by L. J. Taylor
As the blood returned to her brain, she reflected on what had just occurred. They had attacked each other like rabid animals in heat. At thirty-five years old, she was not inexperienced. She’d her share of lovers - some might say more than her fair share. She had experienced good sex, bad sex, and everything in between. But she’d had never had a reaction like that to anyone – not even her ex-husband. Charles had made her reach multiple orgasms. It was as if their bodies were made for each other. He’d played her like a violin and her body had made the most beautiful music.
It scared her that anyone had the ability to make her feel that way. Couple that with the fact that he was her client and she had a recipe for disaster. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew she had better find the right way to play this or she might find herself not only out of a client, but also a career.
Charles got up and headed to the restroom. She heard water running in the sink. He came back to the bed carrying a wet washcloth and a towel. He put the towel down onto the bed, then reached down and opened her legs. He gently began to clean her up. The washcloth was warm and comforting. She didn’t know what to think. She found the experience oddly sweet. He dried her off with the towel and then took the towel and the wash cloth back into the bathroom.
He came back to the bed, lay down next to her and pulled her close, cradling her head in the crook between his neck and his shoulder. She threw her arm over him and lay there quietly for a while, her face on his chest. It felt so good to be held. No-one had cuddled her like that in years. She hadn’t allowed anyone else to get that close.
“That was wild,” she said.
“I’ll say.”
“I want you to know that I don’t usually go jumping into bed with clients like that.”
“Oh, so it only happens on the rare occasion?”
She chuckled. “No. Silly. I mean that I’ve never slept with a client before. I don’t know what possessed me to do it tonight.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m in a position to judge here. We pretty much ravaged each other,” he said.
She covered her eyes with her hand. “Oh God. Is that what we did?”
He grinned. “Yup. I’d say you gave as good as you got, counselor.”
Kathy lay there with her hand over her eyes. If only the bed could have swallowed her whole. She was mortified at his description of the event. She didn’t know how she was ever going to recover a shred of dignity in this relationship. He reached over and pulled her hand from her eyes. “It’s no use trying to hide now, Counselor. I’ve already seen and tasted almost every part of you. And may I say it was a very tasty treat indeed.”
She pushed away from him and sat up, pulling the sheet up over her breasts. “Listen, we need to talk.”
He closed his eyes and groaned. “Oh no. Right now?”
“Yes. Right now.”
“Okay.” He sat up and leaned back against the headboard next to her.
“We’re two adults who enjoyed each other’s company and had a good time.”
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear you had a good time, Counselor. I know I certainly did.” He leaned over and kissed her shoulder.
She pushed his head away. “But we can’t continue to have a good time.”
“Why not?” His voice sounded perilously close to a whine.
“Because if anyone ever found out, I could lose my job and even my license for this,” she said.
“Aren’t you exaggerating just a little bit, counselor?”
“No. I’m not exaggerating,” she said. “My law firm has a strict anti-fraternization policy.”
“You mentioned that once before,” he said. “I thought you were just saying that to keep me from getting ideas. Not that it worked.”
She smiled. “It’s a real policy. Think about it from the firm’s perspective. There’s a high potential for conflict between attorneys and the clients they’re sleeping with. What if they get into an argument and the client decides to leave the firm? It’s much easier and safer for the firm to strictly forbid these types of relationships.”
He nodded. “I can see how that would be easier for the firm. But what about feelings? The firm can’t really expect to regulate those. I mean, we are human beings and being attracted to the opposite sex is natural.”
She rolled her eyes. He sounded like a typical man. “We’re supposed to be able to control our base urges.”
He grew quiet for a moment. “I haven’t felt anything like this for anyone else but my wife. I haven’t even wanted to be with anyone else.”
His words struck a chord in her. She could relate. She hadn’t let anyone get this close to her since her divorce. “That’s really sweet. Unfortunately, though, this can’t continue. I’m not interested in getting fired or disbarred and you can’t afford for me to be distracted from your case. We need to put all of our efforts into winning this thing.”
“And afterwards?” he asked. “What happens then? I will no longer be a client of your law firm. Will the stupid policy allow you to live your life then?”
She wondered. Never having been in this situation before, she had never looked up the ethical rule or the policy and read it. She’d have to do that when she got back to the office. “I don’t know. We’ll cross that road when we come to it. If we still want to.”
She rubbed her hand down his arm. He put his hand over hers and kept it there. It was such a simple gesture, but for some reason, she felt tears clogging her throat. She blinked them back. “Listen. We need to get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Why don’t you go back to your room? I’ll see you in the morning. Say eight o’clock in the lobby?”
He stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded. “Okay.”
He got up and picked his clothes up off the floor. She watched him. He was a hell of a male specimen. Part of her was tempted to pull him back into bed. She had to be crazy to let that leave.
He put on his jeans, wadded his shirt and his underwear into a ball and turned to her. “Goodnight, Counselor.”
