“Okay, my feelings. I care about you deeply.”
“How?”
“How deeply?”
“No, how do you care about me deeply?”
“Aviva, you have to help me out here. I want to answer your questions, but I have no idea what you mean.” He held up a hand. “Before you ask, no, I’m not trying to tell you what you want to know, but I need to at least be on the same page as you.”
He looked lost. She took pity on him. “Okay, how do you know you care about me deeply?”
“Because you’re the only person I think about. Because when I’m not with you…” His eyes widened. “…something is missing.” He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. “Right here. Something is missing when you’re not with me. I’m terrified I’m going to mess things up with you and not have time to make this work, and the thought of being without you leaves me empty.”
Her fingers curled in his shirt. She stood on tiptoe to caress his cheek. “That’s feelings. Now I know you’re being honest.”
“I always will be. I promise. Will you give me another chance to prove it to you?” He leaned down. His lips brushed hers. Warmth pooled in her belly as her breasts pressed against his chest. They stood together, like dancers in a choreographed waltz at the moment right before he swung her out and away from him.
“Yes.” She didn’t want to move. She wanted to get closer. Swaying her hips, she ran her fingers through the hair at his nape. He needed a haircut, but she loved the feel of the silky strands on her skin. He tipped his head closer, kissed her harder. She parted her lips for him. His tongue delved inside, met hers, continuing the dance of their bodies. Their noses touched. Her neck heated. He let go of her hand, grabbed her bottom, pressing her to him. He was hard. She began to rock. Their breaths came faster.
With a groan, he pulled back. “We can’t do this,” he said.
“Why not?”
He whipped his head up, pupils dilated with desire, mouth red. “Because you said you weren’t ready yet.”
She ran her hands down his chest, dipped her fingers behind his waistband. His stomach trembled at her touch. “I said it had to mean something. It does. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
She didn’t think his irises could get any darker, but they were almost black with desire. He wanted her. He cared about her. She’d created the desire. She’d helped him recognize his feelings for her. The power was as much of an aphrodisiac as oysters. She couldn’t stand to spend one more moment apart from him. She took his hand and led him to her bedroom, tripping over her feet in an effort to get there quickly.
Once inside, he leaned her against the closed door. He kissed every inch of her, starting at her hairline. He traced kisses over her eyelids, behind her ear, down her neck, across her collarbone. She shivered as he moved lower, stopped to kiss each breast through her shirt and ended at her belly button. His hands gripped her hipbones as he kissed her through her jeans. She bucked. He drove her crazy.
When he rose, she led him to the bed and pushed him onto it. He growled but lay there. She climbed on top of him. He raised his hands to grasp her waist, but she pushed them on the bed. She trailed tiny kisses across his forehead, along the bridge of his nose. He pursed his lips to kiss her back, but she maneuvered out of his reach. She kissed his neck, trailed her lips across his adam’s apple.
He was wearing too many clothes.
Reaching under his shirt, she stroked his chest and flat stomach, his muscles jumping beneath her hands. She undid his belt and shorts. She trailed kisses lower and lower, listening to him hiss as she made it below his waistband.
With a sudden move, he flipped her over, pinned her beneath him, pulling at her shirt and shorts with feverish movements. Only when they were skin to skin did he slow down.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, as he rose above her. He feasted his eyes on her body.
The cool air chilled her, reminded her they were apart. She raised her hips to try to meet him.
“Easy,” he chuckled. “Do you have anything? I didn’t bring condoms with me.”
She fumbled in the drawer of her nightstand and handed him the packet. After he’d put it on, he lowered himself on top of her. His body was warm, hard, and heavy. She shifted under him to get comfortable. He hissed, making her smile.
“Tease.” He bent forward to kiss her breasts.
She scratched her nails along his back. She rocked her hips with him, and he hardened against her. His mouth grew more insistent. Their breathing increased in tandem. She stroked his backside.
When he raised his head, she pushed him. She straddled his hips, reached down and cupped him in her hands. He threw his head back as his hips bucked.
“Avs, oh God, Avs,” he panted. “I can’t…I can’t…I c-c-can’t…”
She rose. He flipped them over once more and slid inside of her. He paused while she accustomed herself to him. When she nodded, he thrust, their bodies moving as one. He kept his gaze focused on her. Aviva was unable to look away. His eyes closed. His lips parted. Tightness spiraled between her legs. Pressure built until she had no choice but to close her eyes. She rode the wave as it grew bigger and higher, until stars burst behind her eyelids. As she came down, he drove into her faster and faster. He shouted her name. They lay together, limbs entwined.
His breathing slowed in time with hers. Awareness of her surroundings returned—the ticking of her bedside clock, their sweat slicked bodies, the wrinkled sheets beneath her back. She buried her face in his shoulder, unwilling to lose their intimacy.
He raised his head, a twinkle in his eye. “You know, if you’d just told me I needed to confess my feelings for you before we had sex, we could have saved a lot of time.”
She punched his shoulder before laughter burst from her. “I don’t know. I think this was worth the wait.”
He took her face in his hands. “Definitely.”
