He meant it, I could tell.
“If we’re working, we can’t do this. We can’t work if we do this sort of thing.” We might not work anyway. The thought flitted through my head. Looking away, I pushed a shaky hand through my hair to smooth it down. Taking a deep breath, I forced my gaze back to his. I had to tell him. I'd waited too long. “Listen, Arik, about the case–” The shrill sound of the phone on my desk interrupted me. Feeling drained already, I moved toward it and picked it up. “Dena Monroe.”
"We're meeting in fifteen. You've got a decent office now, so use it. Get your ass together." Bethany's voice, flat and emotionless, barked out of the receiver. I had no chance to respond before she hung up. Still, as I lowered the phone into the cradle, I snapped a sarcastic little salute.
"The queen has spoken." Arik said, his voice dry. I looked back just in time to see him run a hand through his hair, settling it into place. He adjusted his tie and the lapels of his jacket. Just like that, he looked like he had just stepped off the cover of GQ Lawyerly.
Me, on the other hand? I needed to swing by the ladies’ room and make judicious use of one of the stalls, otherwise I’d get to walk around with damp panties for the rest of the day. I was sure Arik would've loved that, but it wasn't something I planned on sharing. Of course, I also needed to touch up my lipstick since smudge-proof wasn't really much protection when it came to Arik's kisses. Then I had to brace myself to deal with Bethany.
Fifteen minutes wouldn't be nearly enough time for that, but I had a feeling it was all I’d get. What I wasn't going to be able to do was tell him the one thing he needed to know.
Shit.
I paused with my hand on the door. “I'll go first.” I glanced up at him. “When can we talk?”
“I was thinking about tonight. I'd like to take you out for dinner.”
I closed my eyes. Dinner. It sounded like a date, wonderful, really. But it also sounded like a terrible idea at the same time, and if I was smart I would've been thinking up ways to explain that to him. There were a thousand reasons why going out tonight would be a bad idea, and yet I couldn't think of a single one that would make sense without a much longer discussion.
I opened the door and stepped out. A part of me breathed a sigh of relief when I was able to slip into the bathroom before Arik emerged. I took as little time as possible, hoping it was enough time for Arik to have left, but he was still in the hall when I stepped out.
I suppressed a scowl as he came over to me. I wanted to demand that he leave, but he gave me a polite smile and started talking.
"Ms. Monroe, I'd like to thank you for the advice on the divorce attorney," Arik said, head bent toward mine. His voice was brisk, business-like. “I’ll take those recommendations to my friend. I’m sure she'll appreciate it as well.”
“Ah, yes.” I swallowed. “Of course. No...no trouble at all.” I felt like I was rambling. Did I need to say anything else?
He stopped walking and I did the same, looking up at him. He held out a hand. Befuddled, I reached out and he shook my hand once, twice. Just a nice, professional handshake, nothing strange here.
It was one of the most surreal things I'd ever experienced.
“Dena...oh, and I see you two have already found each other. Excellent.”
At the sound of Bethany’s voice, my blood chilled. My smile froze on my face.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She drew closer as I let go of Arik’s hand. Her eyes slid all over him and a stab of jealousy went through me. I would've hated anyone looking at him like that. It being Bethany was so much worse.
“Feeling out the opposition already, Miss Monroe?” She jerked a hand toward my office. “I was just heading your way. Let’s go to your new office, shall we?”
She turned, the indication that I should trail along behind her like a disobedient child very clear.
Then I realized she hadn’t only been speaking to me.
She’d been speaking to Arik, too.
Was he here...?
Oh. Oh, shit. This was what I got for dodging his phone calls all weekend.
“You’re here for a meeting, aren’t you?” I asked, my voice low as I started to follow Bethany.
He glanced my way, then nodded, his expression puzzled.
I really should have just blurted it out earlier, but it was too late now. It was time to face the music.
