The Hot Lawyer (A Romance Love Story) (Hargrave Brothers - Book #4)

by Alexa Davis

  "Yes, please, um, Mr. Marks sent me here to find a dress for dinner," I managed to get out before feeling myself turn red. I felt like I was in the movies and Pretty Woman was the only one that came to mind. I swallowed a giggle and smiled at the sales woman.

  "Why of course he did," she said eyeing me suspiciously.

  "He said to bill the dress to room 1301," I quickly added.

  "Ah, yes, wonderful," she said smiling as if the room number had been the key to her attitude. "What kind of dress would you like to wear?"

  "I don't know," I admitted. "I don't know where we're going and I don't know if I'm good at playing dress up."

  "Oh my dear, we're all good at playing dress up." She smiled warmly. "We just have to find the right clothing to dress up in!"

  She proceeded to move gracefully around the store pulling pieces from racks swiftly and efficiently, and when she was satisfied, she nodded at me to follow her. She led me into a fitting room that was larger than the living room of my home in Las Vegas and began hanging the dresses on what looked like invisible hooks. She hung them right to left and nodded at the first one on the left before saying, "Start with that one and move to the right."

  "I'm sorry, what is your name?" I asked.

  "I am Marion," she answered. "And you are?"

  "It's nice to meet you, Marion," I replied. "I'm Emily."

  "Very well, Miss Emily," she smiled. "I will go find you shoes and accessories while you try the dresses on. Please let me know if you require an additional assistance."

  "I will, thank you," I said meekly. The dresses hung on the wall like a fashionable army and I felt intimidated by them. "Well, girls, I guess you're just fabric after all, so here goes nothing."

  I tried on each one of the dresses that Marion had chosen; the first dress was light and airy in a beautiful shade of deep peach that set off the highlights in my hair. The second dress was form fitting and set off my curves in a way that I'd never seen before, but it proved nearly impossible to sit down in, so it went back on the hanger. The third dress was the charm. It was fitted on top and body skimming but not constricting on the bottom. Made of a chartreuse gossamer layered over a silk lining, it made my eyes shine and I felt like a princess in it. I stepped out of the dressing room and into the main viewing area, looked around and called, "Marion?"

  "Yes, Miss Emily?" she replied as she stepped out from behind a doorway holding several boxes. Marion gasped and then nodded her approval. "Yes, this is the one! I have shoes to match!"

  She pulled out a pair of delicate silver kitten heels with straps around the ankles and helped me slip them on. The effect was mesmerizing. Aside from the fact that my wind-blown hair was a mess, I looked like royalty in the dress.

  "Yes, this is the one," she said again as she nodded as she had me spin so she could see the dress from all angles and make sure there weren't any hidden problems. "You look absolutely lovely in it."

  "Then, I guess this is the one?" I asked.

  "It most certainly is," she replied. "I will have it steam pressed and delivered to your room."

  "I'm in room 1512," I said. "But, Marion, I need help with this..." I lifted my hair off of my neck and looked at her helplessly.

  "Not to worry, I will send someone up to take care of it," she said in an efficient tone as if she made these kinds of arrangements all the time. Perhaps she did.

  "Good, then I guess I will go up and shower and get ready," I said hesitating worried that I'd forgotten something.

  "Don't worry, Miss Emily," Marion smiled. "You will look absolutely radiant when you meet Mr. Marks for dinner tonight."

  I nodded and thanked her profusely, but in the back of my mind, I was already worrying about the effect this would have and the consequences.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Austin

  When Emily walked into the lobby two hours later, I stood in stunned silence as she crossed the room. She was wearing a dress that fit her like a glove in a shade of green that I'd never seen before – she looked like an angel floating toward me.

  "Well, hello," I finally sputtered. She laughed lightly as she looked up at me. "I mean, you look amazing."

  "Thank you very much, Mr. Marks," she smiled. "It's all thanks to you and Marion in La Belle Robe Boutique. I gave her the secret code and she had me done up in no time!"