****
“So, how are things with Jacob?” Aviva’s mother asked the next day. “Sophie told me you ran into each other on the High Line.”
Aviva’s face heated as she held the phone to her ear. She couldn’t possibly tell her mother about the makeup sex. No matter how close they were, there were some boundaries that couldn’t be crossed.
“Much better.”
“Oh good. Sophie mentioned there was a problem, but Benjamin was around so she didn’t go into details.”
Aviva filled her in on their fight. “He’s promised to be honest with me from now on, because I can’t be with him otherwise.”
“Absolutely not. But at least he’s owning up to his mistake.”
Aviva shifted the phone against her ear. “We had a long talk and he understands, and agrees with me. As for the rest, well, he’s not good at sharing his feelings, but hopefully he’ll get better.”
Her mother laughed. “Good luck with that, bubbelah. Most men wouldn’t recognize their feelings without a nametag. I know your father certainly wouldn’t.”
“Jacob’s not like that, Mom. I mean, he knows how he feels, he’s just not good at expressing himself. But he’s willing to try. And that’s all I can ask for right now, especially with him so busy with finals.”
“I’m glad you worked things out. You know, I find prioritizing things helpful when I deal with your father.”
“Mmm.” Aviva didn’t like to make any comparisons between Jacob and her father. But perhaps her mother was right. Jacob needed to be honest with her and learn to express his feelings, but she also needed to respect his time commitments. “I’ll consider it, Mom. Thanks.”
“I’m not suggesting Jacob is just like your father, Aviva.”
“I know.” She hoped her mother was right.
****
Jacob stood outside the unassuming brownstone on a well-manicured, residential-looking street in Jersey City. He wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks. The windows reminded him of hooded eyes. He couldn’t believe
he’d agreed to this.
Stuart Rose’s business card sat on his desk at home, daring him to act. He wasn’t sure if the dare was to throw it away or call, but finally, he’d decided to call for a follow-up interview, if only to get it out of his system and be able to concentrate on more important things, like finals.
Finals. He should be studying. His stomach churned, but he took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth until the nausea passed.
Stuart sounded pleased to hear his voice. Jacob heard his smile over the phone. They’d set up the meeting for today, despite the ton of work he still had left to do. A light breeze lifted the hair on his forehead. He turned toward the sun. At least this interview enabled him to spend a few minutes enjoying the weather.
With a squaring of his shoulders, he jogged up the steps and opened the forest green door. Stepping into the foyer onto a cork floor with a large woven mat, he took a moment to orient himself. A wall of greenery faced him. It set the tone for the obviously environmentally friendly office. To his left, French doors separated the foyer from a reception area. Straight ahead was a carved stairway. Next to the stairs, a long hallway. On his right were bamboo pocket doors. The place resembled a California tech firm more than a law office.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw motion. He turned. A woman behind a desk in the room with the French doors waved to him. He entered.
“Hi, you must be Jacob, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.” He shook the redhead’s outstretched hand.
“I’m Ann. We’ve been expecting you. Sit there. I’ll call Stuart.”
He sat on a modern, yet comfortable green and blue sofa. On the table in front of him, also made of bamboo, sat several magazines and a law review or two. A shadow slid across the table.
“Stuart will be right with you, but he asked me to have you fill out this form.” Before Jacob could argue, she smiled and held up a hand. “I know, Stuart said you haven’t accepted the offer yet. That’s fine, but we need this information from you, regardless. If you end up here, it will save time later.” She handed him an iPad. Jacob filled out the information.
Ten minutes later, Stuart appeared. “Jacob, great to see you. Sorry for the delay. I was on the phone with a client. We have a mediation next week. They had a few questions. Come, let me show you around. You’ve already met Ann. Those doors there lead to the copiers, printers, etc., which we use sparingly. Our entire office is environmentally friendly, which is important with the types of clients we represent. We figure you can’t talk the talk if you don’t walk the walk.”
He led them out of the reception area and down the hallway next to the stairs. “Down here are the mailroom, kitchen and dining room. Everyone is encouraged to stop for meals. Whether you eat here or go out is your choice.”
They walked into the dining room. Stuart introduced him to the two lawyers who were eating there. They chatted a few moments and continued on their tour. Back in the foyer, Stuart brought him over to the pocket doors. “This is our conference room.” Furnished in environmentally friendly materials, the room was light and airy, with floor to ceiling windows and lots of plants. Screens descended from the ceiling for presentations. There was every technology feature available. Two more lawyers and three paralegals worked in the room. Again, Stuart introduced Jacob to everyone.
“Middle of finals, right?” asked one of the younger guys.
“Yeah, I should be home studying,” Jacob said with a grin.
“You’re at Seton Hall. Do you have Platt this semester?”
“I do.”
The lawyer rattled off his number and Jacob entered it into his phone. “Call my cell if you need help while you’re studying. His exams are tough, but I learned a few tricks I’d be happy to pass on.”
“Thanks!”
Jacob followed Stuart out of the room, marveling at the friendliness of everyone he’d met. “We don’t usually need more than one conference room for our meetings, but worst case, there is plenty of room in our law library if someone needs to hold a meeting. I’ll show it to you next.”
