by R. E. Hunter
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Depends on what we’re talking about. Eating” —He gave her a downright sinful look that could’ve melted her panties on the spot— “or licking off of you.”
A sultry smile crossed her lips as she pictured chocolate syrup and Luke’s tongue. “I think I like where your head’s at,” she said softly. “Let’s go for licking.”
His eyes heated. “Chocolate, definitely chocolate.”
Embry stood from the couch, walking casually into the kitchen. She ducked into the refrigerator, popping up a moment later, holding up a small brown bottle of Hershey’s. “Will this do?” she asked, winking.
Embry made her way downstairs and into the kitchen on Sunday morning, hopping around cardboard boxes strewn about the entryway. The movers had come yesterday and packed up her apartment. She was officially moved into Luke’s. Most of her things were in storage, but there were a still a few boxes of stuff to go through. Her oral argument came first, though.
She found Luke sitting at the breakfast bar, glasses on and flipping through files as he held his phone to his ear.
“I’m happy to take a look at the case. He was acquitted in criminal court?” He looked up and offered her a warm smile, then pointed to the coffee pot on the counter. “So they’re coming after his money in civil now? What’re their claims?”
She filled her travel mug and grabbed a banana, stopping as she passed Luke to drop a kiss on his cheek. As she turned for the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap.
“Yes, yeah. Hold on just a sec, Chuck.” Luke muted the phone and teased Embry’s neck with kisses. “You heading out, baby?”
Her eyes fluttered closed. “Mmm. Yes, I’m meeting Jeremy to prep for oral arguments next week.”
He set the phone on the counter and wrapped her in his arms. “Okay. I’m heading to the office for a bit. Another attorney is stopping by with some case files for me if you want to drop in for lunch.”
Embry wiggled out of his lap and swept her lips across his before backing away. “I’ll text you.”
A short while later, she pulled into campus and found a quiet study room on the second floor of the library. She texted Jeremy the room number and got to work on her oral argument. They’d be arguing a motion in front of a three-judge panel made up of alumni, upperclassmen and local attorneys. Embry’s professor had divided the class in two, half arguing for the motion, the other half arguing against it. Embry and Jeremy were paired up, arguing on opposite sides and each had ten minutes to make their argument. This would be interesting.
She’d taken her professor’s advice and attached two manila folders to create a makeshift portfolio for her notes. By the time Jeremy arrived, she’d made a color-coded outline listing all the important points of her argument and had begun filling out index cards with specific cases that she’d use to support her motion.
Jeremy raised an eyebrow, surveying the mess of papers in front of her. “I see you got started without me.”
Embry narrowed her eyes. “Get ready to be crushed, Price!”
He chuckled and took a seat across from her. “Nice tan, Blondie. Have a good spring break?”
A string of R-rated visions of her and Luke on the beach flashed before her eyes: his golden brown skin covered in a sheen of sweat and sand, fun in the outdoor shower, watching the sunset in his arms at the top of the Tybee lighthouse.
A soft blush rose to her cheeks as her thoughts distracted her. “Um, yeah, it was pretty great. Lots of sun and sand.” She smiled. “How about yours?”
“It was good.” He shrugged. “I had an interview with the public defender for an internship this summer.”
“Oh my god!” Embry squealed excitedly. “Jeremy, that’s great! When do you hear back?”
“I just got a callback on Friday. I’m going in tomorrow.” He looked down at his watch. “Actually, I have to keep an eye on the time. Professor Dawson is coming in to meet me and help prep for the follow-up.”
Embry beamed at him. “I’m so excited for you.”
“Thanks.” He nodded back to Embry. “Have you figured out what you’re doing for the summer yet? Law review? Interning?”
She shrugged, unsure. Summer internships were extremely important for law students, and making the law review gave you a one-up when looking for jobs after graduation, but she hadn’t even considered what she’d do for the summer yet. “This year has been so crazy, I haven’t even begun to think about it. And now I just want to make it through these arguments.” She wrung her hands nervously in her lap.
