by Jeannie Moon
“Not as lovely as you,” he said while kissing her quickly.
“You executed that line so well,” she teased. It was true, no one delivered a cheesy line like Tristan. He grinned, satisfied, and kissed her again. And again. And again.
“I do believe I’ve missed you, Miss Bayard.”
“And I you, Mr. Wade.” Licking her lips, she liked tasting him there, liked feeling him warm against her.
“Something smells delicious, and I don’t mean you.”
Leah found a vase on a shelf in the living room and headed toward the kitchen with Tris close behind. “I’m making a seafood scampi over fresh linguini. Sound good to you?”
“I love pasta. But will it keep?” Without warning, he grabbed her and spun her into his arms. So much for talking about this. “You sound better.”
“Well, hello to you, too. You haven’t been here two minutes! Is that how this is going to go? Have I gone from friend to booty call?”
Leaning over her shoulder and looking at her behind, Tristan grinned. “I wasn’t going to make it about your booty, but we can.”
“Very funny.” Leah reached out and placed the flowers on the kitchen counter before looping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. “It’s only been five days since I’ve seen you.”
“Five.” A kiss. “Miserable.” Another kiss. “Days.” A long slow kiss. Tris held her tightly about the waist and locked his gaze on her face. Leah leaned into him, wishing she had the nerve to slow this down, but she just didn’t want to. “I missed you. Quite a bit, actually.” He dropped his head and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I guess that’s your cue to get a headache or come down with a virus since we’re just friends. Or maybe you’d like to ring Nick.”
In her head, Leah broke into a happy dance. Tristan was jealous.
“Call Nick?” She smacked his arm. “Stop being an ass. Do you work at your asshole-ness, or is it natural?”
“It’s a gift.” He nuzzled behind her ear. “So what happened with my brother? He wouldn’t tell me a thing, the bloody bastard. He couldn’t leave here fast enough.”
She looked in his eyes and kissed him, and all the while her heart did a little flip. “Nothing happened.”
“Nothing?”
“No. He’s very nice, your brother, but if I realized anything it was that I seem to have a thing for you.” For years, Leah had run from her emotions, tamping them down and tucking them away. But there was no running from Tristan. This was it—she had to face what was in her heart and the feelings she was developing for this man were so big, and so wild, they terrified her. But she wasn’t running, she couldn’t. This time she had to face it head-on. “No headache. No stomach virus. I guess whatever is going on here is a surprise to both of us.”
“That’s for sure. I knew I liked you, that there was something special about you, but it’s more . . . it’s different between us, for me at least.”
He was right. It was different, even though both of them had been trying to avoid the obvious and powerful attraction.
Leah gave in to it. To the fear, the happiness, all of it swamped her in ways she couldn’t explain. Tristan pressed her head into his chest, holding her so close she could feel his heart beating. And strangely, the heat and passion that seemed to rule them were gone from the moment, replaced by something much more dangerous. They’d been honest with each other, and now they were unprotected. Vulnerable. There was no hiding and no turning back. Their hearts would have to take the hits now.
However, unlike the past, Leah felt calm, not panicked that Tris had some hidden agenda. It was strange trusting someone with her very essence, but never had it felt more right.
Pulling back and looking up into his deep brown eyes, Leah saw something tender and sweet, something that let her know he was as nervous as she was.
He kissed her softly. It was different than before. Not hot, but—did she dare think it?—loving.
“How about we have dinner? I want to hear about everything you’ve been doing the past five days,” he whispered. “I make pasta like a pro, so I can help.” He took off his jacket and draped it over the stool at the kitchen island.
Leah’s heart was right in her throat. She couldn’t speak. Filling the vase with water, she arranged the flowers while he stood by quietly.
“Do you want me to leave, love?”
Leah blinked and turned toward him. What the hell? His hip was pressed into the edge of the granite countertop and his face was awash with questions.
“Leave? Why would you think—”
“You’re so quiet. I’m just wondering if the idea of going off plan has hit you and you’re not so thrilled about it after all.”
“Oh! No! Not at all. I just . . .” She walked to him, tentatively taking his hands in hers. He had beautiful hands, large and warm. Gentle. “I never thought I’d want to take the chance again. I’m a little surprised, that’s all.”
Gripping her hands tightly, Tris brought her knuckles to his lips. “I think it’s time for you to tell me what scared you off relationships. I have a feeling it’s something I should know about, going forward.”
Leah looked at their joined hands. Seeing it through his eyes, Leah understood that she had to tell him. The friends-with-benefits arrangement had gone all to hell. They’d moved past it, like he said, and Tristan had a right to know what he was getting into. For better or worse, he had to know. And she wanted to tell him.
“Let me get you some wine and we’ll go sit down. This is a long story.”
* * *
Tristan figured Leah would want a little space as she told her tale, but instead she settled into the crook of his arm. Warm and close, she wasn’t looking at him, but he was happy she wanted him to touch her, that he made her feel safe. Wrapping his arms securely around her, Tris could only imagine what she was going to tell him. He’d never been a gem of a boyfriend, but he’d never caused a woman so much heartache that she’d sworn off men altogether. Most of his ex-girlfriends chalked him up to a good time, an experience, and had gone on to marry very well.