  "You look amazing," I repeated as I stood back and took her all in.

  "You said that already," she stage whispered with a playful smile. "But I love hearing it as many times as you'd like to repeat it."

  "Wow, I mean..." I had been caught off guard. First, because I knew I'd missed her, but I hadn't known how much until I saw her in the lobby. Second, because she looked like a dream come true. I pulled myself together and asked, "Are you hungry? I've got reservations for dinner for us at eight, so I thought we'd stop and have a drink at this little bar I know."

  "I'd love to, Austin," she said looking up at me. I reached down and took her hand as I led her to the car waiting outside.

  Once inside, I turned and looked at her again. Her hair was loosely gathered and tied back in a low-ponytail and it looked both sophisticated and casual. I wanted to run my fingers through it, but I didn't want to frighten her, so I reached up and stroked her cheek with my fingers.

  "I've missed you," I said softly.

  "I've missed you, too," she replied with a smile as she raised her hand and covered mine. "I'm so glad I ran into you."

  I had the driver take us to Le Sherry Butt and drop us off. We looked a bit out of place in our dinner dress, but no one said a word and I grabbed a booth at the back where I sat Emily down and slid in next to her. I wanted to be as close to her as possible, but I didn't want to scare her off. We ordered our drinks and while the server went to get them, I looked at her again and smiled.

  "Tell me what's been happening in your life," I said as I reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

  "Oh, wow. Well, that's a story," she said shifting nervously in the booth. "I don't know where to begin."

  "It's okay, Emily," I said trying to reassure her. "You can start anywhere and you can tell me anything."

  "Anything?" she asked looking into my eyes.

  "Anything," I assured her.

  "First, I have to apologize," she said looking down at the scarred wood tabletop. Her hands twisted nervously in her lap and she shifted in her seat.

  "For what?" I asked.

  "For running away from Sydney," she said quietly. "I wasn't running away from you, I was running back to try and fix my life so that I could..."

  "Could what?" I asked as I reached down and took her hand. "What were you thinking you could do once you fixed your life?"

  The server bringing our drinks suddenly filled the silence that hung between us. He set them down and asked, "Would you like anything else?" I assured him that we were fine and impatiently waved him away. I wanted to hear what Emily had to say, but I also dreaded it knowing that she might be trying to tell me that she'd reconciled with her husband and that I wasn't part of the picture anymore.

  "I thought I could end my marriage," she said quietly. "I thought I could..."

  "Emily, just say it," I urged. "You can tell me anything."

  "I thought I could end my marriage and get back to you," she blurted in one rapid sentence. My heart soared as I heard her say the words I'd been hoping to hear, but she quickly followed it with, "But when I didn't hear from you, I thought you didn't want me anymore, that I'd been a blip on your radar and that I should just let it go and remember what we had as a nice little interlude in an otherwise unremarkable life."

  I felt my stomach lurch as she told me about reconciling with Tommy and how they were trying to fix up the house and get it ready for kids. There was something wrong here, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was. I listened to her talk about life with Tommy and how he was trying to get sober, but I could feel that something was being left unsaid.

  "Emily," I bro
ke in. "Are you happy?"

  "What do you mean?" she asked.

  "I mean, are you happy?" I repeated. "Are you enjoying your life and loving every day?"

  "Honestly?" she asked.

  "Yes, always honestly," I nodded.

  "No, I'm not," she replied with a sad smile and then dropped her gaze to the table. She ran her finger over the edge of her wine glass and then looked up at me. I was surprised to see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not happy at all, but I don't know what to do about it. My mother says it's my duty as a wife to hang in there and fight for my husband. She says that I made my bed, now I have to lay in it."

  "Emily, what do you want from your life?" I asked quietly.

  "I want to be a good person!" she cried. "I'm not someone who just abandons people when they no longer fit my idea of what life should look like!"

  "I know you're not," I tried to soothe her, but she was getting more worked up by the minute. "Emily, listen to me, please!"