Jeremy waved her off. “You’ll be fine.”
She gave him a pointed look. “Says the man who can memorize anything and charm his way through a room full of people.”
“I do have a good bedside manner,” he defended, raising his eyebrows suggestively and offering his best cheesy smile.
Embry burst out laughing. “I think you mean courtroom demeanor.”
He winked. “That too.”
They worked quietly for the next few hours, both building their arguments, discussing case law and strategy. By the time Jeremy had to leave for his meeting, Embry felt confident in her argument. If she could keep her nerves at bay, she thought she had a chance at actually doing well. Being that it was a large part of her grade, she really hoped so.
It was well past lunchtime when Jeremy left for his meeting, and since Embry hadn’t heard from Luke, she decided to drive over to his office and surprise him.
Making a quick stop at the townhouse, she dug through her boxes to find her coffee maker. Luke always complained that he didn’t have a kitchen at his office, and he had nothing to brew his coffee. Even though he could easily go out and get one for himself, he never did. Since they were combining a lot of their things by moving in together, Embry had a Keurig that she wouldn’t be using. She boxed it up, found a bunch of k-cups and made a quick stop at the store to buy a card and an obnoxiously big red bow before heading to see Luke.
She pushed through the doors into the reception area, balancing the coffee maker under one arm while gripping her laptop and textbooks in the other, then headed back toward his office.
Hearing the murmur of voices coming from behind the half-closed door, she hesitated and considered turning around, but figured he wouldn’t have a client in on a Sunday. So she smiled brightly and poked her head in the door.
But her smile dropped as she found Luke standing in front of his desk, fists clenched at his side, anger blazing in his eyes.
His gaze flicked to her and at once his posture changed, his shoulders slumping and his eyes going soft. “Embry, I’m—”
“Hello.”
Embry pushed the door open the rest of the way to find the source of the voice that had interrupted Luke. It was the girl from the courthouse, her blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. The usual friendliness Embry had seen in her face was replaced with an unpleasant twist of her lips and cold eyes, not unlike the way she’d stared at Embry at the courthouse.
What the hell is going on?
“Oh, hi there,” Embry said cautiously. She set his gift down on the floor beside her, adjusted her books and laptop in her hands, and looked to Luke. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
He shook his head and stared at her in disbelief. “We—I—you know?”
A spasm of alarm shot through her. She glanced back and forth between Luke and the girl, the gears of her mind turning in slow motion, as if refusing to process what she already knew. Then it hit her like a freight train.
Her stomach rose in her throat, and her body began to tremble. “Oh my God.” She spoke in a broken whisper. “You’ve been following me? You… you’re…”
Embry’s jaw was slack as she stared at the girl. She was Luke’s ‘other’ student, his first. The reason her life had been completely turned upside down a few months ago.
The girl stepped forward and held out her hand, a malicious grin on her face. “That’s right, I don’t think I eve
r really introduced myself. I’m Sydney.”
Luke watched as the heavy lashes that shadowed Embry’s cheeks flew up in surprise. The color drained completely from her tan skin as realization hit her. She turned to him, eyes pleading, and his heart shattered into a million pieces. He’d brought this on her. Whatever it was Sydney was doing, or had done, it was on him.
Tense silence filled the room as he looked between the two women in front of him. Although they looked similar at a glance, they couldn’t have been more different. Where Embry was soft and sweet, Sydney was hard, bitter. Embry’s eyes lit with feelings and emotion, while Sydney’s were flat and cold.
Anger rushed through him at the thought of her anywhere near his girl.
“What’re you doing, Sydney?” he bit out with barely contained rage.
She shrugged and batted her lashes, her eyes filled with fake innocence. “Nothing, Luke. Just dropping off the files like Chuck said.”
He glanced at Embry, who was staring wide-eyed between them both. “That’s not what I meant,” he countered.
