I Told You to Be Careful (Gold Streaks Book 2)

by Sylvie Nathan

  Sylvie

  Nathan

  I Told You To Be Careful

  Copyright © 2015 Sylvie Nathan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Other books by Sylvie Nathan:

  Chained Soul

  Every Glance

  Undefined

  Grow a Pair of Wings

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Insiders’ Club

  Other Books by Sylvie Nathan

  About The Author

  I Told You To Be Careful

  Chapter 1

  The sun rises slowly in Africa. Slow to rise and quick setting. And there are few places as beautiful to watch it, thinks Lisa, than through the kitchen window at her new home. At her and Sue's home. She is sitting there now, with morning breaking, slowly, on the hills opposite.

  Sue is sitting beside her, idly buttering some toast, as they drink coffee and watch the sun rise slowly over the hills opposite. It is a golden orb in a pale, aching blue sky, spreading gold light around across the clouds. The kitchen is pale and drowsy with it at this time: a warm, golden space.

  “Lisa?”

  “Mmm?”

  Both are reluctant to break the silence. It is so peaceful. After a while, Sue starts again. She looks down at a magazine open on the breakfast table. Pushes it across to where Lisa sits beside her.

  “Look at this. Not a bad profile, I think.” She is smiling, a warm, self-satisfied smile.

  Lisa grins; bends over the magazine. The two of them read together; red hair leaning against blonde as they bend together to share the single text.

  In front of them, Sue smiles from one page of the Mining Times. The rest of the page is taken up with a glowing overview of the company, Gold Ridge Mines, of which Sue is CEO; detailing the new vein of ore and the ambitious plans – her ambitious plans, mostly – for benefiting from it. The next page has photographs of the mine; an interview with the head of engineering, and more photographs.

  Lisa smiles.

  “They do you justice, I think.”

  Sue grimaces. “Entirely true and outrageously flattering as well.”

  “That's what I said.”

  They both laugh. Lisa kisses Sue's cheek; a small gesture, nonetheless filled with affection. They are silent for a moment.

  “Lisa?”

  “Mm?”

  “Are you free this evening?”

  “You know I am.”

  “Tomorrow evening?”

  “Yes...”

  “Well, how would you like to come with me to the celebratory gala? We are going to start drilling the new vein tomorrow, and there's always a special event to celebrate.” Sue smiles. She continues,

  “There's good wine, and dancing...the company can be a bit tiresome at these things – all the heads of all the affiliate companies, people we do business with, bankers and accountants and engineers and people from the press. But I have to go, so I'd love to have you there.”

  Lisa smiles, thinking about it.

  “All those notable people? And your lawyer? What will they think; and whatever will I wear?”

  “My lawyer, indeed!” Sue snorts in warm derision. “You know no-one thinks you're just my lawyer anymore.” She pauses, then continues, “And I am sure you have lots of suitable things. If not, we can go shopping.”

  Lisa grins, wryly. “We could. What are you wearing?”

  Sue pauses, thinking. “I thought maybe my white dress? Something simple that will offset some gold jewellery. I have to look like a mine-magnate, after all.” She grins.

  Lisa grins back. A less stereotypical mine-magnate she has never seen. Sue is petite, slight and slim, with ice-blue eyes and pale hair. But on her, the classic beauty is formidable; granting her an icy authority that cuts more deeply than diamonds.

  “You always do.” She kisses Sue on one cheek. Sue wraps an arm around her neck; draws her closer for a kiss.

  They sit silent for a few moments; enjoying each other's presence.

  “You won't work long?” Sue asks it.

  Lisa grins. “I don't intend to. We'll have to see. With that lot, I never know.”

  “Well, I hope to see you earlier. I have a slow day planned for today.”

  Lisa smiles. “Slow, by your definition.”

  “Yes.” Sue says defensively. “Only three meetings and a report to finalize; a phone conference with our financial adviser and a chat with our brand-management people. A slow day.”

  Lisa shakes her head, smiling. Picks up the breakfast things and takes them to the sink. Comes back to the table.

  “I'll see you after your slow day, then.” She leans in and kisses Sue's hair. Sue grips her hand.

  “Do that.”

  “I will.”

  Ten minutes later, the sun has risen over the hills and the kitchen is empty; its occupants off to begin the new day at work.

  Chapter 2

  “Ms Marsden? Telephone for you...”

  “...As I was saying, we have a client with a malpractice case...”

  “...Don't forget the budget meeting...”

  “L? Do you have paperclips?”

  Chaos. Lisa thinks it. Somewhere under her carefully-schooled exterior, she is laughing; a bubble of joy welling up somewhere in the region of her stomach. Ever since her elevation to the position of senior partner last month, Lisa has been the eye of the cheerful storm of chaos that is the Naidu and Marsden legal practice.