Chapter 2
Arik
Dena made me into a complete moron. I still couldn’t believe I had almost pushed her up against the wall and sank my dick inside her, right there in the middle of the cubicle that had been her office.
I completely lost my mind around her. That’s all there was to it.
And I loved it. I couldn’t deny it.
Everything about her, from the way she submitted to the way she fought, the way she responded as a Dominant in her own right, how she gave as well as she took. All of it challenged me.
But I was going to have to be a lot more careful. She was right. What I’d almost done had been beyond stupid, beyond irresponsible. It wouldn't have only ruined me if we'd been caught, it could've destroyed Dena's career. It didn't matter what Bethany did. If she'd caught Dena and me together, she'd have made sure Dena paid for it.
Slanting a look over at Dena, I opened my mouth to say something. I didn't even know what I’d been planning to say, because whatever it was died as I caught sight of her pale, strained face.
Her mouth was drawn into a tight line, and I wondered if maybe she hadn’t been feeling well over the weekend. She'd avoided my calls, or at least it seemed that way, despite her text where she insisted she’d been busy. Granted, I wouldn’t have put it past Bethany to dump a shitload of work on her ADAs at the last minute just so she could go out on the town. It wasn’t like Bethany was exactly known for her work ethic. That was practically common knowledge at this point.
I wanted to pull Dena aside, ask her if she was okay, but there was no time for it. And no place.
Bethany led us to a door and pulled out a key, but instead of unlocking it, she turned the key over to Dena. “It’s yours, after all. You should be the first one to go in.”
“Well, besides the maintenance people who moved me in, of course.” Dena’s tone was perfectly level, but Bethany and I both heard the bite.
Bethany’s sapphire eyes flashed, but when she saw me looking, she just laughed. “Like we’d make you do all that heavy lifting, Dena. You could break a nail...or your back, as tiny as you are. We wouldn't want that, would we?”
I wiggled my jaw, recalling the strength Dena had in her small frame. Somehow I didn’t think hefting a few boxes would do her any harm.
Dena unlocked the door and stepped inside, flicking on the lights. From where I stood, I could tell that it was just the typical office any ADA would get, but as I watched, Dena’s shoulders rose, then fell on a breath that seemed more than a little unsteady. She stepped to the side quickly, allowing Bethany and me to enter. I waited for Bethany and she lingered, her gaze drifting over me. I resisted the urge to curl my lip.
I didn’t mind a woman finding me attractive, but there was something about how Bethany looked at me that made me think of one of those female insects who ate the males after mating.
Moving toward the desk and the two miserable chairs in front of it, I looked around. “Where’s your other ADA? Lawton, right?”
Bethany had probably sent him out to get donuts already.
She gave me a sharp smile, as though she’d caught that last thought. “I haven’t had a chance to eat anything today.” She gave Dena a dazzling smile. “I’m sure Arik is also hungry. Why don’t you run to the deli on the corner and grab something for us? You can get it this time, can’t you? I’ll get it next time.”
“No need.” I gave them both a pleasant smile as I sat. “I ordered a dozen bagels and coffee for four on my way in. It’s being delivered. We’ve got maybe five minutes. I'm sure the delivery person will be able to find us, right???
?
Bethany's eyes went frosty for a split second before she smiled at me. That smile didn't reach her eyes. It rarely did. “How kind of you, Arik. Although we won’t need the fourth coffee. I didn’t get around to notifying anybody outside my office, but Pierce Lawton has been temporarily reassigned. He’ll be back in a few days, but Dena has been made second chair.”
Dena.
It hit me almost like a physical blow.
I turned my head and stared at her.
The case had gotten complicated. Wasn’t that what she said in her text?
Complicated?
That was a hell of an understatement.
“Dena might like that fourth coffee, though,” Bethany said, chattering on like any one of us actually gave a fuck about an extra coffee. “She seems to have something of a caffeine addiction, I’m afraid.”
“It’s either coffee or the blood of my enemies, Bethany.” Dena gave a tight smile without looking my way. “Coffee seems the safest option.”
