by Regan Black
His world was full of that vague unity she’d been looking for all her life. She’d seen glimpses, of course, but when she’d dared to try to become part of it, it crumbled around her. Only at Marburg had she truly felt like she fit, and that was a cutthroat environment.
“Oh, my word,” she said suddenly. “I’m an idiot.” She didn’t have a real stalker, not someone connected to Falk anyway. She had an enemy inside Marburg, another associate willing to take her down in order to secure her place on the case. She bounced a little in her seat as Mitch pulled into the driveway. “I’m never this naive,” she said. “Whoever is doing this must be laughing himself to sleep at night.”
“Julia? Could you let me in on the joke, please?”
“Sure. Over pizza.” Her stomach rumbled in agreement. “Come on.”
“The stalker has to be one of the associates from Marburg,” she said as she set the pizza box on the counter. “It could be someone who’s been passed over for a big case or someone who generally resents female lawyers. Good grief, it’s so obvious it’s embarrassing.”
“Right.” He handed her the plates. “Why don’t you walk me through it as if I’m the idiot?”
She put two savory slices of pizza on each plate and carried them to the table while he popped the top off a cold beer and poured it into a glass for her. “I’m an attorney, not a princess,” she said, inexplicably charmed by his thoughtful gesture.
“From where I’m standing, you’re both.” He turned away before she could respond, grabbing the napkins.
“You’ve cooked for me twice today,” she said as they sat down. “I’ll handle the cooking tomorrow.”
“This doesn’t count.” He passed her the Parmesan cheese. “Who at the firm could hate you so much that they’d go to these lengths to get you off a case?”
“I don’t know yet, but it makes complete sense.”
“To one of us. Where I work, coworkers who try to take someone out are booted off the job.”
“I would hope so. Our jobs have different risks,” she replied. “Law school has a high dropout rate and a cutthroat approach among the remainder.”
“Guess I’m glad to be a simple guy. I’d rather know the people around me are loyal.” Mitch raised his beer bottle to his lips and took a long pull before he continued. “Firefighters aren’t perfect and there have been issues,” he allowed. “But for the most part, I can count on the people around me having their heads on straight. Especially in a crisis.”
“You’re not a simple guy,” she said with a chuckle. “And my head is on straight, thank you very much.”
He tipped back in his chair, balancing it on the back legs. “Convince me.”
“First, all those pictures proved he has close access to my schedule and he clearly knows that part of Philly as well as I do. Second, having my computer linked to the firm’s network must have made it a breeze to tap into my finances and passwords. He could have picked up the bank information through the payroll.”
Either the beer or the excitement of a workable theory—finally—had her feeling flushed and warm. She scooped her hair up off her neck and held it there for a moment. Mitch’s gaze dropped, trailing over her throat. The effect was as effective as a touch, heightening the sensation that she’d spiked a fever. She shifted abruptly, her hair falling to her shoulders, relieved that the tension snapped, on her side of the equation anyway. No one had ever looked at her quite the way Mitch did, as if he saw through her tough facade without underestimating her capabilities.
The man could kiss as if his life depended on it, in a way that made her want to forget everything else. That spark between them was tempting her. She struggled to remember that physical attraction wasn’t what had brought her here.
“Third.” She paused to clear the rasp of desire from her throat. “Third,” she repeated, “and most important is that he hasn’t asked for anything that would truly jeopardize Falk’s defense. The notion of a competing lawyer explains what doesn’t add up between the threats and demands and the actions that put me in the hot seat.”
Mitch had listened intently as she delivered each point, his brown eyes going dark as he concentrated on her.
“Well?” she prompted when he didn’t say a word.
“If it is someone from the firm, he’s spending a ton of time away from his desk.”
Resigned, she conceded that point.
“More than that,” he continued. “If the stalker is inside, why steal your laptop when he had easy access via the network you mentioned?”
“That move was designed to scare me and make Haywood see me as a risk, putting me a step closer to being off the case.”
“Okay.” Mitch dipped his chin in agreement. “Are there pictures of the lawyers anywhere? I got a good look at the guy yesterday.”
She perked up again. “Everyone has to have a new head shot done when they’re hired. They’re on the firm’s website.”
“Let’s get to it.”
She retrieved her computer and set it up on the table for him, pulling up the website. “I’ll handle the dishes while you start searching,” she said, stacking their plates.
“You don’t have to do that.”
She smiled down at him. “Haven’t you noticed I’m no good at doing nothing?” He’d noticed just about everything else about her.
He answered with a smirk that made her heart speed up as the rest of her body froze in place, anticipating what might come next.
What did she want to come next? Before she could stop herself, her mind spun a delicious fantasy of Mitch sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her to bed. She bobbled the plates, and the clatter of silverware as she caught them brought her back to reality. “Did the website load okay?”
“Yes.” His brow furrowed as he studied her. “Why don’t you sit down, Julia. The dishes can wait.”
“No, thanks. I don’t want to influence your search.” She took a step back, distressed by the sense that she’d made another wrong move. An ill-advised retreat. Into the kitchen, she scolded herself. She couldn’t have stood there indefinitely, tempting fate. There was a stalker to find, and exploring this sizzling chemistry between them wouldn’t make the task any easier.
