The Bridgewater Case

by R. C. Martin

  Massaging her neck, I insist, “You’re overreacting. Just trust me, okay? You and I have been together for months. If anyone is idiot enough to challenge me on that, let them. I’ll handle it. Are we clear?”

  She doesn’t answer me right away, and I know her mind is processing all that I’ve said. I let her think, pulling my hand away from her as we arrive home. I park in the driveway, killing the engine before I shift slightly in my seat.

  “Sigourney—you’re not going to lose me. You’re also not going to lose your job. Now put it from your mind. We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and you’ve got your exam on Wednesday and Thursday. This is not something you need to be worried about.”

  She nods, but even in the dark, I can tell this news will plague her until she comes to the realization that our relationship is not the reason rules such as these have to be made. In the mean time, I’ll simply have to remind her that we don’t need a contract to establish that she and I are committed to each other.

  “I love you,” I say, reaching over to graze my knuckles along her cheek.

  Leaning into my touch, she whispers in reply, “I love you, too.”

  “Come on. Let’s go inside. We’re home.”

  SMOOTHING MY HANDS down the front of my dress, I glance at my reflection in the small bathroom mirror at the courthouse. I took extra care with my outfit this morning, well aware that today is an incredibly important one. For me, for Dane, for Janet—we’ve all been wronged, and it’s our turn to fight back the best way we know how.

  My dress is gray, with a subtle plaid pattern adding a hint of black and red. The black ties in with my black tights and black, suede heels; and the red is incorporated with my matching blazer. I pulled my hair back this morning, and it hangs to the middle of my back in a straight ponytail. I did my best with my makeup, wanting to keep it natural and light. Except, while I managed to disguise the dark circles beneath my eyes, I still look pretty much exactly how I feel.

  I barely slept last night. Between the trial, my upcoming exam, and the news Dane dropped on me yesterday evening, sleep was basically impossible. Honestly, I’m not even sure which to worry about the most. Neither Dane nor I have been threatened since his attack, but I’m afraid we still aren’t safe. Now that the trial is starting, who knows what could happen. I hope we’ve seen the last of our mysterious assailants, but until this case is put to bed, I won’t allow myself to ignorantly believe I can let my guard down.

  As for the bar exam, I know Dane is right when he says I’m more than ready. Nevertheless, I’ve been ready before. I want to believe the third time is a charm, but I also know my anxiety is not something I can control. I’m believing and hoping for the best, but I’m still nervous. I need to pass it this time. I don’t know if my heart can take another failure—if my dream can handle another hit.

  “I don’t know why you’re fretting in front of the mirror like that,” says Janet, pulling me from my thoughts as she exits the stall. While she washes her hands, she goes on to tell me, “You’re beautiful.”

  I tear my gaze away from my reflection and focus my attention on Janet. She looks different than she did the first time I met her. Her hair is pulled back into a neat chignon; and while the pant suit she wears is a little too big, it’s the most put together that I’ve ever seen her.

  “Thank you,” I murmur. “You look nice today, too.”

  “My neighbor did my hair,” she informs me, gently smoothing her hands along the sides. “She knows how long I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  “I have every confidence in Dane. He’s prepared.”

  She nods as she wipes her hands dry. “I believe you.”

  “They’ll be starting in a minute. Are you ready?”

  I offer her my hand, and with trembling fingers, she takes mine. Together, we make our exit and head to our assigned courtroom. Dane is waiting for us right outside the doors. The way he looks at me as we approach is unlike any expression he’s ever given me before. When his eyes shift to Janet and he speaks, it dawns on me that he’s in the zone—and it’s hot as hell.

  “Are you ready for this? We’ve got a strong case built against them, but they will try and fight back.”

  “I know,” she replies, letting go of my hand. She reaches up and squeezes the strap of her purse as she informs him, “I sought your help for a reason. Already, you’ve exceeded my expectations. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Don’t thank me yet, Janet. Thank me when we win.”

