by Linda Verji
“Who are you calling old?” Lawrence asked, his words emerging with almost painful slowness.
“You,” Spencer retorted cheekily before turning to the doctor. “How’s he doing?”
“Much better as you can see,” the doctor said.
Even as a layman, Spencer could see that Lawrence was recovering. The first time the older man had tried to speak, he was slurring so badly, Spencer couldn’t even understand what he was saying. And now he could even string words together albeit slowly. There really was a god up there.
The doctor briefed Spencer on Lawrence’s condition. Considering the state he’d been brought in, Lawrence was very lucky to have come out with only slight issues with his speech and motion. Given some time, medication, rehab and major weight loss, the doctor said, he could regain his former physical vigor.
“Are you telling me that I need to start exercising?” Lawrence’s horrified look drew laughs from the others.
“Yes.” The smiling doctor nodded. “And a change in diet.”
“Get me some morphine.” Lawrence scowled. “I’d rather die.”
Spencer knew his godfather was just joking but his words sent an immediate pang of worry coursing through Spencer. To the doctor, he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll feed him grass myself if I have to.”
“Traitor,” Lawrence mumbled as he shot Spencer a narrow-eyed glare.
After making sure that everything was fine with Lawrence, the doctor and nurse left the suite. Once they were gone, Lawrence turned to Spencer. “I heard you went for lunch with your girlfriend.”
“Not my girlfriend,” Spencer denied as he pulled up a chair next to his godfather’s bed. “Kelly.”
“Same difference.” Lawrence chuckled “At least someone’s getting something out of this nonsense.” He gestured towards his supine body.
“Don’t even joke about that.” Spencer frowned. If the price of having Kelly come back to him was losing Lawrence, then he would’ve gladly given up Kelly regardless of how he felt about her. He set his palm over his godfather’s hand. “You scared me.”
The amusement in Lawrence’s eyes faded and was replaced by sadness. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Spencer squeezed the older man’s hand. “Just get well.”
* * * * *
A WEEK LATER, Kelly was having a conversation with her own father.
“Hi, Daddy.” Her hushed voice echoed in the silent room as she sat on the bed staring at his picture. Beside Kelly lay Sin, deep asleep and oblivious to the turmoil swirling within her friend.
Kelly asked her father, “How’ve you been?”
She could almost hear her father cheerfully telling her that he was having a blast up there.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She smiled at her father’s picture. “You always said that when you got up there you were going to turn it into a real party. No harps and hymns - rap all the way.”
Thought of Jesse rapping to Kanye in front of scandalized angels was enough to make Kelly’s smile widen. But her smile soon faded…
“I guess you’re wondering why I pulled you out of your party.” She paused as sudden tears clogged her throat. “I just called to say I’m sorry.”
Afraid to even look her father in the eye, she lowered her gaze to the edge of the picture frame. “I’m really sorry, Daddy. I didn’t plan for this to happen. It just did. I even tried to let him go, but it didn’t work.”
A tear slid down her cheek. It was soon followed by another, then another. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks. “I wish I could give him up, but I can’t. Even though I know everything he did, I can’t let him go. I think I’m in love with him.”
Nothing else could explain why she’d been so distressed when she’d heard that Spencer’s godfather was in the hospital. Suddenly, his pain had become hers. It hadn’t even occurred to her to deny him comfort just because they had issues. When he’d cried, she’d found herself crying. When he took his first easy breath after Lawrence woke up, she’d taken it too. Wasn’t that the foundation of love?
“Can you forgive me, Daddy?” Her tears were now in free-flow. She brushed her arm over her eyes to get rid of the tears so she could see her father’s smiling face. “Can you understand my feelings for him?”
Her father smiled back at her and she could’ve sworn she heard his voice in her head. I understand.
“You do, don’t you?” She offered him a teary smile in response. “Thank you.”
Despite her tears, Kelly slept more deeply than any other night since she’d met Spencer. It felt like a load had been lifted off her shoulder. She couldn’t help smiling as she took the elevator up to their office.
That smile widened when Marie told her that Spencer was waiting for her in his office for an update about their current cases. Now that Lawrence was out of the hospital and recovering at home, Spencer was back at work and ready to take back his cases.
Spencer’s eyes lit up when she walked into his office and his mouth kicked up in a smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Edging closer to his desk, she asked, “How does it feel to be back at work?”
“Like I never left.” Spencer grimaced as he eyed the numerous files she was carrying. “Please don’t tell me those are all the cases I have to catch up on.”
“What can I say? People have been busy breaking the law.” She heaved the files higher up in her arms. “Where do you want me to put these?”
“On the coffee-table.” Spencer pushed back his seat and stood up. “It will be easier for you to brief me there.”
“I sent soft copies via your email,” she huffed as she set the files on the coffee-table then settled on the couch.
“I prefer paper in my hand.” He circled his desk to come and sit beside her.
Immediately, his masculine scent assailed her senses. When he shifted closer to her, his arm brushed hers. The hairs on her arm rose in immediate awareness. When he turned the pages of the file, his muscles shifted against her arm, and her breath caught in her throat. And when his thigh bumped against hers, shivers of electric need pulsed straight to her core.