“Goodnight.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. She sat there for a long while, somehow saddened by what had just occurred - as if she’d lost something important by letting him go. This time, she let the tears flow down her face. She got up, walked into the bathroom, grabbed some tissues and blew her nose.
What the hell was wrong with her? First, she’d slept with a client acting like a teenager with raging hormones and now she was sobbing for opportunities lost like a heroine in some sappy romance novel. She needed to get a grip on herself. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was 2:00a.m. What she needed was some sleep. She walked out of bathroom, turned out all the lights, crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head.
***
Charles climbed out of bed the next morning feeling groggy and irritable. He had hardly slept a wink. Instead, he’d tossed and turned all night long thinking about that damned woman. He couldn’t get the way they fit together out of his mind. He hadn’t experienced anything like that with anyone else besides Patti.
Here he was, risking everything to avenge Patti’s death and this woman somehow managed to get under his skin. He tried to think about it rationally. She was a very attractive woman. They’d spent a lot of time together. It was only natural for them to be attracted to each other. And it had been more than a year since he’d been with a woman. Hell, his buddies would say it was about time he got his rocks off.
But he knew this was different. He’d slept with many beautiful women. They were attracted to him – had been ever since high school. They liked his personality, the way he treated them, the way he made them feel. It was a mutual love affair. He enjoyed women and they enjoyed him. He was careful not to make promises he didn’t intend to keep. Even so, there was the occasional misunderstanding when a woman hoped for more than he was willing to give.
Patti had changed all that. They met while he was in the Corps. He’d been shot in the chest dur
ing an operation in Germany and she was a nurse in the naval hospital there. The first thing he saw when he woke up from the surgery was her smile. She’d looked like an angel to him. During his time at the hospital, she took great care of him. Even when he was grouchy from the pain or from being stuck with needles all the time - he hated needles – she would joke around or soothe him. She would come to his room during her breaks and between rounds and they would talk about everything and nothing.
When he was discharged from the hospital, he missed her. He used his clearance to look up her service record and to keep track of her whereabouts. When she ended her tour of duty in Germany and returned to the States, she moved to Miami. He took a vacation there and engineered an opportunity to run into her. He took her out to dinner that night on Ocean Drive and then he took her dancing at Mango’s. Afterwards, they sat on the beach, talked for hours and watched the sun rise. He knew then that he had met his soul mate.
When Patti died, he just shut down. He lost interest in anything other than getting revenge. He didn’t think he’d ever find another woman who could make him feel a fraction of what he felt for Patti. But now, he couldn’t get Kathy out of his head. He wanted more and more of her - and not just her body. He wanted all of her – mind, body and soul. It was much more than simple lust.
He swore. This was the last thing he needed. He had no business having feelings for his attorney. It would only get in the way. What kind of man got feelings for another woman while in the process of avenging his wife’s death? The whole situation made him feel guilty and frustrated. But no matter how inconvenient or inappropriate his feelings were, he had them. There was no denying that.
He would have to deal with his feelings at some point, but that time was not now. Kathy was right. Until this situation with Peachtree was resolved, they couldn’t afford to be distracted. One false move could get them both killed. Plus, he needed her focused on winning the lawsuit. So, for now, Kathy would get her wish. Until he succeeded in destroying Peachtree, he wouldn’t pursue a personal relationship with her. After he accomplished his mission, however, all bets would be off.
***
The next morning, McAllister and Peachtree watched the video footage taken from Kathy Brook’s hotel room. A broad grin spread across Peachtree’s face. “Well, looky here. I had no idea the counselor could let her hair down that much. She acts so high and mighty in the courtroom with her hair pulled back into a bun and wearing them fancy glasses. I wonder how she’d feel if some of this footage found its way to the Internet or, worse yet, the 10:00 o’clock news. That ought to give her incentive to get her client to settle this damned case.”
McAllister smiled. “Here I was just hoping to see if they met with anybody or discussed trial strategy in each other’s rooms. Instead, we hit the jackpot. It just goes to show that it always pays to be prepared.”
“I know that I can always count on you for that,” Peachtree said. He looked back at the video screen as Kathy’s cries and Charles’ moans reached a crescendo. “That sure is one fine looking woman.”
“Yeah,” McAllister said. “I wouldn’t kick that out of bed.”
Peachtree laughed. McAllister pushed a button on the remote to fast forward the video. “Keep watching. It gets even more interesting afterwards.” He fast forwarded to the part where Charles and Kathy were sitting up and talking in bed.
An evil grin spread over Peachtree’s face as he listened to Kathy talk about the possible consequences of their illicit activities. “This is better than I even imagined. It’s one thing to blackmail a woman with the threat of exposing all of her intimate secrets to the public. But the counselor just gave me an even better idea of how best to utilize this little home movie. If what she says is true, the little filly risked her job and her law license by jumping her client’s bones. Greed and pride are very powerful motivators and lawyers are notoriously greedy and arrogant. She’s not going to want to risk her license or her standing at the firm to keep this case going. Well now, since she’s obviously got the means to make Mr. Morgan forget all about his dead wife, she can put her skills and her cute little behind to work for us if she wants to save her reputation and her livelihood.” He pushed the intercom button. “Giada, get Weisman on the line. I need to talk to him.”