Her lips twisted in a saccharine sweet smile. “I’m new in town, just trying to make some friends.”
He took a menacing step toward her, narrowing his eyes. “You know damn well that isn’t what you’re doing. And whatever it is you are doing, it stops today.” He pointed to the door. “Now get the fuck out of my office before I remove you myself.”
She started slightly at his raised voice but recovered quickly, another plastic smile appearing on her face. “I guess I’ll just tell Chuck—”
“Tell Chuck whatever the fuck you want,” he interrupted. “If he wants me on this case, he can bring me the rest of the files himself. Send it by courier, by fucking carrier pigeon for all I care, as long as I don’t have to see your face again. Now get out.”
Luke swallowed hard as he took another glance at Embry. It was only then that he realized she was hugging her things to her chest, and a large box with a big red ribbon on it sat awkwardly beside her. She was chewing her lip, raw hurt glittering in her jade eyes.
He wanted to fold her in his arms, hide her away and shelter her from his fucked up past. She’d just begun to feel safe, secure, after fighting for so long against Jack. She didn’t deserve this. He narrowed his gaze on Sydney, his eyes filled with determination. He’d do whatever it took to put an end to this.
Sydney still hadn’t moved. She was smirking at Embry, sizing her up. Luke’s fingers twitched with the desire to shake the shit out of her, toss her out of his office, but he’d never put his hands on a woman, not even one as fucking evil as Sydney Chase.
He stalked into her personal space, his nose nearly touching hers. “I don’t think you heard me. Get. The fuck. Out of my office, Sydney. I’ll ruin you if I see you again.”
Her mouth curved into a wicked smile. “I look forward to it.”
She turned then, stopping directly in front of Embry, her eyes traveling to the law texts in his girl’s arms before flicking back to Luke. “Another student, huh, professor?” She winked. “This is going to be so much fun.”
Sydney paraded out the door, ponytail swinging behind her as Embry stared after her, mouth hanging open. What just happened?
She looked to Luke and saw his jaw clenched, murder in his eyes. But when his gaze shifted to hers he softened. He took a deep breath and stepped over to her, rubbing at the back of his neck like he did every time he was nervous or upset.
She set her books and computer on the desk and moved toward him.
“Are you okay?” He cupped her cheek, gently trailing his fingers down her face. Sydney hadn’t laid a hand on her, but she’d definitely endured an emotional punch to the gut, and she was still reeling.
“She’s been following me, Luke,” she said, barely able to lift her voice above a whisper.
He led her to the leather couch in the corner of the room and tugged her down beside him. ”Tell me.”
Embry cleared her throat and began. “I ran into her in the courthouse bathroom, and I think it was an honest coincidence… us being there at the same time. But then she saw us together afterward, in the hallway. She was glaring at us, Luke. At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was distracted with the hearing, so I brushed it aside.”
Luke nodded gravely, and Embry continued.
“She showed up at Kline’s when I was there for lunch with Jer, and again at Starbucks just a few weeks ago, when I was with Morgan. She made it a point to come up and say hello, but would always find some reason to leave before I could ask her name. ” The thought tore at her insides. It was an unsettling feeling, knowing that someone was watching her. It hit too close to home, brought up feelings about her past with Jack that she didn’t want to examine.
Sydney knew who she was and had been following her, watching her, deliberately running into her—pretending to be someone she wasn’t to… to what? Make a point? Intimidate her?
She shook her head. “I feel so stupid.”
Luke grabbed her face in his large hands, his eyes burning into hers. “No. This is not on you.”
“How could I not have known?” She remembered noticing Sydney’s southern accent as soon as she’d spoken in the bathroom, but she’d never even thought of the possibility. It all made sense now, though. “She seemed so… off. Even Morgan didn’t like her when she met her, and Morgan likes almost everyone.” She looked up at him, the real question burning in her. “Why is she doing this Luke? Why is she here?”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t know. Jesus. I never… she just…” He looked away in disgust. “She’s fucking crazy.”
