Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection

by Gina Kincade

  "Professor Warner taught me a lot," Ethan said. "I was glad I had him second-semester first year, though."

  "Yeah. I wish I didn't have him now. He gets too much pleasure out of watching us crack under pressure."

  "Well, it's not like he's training to you to be a dog groomer." Ethan rubbed my shoulder. "He's training you to be a lawyer," Ethan said in his Professor Warner voice.

  I laughed.

  "God, you sound like you admire him. What did you get in constitutional law?" I asked.

  Ethan rested his hand on my hip.

  "An A," he said.

  "Nerd." I pushed on his shoulder.

  He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

  "What did you graduate with?"

  "Three point eight."

  "Where did you do your summer associates?" I asked.

  "Kirkland and Botts," he answered, suddenly fascinated with something on my dress.

  "Why are you working in family law?" I asked.

  Most three point five or higher graduates from our school were associates at big firms, billing hundreds of hours and on the fast track to partner of complicated practice groups like mergers and accusation or patent law.

  I had already researched firms I wanted to get a summer associate position with next year. Summer associates were more likely to get hired.

  "I like family law. It's fascinating." He relaxed on his back again. "I like to think I'm helping people get a jumpstart on finding what makes them happy."

  "By getting a divorce?"

  "Well, you can't be happy when you’re stuck in a bad situation." He looked at me. "Are you happy?"

  "That is not an easy question to answer," I said.

  "It should be, though. Don't you think?"

  "So you like constitutional law?" I asked, ignoring his question.

  "Yeah."

  "Why?" I sat up.

  He closed his eyes.

  I wasn't sure if he would answer me.

  "I guess because I like the origin of it. It was the idealistic way our forefathers thought people in this country should behave. It's common sense."

  "Ah, so you're a purest." I nodded.

  "Yeah, but I'm a realist too." He sat up on his elbows. "I hope people go through bad things and come out better for them. If nothing else, they learn from their mistakes."

  When it appeared he had nothing more to say, Ethan stood.

  He reached out a hand to help me up. He pulled me into his arms and kissed the side of my face.

  "Thank you for tonight." He kissed the other side of my head. "And for tomorrow."

  "What's happening tomorrow?" I asked, enjoying his attention.

  "I don't know, but I can't wait to find out." He gave me a smirk that made me feel good.

  ETHAN AND I SAW EACH other the next day and the day after that and almost every day for the next two weeks.

  After class, I would hang out on campus or at the library studying until he called to say he was heading home. I’d arrive a few minutes before him, and we would sit on the stoop talking or eating takeout. I'd study, and he'd work. After a couple hours of work, one of us would initiate a touch that ended in us having sex on the couch. A few times, we made it to the kitchen.

  No more Dom/sub fantasies played out, but it was hot and dirty and fun. I never slept over. I'd leave around ten or eleven. Ethan would put me in a car and make me call him when I got back home.

  It kind of worked. He was gearing up for a big case. Being with Ethan was my great escape from school and every other thing in my life.

  We were in midterms and planning the finally push toward first semester exams. The entire school put on a brave front, but most of us were scared to death. 1L grades were the most important grades and set the tone for the rest of our professional lives. No pressure.

  My mother asked me to stop by and see her after class. When I arrived, all she wanted to do was discuss my stepfather. She was nervous because the proceedings for the divorce were about to start. She wanted to make sure I was on her side. I had no real allegiance toward my stepfather. He had sent me an apology text after our awkward outing, but other than that, I hadn't heard from him.

  When my mother was satisfied I had no new information for her to use against my father, she dismissed me.

  When Ethan called, I was already close to his place. I sat on his stoop and waited.

  He strolled down his street in a dark gray suit and burgundy tie. He had a messenger bag across his body, and the plastic bag of takeout swinging next to him.

  "Thai food. As requested." He handed me the bag and removed his bag. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  I leaned into it.

  I needed to feel him.