But Leah was broken, hurt, and unsure. It confounded him, and angered him beyond words. He wanted to lay out the man who’d caused her such pain.
“So, I guess I should start at the beginning.”
“That’s usually the best place.”
Her voice was steady, but not without a crack here and there. Tris held one of her hands, to reassure her, once again, that he wasn’t going anywhere. At this point their relationship had to be able to stand on its own. The baggage had to be jettisoned, so they could see what was ahead for the two of them. It might be nothing, a fling, but it could be the brass ring. She could be the person who changed his life.
“Between my second and third years of law school, I landed a plum summer associate position with a firm in Boston. I had a great experience and was offered one of the three junior associate positions they had available after I graduated. Right on schedule, and after several weeks in Europe with my sister, I started with the firm in August the following year.”
She took a swallow of her wine, pressing forward with her story. “The first six months were uneventful. I made friends, worked insane hours, studied for the Bar. Looking back, I can say it was quite boring, and exhausting, but I loved it. I loved the work, the people, the city. My family wasn’t far away, I was doing really well, and the partners were taking notice of my work and my work ethic. I was hungry. There was a lot of chatter around the office about me being put on the fast track.”
“I’m assuming things didn’t stay the course?”
She tilted her head, acknowledging him, and continued. “That’s an understatement. I, ah, I fell in love and derailed my career.”
Not so unusual. The passions were running high in all those young attorneys. Looking at Leah, he could see why someone would find her at
tractive. Her wit, her beauty would have done him in when he was twenty-five. Hell, he was a goner at thirty-five. Who was he kidding?
But derailing her career?
“I’m not following. Was it an office romance? Was that the problem?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I was involved with another attorney. And he was my boss.”
That was the last thing Tristan expected to come out of her mouth. Leah was such a straight arrow, he couldn’t imagine her taking that kind of risk, breaching protocol in such a spectacular way. “Your boss?”
He glanced around and saw her brow furrow. “See? You’re shocked.”
Damn right he was shocked.
She didn’t miss a beat, going right back to her story. “I never expected it. It started innocently, and before I knew it we were sleeping together. We were also doing everything possible to keep the relationship secret. That should have been my first clue. He was terrified we’d be discovered.”
“There was a policy, then?”
“Relationships between colleagues weren’t encouraged, but it happened. Mostly without issue. I thought he was nervous about us because he was on the verge of making full partner, and he was my superior.”
“That’s understandable. He didn’t coerce you at all?”
Leah’s eyes met his. “I didn’t feel that way, no. There was never pressure, and I never feared for my job. But he did pursue me, and he had no right to do so.”
“He was your superior; it wasn’t appropriate.”
“It was more than that. He was engaged to be married. A lovely woman, really. Her father was one of the founding partners of the firm. She was on a six-month assignment in San Francisco. I had no idea.”
Boom. The revelation fell between them like a brick wall. What did he say to that? “You dated a man who was engaged to someone else?”
“I did. I didn’t know he was engaged. I was a naïve, second-year associate when we got together and blissfully out of the office gossip network. Little did I know what they were saying about me.”
“Good God. I can only imagine.”
“It was more than my affair with Doug. It was me, and I had no clue. My parents had a house on Nantucket for a few summers, and I’d go there on weekends, spend time with my sister and brother. Well, some of the other associates must have planned a weekend, and I ran into six of them in town. They were staying in this great little inn nearby. We had a nice enough conversation and I invited them to the house for drinks and dinner.”
“And they got to see what I’m sure was a fabulous home, your lovely siblings, some staff, perhaps . . .”
“It was a showplace. A classic New England-style home, five bedrooms, decks, French doors and walls of windows, cedar shakes, a rolling lawn to the beach, and yes . . . staff. I loved summering there.”
“Who wouldn’t?” he replied. She’d described an idyllic existence. “I assume the situation went downhill after that?”
“You wouldn’t believe how fast. I became the rich bitch. The woman who thought she was entitled to a partnership. People were digging up information about my family, like we were connected to the mob or something. And then everything hit the fan with Doug.” Leah pulled away and turned to face him, her face set, angry. “His fiancée found out about us, went to her father, who called us both in, and Doug, that rat bastard, threw me under the bus. He said I chased after him and seduced him, that I was relentless, that I knew he was engaged. God, it was pathetic. He lied like it was nothing and he got away with it. I was asked to tender my resignation, and if I didn’t I’d be fired and they would make sure I wouldn’t even be able to get legal aid work. If I went quietly, no problem. That was a lie, too.”
“Christ. The man has no honor. Is that when you came home?”
“No, actually. It turns out, I landed another job in Boston pretty quickly. I was a couple of weeks from my start date, and guess who turned up on my doorstep?”
“You can’t be serious? Does the man have no shame?”
“Apparently not, because there was Doug. He said he wanted to talk, but what he wanted was to sleep with me, and he tried threatening me to get me to give in. Promised to ruin my life. He warned my new firm about me, you know. I was ‘a conniving, home-wrecking bitch.’”