Embry nodded in agreement, anxiety knotting her stomach. What was Sydney’s end game? What did she hope to accomplish? Dread filled her as she thought of the possibilities.
“If I had known… I don’t… I can’t…” He struggled with his words, choking out half sentences, his voice strained and cracking. “I got her a job to get her off my back, Embry. I honestly thought she’d leave me alone. I knew she was a bit unbalanced, after what she did to me in Georgia, but I chalked it up to rejection. Her feelings for me obviously went deeper than a one-night stand and, when I brushed it off, she reacted. I thought that was all it was, misguided feelings. But this…” He shook his head. “Christ, I’m so sorry, baby.”
“You didn’t do anything.” She knew it offered him no comfort. He felt responsible.
“I brought this to you. If I hadn’t, if we hadn’t—”
She reached up, placing her finger on his lips. “Stop. This is what she wants.”
He grabbed her wrist, eyes turning wicked and playful as he sucked her finger into his mouth then released it with a pop, placing a kiss on the tip. “You’re sexy when you’re right.”
Luke held out his arms, and Embry curled up against his chest, his heart beating steadily beneath her head.
He pressed a kiss against her hair. “I’ll fix this.”
She had no doubt he would, but first they had to figure out what this was. Whatever game Sydney was playing, Embry had a feeling she was just getting started.
“What’s with the box?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Embry glanced across the room at Luke’s gift, the gigantic bow hanging off the side as it leaned awkwardly against the leg of the table. “Oh. I brought you a present.”
“You did?”
She stood from the couch, picked up the box and placed it in Luke’s lap. He opened the card and smiled, then tore past the bow and pulled out the Keurig.
“Thanks, Cute Butt,” he said, kissing her nose.
“Welcome.” She chuckled. “It’s too bad. It’s got some weight to it, I could’ve used it as a weapon.”
Luke laughed. “There’s gotta be a better way of getting rid of Sydney than assault by kitchen appliance.
Embry smiled weakly. “I hope so.”
Embry stepped into a pair of black suit pants that stopped at her ankle, showing off her black high heels. She matche
d the pants with an off-white camisole and a black fitted blazer, topping it off with a layered necklace. While she brushed on the last touches to her make-up, her oral argument was running through her head on repeat. She was confident enough in her argument, she knew it backwards and forwards, it was standing up in front of three mock judges and pleading her case for ten minutes that made her insides coil in anxiety.
She smiled sweetly into the mirror as she saw look approach from behind.
Thick arms wrapped around her, his warm lips connecting with her neck. “You look beautiful, counselor.”
She turned in his arms, looking up into bright cobalt. “Thank you, professor.” She reached up, touching her lips to his.
“Are you ready?”
She let out a heavy sigh. “As I’m gonna be.”
“You’ve got your case law and your arguments down pat. Just don’t let the nerves get you. Take your time, smile, and don’t forget to breathe.”
Embry shook her head. “I’ll try.”
In truth, she didn’t have room in her head to remember much other than her oral argument, but breathing would probably be important. She just wanted it all over with. Sleep hadn’t come easily over the past week. She was struggling with the amount of stress she was under and plagued with nightmares. Mostly about choking during her oral argument, but a few of Sydney as well.
She pictured Sydney’s sharp features and wicked grin as she’d said, Another student, huh, professor? This is going to be so much fun.
Girls that level of crazy did not go away easily, and Embry wondered for the hundredth time what they were going to do. It had been quiet for the past week, at least. Almost too quiet. That was never a good sign. Luke hadn’t heard a thing from her, and he’d received the rest of the case files from Chuck, who personally delivered them. Luke hadn’t mentioned Sydney’s actions to Chuck. He hadn’t wanted to do anything to set her off before he knew what her game was.
“Hey, you all right?” Luke gave her shoulders a squeeze.