Did he not feel that odd energy pulsing between them? Kelly wondered as she snuck a glance at him. Given his complete concentration on the file he was reading, it seemed like he couldn’t feel it? Strange, because her body was humming and throbbing to its tune.
Being close to Spencer was so intoxicating, so distracting that she completely forgot what she was here to do and focused on him. She wasn’t sure whether she liked his hair neat as it was right now, or as rumpled as it was in the hospital. Both styles were spectacularly sexy. Her gaze lowered to his torso. Suits and ties were definitely made for men like Spencer. His broad shoulders and muscular thighs stretched the fabric, flaunting the athletic body beneath. Dropping her lids, she found herself unwittingly studying his groin and picturing that bold, masculine part of him that lay beneath his black pants.
“Don’t…,” he whispered huskily.
“Don’t what?” She reluctantly dragged her gaze back to his face. He was still staring at the document in his hand but there was a harshness to his expression that hadn’t been there before.
“Don’t look at me as if you want to see what’s beneath the pants,” he murmured without looking away from his reading material. “It’s hard enough for me to look at you without wanting to get you out of your clothes and into my arms.”
Immediate embarrassment heated her cheeks as she realized that she’d been caught ogling him. This was becoming a thing, wasn’t it? Even so, her embarrassment came with a healthy dose of desire. It was one thing to want him but quite another to find out that underneath his blasé expression, he was lusting over her too.
Suddenly feeling shy, she picked one of the documents from the table and pretended to read it. She brought the paper as close as possible to her face, partly to hide her mortification, and partly to hide her smile. Good to know she wasn’t the only one feeling the zin
g!
“Have you done Carrigan’s opening statement?” Spencer asked as if he hadn’t just turned her inside out with his hot words.
“Um… yes.” Kelly cleared her throat as she forced herself to get back to work. Leaning forward, she rifled through one of the case files on the coffee-table to come up with a document. She held it out to him. “Here.”
Spencer reached for the document and in the process his fingers brushed against her. The light touch lit a fiery path through her already throbbing nerves. How in the world was she supposed to survive this briefing if even the slightest touch from him drove her this wild?
It only got worse with the passing minutes. Spencer always managed to find a reason to touch her; when he was taking documents from her, when he was patting her back because of something she’d done right, when he was squeezing her thigh to catch her attention…
She was beginning to suspect that he was doing it deliberately. That suspicion turned to certainty when he completely covered her hand with his as they read from the same document.
Her eyes wide, she stared at his face, then at their joined hands. At his face again, then at their joined hands. At him…
This time she found him watching her too. His dark gaze was shadowed with a strange wildness that left her breathless. Unable to look away, Kelly’s heart raced with a combination of anticipation and need.
She wasn’t even sure how it happened or who moved first. One second they were staring at each other, and the next they were kissing. Spencer released a deep groan when she caressed his bottom lip with her tongue. His hands spanned her waist to drag her closer to him as his lips parted against hers. Her tongue forayed in and found his to start an erotic game of chase-and-tease.
The kiss was sweet, it was tender, it was longing. Beneath it simmered all the feelings they’d both held in check these last few weeks. Kelly scooted even closer to him so she could feel his body against hers. She shivered and trembled in desire when her already swollen breasts brushed against his muscular chest. Being so close to him brought back poignant memories of how it’d felt to have him over her, inside her. Goodness, she needed more of him.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen soon. A sharp rap on the door cut into their kiss. Instinctively, they jumped apart, just seconds before the door swung inwards and Duke walked into Spencer’s office. Panic driving her, Kelly grabbed a document off the coffee-table and pretended to read it while the annoyingly calm Spencer turned his attention to Duke.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” Spencer asked as he sat up straighter on the couch.
“I did.” Duke’s impassive gaze swept to Kelly before coming back to Spencer. “You must’ve been too busy to hear it.”
What did that mean? Was Duke just making a general comment? Or was that his way of saying that he knew what they’d been up to before he’d walked into the office? The thought sent mortified heat flushing through Kelly. This was one of those times she was glad to be dark-skinned because if she was paler, her cheeks would be a flaming pink right now.
“How can I help you?” Spencer asked.
“Aaron Miller just called. He wants us to go downtown and see him,” said Duke.
Spencer released a tired, drawn out breath. “What does he want this time?”
Duke grinned. “To give another confession.”
“God, no!” Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose. “He probably wants to tell us about the time he went undercover in North Korea and stole the codes to a nuke.”
“I feel like he might take us to Iraq this time,” Duke disagreed with a chuckle. “He made me bring him a book about the Middle East yesterday. Who knows – maybe Aaron knows where Saddam’s secret treasure is buried.”
Aaron was what one would call a problem client. He was a compulsive liar who’d made a career out of making false reports to the police and sending them on wild-goose chases. Unfortunately, the cops were now tired of him and wanted him prosecuted for wasting their time.
“All right.” Spencer nodded. “I’ll be right out.”
Seconds later, Duke left. It was only after he was gone that Kelly took her first easy breath. Jeez, that had been nerve-wracking, she thought as she stared blankly at the document in her hand.
