by Nadia Lee
He showered and changed into a Stanford T-shirt and shorts. It was quite warm in L.A. He’d gone straight to Ceinlys’s party after doing some supposedly urgent work. Every time somebody wanted his attention, they threw around the “emergency” label. He made a mental note to shake things up at the office. He wasn’t going to babysit his executives, no matter how nervous they were about his replacing Barron. They needed to understand Barron wasn’t in charge anymore, and their aim should be to make him happy, not his great-uncle.
He sat and reviewed a few items in his inbox. A few minutes later, keys jangled and the door opened and shut. “So you got here okay.” Vanessa kicked off her shoes.
“Yup.”
She scowled at his phone. “Who are you texting?”
“Just some emails.”
Her eyes narrowed. He didn’t buy her complaint about how she hadn’t liked his shirt, and whatever had been bugging her was still there. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Vanessa, it’s going to be difficult to be happily married if we aren’t honest with each other. I’m trying very hard to be a good husband.”
She regarded him. Finally she said, “I don’t like blondes.”
The pieces fell into place, and he gaped at her. “You’re jealous?”
Red flushed her cheeks as her mouth turned flatter than a hyphen. Finally she snapped, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You are!” Absurdly enough he liked her jealous. It meant she felt possessive about him. “You shouldn’t have worried.”
“Why not?”
“Because no other woman has my wedding band in her jewelry box.” He rose and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re the first and only.”
“Hmph. I hate blondes anyway.”
She pulled him down for a hot, carnal kiss. Her mouth attacked his aggressively, and he responded in kind.
Suddenly she broke away. “Take off your clothes.”
He pulled the T-shirt over his head and tossed it behind him. His shorts went two seconds later.
“You aren’t wearing any underwear.” Her pupils darkened as she took him in.
“Saw no reason to.”
“Good.” She licked her lips.
Justin turned her around and unzipped her dress. The pale violet chiffon pooled at her feet. She was in nothing but a thong, garter belt and a pair of lace-edged stockings that ended at mid-thigh. He cursed as his cock grew so hard it almost hurt. “Is that how you dress on weekends?”
“Depending on what I’m planning.” She walked toward him until her bare breasts pressed against his torso. “Right now I want to show you I have more than just your ring.” She reached between their bodies and wrapped her hand around his throbbing shaft. He hissed—it felt too damn good, and she hadn’t done anything except kiss him and put her hand there.
She rubbed herself against him, her pointed nipples raking his chest. Her cheeks were flushed, and she licked her mouth again.
He crushed her to him and kissed her—almost too roughly, for teasing him and doubting him. Unlike some men, he took his wedding vows seriously. He cupped her ass and squeezed the firm flesh. She gasped, and he stabbed his tongue deep into her mouth, invading her and letting her know who was in charge.
She rocked against him, her hand moving over his cock. His pelvis pumped, and he stopped. “Let go.”
“No,” she whispered.
“We’re not doing this in your living room.”
Understanding dawned on her, and she let go. He swung her up, into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the sheet. Her hair spread out, she looked like a wanton angel.
Mine. My wife.
He moved over her and claimed her mouth in a possessive kiss. She wasn’t the only one green-eyed with jealousy. She worked in a firm crawling with men—and she wouldn’t let anybody know she was already taken. If he hadn’t trusted her, he would never have allowed her to keep their marriage a secret.
He ran his finger along the seam of her sex, hot and wet through the thong. He swallowed a groan. It was unbelievable how responsive she was, how sexy.
She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his muscles. Her thighs parted, and he fitted himself closer, his mouth fused to hers. He could stay like this forever, pleasuring her and loving her.
Suddenly she pushed him over on his back. She straddled him, her hot core resting over his cock, making it pulse. Her cascading hair looked like a river of fire as she gazed down at him with a feline smile on her lips. “I like you like this. I feel like I can do anything to you.”
“So do it,” he said, his voice passion-husky.
She raked her nails over his chest, just enough to make him feel the sting. “I believe I will.”
* * *
Vanessa had been stewing about him and the other women at the party, and now that she had him under her, her inner self crowed. She wanted him so turned on that he wouldn’t even remember his name.
She traced his body with her mouth. He was so lean and hard all over, his muscles so responsive to her lips. She remembered how much he loved having her hair caress his skin, so she made sure it followed the same path her mouth did.
Her fingernails flicked his nipples—making him gasp—then her tongue laved them one by one to soothe the hurt.
“How does that feel?” she whispered.
“Great.”
She hummed gently and pulled a nipple into her mouth, sucking it hard. His breathing roughened, and she smiled with satisfaction. To make sure its twin didn’t feel neglected, she rolled it and pinched it with her fingers. His cock grew even harder and it pulsed between her legs. She rocked gently against the hot length, enjoying the slickness her own juices and his pre-cum created between their bodies.
Finally she made her way along his ridged stomach, kissing each section with loving care. Justin always took such good care of his body, and she loved the sheer maleness of it. There was absolutely nothing she would have changed about it.
