Chapter 13 #2
His light-washed denim jeans fit him like a glove, hugging his perfect ass and thick thighs, and the white t-shirt was the same.
He pulled on brown boots that looked beat up but that Seven suspected probably cost the same amount as his rent.
When he pulled on a cream-colored cardigan with a pale diamond design on it, Seven had to subtly adjust himself in his baggy jeans.
Seven tracked Enzo as he moved around the room, grabbing his phone and wallet, then grabbing a pair of tortoise-shell frames and sliding them on.
Seven’s breath literally punched from him.
No man should look that fine in a grandpa sweater and nerd glasses.
When Enzo glanced up to find Seven looking at him, he crossed the room and pushed him back onto the bed, climbing on top of him.
“You look at me like that at work and you’re gonna be on your knees under my desk,” he said, giving him several pecks on the lips before getting to his feet once more, pulling Seven up after him.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Seven countered, crying out in surprise when Enzo slapped his ass hard.
He couldn’t stop himself from rubbing the spot and giving him a wounded look, even though his cock was throbbing.
If it hurt this bad through two layers of fabric, what would it feel like later tonight when he was slapping bare skin?
Seven couldn’t keep thinking about it or he’d be dragging Enzo into the supply closet before they even made it into work.
Enzo slipped his arm around Seven’s shoulders as they walked to the elevator. “I can hear those wheels turning, brat. Your thoughts are so loud.”
“It’s your fault,” Seven pouted. “Take responsibility.”
Once on the elevator, Enzo crowded him up against the wall, shoving his knee between his thighs, his voice running along Seven’s nerves like silk sheets.
“Right here? You want me to take care of you right here? Want our neighbors to see how you fall apart for me? Hm?” He licked the seam of his lips.
“Want them all to see what a good boy you are?”
“Stop teasing,” Seven whined, his pulse skyrocketing when the car came to a stop and the ding of the elevator doors signaled someone was going to step on.
Enzo turned, shielding Seven, giving a couple and their baby a friendly wave. Seven was completely blocked by Enzo’s large frame. He hooked his fingers into Enzo’s jean pockets, smiling against his shoulder when the older man leaned heavily against him, making him huff out a breath.
By the time they made it to the underground garage, the couple was shooting strange looks in their direction. “Your neighbors are gonna think we’re perverts,” Seven murmured when Enzo took his hand, leading him to the car.
Enzo smirked at him. “We are.”
The office parking garage was all but empty when they arrived. Seven frowned at the clock on the console, shocked to see it was barely seven in the morning. What time had they gotten up?
“Do you get here this early every morning?” Seven asked.
Enzo didn’t answer right away, hopping out and jogging around the car to open Seven’s door before he said, “I’m late. I’m here by six most days. You just don’t know that because you wander in at nine in the morning.”
“Liar. You’ve come in after me before,” Seven countered.
“Usually, coming from a morning meeting or working from my home office. Some days, I only come in because I know you’ll be there and I hate the thought of not getting to stare at you out my window all day.”
Seven flushed, his ears growing hot. “Shut up,” he murmured, giving Enzo a push.
Enzo rebounded, bumping his shoulder with his own, then capturing his hand, threading their fingers together. When they reached the lobby, Seven tried to let go, but Enzo held firm, leading him to the elevators, both of them nodding to the security guys as they passed.
They didn’t get off on their floor, but rode the elevator all the way to the top floor where the partners resided.
Delaney, Lourdes’s personal assistant, eyed the two of them warily.
She was dressed in jeans and an oversized sweater that made her look even shorter than she was.
Right, casual Friday. Somehow, that hadn’t even occurred to Seven while they were getting dressed.
Enzo was turning him stupid.
Delaney gave them an expectant look as they approached, her mouth falling open when they breezed past her, Enzo’s movements deliberate, while Seven was just swept along by their joined hands.
“Enzo!” she shouted. “I have to announce yo—”
Enzo closed the door on the rest of her sentence, then locked it for good measure.