She wanted to ask him a dozen questions about the man he’d seen, but any description would have her jumping to conclusions about who’d put this in motion. She recalled the note that had been tucked in with her mail that first night, the stalker’s attempt to use people close to her as leverage. Her stomach pitched.
Just by pretending to be her new boyfriend, Mitch was putting himself in danger from the stalker. If the stalker was a coworker at Marburg, Mitch already had a target on his back. In the brief time they’d been forced together, she already cared for him. She’d learned the hard way her emotions were too intense to be trusted and easily twisted up into something that drove people out of her life.
Her lousy track record with people had started at home and progressively worsened as her world expanded. After one bitter disaster after another confusing lust for love in high school, Julia used college to effectively run away from home. Thank goodness there had been one teacher who believed in her, who’d kept helping her with college apps and scholarships despite her mother’s repeated attempts to malign his reputation.
Therapists during her undergrad years had cleared the way for her to have a healthier emotional life, until the stress of her first year of law school had resulted in a pitiful backslide. She’d struggled that first year, trying to figure out how to coexist as a decent person and an ambitious law student.
She glanced at Mitch. Impatient and cocky, he was a good man, a man who didn’t deserve to be saddled with her baggage. Hot kisses and mutual attraction aside, surely she could keep her hands off him until they could return to his regularly scheduled life. He might be assigned to protect her, but she wouldn’t hurt him in the process.
Chapter 10
Mitch could practically hear Julia thinking while she
did the dishes. She’d been energized by her new theory about the stalker’s identity as a coworker, then she’d abruptly gone quiet. He hadn’t indulged himself and kissed her again, though resisting had been a challenge. When she’d pulled up her hair, he’d yearned for a taste of the creamy skin of her neck, to feel the pulse at the base of her throat beat gently against his lips and tongue.
Astute as she was, receptive as she’d been to his kisses, it would be stupid to think she hadn’t noticed his desire. Maybe he’d been so forward and his desire so obvious, he’d scared her away before he had a chance to do things right.
Rather than dwell on that small misery, he gave his full attention to the computer. It wasn’t a bad theory that someone at her office was the root of this mess. Julia wasn’t the only lawyer he’d known, just the first from Marburg’s notorious ranks. If most of her fellow attorneys took after her rude boss, Julia’s sense of decency must be a rare commodity inside that building.
Scrolling through the pages of pictures on the website, he noticed a scarcity of female attorneys. Apparently, the managing partners—all male—weren’t worried about maintaining their equal opportunity stats. He’d watched his dad’s generation deal with similar issues in the fire department. The rigorous training was compounded by a steep gender bias. Few women qualified to work fires and those who did usually had to overcome all kinds of doubt within their firehouses. He couldn’t imagine adding backstabbing to their list of daily concerns. He glanced over his shoulder at Julia with a new appreciation for her unfailing composure.
He ignored the women and older men and those listed in satellite offices across the country. He spent more time on the younger men, reading through the bios in case the pictures weren’t current. When they all started to look alike, he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.
He heard her poking around the cabinets and allowed it to distract him. At some point he had to tell her they were having dinner with his family tomorrow. He sure hadn’t figured out how to tell his mother he wouldn’t be there.
“Any luck?”
“Still looking,” he replied, reluctant to dash her hopes. He twisted around in his seat. She’d pulled up that glorious red hair again, securing it with a clip. He flexed his hands, wanting to let it down and sift it through his fingers. “Do you work with anyone you know from law school?”
She shook her head. “I’m the first in a long time to be hired by Marburg straight out of my school.”
“First woman, too, based on the bios I’ve read.”
“Yes.” Her chin came up and her hands twisted the dish towel mercilessly.
“The dish towel isn’t the stalker, Julia.”
Her eyebrows dipped in a frown, then her expression cleared with a spate of nervous laughter. “I would like to get my hands on the right target.” She tossed the towel over her shoulder. “I did a quick inventory for tomorrow. How does a pot roast sound? You have a slow cooker and—”
He held up a finger to halt her. “We won’t have to worry about dinner tomorrow.” Coming to his feet, he removed the towel from her shoulder and returned it to its hook on the side of the refrigerator. Just like pulling off a bandage, it was better to spill the news all at once. “We’re having dinner with my family tomorrow. One o’clock at my parents’ house.”
She rocked back on her heels, the color draining from her face. “Family dinner.” She sat down hard on the counter stool. “You can’t seriously mean for me to join you.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m not leaving you alone. It’s not a big deal,” he promised. “It’s more like a weekly requirement built into the Galway DNA.”
“Do you and your siblings show up with guests often?”
“Often enough,” he hedged.
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “When was the last time you brought a guest of the female variety?”
He should’ve expected her to see through that answer. The first time had been in high school and everyone had known she was only a friend. Just over a year ago he’d brought the woman he’d expected to marry. “A while ago.”
“I see. Does anyone other than your brother know I’ve moved in here with you?”
