Legal Attraction: A Romantic Suspense Novel (Legally Suspenseful Romance)

Chapter 22

After about twenty minutes of cutting back and forth through the marina area and around some boat congestion, they were out on the water, cutting across a large bay. The wind was just right, warm, and the day was beautiful.

Rand moved to the back of the boat, the stern, and rested against it. He pulled Coral close so that she sat in front of him, leaning back on his chest. He held the rope in one hand, the rutter in the other and let the wind gently push them through the water.

“I could get real used to this.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Maybe we need lots of excuses to come visit this particular client.”

“Absolutely. They are very needy, drama prone and requested us specifically. I can see it now.”

“Sounds about right to me.” She tilted her head to look up into his face and for a moment, Rand didn’t think there was anything more beautiful on the earth.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Then he mumbled over the top of her mouth. “I never thought I’d meet someone like you.”

“I’m happy you did.” She turned in his arms so that he could kiss her properly and then he pulled her close, loving and kissing her with all his attention.

The wind caressed their hair. He held her, their mouths communicating the best way they knew how, the newness of their feelings.

She rose up higher onto her knees, looking down into his face. She kissed him again and again, his hands wrapping around her waist.

A loud horn interrupted them.

Coral whipped around. “Oh no!” A larger yacht was headed in their direction in their line and would not have time to move. She yanked the rutter hard to the right. “Duck!” The sail came swinging around the other direction, the wind catching it furiously. The boat leaned to the side, its edge barely skimming the water, the sail full, the waves splashing their faces.

They turned in just enough time to avoid the larger yacht and Coral shouted with a yelp of happiness as they tore across the water as fast as the boat could go. “This is amazing!”

Rand sat on the opposite side of the tilting boat and it did level out a little bit but their speed kept up and he could see the thrill of sailing, but even more so, he saw the thrill of Coral, joy all over her face, navigating their ride.

Later that evening, Coral stunned him again in her new evening gown. It fit her exactly right and more than once, he found his hands aching to rest at her waist. They approached the yacht on time. It was lit up from top to bottom. A line of people in formal wear entered from the dock.

Music played from the upper decks.

“This is my kind of night.” Coral grinned.

“Mine too.” He pulled her close. “This right here.” Then he kissed her again.

“Wow, you’re friendly.”

“I just decided this is how I want things to be. If you’ll let me. I’m testing things out.”

“And what does that mean? You gonna kiss me at the office?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

She let her mouth drop. “You will not.”

“Fine, like I said, I’m testing my limits.”

She laughed. “I’m not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I like it. But it could cause a lot of complications.”

“Like being a target of international terrorists?” He leaned closer. “Or working for them?”

“Point taken. No complications will be worse than the ones we are already dealing with.”

“And I kind of thought that maybe being with you might make things easier, you know? A little goodness in the middle of all the other?” He brushed his finger along her arm, softly, gently and then ran circles around the bare skin on her shoulder. “But like I said, I’m taking my ques from you.”

“Mm.” She stood closer. “I could definitely be talked into this.” She gasped. “But not now. Look who just showed up and with who!”

Their new clients Fannie Mae and Nigel walked in arm in arm and all cozy with Muskanza Juliete Strong, Thomas Handy, and Stefan Santori.

“The nicest terrorists I’ve ever seen.”

“Truly. This might be the most ridiculous quest we ever go on. What are we gonna learn following them around?”

“Probably nothing but we will become best friends with our clients and that’s a great thing as far as Goldstein and Smithson is concerned.”

“Well, let’s not approach them just yet.”

“Sounds good to me.” He pulled her close. “Want to dance?”

“Yes. Do they have dancing?”

“I hear music…”

“Then let’s go.” She smiled.

Rand didn’t think the night could get any better. They had seen zero sign of anyone trying to follow them, watch them, or put them at any risk. The two biggest suspects seemed mild, and he had a gorgeous woman on his arm. He thought it time to relax a little bit.

As soon as they found the dance floor, he spun her around and pulled her close against him. “What should we do tomorrow? Sailing was amazing today.”

“It really was. Should we tour some of the mansions and things around here?”

“Sure. Or get out on the water again somehow?”

“Or both. Or maybe there are bikes we could ride. This place is gorgeous.”

“We have the rest of the weekend. I say we make the most of it. And I was thinking, if it’s still dangerous at home, we can stay anywhere, work anywhere. If our clients are here, we have a case to stay anywhere you’re safe.”

“That, Rand McCarthy, is some of the best thinking I’ve heard you think.”

He laughed. “You hearing me think now?”

“Yes I am.”

He pulled her as close as he could, enjoying her mouth just a breath away from his own. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“Hold that thought. Our suspects are huddled in a group. They look serious.”