  "What?" she said suddenly calm.

  "What is it you want out of your life?" I repeated. "For you and only for you."

  "I want to travel," she said. "I want to go places and see things and experience everything that life has to offer! But..."

  "But what?"

  "But I want to do it with someone who actually loves me," she said in a small voice. "Tommy loves me, but he's never going to leave Vegas. He thinks that life in the house we bought is going to be enough. Two kids, barbecues on the weekends, holidays with his family close to home, all in that small little house on that small little street in that small little part of the world."

  "Are you going to stay?" I asked.

  "I don't know," she replied, raising her glass and sipping as she reached out under the table and took my hand. I was surprised by how hard she gripped it, but she didn't look at me, so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to acknowledge her touch or not. I squeezed her hand to let her know I was feeling the same thing, but I didn't pressure her for anything else.

  "Tell me something happy," I said changing the subject. "Tell me something fun you've done in the past few months."

  "I met a man who was feeding the pigeons by the Eiffel Tower today," she said smiling at the memory. "He told me that I needed to be more like the birds and choose the good parts of my life better."

  "This is interesting," I said thoughtfully.

  "It made me think," she replied as she turned and looked straight into my eyes. I felt like I'd been shot through by lightening as I held her gaze. And an instant later, she leaned forward and planted a light kiss on my lips as she whispered, "Come with me."

  #

  Emily grabbed my hand and pulled me down the dimly lit hallway toward the ladies room. She pushed open the door and pulled me inside then turned and locked the door. She smiled as she crossed the room, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  "Emily," I said hesitating. "Are you sure?"

  "Shhh," she whispered as pulled my head down and kissed me with an urgency that I'd never felt before. I hesitated for a moment, then gave in and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tightly against my chest. She fit so perfectly against my body, and I slid my hands lower and gripped her round bottom as I urged her lips apart with my tongue. If we were going to do this here in this tiny little bathroom, I was going to make sure she felt what I was feeling.

  I kissed my way down her jaw to the soft place on her neck, where I licked and teased until I heard her moaning my name. There wasn't time for formalities, so I reached down and yanked the skirt of her dress up around her waist and then lifted her up onto the edge of the sink. I could feel her breath coming in ragged gasps as I slid my hand up her thigh and teased the warm juncture between her legs before pulling her lacy panties to one side.

  "Oh, Austin," she moaned as she looked up at me. I could feel how much she wanted me and I felt my own desire straining against my pants. She reached out and opened them as I continued to tease her. She momentarily fumbled with the zipper of my pants, and then with one hard yank, she had it undone. Her hands moved quickly as she pulled out my stiff shaft and began stroking it as she whispered, "Yes, oh yes," over and over again.

  I positioned her on the edge of the counter and grasped the base of my throbbing rod as I pulled a foil packet out of my pocket and split it open. I quickly rolled the latex down my engorged shaft before positioning it at the edge of her moist opening. I could feel her pushing her hips forward as she tried to force me inside, but I smiled and held back, enjoying the way I was holding her on the edge. I let my fingers slide up and down in her wetness as I teased the hard little nub that drove her desire. She moaned and then cried out as I circled it before pressing it with my thumb.

  I looked down into her eyes as I buried myself deep inside of her tight wet center with one deep hard thrust. She cried out and gripped my arms as she gave in and together we found our rhythm. I pulled back slowly and then thrust in hard and fast, her hips meeting mine as she matched my pounding beat.

  "Emily, Emily, Emily," I groaned as I felt her tightening around my shaft and drawing me deeper inside while I searched for a way to climb inside her body and become one with her.

  "Austin, oh yes," she moaned as she reached up and pulled my head down so she could devour my lips. I could feel us both heading toward the edge of orgasm, so I sped up the tempo of my thrusts and she matched me with every beat. My hands gripped her thighs tightly as I pounded harder and harder pushing us closer to a shared climax.

  "With me, Emily, cum with me," I panted as my hips thrust forward again and again.