“No. Stephen wouldn’t open that can of worms.”
“You have to go?”
“I missed last week. We have to go.” How could he explain it to her without sounding like some lame man-child who should still be living in his parents’ basement? “Missing two weeks in a row without a valid excuse is akin to an unforgiveable sin.” He stepped closer and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the counter and pouring on the charm. “The food is amazing and since it’s your first time, you don’t even have to help with the dishes.”
“First time?”
Her green eyes were wide and troubled, and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and erase every bit of stress clouding her features. “I expect we’ll go back until this stalker thing is resolved.”
She groaned, covering her face with her hands. “This is crazy.”
He gently drew her hands away from her face. “Why?”
“Mitch.” Her gaze dropped to where he drew his thumbs in slow circles over her palms. “Stop.”
“In a minute.” Maybe. He liked the feel of her soft skin, the sound of her voice. “Tell me why it’s crazy.” Trust me, he added with his eyes. Her breathing was quick and shallow. She was a private person, used to being alone. He hadn’t expected her to be thrilled about dinner with a bunch of strangers, but he hadn’t anticipated her panic.
“They’ll get the wrong idea,” she said. “I’m a client, not a date.”
“You could be both.” He brought her hands to his lips and feathered kisses over her knuckles. He knew she appreciated the direct approach; he preferred it himself. “I’d like it if you were both.”
Her lips parted for a moment, then clamped shut. He thought he caught a sheen of tears in her eyes before she closed them and lowered her head.
“Forget the family and focus on the dinner part,” he said, still holding her hands. “The food will be amazing.”
“I can’t separate the two,” she replied, meeting his gaze again. “What if...”
Her expression blanked and he followed her unspoken thoughts down the dark spiral. “You won’t be putting any of us at risk.”
“I wish I could agree. It’s not smart, Mitch.”
Her worry strengthened his resolve. They were going to dinner. She needed a break from this mess. Though his boisterous family aggravated him frequently, they were good people who believed in laughter, hard work and common sense. “No one will start humming a wedding march when we walk in.”
He’d meant it as a joke, something so absurd it would shock the worry and fear right out of her. Instead, she swore, yanking her hands from his grasp.
“You can’t just tell your mom you’re working? Working a new job, I mean.”
“Not this week.” He tried to laugh it off. “She knows I’m suspended and I lied about a closing shift at the Escape to get out of last week. Typically, the only valid excuse for missing dinner is being on shift. Which might explain why so many of Myra Galway’s children have chosen public service careers.” That earned a small smile. Finally. “All that to say I think you’ll like her. Honestly, she would have my head if she heard what a hash I’ve made of this.”
“I’m sure she’s a lovely woman.” She turned her back on him. “Don’t ask me to crash your family dinner. I’ll be safe enough here. I’m the last woman any mother wants her son to bring home,” she finished quietly.
He came around the counter, laid his hands lightly on her tense shoulders. “What makes you say that?” When she remained there, letting him touch her, he kneaded the knots in her muscles, working gently to loosen them.
“Off the cuff?” She held up one finger. “Redhead.” Another finger rose. “Lawyer.” A third finger joined the others. “Representing one of the biggest criminals in city history.”
Did she
think he was blind? None of those were her real reasons. “You’re making this a bigger issue than it is.” Far bigger than he’d meant to make it. His reasons for being agitated about how his family reacted to her made sense. He worried they’d see through him and realize how much he cared about her before he was ready to broach the subject with her.
Her increasing desperation had him scrambling to make things right. Despite everything that had brought her to the club, everything they’d encountered since, she’d never shown this type of insecurity. “Take a breath. Tell me what’s really bothering you.”
She shook her head quickly, setting wisps of her gorgeous hair free of the clip to curl at the nape of her neck. “Pretending you’re my new boyfriend at the office is one thing. They don’t matter. Don’t ask me to deceive your family.”
“That was never the intention. I’ll introduce you as a friend, though. Calling you a client would be a tougher sell. They don’t know what Grant does at the Escape.”
She slipped away from his touch, facing him once more. He was pleased to see the resolve return to her eyes, along with that determined lift of her chin. Why did he find that angle so enticing?
“And bringing home a friend—” she used air quotes “—implies so much more. I’ll stay here.”
Her voice was rock steady now. She’d fought off whatever had stirred up her anxiety. Inexplicably Mitch felt shortchanged that she hadn’t needed his help to get over the problem or trusted him enough to share it. He rolled his shoulders, trying to dismiss the weird feeling. “No.”
“No?” She folded her arms over her chest and her eyes lit with a fight.
He tucked his hands into his back pockets and met her gaze. Held it. “We stick together until we identify your stalker and he’s in custody.”
“Mitch.”
“Discussion over. End of debate.” He returned to the table and sat down to resume his search of the attorneys she worked with. “Let’s start eliminating suspects.”
Eventually, she joined him at the table and they pulled together a short list of possible suspects that resembled the man he’d seen in the coffee shop. Four men who had been difficult since she’d joined the firm. It was far from definitive, but it was progress. “See, we do great work together,” he said.