Disgusted, she rose, restless and angry from the retelling. She started pacing the room. “I never started at the new firm. I was told the position was eliminated. So I left Boston. Came back home. Didn’t tell my family anything. They don’t know exactly what happened and I have no intention of telling them. Amy knows, but that’s all. Until you, I’ve told no one else. A major screwup on my part, and I have no intention of repeating it.”
“So you found a new position, built a life, and left that nightmare behind. How is that screwing up?” Tris stood and walked to her. Leah looked up, her eyes awash with unshed tears, and Tristan felt like his heart was in a vise. He wanted to help and he didn’t know how. “You’ve rebuilt your life, your career, and you did it all on your own.”
“Everywhere I go, I worry something is going to happen to dredge it up again. So I keep my head down and work my ass off. I’m horrible to people sometimes because it’s safer that way, you know? If I don’t let anyone in, no one can hurt me.”
Nate mentioned that Leah had grown hard over the years, that something happened after law school that changed her, and the family was in the dark. But she’d confided in him. Trusted him, and he didn’t take it lightly. “Don’t dwell on it. Just think about what you’ve done to get past it.”
Reaching out, Tris pulled her close, feeling her body stiffen and then relax. “You were young. Did you make a mistake? Yes. But don’t keep flogging yourself over it. Let it go.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“No, but think of it this way—I’m not your boss and I’m not engaged to anyone. I’m worth a damn fortune, I’m reasonably good-looking, and I find you very . . .” he kissed her. “Very . . .” he kissed her again. “Attractive. I think you’ve rebounded alright.”
Leah’s face broke into a grin, as she dropped her forehead against his chest. Her mass of red curls tickled him under his chin, and he pulled her closer so he could draw in her scent. It was light and flowery, reminding him of the wildflowers that grew in a field behind the school where he was raised. He wanted to tell Leah all of this. How much she meant to him. How her care, her kindness, her friendship made the recovery from his fall that much easier.
He had missed seeing her since his brother left. He just hadn’t told her how much, and it wasn’t until that moment that Tristan really understood the depth of what he felt for her.
She was right. They were turning a corner. This was the point where Tristan usually stepped back and made his exit. Letting his fingers thread through her hair, he kissed the top of Leah’s head.
This time, he wasn’t walking away.
* * *
After dinner, they were back on the couch, fully sated with food and wine. However, Leah’s confession about her past, and why she was so gun-shy, was still on Tristan’s mind.
This friends thing had taken its toll on both of them, forcing them to dance around each other and play games. She was scared out of her mind, that was obvious, but he wasn’t Doug and he never would be. It was time for Leah to make a decision and go after what she wanted. God knew that’s what he planned to do.
His brother opened his eyes to the fact that he couldn’t wait for a perfect moment. That there was no such thing. Love meant you took the leap of faith regardless of the timing. He’d been so damn jealous when Nick took Leah to dinner he was insane with it.
“So how did the follow-up with the doctor go?” she asked.
“I’m fine. Still a little sore, but I could be feeling the ribs for a couple more weeks.”
“Oh, hmmm. Darn.” She looked up at him, the dim light in the apartment
making her skin shimmer like gold.
“'Darn’?” He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Why ‘darn’?”
Leaning into him, Leah kissed him lightly on the lips. “I was thinking we could both use a little, um, exercise, but I don’t want you to overdo it.”
Tristan almost let out a cheer. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. What do you have in mind?”
“Are you sure this won’t be too tough for you and all your bruises?” God, she was practically purring when she put her hand at his crotch and squeezed him.
Bloody hell. Looked like she had made up her mind.
“I’ll manage. Ancient warriors plundered ancestral villages with fatal wounds. It seems to me I should be able to conquer one headstrong Celt in my condition. Otherwise, I’m shaming my ancestors.”
She laughed, full and rich, and it made him want her all the more. Grabbing the remote and turning off the television, Leah then proceeded to nudge his legs open.
“You’re going to conquer me? Is that it?” she asked teasingly.
“I think it’s a good plan.” The rush of blood in his ears was deafening, a sign that he was rapidly losing control. What was she doing? The muscles of his thighs tensed as she started to work his belt. “What are you doing?”
“Me first.” Damn. Before he could say anything, she was encouraging him to lift his ass so she could work his pants down. With a thud and a wince, he dropped back onto the sofa, with his erection in full view. When she went to her knees and ran her hands up and down his thighs, he said a prayer of thanks to whoever had sent him this wonderfully passionate woman.
“Think you could handle a little personal attention?” she cooed.
“I’ll soldier on.” He swallowed hard, nodded. “You’re a dream, Leah. A damn dream.”
She said nothing, but simply smiled as she took him in her mouth, gently at first and then with increasing pressure. He loved how she teased him, how she trusted him enough to allow this level of intimacy, but as the pressure increased, all he could feel was the warm wetness of her tongue and her lips. Flashes of light exploded behind his eyes. His hands threaded through her hair, holding her, helping her set a pace. He pumped his hips, touching the back of her throat, and she moaned with pleasure. Pure pleasure. Heat shot through his cock and he knew he was going to come soon, she had to be feeling it, but she kept going until finally, he pulled her up. “Fuck, Leah. Oh, my God.”