  He dips his chin in a decisive nod and then leads the way into the courtroom. My stomach flutters in anxious anticipation as we follow close behind. Obviously, I’ve never been someone’s second chair before. As Dane’s secretary, I know there are quite a few people who don’t believe I deserve to sit beside him during this trial. Chandler, who opted to be in the audience today, among them. Except, since word has gotten out about the threats and attacks on both Dane and myself, I’m surprised to learn that there are a select few who think I’ve earned the right to be at Dane’s side. Either way, I don’t really care. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

  When the bailiff calls for us to all rise, my anxiety starts to morph into excitement. The judge enters from his chamber, and we’re allowed to sit. I remain perfectly still, my hands gripped in my lap as I take it all in. When Dane is called to give his opening statement, my heart skips a beat. As I listen and watch, captivated by his every move, I’m overwhelmed. Never have I been so proud, so impressed, and so turned on all at once. I’ve always known that Dane is an amazing lawyer—but to see him in the courtroom, it’s better than my wildest dreams or fantasies.

  A couple of hours later, when our first session is adjourned, I walk out of the room no longer worried about the board at Croft, Sloan, Parker, & Croft, their new rule, or the stupid employee handbook. Dane is mine—and no one is going to take him from me.

  After parting ways with Janet, Dane and I walk to his SUV together. He opens my door for me, and I watch him round the hood of the vehicle to get to the driver’s side. I press my thighs together, still feeling aroused after our time in the courtroom. I know I shouldn’t feel that way—it’s inappropriate and unprofessional—but I can’t help it.

  “We won’t be returning to the office,” he announces as he starts the engine. His face is still all business, as if it’ll take him a moment to shake off his badass lawyer, and it does little to help the situation between my legs. “I’m taking you home. I planned on ordering Capitol Pizza and staying in for the evening. No work. I want you well rested for the first part of your exam tomorrow. Agreed?”

  The thought of going home now makes me squirm in my seat, and I barely manage to reply, “Pizza sounds great.”

  “Good.”

  With it being so early in the evening, it doesn’t take us long to get home. The entire drive, we discuss what went well today and what he hopes to address tomorrow. I regret that I’ll be missing the next two days, but that’s hardly what’s on my mind during our discussion. As if he knows what he’s doing to me, he doesn’t drop his courtroom mannerisms, and I’m so turned on by the time he pulls into the driveway, it takes everything in me not to crawl over the console between us and straddle him.

  He shifts the vehicle into park and kills the engine. Before I can reach for my door handle, he takes hold of my chin and turns my face toward his. With his lips grazing mine, he practically growls, “You cannot look at me like that in the courtroom.”

  My lips part open and I whimper, not even pretending that I don’t know what he means. Leaning toward him, I confess, “I’m sorry—I’ve never seen you like that before.”

  “Do you know how hard it was to sit next to you and not touch you, knowing damn well what you were thinking—what you were feeling?” He closes his eyes and touches his forehead to mine before he grumbles, “You were wet for me.”

  A shudder washes over me, my nipples growing hard as I whisper, “I still am.”

  I hum my delight when he
crashes his lips against mine. He kisses me hard and rough, as if he can’t get enough of me. I give just as good as I get, feeling desperate for more.

  Our kiss ends as abruptly as it began. I sigh, not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. He then demands, “Inside. Now,” and my relief wins.

  I’m out of my seat without having to be told twice, hurrying as much as my heels will allow. The second I’m inside, I kick off my shoes and drop my purse. Dane halts my disrobing progress when he slams the door behind him and takes hold of my waist, yanking me against him. I circle my arms around his shoulders, offering my mouth as he generously fills it with his tongue. When he reaches down and slides his hands underneath the skirt of my dress, feeling his way over my ass, he grunts in frustration at the barrier of my tights. He then grabs hold of the back of my thighs, lifting me from my feet and guiding my legs around his hips.

  “Fucking winter,” he grumbles, carrying me up the stairs

  I giggle, burying my face in his neck before I lick his skin. When I’ve reached his ear, I press my lips against it before I breathe, “Hurry, baby.”