  He kissed me again and sat down next to me.

  I opened the plastic bag and pulled out one container.

  "Yum." It was pad Thai with shrimp. I handed it to Ethan and opened the second one, pad see eu with chicken. I gave him a pair of chopsticks and opened my own. I took a bite of the flat noodle with chicken. Bean sauces splashed on my cheek.

  Ethan wiped it with his thumb and licked the sauce off.

  "Spicy," he said.

  "So good," I moaned and took another big bite.

  Ethan laughed and took a bit of the pad Thai before handing it to me and stealing my box of noodles.

  "How was class?" he asked daily.

  "Good. I got called on in Constitution again."

  "Oh, yeah?"

  "Yeah, what is with him?"

  "Maybe he thinks you’re hot and likes looking at you," Ethan said, laughing.

  "He's like eighty years old, and he's a priest." I shook my head. "You are so weird."

  "What case?" he said between bites of noodles.

  "It wasn't a case. We got into a discussion on ethics. Representing people you know are guilty." I nodded. The answers some of my classmates gave, varied along race, class, and age. "It was really interesting actually. What about you?"

  "I don't represent criminals."

  "Yeah, but you represent men and women who do some batshit crazy stuff to each other." I turned to face him. "What would you do if you had a moral objection to the way your client treated his wife or kids? That comes up, doesn't it?"

  "Not as often as you might think." He nodded. "Most the men I have represented had no clue their behavior was causing their wives’ pain. Even if, for example, the man was cheating on the woman."

  I opened my mouth, but Ethan raised his hand.

  "Or the woman was cheating on the man. Either way, they weren't getting what they needed from the relationship, so if I can facilitate a way for them to get out, where's the ethical dilemma?"

  I thought about his answer.

  It made sense.

  "My mom is having an affair with a guy who's younger than I am."

  Ethan blinked but didn't speak.

  "I think he's the one who wanted my mom to go after my stepdad and get more from him."

  "Your mom get anything out of her first marriage with your father?"

  "No, they were both broke and got married for love." I rolled my eyes. "My mom said they had this amazing, passionate relationship, and it resulted in me. But nothing else positive came out of it."

  "So now she's looking to get paid."

  "Don't say it like that. That's my mother." I frowned.

  "I didn't mean it like that. I don't judge. I've seen people at their worst, turn it around and into something good." He dug into his noodles and held a bite out for me. I took it. "Maybe your mother will get what she wants. At least she's still looking, right?" He nodded.

  I nodded back.

  "Who's representing your stepdad?" he asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders. "Probably some slick, bitter, woman-hating divorce lawyer."

  "Probably." We both laughed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ethan

  "Good morning, Mr. Banner." I met him in the lobby at the opposing counsel's building. Their office was on the twenti
eth floor of a building in Bethesda.

  Mr. Banner had a day-old scruff on his chin. His jacket was wrinkled, and he wore a permanent scowl. My happy disposition was out of place.

  "Are you ready for this, Ethan?" he asked.

  "I'm ready." I nodded. I loved when my clients doubted my ability.

  "I want you to take her down." He grabbed my suit sleeve. "She's hiding something. I know it."

  I hated to break it to him, but depositions were usually anti-climatic. Everyone had prepared, and discovery had been sent and combed through. My team found no inappropriate emails from the wife to a possible boyfriend. No strange numbers on her cell. No missing money, nothing out of the ordinary. The wife didn't appear to have anything to hide. With my client's growing paranoia, I understood why she wanted to divorce him.

  "Depositions are fact-finding missions. I'll ask the questions, and she'll answer them, but don't expect us to win or lose the case today. We are gathering information."

  He nodded and straightened his tie.

  "Relax. She's on the hot seat today, not you," I said and turned toward the elevator.

  "Okay. I'll leave it up to you then." He patted me on the back. We rode the elevator in silence.