I was still looking at her. Only when I sensed Bethany staring at me did I look away, forcing myself to meet Bethany's gaze.
“I assure you,” Bethany said, smiling prettily. “She looks young and inexperienced, but I’ve been watching her. She’s got a sharp mind. She’ll do fine.”
“I’ve no doubt.” I was surprised how even I managed to keep my voice.
Second chair.
She’d known. All fucking weekend.
I could tell by the way she wouldn’t look at me that this hadn't come as a surprise.
She’d known when we'd been in her office, dammit. Not even ten minutes ago, and she hadn’t said anything.
How could this be happening?
A million things raged inside me, but my game face was exceptional, as always. I managed a nonchalant air as I put my briefcase on my lap and opened it.
“We need to get down to brass tacks, don’t we? I want to talk about the break-in, among other things.”
“The break-in has nothing to do with anything.” Bethany waved a dismissive hand. “Mrs. Mance lives in a nice neighborhood. I heard she had some pretty expensive pieces of art. Somebody probably wanted to make some money.”
“Your average thug wouldn’t know a Picasso from a postage stamp, Bethany.” I slapped a list of the destroyed pieces on the desk. She’d settled down behind it despite the fact that it was supposed to be Dena's office. “All the damaged pieces seem to be accounted for. Nothing was stolen. Just...destroyed.”
“It's still not related to this case.”
“We don’t know that,” Dena said from off to my side.
I resisted the urge to look at her.
“We do.” Bethany gave her a cold look that made my hands curl into fists. “There is no evidence connecting the two events. No reason for anyone to ransack Ms. Mance's house. Unless, of course, she was trying for sympathy. Or maybe an insurance scam.”
“She has no reason to do that,” I said through gritted teeth. I wasn't sure which was pissing me off more, Bethany's treatment of Dena or her attitude toward Leayna.
“Money's always a motive. If her late husband had been planning on divorcing her...”
“She doesn't have any money issues,” Dena neatly interrupted as she pulled a file out of a box and put a report down on the desk in front of Bethany. “I had a source look into it.”
I saw a real flicker of surprise on Bethany’s face. “You were able to follow up on quite a bit this weekend.”
Maybe Dena really had been busy.
Dena started to say something else, but Bethany cut her off, dismissing her as she focused on me. “We have a solid case against Mrs. Mance, Arik. She’d be wise to just plead out.”
I took a second to make sure my voice was calm. “My client is innocent.”
There was a knock at the door.
Dena answered while Bethany glared at me. The cute college coed who bustled in, handing out coffee and depositing the box of bagels ended up hurrying out as quickly as possible. I hoped the twenty-dollar tip would make up for the tension in the air.
Dena seemed unaffected, but I knew better. She stood at the window, staring outside as she slowly stirred cream and sugar into her coffee.
Absently, I noted the cup on the desk. Skinny vanilla latte. Next time, I told myself.
Next time...What in the hell? Why was I thinking about the next time? Or coffee? Or anything other than the fact that she’d hidden something pretty damn important from me?
And why was I thinking about any of this when I had a case to focus on? A client whose life was on the line.
“Mrs. Mance really should make a deal,” Bethany said, her voice even. “None of this is going away.”
With that, she stood up, selected a bagel and took a coffee. As she started to walk out, I focused on Dena.
No way in hell would I just let this go. If I walked out of this office, I had no way of knowing when I'd get to talk to her again.
“I’ll need your ADA for a little while this morning. I’m sure you’re...busy, Bethany, but my client needs to get a few things from her house, and I’m sure you’ll want somebody from the DA’s office there.” Rising, I looked back at her. “To make sure everything's done by the book, of course.”
Bethany paused, studying me. Then she shrugged. “Just make sure you don’t keep her long. She’s needed here.”
Shifting my gaze to Dena, I picked up my briefcase.
“Let’s go.”
I wasn’t waiting to have that talk.
