Hot Lawyers: The Lee Christine Collection

by Lee Christine

  “I did.”

  Simon chuckled, looking amused all of a sudden. “What happened, did Allegra knock you back?”

  “She did actually.” Luke turned to look at her and reached for her hand.

  Wishing she could somehow vaporise, she watched him thread his fingers through hers before turning back to Simon.

  “It became complicated. We thought our personal relationship would create a conflict of interest. I pulled out at the last minute.”

  Allegra let go of a breath, squeezing his hand in silent appreciation.

  Simon gave a derisive snort. “Don’t worry about her giving you preferential treatment, we’re all professionals. If you’re the best person for the job you’re the best person for the job, notwithstanding your relationship. I tell you what, put something together for me and I’ll take a look at it.”

  Then he leaned around Luke and stared straight at her.

  “We’re not too happy with the other mob are we?”

  Allegra flushed, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Talk about an evening of highs and lows. “Not really, no.”

  Simon clapped Luke on the shoulder. “There you go. Get something to me next week and I’ll have a look at it.”

  “Thanks Simon, I’ll do that.”

  And that was it. The conversation was at an end and Simon turned away to speak to his wife.

  Dizzy with relief, Allegra watched Luke turn to her, faint dimple flashing as he smiled. He raised his eyebrows, as if to say he’d fixed that easily enough, his hand warm around hers.

  She smiled and mouthed a silent thank you. It seemed inconceivable that only a few days ago she’d faced him in his office, embarrassed and awkward about the kiss and the photograph. And now she sat holding his hand and wishing fervently they were alone.

  She extracted her fingers from his and slid back her chair. She needed a few moments alone to regain her equilibrium. They continued to act the part of live-in lovers, but last night had been the real thing. The lines were beginning to blur.

  “Excuse me a minute.”

  A covers band tuned up on stage as she weaved her way between the tables and headed for the ladies bathroom. At least the dinner and speeches were over.

  Pushing open the door, she escaped inside the luxuriously appointed powder room, sinking into a comfortable, floral upholstered chair and staring at her image in the mirror. Unclipping her evening bag, she took out a make-up brush and ran it lightly over her pale face.

  Luke had effortlessly put forward a plausible reason for missing out on the contract, his quick thinking succeeding in getting her off the hook as well. They could strike that problem off the list.

  But where did the playacting stop and reality begin?

  She heard his voice in her head. “Our ages match up.”

  So did their libidos.

  She sprayed herself lightly with perfume. She wanted him to stay with her tonight. She’d known it the moment she felt the touch of his hand on her waist and his lips against her hair, from the moment they’d locked eyes when she could finally see properly.

  Standing up, she smoothed down her dress and pulled on her gloves. All she had to do was give the new Family Court Judge her congratulations and they could take their leave.

  But as she exited the ladies room and passed by a table of rowdy police prosecutors, Jim O’Callaghan stood up, effectively blocking her way.

  “Allegra, would you do me the honour of this dance?” he asked, loud enough to draw amused sniggers from the others.

  She smiled and glanced at his companions, nodding to a few of the prosecutors she recognised. She liked Jim. He was harmless, but he had two or three too many drinks under his belt.

  “I was just about to leave, Jim.”

  “Go on Allegra. Put the guy out of his misery,” one of them called out as the rest laughed in unison.

  “Yes, put me out of my misery.” With an amusingly pathetic expression, Jim reached for her bag and shawl and placed them on the table. “You can make it up to me for bailing on our lunch date.”

  Allegra rolled her eyes. “It was hardly a date. More a hastily grabbed sandwich.”

  “You’re a real big spender, Jim.” Another in the group laughed as he took her by the arm and led her to the dance floor.

  Allegra gave up and followed. Any further protest would be futile. She’d have one dance, thank him nicely and make her escape.

  Across the room Luke stood at the bar, watching as O’Callaghan took Ally in his arms.

  “What can I get you?” the barman asked from behind him.

  “Bourbon straight, thanks.”

  Officially he might be working, but he still felt like a drink, needed something to take the edge off, particularly now when he felt like striding across the room and reclaiming his woman.

  Only she wasn’t his to reclaim.

  He saw Ally’s eyes slide in the direction of their table, noticed the slight frown crease her forehead as she spied his empty seat, but then O’Callaghan turned her the other way and she didn’t see him standing at the bar.

  Luke picked up the heavy tumbler and brought it to his lips. Did she feel unsafe with O’Callaghan? Granted, the guy seemed busy working an angle and talking himself up, but the poor sod had it bad for her, whether she realised it or not.

  Luke took a hit of bourbon, the fiery liquid sliding down his throat as his eyes flickered over her. The rich purple gown left one shoulder exposed while clinging to every curve of her hourglass body then falling in soft folds to the floor. As she danced, a slash to the knee exposed a shapely lower leg, her black four inch stilettos no impediment to the way she moved…

  Glancing around the room, Luke took stock of the men watching Allegra. She naturally stood out, though she didn’t try hard to draw attention to herself. Tonight, she wore her hair loose, her only jewellery a pair of silver, sparkling earrings that dropped almost to her shoulders.