As she traveled lower, his breathing deepened and became more erratic. Probably he expected her to kiss the blunt head of his penis. Well, that would come, but not just yet.
She cupped his balls, weighing and scratching them gently as she kissed his inner thigh. He groaned. “Vanessa.”
“Shhh. Patience.”
She moved over to the other side and wrapped her hand around his thick shaft. She could feel blood pulsing through the steel-hard length, and she smiled. Using his pre-cum she ran her thumb along the purple-blue veins along his cock. His hips jerked upward, seeking more of her. She pulled back with a smile. “Not yet.”
“Wicked woman.”
“No.” She shook her head, making sure her hair brushed over his thighs. “What I am is a possessive woman.”
Tendons in his neck and joints stood out in stark relief as she moved her hand up and down his shaft, making sure to stimulate the soft flap of skin underneath his head with her thumb. He was close. His body was as tight as a coil under tension.
“Sit on my face,” he gasped out.
She stopped. “What?”
“Lose the thong and sit on my face while you do that. I want to taste you when we both come.”
Her whole body clenched with need. She stood up and slowly took off her thong, letting the elastic travel down her legs. Justin watched her with dark, glittering eyes. She got back on the bed and straddled him, facing away downstream. This felt a bit more intimate and exposed than him going down on her.
“Move closer,” he said, his voice low but no less commanding.
She scooched down until she could feel his breath on her bare ass.
“A little more. I’m so close.” His tongue flicked over the lower crease of her butt.
Moaning softly, she slid down toward him, her hips swaying back and forth. His mouth closed over her, and she shut her eyes and arched her back at how good it felt. “God.”
“You taste amazing.”
“
Mmm.” She opened her eyes. Justin’s cock dripped clear pre-cum all over his tight belly. She ran her hand along his shaft, then she pulled the head of his penis into her mouth.
It was all Justin with a hint of salt. She used her lips and tongue and cheeks and hands to give him pleasure. He braced his feet against the mattress and thrust into her mouth in a controlled way, dipping his head into her mouth then pulling out. Meanwhile his fingers opened her up shamelessly, and he thrummed her clit and stabbed her pussy with his tongue. His cock in her mouth muffled her loud moan, but she was so, sooo close…
He dipped a finger into her, then ran it along the opening of her anus.
“Justin!”
She came, clutching his hips to prevent herself from grinding into his face too hard. Her scream echoed against the walls. She felt like even the tip of her hair was tingling from the force of her orgasm.
Justin shifted underneath her, and she found herself flat on her back. He linked his fingers with hers and slowly sank into her. “You have no idea how beautiful you are when you come.” He slid easily into her until she felt his balls resting against her bare flesh. “I could watch you come forever.”
He kissed her deeply as he moved slowly inside her. Her inner muscles were still shaky from the orgasm, but the feel of him between her legs was like an elixir, and she felt herself starting to build again.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. He increased his tempo. He had to be close… She’d gotten him so worked up.
He lifted his torso and changed the angle so he could stimulate her clit with every thrust. She gasped as the pleasure began to crescendo again, pushing her closer to the edge once more. He watched her, his eyes passion-glazed. As she gazed up at him, it was like he was a black arts warlock who’d cast a spell on her—to own her completely.
“Come for me, Vanessa.”
Her back arched at the darkly whispered command, and she came with a soundless scream. Somehow it was sharper and more intense, like the previous one had just been an appetizer.
Justin groaned as her inner muscles flexed around his cock and he came, his head thrown back. He clenched his teeth, and he looked like a savage god over her.
Rolling so she’d lie on top of him, he wrapped his arms around her. When his breathing slowed, he kissed the back of her neck. “You’re a hell of a woman.”
She laughed.
“What are you doing tomorrow? If you want, we can fly to Mexico for a one-day honeymoon,” he said. “We can take our honeymoon one day a week until we’ve had our requisite month.”
She gasped. “Month? Nobody has a honeymoon for a whole month.”
He kissed her. “We do. You’re worth it.”
She gently pushed back the hair that fell over his forehead. “I can’t. I have to work tomorrow.”
“Boo. It’s Sunday.”
“I’ve been taking a lot of days off recently. I have to make up for it somehow. It’s a really long shot, but I might be able to make partner this year. I don’t want to screw it up.”
“Does this mean you’ll be billing over a hundred hours a week? I don’t think it’s healthy for a pregnant woman to work so much.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m on my feet all day.”
“Still.” He put a hand over her belly possessively. “Junior might not like it.”
“Junior, is it?” Would he be disappointed if it was a girl?
“We’ll see. I don’t care, so long as it’s healthy.”
“You don’t want a boy just like Barron?”
Justin shuddered. “One Barron is plenty.” Justin brushed the tip of his nose against hers. “I want our child to have the best traits from both of us.”
Vanessa smiled. “You’re so sweetly sentimental. I never knew.”
“Don’t tell anybody. It’ll ruin my reputation.”
Giggling, she snuggled closer…and wished the moment would never end.