CHAPTER XII
Kathy met Charles in the lobby the next morning. He looked tired. She‘d barely slept a wink herself. She’d tossed and turned all night thinking about him, and, when she finally drifted off, she’d dreamed about him.
“Morning,” she said.
“Morning.”
They stood there for an awkward moment. He rolled his eyes and took her suitcase from her. “Look, I’ll put this in the car. Why don’t you meet me in the coffee shop next door and order us up some breakfast?”
She nodded. “Sounds good. I could use some green tea. What do you want?”
“I’ll have some coffee, eggs over easy and rye toast,” he said.
“You got it,” she said.
She gripped the strap of her handbag and headed toward the exit. She could feel Charles’ eyes on her as she walked away. When she got to the door, she turned back to look at him and caught him in the act. He grinned. She smiled and exited the hotel.
Her smile faded as she headed toward the café. Okay, so they were attracted to each other. That was fine – even normal. But she shouldn’t be encouraging him. There was too much at stake here. The best thing for them both would be to keep it strictly business.
She marched into the café, secured a table and ordered breakfast for herself and her client. When the waitress finished taking her order, Kathy pulled out her Blackberry and began scrolling through her e-mails. She winced. It seemed as if all of her other cases were blowing up at the same time. Charles’ case had taken so much of her time that she kept putting things off. Now she had three hearings, two briefs and a deposition scheduled for the following week. She needed some help. She sent an e-mail to Erin requesting that she get started on the briefs.
The little bells above the restaurant door jingled. Kathy looked up to see Charles walking in. Damn. Just the sight of him was enough to make her mouth water. She stared at him, a silly smile across her face, as he walked up to their table. Realizing that she was staring at him, she dropped her gaze and noticed, for the first time, the two steaming mugs on the table. The waitress must have brought their drinks while she was reading her e-mails. She cleared her throat and gestured toward them.
“I ordered the food and there’s your coffee,” she said.
“Thanks.” He sat down, picked up his coffee and took a sip.
She dug into her purse, pulled out one of her green stevia packets, ripped it open and poured its contents into her cup. “I hope Mrs. Roberts will agree to talk to us.”
“I hope so too,” he said.
***
The Lincoln town car pulled up in front of a large Colonial style house in a nice residential neighborhood in Queens. There were no cars parked in the driveway.
Charles and Kathy looked at each other.
“Maybe her car is parked in the garage,” she said.
“Let’s go see,” he said.
Kathy gathered her purse and briefcase. The driver came around to open her car door and she began to climb out. Just as her feet hit the sidewalk, however, a loud blast erupted. The ground shook. Windows blew out of the second floor of the two story house showering glass onto the sidewalk below. The driver put his hand over his head and hunched his shoulders.
Kathy screamed and pulled her feet back into the town car. Charles, who had already gotten out, opened his car door, reached in, grabbed Kathy under her arms and dragged her backwards out of the car on his side. Kathy, Charles and the driver ran across the street and ducked for cover behind some parked cars just as a second explosion shook the block. Charles pulled Kathy close and covered her body with his as more debris came crashing down onto the street. After a moment, when it appeared the explosions were over, he eas
ed off Kathy.
She pushed at her hair to get it out of her face, adjusted her glasses and sat up slowly, feeling dazed and confused. Charles grabbed her by the chin and turned her head to face him. That’s when she realized he was talking to her. Her ears were ringing so much from the explosion that she could barely hear him. She shook her head, hoping to clear them.
Looking worried, he propped her eyelids open with his fingers and peered into her eyes. Annoyed, she pulled her head away from his grasp.
“Are you alright?” he asked
She heard him this time and nodded. “What the hell?”
She turned to look at the house across the street. It was still standing though it looked as if it might collapse any second. Flames licked at the window openings on the second floor and smoke billowed out into the street.
People came out of their houses and milled about watching the fire. Occasionally, someone would point at the town car. The neighbors stared at them curiously. Kathy heard the sound of sirens in the background. They were getting closer. She turned to Charles. “Do you think Mrs. Roberts was in there?”
Charles nodded, his mouth set into a grim line. “Yes, I do.”
Kathy swallowed. Was it an accident? A coincidence? It had to be, because if not, then that meant Peachtree would stop at nothing to win this case. Although that was par for the course in high stakes litigation, this took it to a whole other level – one she wasn’t sure she could handle.
***
Peachtree sat back in his chair across from his attorney’s desk with one ankle propped casually over the knee of his other leg. “I have a little gift for you.”
Weisman perked up and inclined his head to the side. “Really? What sort of gift?”