They jogged upstairs to a small foyer that was a replica of the one downstairs. Only one doorway led off of it. Stuart walked to it. “This is our law library.”
Jacob entered. His jaw dropped. Floor-to-ceiling bamboo bookshelves alternated with floor-to-ceiling windows that circled the room. In the center was a large table with computer tablets. Around the table were comfortable upholstered chairs.
“Everything you need should be here. If it’s not, any of our other lawyers can tell you where to find it.”
Jacob wandered around the room. The books and magazines arranged on the shelves were a lawyer’s dream. His heart raced as he thought about daily access to this room. For a small law practice, it was amazing.
“Wow, this is…I don’t even know what this is,” Jacob said.
Stuart nodded. “It’s astounding. I know. But the key to our practice is knowledge. You can’t have knowledge without resources. Want to meet the rest of our practice?”
Jacob nodded. He followed Stuart up the flight of stairs. “These top two floors are offices for all of our attorneys. We don’t distinguish between types of offices. Everyone needs one. Everyone gets one. We’re not big on titles for title-sake. We value our attorneys for their knowledge, work ethic, and how well they get along with others. Come, I’ll introduce you to a few.”
For the next half hour, Jacob met a variety of lawyers, some who had been with the firm for years, others who had joined the firm within the past twelve months. They all took the time to tell him about their experiences and ask him questions. Every one of them sent their contact information to his phone. In a daze, he followed Stuart into his office and sank into a chair.
“It’s a bit overwhelming, I know.” He passed a computer tablet to Jacob. “This is what we’d like to offer you. It’s not as much money as the large firms, but the experience you’ll get here is unlike those large firms as well. Take some time to think it over, figure out your law school loans”—he smiled—“and let me know what you think about it. I know you have finals, so let’s talk afterward, once you’ve had a chance to breathe.”
Jacob leaned forward. “Wow, I’m impressed by what I saw today and by everyone I met. This is an amazing firm.”
Stuart leaned in his chair. He grinned. “Glad you like it. I know you have contact information from practically everyone here. Feel free to call or email any of them with questions. They’ll be honest with you. We don’t want you here under false pretenses. We’d rather tell you something you don’t want to hear and have you turn us down, than have you start work here and be unhappy.” He held out his hand. “I’ll walk you downstairs. It’s been a pleasure showing you around. I hope you give us serious thought.”
As Jacob left the office, he shook his head trying to clear it. He had a lot to think about.
Chapter Fourteen
The following day, Jacob met Aviva in Jersey City for coffee after his first exam.
“How’d it go?” She bit into her chocolate chip muffin, then took a sip of coffee.
Her lips moved and he imagined their feel against his. Clearing his throat, he focused on her question. “The exam? It went okay. I actually was given some good advice from one of the attorneys at Croft yesterday, which helped me. I felt prepared.”
“I forgot you went there. What was it like?”
He described the building and the people, trying to relay his impressions as well. He’d taken her concerns to heart.
Her mouth dropped open. “Wow, that sounds amazing. What are your feelings about the place?”
He drank his coffee as he sorted them out. He’d been impressed by the sincerity of the place. An environmental law practice that incorporated environmentally friendly materials in its office makeup. A law firm that encouraged its lawyers to stop and eat lunch every day. Lawyers who offered him assistance with his finals. The obvious respect and camaraderie shared by the pa
rtners and the newer lawyers. It was different from Smith Kane, but different didn’t necessarily mean better.
Smith Kane possessed the prestige Croft didn’t. It offered the salary to enable him to pay off his law school loans almost immediately and help his mother. It had already offered him a job, provided educational seminars for him to learn what he couldn’t learn in law school.
Sure, its hours were legendary. He probably wouldn’t last there more than two or three years max without burning out. He’d do grunt work. He wouldn’t have much chance to interact with the senior partners or the clients. From all the burnished copper and polished wood he remembered, he doubted the office was environmentally friendly. But others had done it. He was familiar with the firm.
“I can’t describe it with feelings. It’s a job. But I know the positives and negatives. While I won’t make a decision until after finals, I think I’ll still probably end up with Smith Kane.”
Her face fell, and she smoothed it out. A part of him appreciated her attempt to hide her feelings about his career, to let him decide. Another part of him wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction.
“Well, it’s probably wise to wait until finals are over in order for you to have time to fully consider your options, but why, right now, are you thinking this way?”
He placed his coffee on the arm of the bench. He twisted it in circles. “Part of me is convinced I shouldn’t let Smith Kane down. They invested time and money in me, both during the summers for my internship, and with all the seminars they’ve run and invited me to. I feel disloyal for considering anyone else.”
“That’s admirable.” She placed her hand on his arm.
The slight pressure of her tethered him to the here and now. It helped keep his thoughts from splintering in a million different directions.
“But would you really be the only intern they hired who turned them down?”
He looked into her jade green eyes, so serious and concerned. “Probably not. I’m sure it happens on a regular basis. They probably wouldn’t care nearly as much as I think they might. I’m just not sure how I feel about backing out of a decision.”
Five Minutes to Love Page 12