  But the black satin gloves that reached past her elbows were definitely the ‘pièce de résistance’ and added to her elegant style. She’d worn them when she’d first arrived and must have put them back on when she went to the ladies room. Now, the two of them moved in a casual waltz, their legs moving in unison to the three four time signature.

  To Luke’s relief, the song ended, and he saw Ally take a step back as the band began jamming on a slow blues. Only O’Callaghan wouldn’t take no for an answer, coaxing and cajoling a reluctant Ally back into his arms.

  Too well mannered to make a show, or perhaps because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, Ally continued dancing.

  The fool couldn’t take a hint.

  Or was it more?

  Obsession?

  Luke drained the remainder of his bourbon in one go, seething with anger at the uncomfortably strained look on her face. He was supposed to be here tonight as Ally’s lover. It was about time he started behaving like one.

  Leaving his glass on the bar, he headed for the dance floor, incensed as he watched the prosecutor’s hand slip lower and lower down her back and slide over her shapely bottom.

  The guy was history.

  But then Ally caught sight of him and smiled, looking so relieved his heartbeat shifted into overdrive, his aggression towards O’Callaghan fading. Much as he’d love to flatten the guy, he wouldn’t embarrass her that way, or himself for that matter. There were more civilised ways of getting what he wanted than taking out his frustration on a half drunk lawyer.

  Threading his way through the dancing couples, he tapped O’Callaghan on the shoulder, giving the guy a cordial nod as he turned around. “Excuse me, mate. Mind if I dance with my girlfriend?”

  O’Callaghan’s eyes widened, and to his credit he stepped away immediately. “Oh, of course, I apologise for monopolising her time. We go way back,” he added, by way of explanation.

  “Thanks.” Luke didn’t move a muscle, just waited as the guy nodded hastily to Ally and took his leave.

  Luke’s eyes
locked on hers and he held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

  She stared at him, the dress showing off her eyes. He held his breath, wondering if she intended declining.

  “You took your sweet time getting here, Commander.”

  And then she glided towards him and he folded her in his arms, holding her closely against his chest. He heard her sigh as the tension left her body and her head came down on his shoulder.

  Possessiveness had him tightening his hold on her.

  It felt right. It felt so right.

  He began moving in time to the slow beat of the music, eyes watching the crowd of people, her perfume tantalising his senses. “I couldn’t be sure you’d welcome my interruption.”

  “Are you serious?”

  He sucked in a breath as her arms slid beneath his jacket and curled around his waist.

  “I am serious,” he managed to say. “For all I know, you might fancy O’Callaghan.”

  The lights dimmed and he steered her into a protected corner of the dance floor. Enveloped in the darkness, fire surged through his body as her gloved hands pressed into the small of his back, urging him closer.

  “You really think I’d kiss you if I were interested in O’Callaghan?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

  Luke pressed his lips against her shell-shaped ear so she could hear him over the music. “You really think I’d stand you up after arranging our date?”

  Luke’s heart thundered in time with the rhythm section as he felt her arms tighten around him. “It’s not a real date.”

  Dear God it felt like one!

  Luke squeezed her gently, hated breaking the spell, but he was left without a choice. He’d have to convince her of the real date thing another time.

  “Much as I love you draped around me this way, be careful not to run your hands too high up my back. I’m wearing a piece.”

  As expected, she froze in his arms, which wasn’t a bad thing because it gave him a chance to get his body parts under control. Slowly she brought her hands up to his chest and lifted her head to look at him.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, it’s why I haven’t removed my jacket.” Sliding his hand beneath her hair, he moved the pad of his thumb across her soft cheek. “But don’t worry. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to plug O’Callaghan.”

  To his relief she burst out laughing, and he watched, pleased to see her happy and enjoying herself for a short time.

  As he took hold of her again, this time in a more conventional dance style, she gazed up at him.

  “Is it—loaded?”

  He tightened his hold on her and twirled her in a spin, catching her by surprise and making her gasp. Unable to resist teasing her, he growled in her ear. “It’s always loaded, baby.”

  He watched her lips part as the double entendre sank in. She blushed, a deep plum colour diffusing her alabaster face and neck. She was so darn gorgeous, proper, and dangerously sexy all rolled into one package.

  “I’m sorry, that was out of line,” he said, though he was having difficulty wiping the grin off his face.

  She laughed, and at that precise moment Luke couldn’t believe she was the cool lawyer with the glacial stare he’d watched strutting her stuff in court.

  Then, as if she’d read his mind, she morphed into that very person. He knew she was only acting, yet she gave him the same stern look she’d given him when he’d kissed her the first time they met.

  “That was so unprofessional, totally uncalled for. See, I can’t take you anywhere.”

  He laughed in amazement, and she joined in, as if it were all a game.

  Then he said something he’d been dying to say all night and hadn’t found the right moment, because he’d spent too much time talking to her boss and not her.

  “You look beautiful, Ally.”

  Allegra stopped moving and stared up at him, knowing he meant every word he said. Luke Neilson would never resort to flattery to get what he wanted.

  “Thank you. You’re pretty hot yourself, Commander.”