“You’re reading upside down,” Spencer informed her with a grin.
Shocked, she took a better look at the document. Spencer was right – it was upside down.
“Ugh!” She dropped the paper as horror rushed through her. “Do you think Duke noticed?”
Spencer only laughed. Kelly covered her face with her hands. This was so embarrassing.
“Don’t worry.” Spencer gently tugged her hands from her face. She found him watching her with eyes that danced with both amusement and tenderness. “I doubt he knew why you were reading upside down. But even if he did, I wouldn’t care.”
He moved closer, his eyes already darkening as if he was preparing to kiss her again. Kelly quickly shoved him away and shot to her feet. “Get away from me, Satan!”
The man was too damn tempting.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Spencer laughed, the wicked sound echoing in the room.
CHAPTER 17
For the first time in his working life, Spencer was considering faking an illness just so that he could knock off work early. And it was all because of Kelly. Those shy gazes she kept throwing him every time their eyes met across the conference table had him on edge. He couldn’t wait to get her alone in a place where there was no risk of disturbance. Once he had her there, he’d start by peeling away that sexy white dress she was wearing today…
No. No. No. He’d start by initiating a conversation to establish what they were to each other. Judging by her behavior over the last ten days, he was reasonably confident that the conversation would go well. But one never knew with these things. What if she reverted to wary, guilt-ridden Kelly? What if she wasn’t ready to acknowledge and voice her obvious feelings for him? What if a talk tore down the delicate balance they’d established?
No, stop it. This wasn’t the time to lose his backbone. Though risky, the conversation was necessary. He wasn’t some kid who had all the time in the world to have flings and undefined relationships. He wanted a serious relationship. If Kelly was interested – great. If not, then he needed to know in advance so he could stop hoping for something that would never be.
“Is the D.A. really serious about going after Miller?” Angelina cut into his thoughts.
“I think so.” Spencer sighed. “And who can blame them? Miller crossed the line with that witnessed-a-kid-being-murdered call. They spent three days combing Hudson for an imaginary body because of him.”
“They’ll probably smack us with every charge in the book.” Angelina winced. “What’s our play?”
“I was thinking…” Even as he outlined his strategy for Aaron Miller’s case, Spencer’s thoughts kept wandering back to Kelly. He kept snatching glances at her, wondering if she was thinking of him too and craving some time alone with him. By the end of the day, he was practically trembling with the need to have her to himself.
He shot Kelly a text. I’m driving you home today.
It wasn’t a question. It was a demand borne from the fact that he didn’t want to give her the option to refuse. Eagerly, he awaited her response.
It came in a second later. Okay.
It was just one word yet it left him grinning like an idiot. What time?
Six? she asked.
Six, he agreed.
At exactly six p.m., he shut down his computer, grabbed his jacket and satchel, exited his office and made a beeline for the reception area. His hope was that Kelly was already there, waiting for him. As luck would have it, she was indeed waiting. But she wasn’t alone. Marie, Casper, Duke and Russell were there.
Of all the days for the reception to be crowded, it just had to be this one. Spencer sighed as his eyes swept over his colleague. None of them noticed him; they were all focused on Kelly.
“Come on,” Marie pleaded with Kelly. “You have to come with me.”
“No.” Kelly shook her head, even as her gaze swept past everyone to land on Spencer. Her eyes held a panicked ‘save me’ look, as she added, “I don’t feel like going out for Ladies Night or whatever.”
“It’s not just any Ladies Night.” Marie’s voice held a note of awe as she corrected, “It’s a Ladies Night with the girls from the fourth floor. They want to get to know you better.”
Russell made a snorting sound. “And by that she means they want to decide if they can invite you to their club.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “There’s a club?”
“There’s a club.” Casper nodded. An amused gleam in his eyes, he helpfully explained. “If Chambers & Quinn were a high-school, the women on the fourth floor would be the popular girls, the cheerleaders.”
Kelly made a face. “If that’s supposed to encourage me to go for a drink with them, then it’s not working. I was the kid who spray-painted cheerleaders’ cars.”
“If she doesn’t want to go,” Spencer finally cut into the conversation. “You shouldn’t force her.”
Besides, if Kelly chose to go out with those ladies, then that meant his night was ruined too.
“She has to go,” Duke piped in. “No one on our floor has ever been invited before.”
“We want to know what they discuss at those meetings,” Russell explained.
“Yeah, she has to go,” Casper agreed. “This could affect our relationship with the other departments.”
“I would go alone but they won’t allow me in without you.” Marie offered Kelly puppy-dog eyes. “Pwetty pwease.”
“I don’t want to,” Kelly whined.
“Don’t want to what?” Angelina, who was carrying her purse and coat, came up behind Spencer.
“Fourth floor invited her for a Ladies Night,” Marie explained. “And she doesn’t want to go.”
Spencer added, “And I said that if she doesn’t want to go, then she shouldn’t have to.”
“Are you kidding me?” Angelina offered both Kelly and Spencer a horrified look. “This is the first time our floor’s getting an invite. Kelly, you have to go. We’ll carry you there if we have to.”