  "Yes, yes, yes!" she cried as I slipped one hand between us and stroked her hard little clit.

  I felt her begin to tighten around me just as I reached the edge and began to fall over the cliff. She cried out as she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me to her. Her hips thrust forward, inviting me to go deeper as I groaned and let go. I felt the rush of release as I gave into the orgasm that enveloped us both.

  As we clung to each other, still pulsing and throbbing, I ran my hands down her back and pulled her as close to me as I could. I felt as if we were one, but I didn't know if she felt the same way. I wanted her to, though.

  "Emily?" I whispered.

  "Yes?" she answered.

  "We have dinner reservations for eight," I said and then rolled my eyes, wondering what I was doing. "We should probably get cleaned up."

  "Mmm hmm," she murmured in my ear as she nipped at it, sending a wave of pleasure down my spine.

  "Now, don't start me up again," I warned. "We'll never make dinner if you do that."

  "And that would be bad because..." she chuckled.

  I pulled back and looked at her. She smiled up at me with shining eyes that made me feel ten feet tall. I shook my head and stepped back before helping her down off the counter.

  "I should probably fix my lipstick," she laughed as she looked in the mirror and wiped away a bit of lipstick that had migrated across her cheek. "And you should probably wash your face," she said looking at me in the mirror pointing to my lips. I stepped in behind her and grabbed a paper towel as I scrubbed at the dark color that had stained my lips.

  "Ah well, forget it," I said after a moment. "Let them think I'm a freak who likes to wear lipstick."

  "Or a man who just took advantage of a lady in a restroom," she grinned.

  "Hey, who took advantage of whom?" I objected.

  "I think we both did a fair job of it, wouldn't you say, Mr. Morning?" she smiled as she looked in the mirror and applied a fresh layer of gloss to her beautiful lips.

  "Indeed." I nodded as I tossed the towel into the trashcan and prepared to open the door. "Shall we go have some dinner?"

  "I'd love to." She smiled as she turned and faced me.

  At that moment, I knew Emily Warner was going to be mine. What I didn't know was how long it would take.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Emily

  As I packed my bags and
got ready to go to the airport, I thought about my night with Austin and how being with him made me feel hopeful that I could change my life for the better. After our passionate encounter in the ladies room at Le Sherry Butt, we got in the car and drove to Le Meurice where Austin had arranged for us to have dinner on the terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

  The table had been set with exquisite care. The small table was covered with a snow-white cloth and each place setting had been polished to a high shine. There were small glass vases ringing the outer edge on the far side of the table, and each vase contained rose petals and a floating candle. When lit, the effect was a soft glow that cast a warm light on Austin's face and left me feeling overwhelmed by his attention to detail.

  We dined on the finest freshly made seafood and beef dishes as we drank vintage wine and talked deep into the night. He told me more about his childhood, and I shared my dreams of traveling the world. I even told him about how when I was young I'd pour through the National Geographic magazines that my mother scrimped and saved for and cut out pictures of far off exotic places that I hoped to visit one day. Austin smiled as he listened to me talk about how I dreamed of exploring the markets in Marrakesh and then float down the Nile on a cruise ship.

  He reciprocated by telling me about how he'd run the streets of Brooklyn with his best buddy, Bax, eating pizza and hitting on girls. He said that they’d struck out more often than they’d scored, but that they agreed that the fun was in simply trying.

  As I listened to him talk, I felt like I was listening to the other half of my soul expressing all of my deepest desires and dreams. Everything about Austin felt right in a way that everything with Tommy felt wrong. As we talked late into the night, gathering all the details about each other so that we could replay them in the light of day, I looked at Austin and just knew that things in my life had to change. I couldn't bear living such a dull, dreary existence with Tommy. No matter how much I'd loved him in the beginning, we'd grown in very different directions and now were on a path to destruction. I knew I needed to go home and end things so that I could start anew. I wasn't entirely sure that Austin would want to start anew with me, but at this point, that wasn't the issue. My freedom was.