Chapter Eleven
After Vanessa had left for work the next day, Justin pulled out his phone and dialed John Highsmith’s personal mobile number.
Justin wasn’t a client yet, but Highsmith seemed eager to earn Sterling & Wilson’s business. The company needed a new legal team in California, and the firm was one of the best.
“Hello?” Highsmith’s voice was smooth but guarded.
“This is Justin Sterling.”
“Justin! How good of you to call.”
Justin smiled. It was lunchtime on a Sunday. He doubted there was anything good about the timing. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“Not at all.”
“Oh, good. There’s something I need a little help with.”
“If it is within my power,” Highsmith said, relishing his vowels. He sounded like he was auditioning for an Elizabethan play.
“I want you to pull Vanessa Pryce off all her cases.” Especially the ones she was working on with Felix Peck. “I’d like her to work on a special project for us instead.”
“That can certainly be arranged.”
Justin smiled. Highsmith didn’t even try to argue, and he liked that. Lawyers should work to please him. “Have her work no more than forty, but feel free to bill a hundred. Keep my name and the Sterling & Wilson connection out of it—this must be absolutely confidential. You can send a retainer agreement to my office in Chicago. Have it addressed to my assistant.”
“It will be my pleasure to do so.”
Justin could feel the man crow over the phone. Highsmith was a weasel—a very good one—and he was Justin’s weasel now. He would do whatever Justin told him to keep Sterling & Wilson as a client.
Justin hung up, fully satisfied.
* * *
Vanessa went to the office early. Since it was an off day she wore a black T-shirt with a shark across her chest and khaki shorts. A few of the associates working over the weekend were also casually dressed. Felix waved from a conference room, and Vanessa went over.
“Get that shit-eating grin off your face,” Felix said. “Highsmith’s been looking for you.”
Vanessa blinked. “He has?”
“Yeah. It kind of felt urgent.”
She cursed under her breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She didn’t work closely with him, but she knew his reputation: impatient and exacting. “Why didn’t you call?”
“He didn’t want me to. He just asked you to join him in his office as soon as you get in.”
That’s weird. John didn’t believe in wasting even a second of his time. Non-billable moments had no place in his life. “Okay. Thanks.”
She walked down the hall and stopped in front of the dark wood door with a golden plaque that read: John P. Highsmith. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, then knocked.
“Come in!”
The corner office had a priceless antique mahogany desk with a leather executive chair. The windows had a spectacular view of downtown Los Angeles, and the pristine cream walls had built-in shelves with what probably amounted to a metric ton of leather-bound legal tomes and awards. A sleek silver laptop and a phone took up the right side of his desk, while four accordion folders sat on the left.
“You wanted to see me?”
John nodded, his eyes shrewd. He’d always reminded Vanessa of a big bruiser, the kind of a guy she might see working as a bouncer at a popular club, except he always wore suits no bouncer could afford and a superior smile that said he never lost. Given his reputation, he probably actually hadn’t lost a lawsuit in at least the last decade.
“Have a seat.” He waited until she lowered herself onto a plush armchair across from him. “I understand you’re working on the Solaris case?”
“Yes. Harry Dickson assigned me to it, along with Felix.”
“Mm. Well, I’m pulling you off it.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“It’s in the best interests of the firm to do so. You’ll be working on a highly confidential case instead.”
“Is Harry a
ware of this?”
“Yes, but he couldn’t tell you this in person since he had to fly to Florida. His mother had her monthly crisis.”
Harry’s mother’s “monthly crises” were infamous at the firm. They required her only son to fly to Miami to see her. One time he’d ignored her, and she’d supposedly had a heart attack.
“So who’s the client?” Vanessa asked.
“As I said, the case is confidential. So I’m afraid I can’t disclose the name.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I need to know to do what I do best.”
“I understand, but the client’s a bit eccentric.”
“If I can’t even know who the client is, what am I doing?”
“Nothing too complicated. You just need to”—he raised his shoulders in a careless shrug—“review some documents that the in-house counsel’s been working on.”
“That won’t take me any time at all.”
“Oh there are quite a lot of them. Fortunately, there’s no real rush. So you won’t need to work more than forty billable hours a week on this.”
“So I can still work on the Solaris case.”
“No.” John sighed. “The new client will be your only one. For the time being.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Vanessa. I assure you, this won’t count against you.”
“Right.” She knew how the game was played. If other people had more billable hours than she did, she’d look bad in July, no matter what John said now. She gave him a hard stare. “Are you doing this because you have somebody else in mind for July?” she asked point-blank.
John started. “What? No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Then there’s no reason for you to take me off the Solaris case. Put somebody else on this new thing. Like Stan.”
“Vanessa—”
“You know this is going to hurt me. I’ve dedicated my life to this firm.”
“Yes, I understand that. But I give you my word, this won’t be a black mark on your record. Quite the contrary. We’ll be counting your billable hours at two and a half times the actual rate. So even though you’ll be putting in forty, it will count as a hundred.” He spread his hands and beamed at her.
