Legal Heat

by Sarah Castille

  She folded her arms and glared at her adversary across the table. She had conducted hundreds of examinations for discovery and dozens of trials. She had dealt with difficult counsel and stubborn witnesses. But Mark wound her up more than anyone ever had and damned if she could figure out why. He seemed to have a sixth sense about which objections would irritate her the most.

  “No objection.” His cool tone added fuel to her fire and her body heated in anger. Or was it something else?

  Tim turned off the recorder and sat back to watch the show.

  “You were saying, Ms. Sinclair?” Mark raised a questioning eyebrow.

  Katy gritted her teeth at his apparent indifference. She would get a response out of his client if it killed her. But first she had to deal with his disrespectful behavior.

  “We need a word in private.”

  Mark pushed back his chair. “Good idea. I don’t think our clients are interested in the legal posturing that threatens to overshadow the real reason we’re here.”

  Katy’s mouth dropped open at his clipped tone. Aha. She had ruffled his feathers. Maybe he was not as imperturbable as she had thought.

  He stood and walked over to the door. “Twenty-minute break?”

  “Agreed.” Katy dropped her file down on the table and waited until Martha and Tim left before following Mark into the hallway.

  “I think we should go somewhere we can’t be overheard. There’s an alcove down this way.” He didn’t wait for her to answer but disappeared around the corner.

  Arrogant. Intractable. Condescending.

  She considered a few less flattering words to use in the tongue-lashing she intended to give him. He had no reason for making the discovery such a total nightmare unless he was hiding something. But that would be against the rules, and it wouldn’t work with her.

  Katy followed him to a small alcove hidden at the end of the unused hallway and peered inside. Big, dark and dusty. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of old books. “I’m not going in there,” she snapped. “The hallway is fine.”

  “Then you might want to lower your voice.”

  Katy snorted. “As I’m sure you’ve picked up today, I don’t like being told what to do.”

  He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His broad shoulders and imposing height almost entirely blocked her view of the hallway beyond. “Actually, I picked that up on Friday night.” His lips curved into a suggestive smile.

  Desire spiked through her body with such intensity she forgot to breathe.

  Totally inappropriate.

  Inappropriately thrilling.

  Her face flushed and she looked away. She had thought, even hoped, he wouldn’t bring up her indiscretion at the club. But, after spending a day with him in the discovery, she should have known he would give her no quarter, personally or professionally.

  “Not here,” she muttered.

  He ran the back of his finger lightly over her cheek. “I couldn’t believe it when I first saw you this morning. I thought I’d never see you again.”

  Hot, searing flames of need licked over her body. The world narrowed to the secluded alcove, the scent of sandalwood, and the dark, sensual male towering over her.

  Fiercely arousing.

  Strictly forbidden.

  She drew in a ragged breath. “Well, now you’ll get your fill. We’ll be stuck in this case for at least two years and I’m sure we’ll see each other every few weeks in court.”

  He shook his head and took a step closer. “It won’t be enough.”

  His scent, spicy, exotic and achingly familiar, engulfed her, teasing her with memories of the wine cellar and the sensual caress of his hands over her body.

  “What do you mean?” The inane question squeaked through her lips. There could be nothing between them while they opposed each other on the same case. She pressed her hands against his crisp, white shirt, intending to push him away.

  Mistake. Her fingers instinctively fanned out over the cool, smooth cotton covering the rock-hard expanse of his chest. Mark hissed in a breath. She fought the fierce urge to slide her hands around his body and pull him close.

  His lips quirked into a smile. “I won’t let you run away again.”

  “I didn’t run away. I made a reasoned decision to leave and I’m about to do it again.” Her hands tingled as she forced her fingers to lift away, one by painful one.

  Once she had detached herself, she stepped back and took a deep breath. “Didn’t we come out here to discuss something? I believe it had to do with your lack of respect. I suppose we’d also better address the potential conflict.”