Lourdes was at her desk, her face a mask of irritation, her lipstick frozen in one hand and a compact in the other.
She heaved a heavy sigh. Enzo was the bane of everyone’s existence around there.
Doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.
Mostly, because he was Lourdes’s favorite.
Except, maybe, right now? She somehow looked both surprised and annoyed, which was no easy feat.
She coated her lips in a deep wine color, then blotted her mouth with a tissue.
She wore a lace bustier under a blazer which was as “casual” as Lourdes ever got.
She stroked the long ponytail curled over her shoulder before narrowing her eyes at their joined hands.
Seven once more tried to pull it free, but Enzo tightened his grip.
Lourdes’ mouth formed a hard line. She made them stand there as she applied her mascara, then carefully put her bag back into the desk, pulling a folder out of the same drawer.
She opened it, then slid it across the desk to them, separating the papers into two stapled piles.
Enzo frowned, only dropping Seven’s hand when his curiosity got the better of him. He took two steps forward, grabbing one of the stacks. “What’s this?”
Seven joined him, reading over his shoulder.
Consensual Relationship Agreement
1. Acknowledgment of Voluntary Relationship
We, the undersigned, acknowledge and affirm that we are currently engaged in a consensual romantic and/or sexual relationship. We both affirm that this relationship is voluntary, mutual, and entered into without coercion, undue influence, or pressure.
Enzo snorted. “A love contract?”
Lourdes gave them a steely smile, her spine rigid as she said, “Don’t act like I’m an idiot, Enzo. You know how that infuriates me. You’re not even trying to hide whatever this is that you two have going on. We need to protect ourselves. Especially now that the papers are involved.”
Seven sucked in a breath. “The papers?”
“If you know about the gossip rags, I’m assuming you know about Seven’s mother,” Enzo said.
Lourdes leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “What I know is that one of my top attorneys blew off a major client to go defend his boyfriend’s mother—pro bono, I’m assuming—without permission from me, his superior.”
Enzo shrugged, unbothered as always. “There was no time to talk to anyone. I didn’t want her getting stuck in jail overnight or, God forbid, the weekend. We had to act quickly. Besides, since when do I have to clear clients with you?”
“Since you started thinking with your dick and not your wallet,” Lourdes countered.
“My wallet is doing just fine,” Enzo said. “And I didn’t blow off the client. They were fine rescheduling.”
Lourdes clenched her teeth until her jaw muscle ticked, like she was struggling to find her inner calm.
Seven kind of wished he’d let Enzo handle this little meeting alone.
After a minute passed, she said, “Sign the contracts. You’re lucky that he doesn’t work under you or this would be a whole different conversation. ”
“Yeah, about that,” Enzo said. “I need you to reassign Seven to me, as my intern, so he can help me with his mother’s defense.”
“Are you trying to make me fire you?” Lourdes snapped, rocketing forward. “I’m sincerely asking because I can’t fathom any other reason for you to ask me to let your sugar baby du jour work under you.” She glanced at Seven, then tacked on, “No offense.”
“It’s pretty offensive,” Seven muttered.
Lourdes gave him a hard once-over. “If everyone here didn’t love you, I’d have already fired you for having an inappropriate relationship with an attorney. When I agreed to do Francesca a favor, it didn’t include matchmaking.”
“Lourdes,” Enzo said, her name a warning.
“Don’t use that voice on me, Enzo. I still sign your paychecks. Save it for your boy toy.”
“Fiancé,” Enzo shot back.
“What?” Seven and Lourdes gasped in unison.
Enzo looked at Seven in confusion. “Why are you shocked? Did we not talk about this last night? We even talked about your dowry.”
“That… You…” Seven dropped his voice. “I didn’t think you were serious.”
Now, Enzo looked shocked…and hurt. “You didn’t?”