  The elevator opened into the lobby of Crain and Smith. It was a multi-practice law firm. Their biggest practice groups were criminal and family law. In DC, it was convenient to have a law firm that handled both. The family law group rivaled my entire firm in size.

  Family law lawyers in DC were a small group in general. We knew each other well.

  "Hi, Ethan." Richard Dean walked out of a room to the left of the entryway. I could see two people behind the frosted glass of the room. "We're all set in the conference room."

  "Hi, Richard." I shook his hand. "This is my client, Norman Banner."

  "Nice to meet you, sir," Richard said. He was polite and engaging, but it was an act to put us at ease. I've seen him in court. He was a killer.

  "Thank you." Mr. Banner shook Richard's hand. He narrowed his eyes. Mr. Banner wasn't buying it. Good. I needed him to keep his guard up.

  Richard opened the door to the conference room. It was on an angle in the building that pointed toward the Washington Monument in the distance. The rest of the major monuments stood framed by the floor-to-ceiling window.

  I unpacked my briefcase, the large black polished marble conference table with the view behind me. To my left in the corner, a stenographer was setting up her machine.

  "Ethan Resnick." I introduced myself.

  "Raina Moore," she said then smiled and pushed her straight black hair behind her ear. She had beautiful brown eyes.

  I turned toward my client and found him staring at Raina.

  "Mr.. Banner." I stood in front of him, blocking his view of the beautiful African American woman. "Have a seat." I pointed at the chair next to mine.

  He sat.

  I followed.

  I leaned into him.

  "Remember, you are not to say a word. The stenographer will record everything, even when you speak. Don't give them documented evidence of your hostility," I whispered.

  "I'm not hostile." He rubbed his mouth. "I'm pissed."

  "Don't show it," I said and flipped through some of my notes.

  I found my questions for Mrs. Banner. I skimmed them to make sure I didn't miss anything.

  The door to the conference room opened. My client stiffened. He sucked in a breath and exhaled.

  I kept my head down. I didn't need to acknowledge the comfort level. I would give it a second to see if it dissipated.

  "Ethan," Richard said. He stood across the table in front of me. "This is my client, Mrs. Banner."

  I stood.

  Mrs. Banner had walked to the end of the table and stood next to me, extending her hand. She appeared younger than my client. Her long blond hair was slicked back in a ponytail. Her hand was limp. Her nails painted a pale pink. She wore a light gray suit. She was impeccably dressed and well made up. She batted her fake lashes in my direction and smiled.

  "Mr. Resnick." She said my name with a flirt in her tone. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

  She was nothing like my client described. I was expecting a woman who had let herself go. She wore the veil of soon-to-be divorce like a new beginning. I almost wished I were representing her.

  "Nice to meet you." I shook her hand. "I promise not to be too hard on you."

  I winked, and she winked back, smiling.

  "And Ethan," Richard said.

  I heard a slight gasp and turned back toward him.

  It wasn't from him; it was from the woman standing next to him. She dropped her eyes to the ground and reached out for the chair in front of her.

  I instinctively did the same. My eyes played tricks on me. I looked at Mrs. Banner and saw it.

  I knew of her already. I knew someone related to her.

  I turned back, and it sunk in like a two-ton weight, and my heart crushed under the weight.

  "This is Kendall Allen," he said. "Mrs. Banner's daughter. She'll be sitting in for the deposition if that's okay."

  "What is she doing here?" Mr. Banner said.

  I shared his outrage but for so many different reasons.

  What was she doing here? Why hadn't she told me who she was? Was this a trick?

  I gathered myself together quickly and opened my mouth.

  "It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Allen." I sounded almost normal.

  Kendall's ears perked up, and the sour look on her face told me I didn't sound normal to her.

  "I have no objection unless you plan to call her as a witness," I said.

  "I don't. Ms. Allen hasn't lived with Mr. and Mrs. Banner for the past five years. I don't foresee her adding anything of value to the case," Richard said.

  If only he knew.

