.
Arsen knew that he should leave the young thing alone. He had so much going on after all. He may not be around to keep her anyway.
Savage SEAL’s Virgin: A Submissives’ Secrets Novel Page 37