  He listens, not even bothering to take me all the way to the bedroom. Once we’ve reached the landing of the main level, he sits my ass down on the dining room table and promptly sheds his coat. I hop onto the floor and shrug out of my own, then help him peel off his suit jacket.

  “Dress. Off.”

  As I work to unzip myself, he loosens his tie, pulling it over his head before it’s even undone. My dress hits the floor at the same time that he rips his shirt open, and my eyes grow wide in excitement at the sound of all of those Armani buttons scattering across the floor.

  “Fucking tights, baby,” he reminds me, pulling me from my daze.

  I make quick work of them, taking my panties down too, leaving me in only my lacy, pale pink bra. I straighten as he’s pulling his undershirt over his head, revealing his lean, sculpted chest and the gorgeous Lady Justice. My need for him intensifies, and I reach for his belt with a new sense of urgency. We work together to free his dick, and then he spins me around. Without any further guidance, I place my palms on the table and arch my back, sticking out my ass. He lines himself up at my center, one hand gripping my hip as he rams inside of me.

  It feels perfect.

  He doesn’t pause or hesitate but takes what he wants. He fucks me, the sound of his skin slapping against mine beckoning more of my arousal. With every hard thrust, there’s a twinge of pain, his cock filling me to the brim, and it does something to me. All I want is more. Using the table as my leverage, I push back as he drives up, and it feels so good I can’t silence my loud moan.

  He indulges me for a moment, and then he takes over again. Plastering his chest against my back, he curls an arm around me and feels his way between my legs. I reach behind me to fist my hand in his hair, arching my back further, the sensation of his fingers on my clit and his dick inside of me bringing me to the edge.

  “Dane—Dane!”

  “That’s it. Scream my name, Sigourney—scream my name and come.”

  The feel of his breath against my ear and his body all around me—filling me, touching me, owning me—it’s too much, and I can’t hold on a second longer.

  “Dane!” I cry, my legs shaking and my knees growing weak as my orgasm bursts inside of me.

  He hooks his other arm across my chest, holding me and palming one of my breasts as he continues to draw out my release, working my clit as my core clenches around him. His thrusts become erratic, and I know he’s about to explode when he expands inside of me.

  “Sigourney,” he groans, burying himself deep as he finds his release.

  He pauses for a moment, then slowly eases in and out of me before pressing his lips to my shoulder.

  “I’m ordering pizza—and then we’re doing that again,” he pants.

  Still trying to catch my breath, I simply nod.

  My head has been a mess for the past twenty-four hours, overwhelmed with all that’s going on in my life right now. Except, in this moment, all I can think about is Dane. All I can think about is how much I want him.

  In this moment, I can’t think of a better way to spend our evening—and I can hardly wait to have him again.

  WHEN MY PHONE pulls me out of sleep in the middle of the night, I mutter a curse underneath my breath and reach for the device right away. Seeing that it’s Officer Cowell calling, I furrow my brow and answer immediately.

  “Hello?” I whisper, climbing out of bed.

  It’s one in the morning. Sigourney will be up in four hours. The last thing she needs is for her sleep to be interrupted tonight.

  “I apologize for the call at this late hour, Mr. Croft.”

  “Dane, Officer. What’s the reason for your call?”

  I step into my office and flip on the light, cracking the door behind me. I halt in my tracks as he informs me, “There was a call into the station, tonight. When I heard the name Bridgewater, I got involved. It was a break-in of sorts. A couple of hours ago, a brick went through Janet Bridgewater’s front window. There was a note attached. Given your history, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the rest.”

  “Fuck,” I grunt, reaching up to rub my hand down my face. “Is she okay? And her boys?”

  “Everyone is fine. I wasn’t the officer on the scene, but I’ve been informed they’ll be staying with the neighbor for the night. No one attempted to enter the residence.”

  “Dane?”

  I turn at the sound of Sigourney’s soft, raspy voice. She’s rubbing her eyes with one hand, her other arm covering her tits.