And I sure as hell wasn't making that a request.
Chapter 3
Dena
What I wanted to do was tell Arik that I’d meet him at Leayna’s, but it didn't make sense for us to take separate cabs, especially since the first one had been so hard to get.
When we stopped a block short of the Mance address, I looked around. Not that parking was easy anywhere in the city, but I didn't think we were going to be walking from here.
The luxury high-rise in front of us hadn’t yet opened for general viewing, but real estate agents and businesses were making grabs for prime spots.
But that didn't explain why we'd parked here.
“What are we doing?” I asked as we rolled to a stop.
“Talking.”
I didn’t bother to play dumb and point out that he’d said we were going to his client’s house. I’d known it was bullshit from the second the words left his mouth. It was strange how well I seemed to know him already.
“This place isn’t open to the public. How are we...?”
The words stopped as a man came rushing up to the cab door, opening it with a wide smile. “Mr. Porter, it's great to see you, sir. Coming by to see how the construction's going? I hear the penthouse will be ready soon.”
“Before Thanksgiving,” Arik said easily as he shook hands with the other man. “My father said he ran into a few snags with some permits. He's still learning the differences between building codes in Chicago and New York.”
His father?
What the hell?
“If this one does well, do you think your family will continue expanding here?”
His family?
Arik nodded without looking at me. “That's the plan.”
“Well, sir, we really appreciate the jobs around here.” The man opened the front door. “You and your friend take your time. The building inspector's not due for another few hours.”
Arik thanked him and stepped inside, seemingly waiting for me to ask. I didn't because I’d already connected enough dots to construct a decent picture. Defense attorneys made damn good money – or they could.
But it sounded like Arik was already loaded. Family money, even if he hadn't gone into the family business.
Part of me wondered why that was, but I didn't ask. We had enough to deal with without adding family into the mix. Maybe, eventually...I shook my head. No use even attempting to think that far ahead.
Neither of us said a word as we rode up t
o the top floor, then walked down a dimly lit hall. It was clear that even though things looked completed, there was still a bit more that needed to be done.
It was all black, white and chrome, completely masculine. As Arik locked the door behind us, I looked at the modern fixtures and then over at him. “This place doesn’t suit you.”
“No.” He paced over toward me, crossing his arms over his chest, his emerald green eyes narrowed. “I’m not here to discuss my future accommodations, though. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I didn't have to ask what he was talking about. “I was going to,” I said. Averting my face, I blew out a breath. “As soon as I figured out how.”
“It would have been easy. All you had to do was answer one of my calls, or one of my texts, instead of blowing me off.” Biting anger underscored his voice, but I couldn't really blame him. “Look at me.”
When I didn’t, he shot a hand into my hair.
He. Did. Not.
I jerked against his hold, glaring at him. “Let go.”
“And not just blowing me off, but doing it to figure out how to put an innocent woman in jail.”
He still hadn’t let go of my hair and my scalp was starting to tingle from the pressure, but not in a good way.
“I spent the weekend getting caught up on a case that had been assigned to me by my direct superior.” Rising up on my toes, I shoved my face into his. “And if you don’t let go of my hair right now, this discussion is through and this so-called relationship is through.”
Something flickered through his eyes and slowly he let go. Tension radiated off of him, and for the first time since I'd met him, I was thoroughly aware of just how much larger he was than me. More than a foot taller, broad shoulders, muscled torso...
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice strangely gentle. “I just–”
“I found out on Thursday morning,” I cut him off. “Bethany has been fucking with me almost from the get-go, and then she throws Pierce under the bus, claiming he made some bullshit unofficial complaint about how I acted unprofessionally and made an advance on him. None of it happened, of course, and we all knew it. He stood there and let her say it, knowing it was all crap.” Now that I'd started, it all came pouring out. “I filed a formal complaint against him and told her I’d be happy to explain in detail everything that’s happened since I started. He ended up getting suspended while they investigate him. So that meant I became second chair.”