  Even to her ears it sounded ridiculous. How could she expect respect after their encounter in the wine cellar? And yet, she did. The courtroom and the club were totally different worlds.

  He studied her for a long moment. “You play it very close to the line with my client, and you make it extremely difficult to concentrate. But I may have overcompensated and been a tad harsh.”

  Katy’s eyes widened. “A tad harsh? You toss out objections like sweets in a parade.”

  “If I had known you thought they were sweet, I’d have thrown out a few more.”

  A small smile curved her mouth. “I don’t like sweets.”

  “Such a shame.” He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m particularly fond of sugar.”

  Liquid fire shot to her core. She forced herself backward, step by step, until she reached the brightly lit corridor. “What about the potential conflict?”

  “We’ve only had one encounter, and a brief one at that. I doubt the Law Society would consider that worthy of sanction.”

  “But…you…touched me.” The words came out in a harsh whisper.

  “Yes. And you touched me.”

  His words charged the already electric air between them. Desire, barely controlled, burned in his eyes. For a long moment neither of them moved.

  Finally Mark drew in a ragged breath and broke the connection. “Do you think it will impair your ability to run the case?”

  Katy narrowed her eyes. “Of course not. But, obviously, I can’t see you again outside the courthouse.”

  A smile ghosted his lips and she caught the hint of a challenge in his deep, brown eyes. “What if you have to come back to the club?”

  “I don’t.”

  “What if Valerie didn’t sign the statement and you had to ask for an adjournment of the hearing to find her?”

  Katy narrowed her eyes. “How do you know about that?”

  “Wild guess.”

  “Trixie told you.” She had called the club on Monday and talked to the helpful receptionist after Valerie failed to show up at her office.

  “I never divulge my sources,” he rumbled.

  “Why would I come back to the club? I’ll just have her come to my office.”

  Mark shook his head. “She won’t go to your office. She’s afraid of anything to do with the law—including lawyers. She had a rough start in life. That’s why she didn’t show up. If you want your statement signed, you’ll have to go to her. She’s working on Friday. Seven to two.”

  A shot of adrenaline streamed into Katy’s veins, and for a moment she forgot to breathe.

  “Will you be there?” Her heart thudded in her chest.

  He gave her a slow, sensual smile. “Do you want me to be there, sugar?”

  She put her hands on her hips to hide her trembling fingers. “If you are there, you have to promise to behave.”

  “Do you promise to sheathe those claws, little wildcat? Will you stop provoking my client?”

  “Never.” Her temper flared, warming her blood.

  “I didn’t think so,” he chuckled. “And I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

  He brushed past her and stepped into the hallway. Katy spun around, reeling at the electric jolt his brief touch had sent through her body.

  “Looks like we’re in for a fun afternoon.” He looked back over his shoulder
and winked.

  “You’re a dangerous man,” she muttered, never thinking he would hear.

  His eyes darkened, almost to black. “Sugar, you have no idea.”

  Chapter Five

  The doorbell rang.

  The jarring cacophony of discordant chimes reminded Katy she had neglected to erase every trace of Steven from the house. The doorbell had been one of the worst presents she had ever received from him.

  She opened the door and a uniformed courier thrust a large, white box tied with a purple ribbon into her hands. “Katy Sinclair?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is it, Mom?” Melissa appeared behind her as she closed the door.

  “It’s just a dress. I’m going out tonight and needed something new to wear. They had to alter it so I couldn’t take it home right away.” Also, she hadn’t wanted anyone in the firm to know she had used up two billable hours of her day to shop in the boutique shops of Yaletown.

  They took the box into the kitchen and Melissa perched on one of the bar stools while Katy pulled on the ends of the huge bow. The fabric parted with a soft hiss and she dropped the purple satin into Melissa’s waiting hands before pulling off the lid.

  A froth of pink tissue paper exploded upward.

  Melissa leaned over the box and they pulled the tissue apart.

  “Mom, it’s so pretty!”