  I don’t get a chance to respond as Cowell continues. “I don’t know what the hell you all have dug up for this case, but it’s obvious these maniacs won’t stop. There will be a patrolman stationed outside of the Bridgewater residence until the trial is over. Thus far, it appears as though they don’t know where you live, but we can send a car your way if you feel it’s necessary.”

  “No. No, I don’t want to draw attention.”

  “Fair enough. You let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I will. Thank you for the call.”

  When I disconnect, Sigourney makes her way further into the room, a tired frown on her face. “What’s going on?” she asks, tucking her naked body against my side.

  I wrap my arm around her shoulders as I explain, “Someone put a brick through Janet’s window tonight.”

  “What?” she gasps, gaping up at me with wide eyes.

  “She’s okay. They’re all okay. It was just another threat.”

  “Shit, Dane—she’s probably terrified.”

  “They have someplace safe to stay for the night. There’s also been an officer assigned to keep an eye on them for the duration of the trial. Janet and her boys will be all right.”

  “What if she wants to drop the case now? I mean, she knows what happened to you. Now they’re threatening her home? With her kids?”

  “Hey—you let me worry about it, you hear me? I’ll handle it. Come on, we need to get you back in bed.”

  “Dane—”

  She starts to argue, but I silence her with a kiss. Without even pulling my lips away from hers, I mumble, “I’ll handle it, babe. Get your ass back in bed.”

  “Okay,” she concedes.

  We return to the bedroom together. After climbing underneath the covers, I wrap my woman in my arms. She relaxes against me, and in spite of the thoughts that circle around my mind, the clutches of sleep manage to pull me under. It’s as if my body knows that tomorrow we will fight harder, and tonight we must rest.

  I ARRIVE AT the testing site feeling frazzled beyond belief. After being woken in the middle of the night, I couldn’t get back to sleep. It didn’t matter how much I knew I needed the rest; it didn’t matter how protected I felt wrapped in Dane’s arms; it didn’t matter how comforting it was to hear the deep, even breaths of the slumbering man that I love—sleep would not come. I couldn’t shake the nagging sensatio
n that something awful was on the horizon.

  Now that I’m here, hours of testing ahead of me, I already can’t concentrate. My thoughts keep stubbornly gravitating toward Janet, the brick that went through her window, and today’s session in court. It isn’t until this afternoon, scheduled for the same time as yesterday; yet, I can’t help but to think of all the possible things that could go wrong this morning. It’s obvious that after day one, the defendants are getting desperate. Their desperation has made them bolder, and I’m afraid of what they’re thinking of doing next. What’s worse is that we can’t tie anyone doling out these threats directly to the case. Of course they always mention the case, but without catching the assailants and bringing them into custody, we’re stuck.

  I knew I was right not to let my guard down, but I had no idea they would go after that woman and her kids—as if they haven’t already been through enough. More than anything, I want to be in that courtroom today. Regardless of my longing, I know, for the next forty-eight hours, I have another obligation on which I need to focus. This exam is critical, and it can’t be postponed because I’m wrapped up in a case I technically have no authority to touch—not without passing this test.

  My belly is twisted with nerves as I find my assigned seat. In no time at all, it becomes more difficult for me to breathe. I try to relax. I try to remind myself that I’m ready, I’m more than ready, and this is my chance. Except, when the oral instructions begin, none of my calming tactics seem to work. My palms start to sweat, and my heart starts beating faster. My testing anxiety creeps into my system like an old friend gone rogue—someone who knows exactly how to get to me—someone that has betrayed me time and time again.

  When the first section of testing begins, I can’t seem to get into a rhythm. Try as I might, my thoughts won’t stay in the room. Every time I attempt to focus on the questions in front of me, I start to panic, worrying that I won’t have enough time; worrying that I won’t finish; worrying that I won’t pass—again. My anxiety level rises so high that after a couple of hours, all I want to do is cry. I feel like a freak, a freak who will never be a lawyer, and it’s crippling.