  I sat down at the table. I rifled through some papers and tried to ignore Kendall. I peeked in her direction.

  She had sat down next to her mother and stared off into the distance at the view.

  I stalled. Not sure what to do or how to start.

  "Ethan," Richard said. "This is your show."

  I nodded and cleared my throat.

  I couldn't breathe. It was like the air had disappeared from the room.

  "Is everyone ready?" I said.

  "Yes," Mrs. Banner said.

  I turned toward Raina.

  "Can you please swear in the petitioner?"

  She nodded and stood.

  She swore in Mrs. Banner, but I didn't hear a word. I stared at Kendall. She wouldn't look at me. To her credit, she looked as shocked to see me as I was to see her, but that's not possible. Maybe it wasn't shock; it might be regret. Either way, the situation was fucked up, and I wasn't sure whether I should continue.

  She blinked and peeked in my direction.

  Her eyes apologized which pissed me off even more.

  When the swearing in was done, I sat up straighter and focused on Mrs. Banner.

  "Please state your name for the record."

  "Deborah Banner."

  "Have you ever been deposed before?" I asked.

  "No. I haven't."

  "Not even in your first divorce?" I asked.

  She narrowed her eyes.

  "No. We split amicable," she answered.

  "I am going to ask you some questions. You need to answer them honestly and in detail." I nodded. "Do you understand?"

  "Yes."

  I went through the rest of the preliminary questions.

  The court stenographer clicked away at her machine, good thing. My mind was on other things. My brain swirled with questions I didn't know the answer to, and it pissed me off.

  I flipped through my notes. I'd finished the initial questions and was ready to ask specifics pertaining to the case and her claims, but I couldn't continue. I wiped the sweat from my brow. Words left my brain. I was stuck and couldn't proceed.

  I looked. Kendall stared into her lap. Her face was hard to read.

>   I cleared my throat to ask the next questions.

  "Mrs. Banner..." My voice trailed off when Kendall raised her head and looked at me. Tears had welled in her eyes. I wanted to scream at her and comfort her at the same time.

  Did she know what she was doing? Did she understand the consequences of me sleeping with an opponent? Did she do it on purpose to help her mother’s case? I had so many questions. Unfortunately, none for Mrs. Banner at the moment.

  "I'm sorry, Richard. We are going to have to reschedule." I grabbed my bag from the floor and stuffed my papers in.

  "Ethan." Mr. Banner pulled on my jacket. "What the hell are you doing?"

  I jerked my arm away and stood.

  I gathered the rest of my stuff.

  "Ethan," Richard said.

  The stenography machine echoed in the silence.

  He raised his hand toward her.

  "Off the record."

  Raina stopped and placed her hands on her lap.

  "Ethan. What is going on?" Richard came to my side of the table.

  I looked over at Kendall where her and her mother were huddled together.

  "Shut up, Mother," Kendall whispered.

  My heart hurt.

  "I've got to get out of here," I said and headed for the door. Mr. Banner was close on my heels.

  "Ethan," he yelled. "What is going on? Why did you stop the deposition?" He had a hard grip on my arm.

  I practically dragged him toward the elevator.

  "Shh." I leaned in. "We'll discuss it later."

  "Ethan." The softness in her voice broke my heart. She had stepped out of the room and walked toward me. "I didn't know."

  "Fuck you, Kendall," I grunted in her face. "I don't believe you."

  She reached for me, but I stepped out of her reach.

  "What the fuck is going on here?" Mr. Banner said.

  "I'm sorry, Norman, but I can't represent you anymore." I turned toward the elevator and pushed the button.

  "What are you talking about?" he huffed. "What do you mean? Why?"

  "Because"—I stepped into the elevator—"I'm fucking your stepdaughter."

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kendall

  I stood in the middle of the law office foyer and watched the elevator doors closed. Ethan didn't even look at me. His beautiful features that made my heart race now made my heart pound. The look on his face made me want to throw up on the firm’s high polished marble floors.