  Katy’s eyes widened and she smashed down the paper to hide the contents of the box from Melissa’s innocent seven-year-old eyes. In the store, the helpful, young shop attendant had assured her the dress was edgy but appropriate for someone her age to wear to a club like Carpe Noctem. But here at home, in front of her daughter, it seemed too risqué.

  What on earth was I thinking?

  “Mom, take it out.”

  “Your dad will be here soon, darling. Go and get ready.”

  “But…”

  “Go, please, Melissa. It’s just a dress.”

  Melissa reluctantly left the kitchen and Katy took another peek into the box. Black lace, pink satin ribbons and a brush of pink frills over a very short, black skirt. A corset dress. Her corset dress.

  The kitchen door burst open. Katy slammed the lid back on the box and turned to see Steven heading for the fridge.

  “Everyone ready to go?”

  “Steven, I told you to knock or ring the bell. Close the fridge. I’m sure you have food at your house.”

  Steven ignored her and took a sandwich from Justin’s lunch bag. “What’s in the box?”

  Melissa joined them in the kitchen. “It’s a dress. Mom’s going out tonight.”

  “Don’t you have work to do?” Steven frowned. “Where are you going? Do you have a date? Why are you getting all dressed up?”

  Katy tuned out the barrage of questions and tucked the box under her arm. Why did he care? Ah yes, she had almost forgotten, Sally dumped him. The pretty blonde intern had probably found herself a nice younger man. Steven favored impressionable young girls who never stuck around for long. Katy had been the one unlucky enough to marry him.

  She kissed the kids goodbye and headed upstairs with the box. When she saw Steven’s Volvo heading down the street, she stripped off her clothes and slipped on the dress. The cool, silk inner lining caressed her skin, and the corset top hugged every contour of her body. She struggled with the laces at the back, and then twirled slowly in front of the mirror. The dress smoothed out her jiggles, highlighted her narrow waist, and pushed her breasts dangerously high above the half cups. The pink frills gave it a modicum of decency, but only just.

  She twirled again and frowned. The skirt could have been longer. She wasn’t quite ready for public exposure of her thighs. And yet, compared to the other women in the club, she would still be overdressed. She slipped on a pair of black stilettos and smiled at the vixen in the mirror.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” Steven appeared in her mirror as a reflection in the doorway, his face a mixture of shock and disgust.

  How had he managed to get upstairs without her hearing him?

  Her cheeks blazed. “It’s for a…costume party. What are you doing back here?”

  “Melissa forgot her inhaler.” He stepped into the room and raked his gaze over her body. “A costume party? You’re supposed to actually wear a costume. You can’t go out dressed like that. It’s indecent. You’re a lawyer. You have children, for goodness sake. You aren’t young any more. What would people think?”

  “Get out, Steven.” She trembled with the force of her anger. “The inhaler is on her bedside table.”

  He took a step toward her. “What kind of mother are you? Is this how you’re spending your free time? Parading yourself around the city in your underwear?”

  His all too familiar sneer sent chills down her spine.

  “Go. Now.” She stomped across the room and slammed the bedroom door closed, clenching her teeth to stop from saying anything she might regret at a custody hearing.

  Minutes later his Volvo disappeared down the road and she collapsed on the bed. Although she hated to admit it, he was right. She no longer had the body for a dress like this or the confidence to wear it. With a sigh, she undid the laces and laid it gently back in the box.

  “Katy! Nice to see you back.” Trixie greeted Katy at the door with a quick hug and then stepped away and frowned. “Sorry, babe. No suits allowed.”

  Katy pulled her eyes away from Trixie’s strategically sequined, red spandex dress. Maybe it was actually a tube top, which would explain why it only just reached the top of her thighs. And where did Trixie go to buy four-inch, fire-red stilettos with sparkly heels? Definitely not the department store where Katy usually shopped.

  “I’m not staying,” she said. “I just need to see Valerie for a minute.”

  Trixie shook her head. “Tony would kill me if I let you in dressed like that. We have a dress code. He made an exception for you last time, but he won’t do it again.”