  “No, Titus. No paperclips here...try the front office?” Lisa grins over the shoulder at the junior lawyer who is sitting in front of her desk, to the tall African man who has appeared in the doorway in full legal regalia. She turns back to the man in front of her.

  “...You were asking?” She prompts him, kindly.

  Lisa sits and listens to the young lawyer's dilemma. He looks nervous despite the fact that Lisa is not particularly intimidating; or at least not today. Her red-pale hair is tied back in a French braid, wisps of it escaping to fluff around a freckled, open face. She is wearing a maroon blouse and tweed blazer; the mahogany brown offsetting the warm, lively red-brown of her eyes. Still, he seems nervous.

  She is about to reply, when the secretary reappears.

  “Ms Marsden? Telephone call for you.”

  “Sorry, Laura. I didn't hear you
the first time.” Lisa grins wryly. “I'll take it in the front office.”

  She smiles apologetically at the young lawyer, makes a promise to return as soon as the call finishes.

  “Lisa Marsden; from Naidu and Marsden.” Lisa answers the phone. Then, “Yes. Yes of course.”

  A few more minutes finalizing details, and then Lisa is back in her office.

  She spends a few minutes advising her junior partner on his problem with the case, and when he leaves, she turns to her appointments-book, smiling, to make a note. Then she goes online and starts reading; researching the case as best she can thus far.

  “I found some.”

  Titus has reappeared in the doorway, a box of paperclips in hand and a broad grin on his face. Since he started with the firm six years ago, Titus and Lisa have been close friends. Now that she is a partner in the firm, he has taken her position as the most senior lawyer, and Lisa enjoys his company and advice now as always.

  Lisa smiles. “Well done!” She indicates the seat opposite her desk; inviting him to join her.

  “T? What do you make of this?” Lisa asks.

  “What, L?”

  “Well, I just had a call from Brinkman Car Assembly. They want us to defend them in a suing case.”

  Titus smiles “That's great! They'll certainly pay, anyway.” He raises his eyebrows archly.

  Lisa nods, smiling. “That's true.”

  Brinkman Car Assembly is the local car assembly factory, and one of the firm's newest and most prestigious clients.

  “Is there a problem with the case?” Titus asks. He knows Lisa must have a concern, or she wouldn't have mentioned it straight away like this.

  “Well...” Lisa begins. “It's fairly straightforward, on paper. One of the luxury cars assembled at the plant recently malfunctioned – a faulty connection to the battery, apparently; which caused the car to stall at the wrong place and time. A woman was killed in the resulting accident. Her husband blames the company for issuing a faulty car, and is suing them.”

  Titus looks surprised, eyebrows raised.

  “That's a terrible thing, that happened.” He says, sympathetically. “That poor woman. Her poor husband.” He sighs. “Besides the sadness of the whole thing, is there a problem?” He asks concernedly.

  “No, not really.” Lisa says, eyebrows raised, “except that the man in question is Raju Patel.”

  “Hell.”

  “Quite.”

  Raju Patel is a local multi-millionaire businessman, known for his high-profile lifestyle, his support of the arts, and his slightly suspect dealings. No-one has ever accused him of anything underhanded, but there has always been a sense that he may have connections to a drug cartel or some other illegal system as a secondary means of income. Standing against him if he wants to sue someone is daunting.

  “Anything else you know about the case?”

  “Nothing much yet.” Lisa replies. “It seems pretty straightforward to me. There's no evidence that the factory sold the car that way...if there was a problem with assembly, I would imagine more than one car would have malfunctioned the same way.”

  “That sounds reasonable” Titus nods.

  The two of them sit in silence for a few moments, thinking through the details of the case, then

  “I suppose I'd better get back to my office.” Titus sighs, and stands; knees creaking. “Got a case on hand at the moment, but not as fancy as yours.” He smiles.

  “I'll let you get back to it, then.” Lisa grins. “Thanks, T; for listening.”

  “Of course.”

  After he has left, Lisa sits for a moment, thinking. Cars being mis-assembled certainly happens, but it usually happens to more than one car. Businessmen who stand to inherit from their relatives and somehow foreshorten their lives also happen. But so does sabotage, accident...dozens of other things. Until she has more information, and has met with the client and discussed their side of the case, she cannot make up her mind either way.

  Lisa sighs, turns back to her computer, to look for newspaper articles, reports, archives...anything she can find about the case. She will have to schedule a meeting with the client soon. But first, she has a commitment to attend, tomorrow evening. The celebratory gala for the new vein being dug. She smiles.

  Chapter 3

  “How was work?”