“Are you even listening to what I’m saying? It’s a bit hard on a guy to be brushed off like that.”

“You talk to me about it when you’re in my shoes.”

“Fine. You’re right. I just don’t know if we’re gonna learn anything from them.”

“Oh oh, look, they’re moving to the perfect spot!” She started walking toward the group of five all huddled together with their backs to Coral and Rand. They have moved to a lower balcony, just off the dance floor.

Coral hurried to stand right above them. The music was behind them, faded. The ocean was calm. The air was still. And everything the group said was floating up to them as clear as if they were standing right next to them.

Rand pulled Coral to him in an embrace. “Steady, this is our cover. We’re out here to make out.”

She snuggled into him. “We do get to make out though, right? Some time tonight?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Stefan gripped the bar. “We are not any closer than we were four months ago. We have no proof. Nothing we can use in court.”

“But we will. Be patient.” Fannie Mae clucked. “But you’re not gonna learn anything from these two new attorneys they sent us.”

Coral frowned.

“They’re good attorneys though. They’ll do their job. And we need that too, don’t forget.” Juliet looked out at the bridge to their side.

“But we need the proof to put an end to the attacks. They aren’t going to stop, not until someone stops them. I hear there was a scare in Coral’s Island.”

Coral nearly gasped out loud which would have ruined everything.

Rand hugged her closer.

“Her father acted quickly and no one was harmed. But the people involved have ties to Othello. Goldstein must be stopped at all costs.”

Coral shook her head against Rand’s chest.

“We will keep at it. They’ll make a mistake. We’ll stop them. But now, that king’s daughter is here, out there on the dance floor, and from the looks of it, a partner from the firm is surprisingly close and most definitely trying to keep her trust. That looks like something to me. We owe it to her father to keep an eye on her.”

Coral pulled away, looking into Rand’s face in a way she hadn’t in a few days. Distrust marred the softness of her features.

He shook his head and reached for her hand but she pulled away, shaking her head. Then she hurried from the ballroom area. But he followed close behind.

They continued through the yacht, in and around people, until she was climbing down the ladder and he was following after. “Coral, please. Let’s talk.”

She kept moving until they were off the docks and moving toward his car. Only when they were right in front of it, did she turn around and with a fierceness he could only admire, blurt out, “Tell me. Tell me you are not dating me at the instruction of Goldstein.”

And then he hesitated.

The hurt in her face crumpled it. “You are?”

He held up his hands. “Coral. It is not like that. It’s not even what you’re asking. No. Come on. Get in the car. Let’s talk.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the hood. “We can talk right here. And then I’ll decide if I want to head back in and ask to stay with Juliet or Fannie Mae.”

He breathed out a long breath as slowly as possible while he tried to collect his thoughts. “I’m going to tell you the exact truth, from the beginning. I promise.” He watched her, studied her face, tried to show her with his eyes that he was sincere.

She nodded.

“When you walked into The Palisades I was really impressed. You can ask Nico. He told me I wouldn’t have a chance with you. And I assumed he was right. But then we were together because neither of us had security detail and I wanted to step in to help you in case no one else was making sure you were safe.”

“Generous.”

“You sound sarcastic and maybe it sounds convenient, but it’s true. So you know what happened. And your response to that whole scary mess was very impressive to me. I told myself that even though you lived in the Mediterranean and we couldn’t date, I would try to find someone like you.”

“You did?”

“I really did. I don’t have proof though. I told no one.”

“Hm.”

“So then at karaoke I looked for you. I wanted to dance with you. I tried to avoid all the other women for you and then found myself to be the luckiest guy there when you wanted to go for a walk.”

“Oh stop.”

“Ok. I won’t add the fluff words, but it’s true. You’re incredible. And I felt super lucky we could spend that time together.”

“Sharks and all?”

“I could have done without the sharks.”

“Honesty becomes you.”

“Hm. Okay, so then I had the best make out of my life.”

She laughed.

“And thought I’d lost you forever.”

“But I showed up at your firm. How utterly convenient is that? You work for the firm who is actively trying to attack Royals and you just happen to kiss me? You’ve been in a lot of convenient places this whole time.”

“But all of that is coincidence. It really is. Or fate. There is a chance I’m in your life because we need each other. There’s a chance that we are meant to work together on this, that we’re both uniquely placed to stop a really bad organization. And have you considered that what we heard just now could also be wrong? They could be working to trap the wrong people? No one knows who Othello is, not even Lucan.”

She hesitated and then nodded. “But I’m not going back to the firm until we have some more intel on this. We have to talk to Lucan.”