“This is all adorable,” Lourdes said, her tone letting them know it was just the opposite. “But I’m afraid I cannot allow Seven to work underneath you. Especially if he’s your fiancé. That is a huge power imbalance.”
“Please,” Enzo snorted. “If either of us is running the other around, it’s him.”
“I hope this isn’t your idea of a proposal,” Seven said, voice barely above a whisper. “I expect a ring and you on one knee.”
Enzo grinned. “Noted.”
Lourdes looked two seconds away from firing both of them.
“Call it whatever you want, but the firm cannot take on this type of liability, and we definitely can’t have you working a case that brings the firm no money.
I cannot pull you from cases worth millions of dollars in billable hours so you can play Clue with your future… whatever he is.”
Enzo blinked at her. “I’m sorry?”
Lourdes shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, but it’s just not happening.”
She picked up a floral teacup, a tea label dangling over the edge, taking a delicate sip. She took two pens from the cup on her desk and set them next to the remaining stack of papers. “Sign these and be grateful you both still have jobs.”
Enzo’s brow went up, then he huffed out a humorless laugh. “Oh, I see what’s happening here,” he said. “This is my fault. I made it sound like I was asking. I wasn’t. Reassign Seven to work under me while I keep my future mother-in-law out of prison, or I’ll take my clients and walk.”
Seven gasped like he was in a telenovela, his hand going to his mouth. What was happening? Yesterday, Seven didn’t know if he could even call Enzo his boyfriend, and now, they were getting married and Enzo was threatening to quit his job? This was mental.
Clearly, Lourdes felt the same. Anger flashed in her eyes, her face pinched as she set down her delicate mug with purpose.
“Enzo, we should talk about this…” Seven started, trailing off when Enzo raised a hand.
Lourdes rocketed forward in her seat again, pointing a sharp nail the same color as her lipstick in their direction. “Don’t threaten me, Enzo. You won’t like how this plays out.”
Enzo gave her the same flat stare she’d given him earlier. “Now, who’s making threats? You and I both know that I don’t need this firm anymore, but you most definitely need me. I’d already planned on leaving as soon as Seven graduated law school. I have no qualms about pushing up my timeline.”
“What?” Seven whispered.
“Then we could start our own practice,” Enzo said softly, giving him a look that made his heart float and his stomach feel hollow.
Oh.
Seven’s thoughts churned. He couldn’t let Enzo throw his whole career away over him. Over his mother. The thought of them opening their own practice made him feel warm all over, but that wasn’t for at least a year or so and that was if he even passed the bar.
Seven tugged at Enzo’s sleeve. “Let’s just go. I’m sure your mom can recommend a different law firm, maybe one that will take my mom’s case for free. It’s not worth blo—”
Enzo cut him off. “It’s not about the money. My mother and I will cover any legal fees. This is about worth. There’s no attorney out there that will defend your mother better than me. I never lose.”
It was true. Enzo had never lost a case.
That wasn’t luck. It was by design. Enzo was an exceptional attorney, but it was easy to win when the deck was always stacked in his favor.
But Seven also benefited from Enzo’s privilege just as he’d benefited from Jericho and Atticus in the past. It really was all about connections.
Enzo considered Seven for a minute. “But you make a good point. With a Mulvaney, the Navarros, and the Contis all mixed up in this case, there’s not a single law firm in town who’d refuse the publicity, billable hours be damned.
The publicity alone is worth any monetary loss. I need to make some pho—”
“Alright,” Lourdes said, exasperated. “You win. Take your little case and your little boyfriend and get out of my office. But if this blows back on the firm in any negative way, I’ll make sure the tire marks are on your back and yours alone. Got it?”
Enzo’s face split into a grin. “Of course,” he said. “I knew you’d see it my way.” He took Seven’s hand and started pulling him back towards the door. “Love that lipstick on you, by the way.”
“Wait! You still haven’t signed the contracts,” Lourdes shouted.
“Have your people call my people,” Enzo said.
“We have the same peo—” Lourdes growled just as the door shut between them.