  Sue asks it, lazily. She and Lisa are sitting in the kitchen again, a bottle of red wine open and salmon steaks steaming gently on the plates between them. The kitchen is darkened; the lights low and a candle burning between them on the table. The gilded light casts soft shadows on Sue's silk-soft skin; offsets Lisa's warm hair.

  “Good.” Lisa murmurs. “Yours?”

  “Good. Tiring.” Sue stretches, easing the knots of tension in her back. “I'm quite worn out.”

  Lisa grins. “I'm sure.”

  “Any interesting cases?”

  “Yes.” Lisa nods. “A client called in today. New case. Brinkman Car Assembly.”

  Sue sits up. Blinks “L! That's wonderful! That's a huge company.”

  Lisa smiles, looks down, modestly. “I know.” Her voice is warm.

  “Well, that calls for celebration.” Sue gets up, goes to the cabinet to find champagne flutes.

  Lisa grins. “I'm glad you're celebrating! I'm more dreading the work ahead.”

  “Don't be so depressing.” Sue admonishes, the smile taking all force from the words. “I know you, you have enough energy for five people.”

  Lisa grins. “Not if one of those five happens to be you.”

  Sue laughs. “Perhaps.”

  She finds a bottle of sparkling wine; brings it to the table with the glasses.

  “Cheers?” Sue asks.

  “Cheers.” Lisa nods. They drink.

  The candlelight is warm; casting soft shadows on Sue's skin. Lisa smiles at her; desire warming the red-brown of her eyes. The look is warm, intoxicating; making the blood run and the heart pulse harder.

  Sue moves a hand across the table; lets it rest on Lisa's. She turns her fingers; loops them around Sue's.

  They sit for a moment, silent. Sue's head rests on Lisa's shoulder. Lisa kisses her hair. Moves her hand to stroke the soft roundness of her shoulder; kneading gently.

  Sue moans a little; presses her head to Lisa's neck. Kisses her in the hollow between her collarbones.

  Lisa gasps. Her hand moves lower; brushing the softness of a breast under the filmy cotton of Sue's dress. The skin is firm and warm; the texture of the silky cotton almost as soft as skin. Sue's fingers are at the fastening of Lisa's blouse, tugging gently but insistently at buttons; stroking at the skin below. Lisa gasps; moves to stroke the softness of a nipple; making Sue breath out, sharply, with renewed desire.

  They kiss, slowly; red hair mingling with blonde as the rigid hairstyle Sue wears starts to come undone; tumbling a pale haze of hair about her almost-bare shoulders, a gilded aura in the light.

  They embrace; the curves of Lisa's body pressed tight to Sue's; the warm skin clinging where it meets.

  They stand, unsteadily. Lisa gestures upstairs with a tilt of her head. Sue nods, and leans in again to kiss Lisa; her mouth exciting – warm, tender and tasted with sweet wine.

  Upstairs, the bedroom is velvety darkness. The light from a single bulb casts pale, exciting shadows over Sue's skin, where her shift has gaped at the buttons, revealing one breast. The skin is ethereally pale; the aureole of her nipple palest-pink.

  Lisa gasps, reverently; her fingers tender as she unfastens the rest of the buttons. She kneels on the bed; kisses her way down Sue's chest to her navel. Sue is leaning back, her head thrown back in silent pleasure. Her fingers gently tug at Lisa's blouse; working over the buttons to remove it.

  Lisa smiles, gasps, and bends to take a nipple in her mouth even as Sue works the shirt down her shoulders; fingers caressing the pink-pale skin revealed as the material slides, slowly, off Lisa's body; cloth whispering on cloth, almost silent; mingling with the soft sounds of their
joined breath.

  Soon they are both naked, the soft light delicate on pale skin and Lisa's darker skin; their bodies entwined on the bed. Their curves fit together perfectly; Sue's breasts pressing to the hollow of Lisa's throat where she bends to kiss Sue's neck; the silken softness of breasts and thighs pressed together, to each other, under the soft, dappled light. Their arms are wound around each other; tenderly and firm, pressing their bodies together. Sue's fingers caress Lisa's back. Their mouths are locked together in a deep kiss.

  Lisa's fingers stroke Sue's thighs, gently. Sue moans; arching her back. Lisa gasps as she feels the sweet, pellucid dampness building there; slides her finger forward to explore it. Sue's mouth has found her breast; bites it gently as Lisa slides her fingers deeply into her; thrusting with all the force of passion behind it.

  Sue gasps; thrusts with her hips; writhes with pleasure, her fingers stroking Lisa's body, incoherent.

  Then they are lost; bodies held by a rhythm that drives and thrusts and pauses and thrusts again; a wild, unfettered dance of flesh and soul and heart, spiralling them both beyond consciousness and into a white-out of desire sated.