“Agreed. We can work from anywhere. And while our clients are here, I say we stay here. We have had no tails, not threats. It’s been a great location.”

“There might not be a we, Rand. What if I just go home? There was an almost attack on my own country. I should be there.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. While a part of him most desperately wanted to be at her side, he also knew that now was the time to respect her wishes.

“I’ll do whatever you need. I even asked for your jet to be moved to Charleston. You can go anywhere you want.”

She looked away.

“And I’m not finished with my story, my true story. So, when you showed up at my Goldstein and Smithson, I was angry.”

“Angry?”

“Yes. How am I supposed to behave normally, treat you like all the others, not fall at your feet in adoration, when I had absolutely fallen in love with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just making stuff up. Stop. It’s not nice.”

“No, it’s true. I didn’t know it until I saw you. But I had fallen for you and had been missing you since we left Nico’s. Can you see how that would complicate work for me?”

“I definitely experienced how I complicated work for you.”

“I’m sorry about that. I am. I was trying to protect us both.”

“I can see that.”

“But then I just couldn’t help but be completely focused on you. The day you went to lunch with Muskanza? That was torture. All day, gone. I didn’t know if you were safe. I didn’t know how to find you. And then I heard you were taken into Joe’s office. I was about to ram down the door and then it opened and you weren’t in there. My heart dragged along with my feet all the way to your office and I had to stop myself from running in and pulling you tight against me. It was an agony.”

Coral’s eyes were shining but she crossed her arms. “I’m waiting for the part where the firm asked you to date me.”

“Well, Gladys told me it was obvious to everyone that I was into you.”

“She did?”

“Yep. And then when Mr. Goldstein called me into his office to tell me that he wanted us to work together on this client, he mentioned that I still hadn’t married and that maybe it was because I was so married to my job. He thought it might help things along if I just dated someone from work. He suggested you.”

“Suggested?”

“In strong terms.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s it. They are after me to marry. They noticed that I’m totally in to you, says Gladys, and he thought he was playing matchmaker.”

“All this is just so very convenient and could be taken in more than one way.”

“I realize that. But think about all our interactions. Have I ever acted in an untrustworthy way? Have I ever put you at risk? Have I done anything that makes you think of me as a terrorist colluding double crosser?”

She laughed. “No.”

“And your closest friends. Nico, Lucan. They trust me.”

“Yes, they do.” She sighed. “It’s just a lot to take in. I think I’m worried about my family most of all.”

“Want to go there?”

Her eyes widened.

“I think you can still come back. I think you can work from home there and travel where you need to. I’m sure the firm would say they understand. What else could they say? They need you.”

“In more ways than one apparently.” She stepped closer to him. “And what about you?”

“Well, I’d like to be with you.”

“As my bodyguard?”

“Yes.”

When she turned away, he pulled her back. “And. As your boyfriend.”

Her face softened but she didn’t answer yet.

“Basically Coral, I want to be with you. I think we have an opportunity right now we won’t have again. And that’s to stay away from our firm. I don’t think you’re safe there. Not in the whole town. But we can keep you safe here for awhile. And we can keep you safe in your country, as long as it’s not attacked.”

“I feel a little bit like I should be there supporting and helping them.”

“I understand that. I will back you up whatever you want to do. I don’t know what good you would do there though, and there is still a lot we can do here to help figure this out.”

“We might even need to go back to the firm at some point.”

“Maybe.” He let out a long breath of air. “But I say we give it some time.”

“Me too.”

He pulled her close. “Am I trusted again?”

She reached a hand up into his hair and searched his eyes. “I never really stopped trusting you. I just needed to hear you say those things.”

“I’ll say them as often and as much as you would like.”

He pulled her into a hug, his hands running up and down her back. “And for the record?”

“Hm?”

“I would never date a girl the firm told me to date unless it was my idea first.”

She laughed, a good healthy stomach laugh, and then she nodded. “That I totally believe.”

He put a hand at the side of her face. “Can we get out of here?”

“Absolutely, though I’m gonna miss these yachts.”

“So, we’re headed home?”

“I think it’s time you met the folks.”

He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. “I love the sound of that too.”

When his lips touched hers, he thought he might never let her go. She fit so perfectly against him, so soft and firm and tender and confident, all the different opposites that lived in Coral, all of which he loved. He loved her. This woman had become as precious to him as his own air. And he didn’t let on, but he was more relieved that she was letting him come than he had ever been about anything. “I love you Coral.” His whisper went unheard except to his own ears. But he committed then and there to keep her safe, to prove his love until she was ready to hear it and then to love her as she deserved for the rest of her life.

“Let’s go home.” Her words were sweeter than any he’d heard.

The End.