  Katy sighed. “Could you take a quick look around for me and ask her to come out if you see her?”

  “Sure thing.” Trixie disappeared through the red door and returned five minutes later. “She hasn’t shown up for work. Tony has been trying to get in touch with her. He said you can go in and wait, but you’ll need to change. Do you have anything else to wear?”

  Katy swallowed. “I have a dress in the car, but I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not really appropriate. I was going to return it tomorrow.”

  “Go.” Trixie spun her around and nudged her toward the door. “Bring it in and let me decide. I promise to be totally honest.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Katy stood in the club change room, wincing under Trixie’s intense scrutiny of her new dress.

  “Corset virgin,” Trixie muttered. “I see it all the time.”

  “What’s wrong?” Katy’s voice rose as her anxiety level climbed. “I shouldn’t be wearing it, should I? It’s not really… I’m too…my thighs.” She stammered over all the reasons a mom of two shouldn’t be seen in public in a corset dress.

  “Are you kidding me?” Trixie grabbed Katy by the shoulders and pretended to shake her. “Have you looked at yourself in a mirror recently? What I wouldn’t give to have a body like yours.”

  “But you look amazing. Really, I shouldn’t be wearing it while I’m here on business.” She turned away and her shoulders slumped. “I’ll change and wait for her outside.”

  “You will not.” Trixie patted her arm. “Let me fix you up and see what you think.”

  After ten minutes of being subjected to Trixie’s tugging and pulling, Katy’s respect for her great, great grandmother had increased tenfold.

  “Trixie, I can’t breathe. It’s way too tight.” Her breasts seemed to have doubled in size and now threatened to explode from the top of the corset. She stared in amazement at the cleavage she had only ever dreamed of having.

  “Just pant. Short, quick breaths. Panting is good. Men love it. Makes them think you’re desperate for them. An
d, wow, babe, if your waist gets any smaller you might topple over.”

  “If you tie it any tighter, I might pass out.”

  “Men love that too. The old swooning at their feet routine. Gets them every time. Brings out the protective instinct and they go crazy.”

  Katy laughed. “Sounds like you have a lot of experience.”

  Trixie winked at her in the mirror and tied the ends of the corset ribbons into a bow. “I can modestly say I have sampled a moderate selection of the opposite sex.”

  She ushered Katy out of the change room and then led her through the red door and into the club.

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” Katy gasped after each word as she struggled to walk, talk and breathe at the same time.

  “I’ve got my eye on someone but he’s got some serious issues,” Trixie said, looking back over her shoulder. “Lost his wife a few years ago in a skiing accident and just plays by the night now in the back room.”

  Before Katy could ask about the object of Trixie’s affections, she caught sight of Mark stalking toward them.

  God, what a sight.

  His black leather trousers and tight, black T-shirt highlighted every muscle and plane on his sculptured body. Could he look any more breathtaking or…dangerous?

  “Would you look at that,” Trixie whispered. “Someone has eyes only for you. Good thing my heart is already taken.”

  “That’s some dress, Trixie.” Mark stopped in front of them and gave Trixie a wink.

  Trixie giggled. “I like to keep my boys happy.”

  “I’ve been waiting for you, sugar.” Mark’s gaze swept over Katy’s body, blazing a heated trail along her skin. When his eyes fixed on her breasts, Katy flushed, embarrassed at the volume Trixie had magically created.

  “Very nice,” he rumbled.

  Very nice? Curtains were very nice. Hats were very nice. If she had to endure being tarted up to get into the club, albeit in very expensive and beautiful tart wear, he could at least think of a better adverb. She narrowed her eyes, but a subtle shake of Trixie’s head stopped her from letting him know exactly what she thought of “very nice”.

  “I need to talk to Valerie, and apparently I wasn’t allowed into the club wearing a suit. Isn’t that right, Trixie?” She looked to Trixie for confirmation only to see Trixie’s departing back.