  He gave her that same sexy wink that always made her heart jump. “Well, I’m an acquired taste.”

  A heady mixture of excitement and pleasure raced through her body. She reached up and made a show of straightening his bowtie, aware he was watching her through narrowed eyes. He lifted his chin a fraction, and she smiled as the satin material of her glove caught on his stubble. Unable to resist the impulse, she ran her finger lightly over the scar.

  “How did you get this?”

  He captured her hand and swung her around. “Keep the moves up, or we’ll draw the attention of others.”

  “You won’t give me a straight answer will you?”

  He chuckled, and she couldn’t work out whether he was enjoying teasing her, or if he really didn’t want to answer.

  “It’s not as interesting a story as you might imagine.”

  “Try me?”

  “I got in a fight over a girl.”

  “Liar!”

  He threw back his head and laughed, and Allegra caught her breath. She loved him like this, all playful and flirty.

  “What?” he asked, “you can’t imagine that happening?”

  She took a deep breath, an internal battle raging inside her.

  If he were right in his assessment of her situation, and one of the photographs ended up on the net, it would be there for the entire world to see whenever her name was typed into a search engine. And all these people here tonight, her colleagues and peers would never look at her the same way again. She’d lose all credibility as a litigator.

  And when that happened, her time with Luke would be over. He’d move onto the next case, and if he scored the Grace and Poole contract, she wouldn’t be employed there anymore.

  She wanted him. Now. And she needed him to know. If she didn’t make a move she knew she’d regret it. Just like she regretted running away from him ten months ago.

  “You haven’t answered my question,” he prompted her. “Despite me getting rid of O’Callaghan, you can’t imagine I’d get in a fight over a girl?”

  She lifted her eyes and looked into his, her gaze never wavering. She’d never been a gambler, but this time she was prepared to gamble everything she had and was.

  “What I can’t understand, is why the girl would even consider anyone else.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Ally!” Luke groaned. “I should check the cameras first.”

  He said ‘should’ not ‘must’!

  Holding that thought, Allegra pressed her lips into his neck, stubble scouring her cheek as he attempted to unlock the door of her apartment.

  Apart from a lingering kiss in the car, which left her restless and unsatisfied, he hadn’t touched her, his priority to get her home safely.

  The trip had taken a century.

  Huddled in the small foyer, she nuzzled closer, his clean, tangy taste stimulating her tastebuds and for one insane moment she was tempted to give him a love bite. She checked her rampaging hormones, shocked by her desire. She was hardly a teenager.

  Luke growled low in his throat and fumbled the keys. “Baby, you’re making this impossible.”

  Allegra lifted her head and ran a fingertip along his jaw. “The problem is Commander, unlike you, I’ve endured a sexual drought of El Niño proportions.”

  He chuckled, powerful shoulders shaking with amusement. “A self-imposed drought?”

  “Are you complaining?” She smoothed her hands over his chest, her fingertips tracing the contours of well developed pectoral muscles. The man was one hundred percent male, his face all strong planes and rigid angles. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, thrilled and nervous at the thought of making love with him.

  He swooped and planted a hot kiss on her mouth, robbing her of oxygen. “Sexual favours aren’t in my job description, but since it’s a deal breaker for you, I’ll bend the rules.”

  She gave him a playful punch in the chest. “Can y
ou please hurry?” That damn door was the only thing standing between them and a good time.

  The lock clicked, and he hustled her inside, kicking the door closed with the heel of his shoe. In the hallway, his tall form merged with the midnight shadows.

  Eyes like black onyx roamed the length of her body.

  Allegra’s heart battered in her chest, and her breasts swelled of their own volition. Her nipples went painfully hard inside her strapless bra.

  A muscle moved in his cheek, and his breathing turned ragged. “I have work …”

  Allegra reached for him. “You have work to do right here, Commander.”

  She hit the solid wall of his chest as he pulled her into a fierce embrace, his lips crushing hers in a warm, wet, bourbon-flavoured kiss. Strong fingers plunged into her hair as he backed her up against the wall, one muscular thigh separating hers. He pinned her with his weight, tilting her face upwards, his questing tongue invading the inner softness of her mouth.

  Allegra reeled, her body in meltdown, the muscles in her lower belly clenching with anticipation and longing. Aroused by his sheer physical dominance, she clutched at his jacket, sharing his breath, barely able to withstand the onslaught.

  She gasped, and he checked himself, his conquering kiss turning sweet and seductive. His lips softened, and his mouth caressed hers with a sensual reverence that heated her blood. A gentle hand smoothed her hair from her face and she melted against him, his heart a metronomic pulse beneath her fingertips.

  The instant she went boneless and her body began trembling, Luke harnessed every bit of his willpower and broke the kiss.

  He let her go—and stepped away.

  It just about killed him.

  Ignoring her cries of protest, he reached beneath his jacket and unbuckled the harness, sliding it from his body in one swift movement.

  “What are you doing?”

  She flinched as he took out the pistol and released the safety catch.

  He put the leather strap on the hall table and met her eyes. “I want you baby, so bad it physically hurts. But it’s not going to happen. Not until after I check those cameras.”