Chapter 4 #2
She had her career and loved the person she was.
And that person had almost allowed a complete stranger to kiss her in a public parking lot where other lawyers and court officials parked their vehicles.
That's how rumors got started. She wasn't one to court scandals.
She avoided them like the plague and, like it or not, she was involved with William.
William! Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back. She had maintained two years of the relationship without even feeling the slightest bit curious and eager to go to bed with him in all that time. And one moment with a stranger, and she had been ready to shuck all of her values.
Tears burned the backs of her eyes and had her pressing her lips together.
Well, honey, she mused shakily. This is a lesson learned.
Folding up the wrapper on the sandwich, she shoved it into her purse and sat there watching the ducks gliding along before getting to her feet and walking toward her vehicle.
*****
He deliberately stayed away. He had enough to keep him occupied, after all. There was the legal clinic where he put in hours free of cost, much to the immense gratitude of the couple who ran it, and he had decided to take up his parents' pet project and make it his.
It would require a hell of a lot of work, and it was just what he needed to get his mind off her. Not that it was working that well, but at least his mind was occupied. Almost fully.
And it was interesting work, he realized.
Cleaning up the area was challenging, even if the politicians were into it for a photo op and to pad their political ambitions.
The entire area had been taken over by lowlifes and was teeming with gang bangers, a haven for drug dealers.
The police had gotten involved and were ridding the place of criminal elements.
The Stanhope name was enough to have people backing away without too much of a fight.
Buildings were slated for demolition, the ones that could not be saved. He had gone to the area to see what was what and had taken his biker friends with him, more for protection than anything else. And he was going to put them to work too. It was a good deal all around.
So, he didn't have time to think about a certain prim and proper lawyer who insisted on popping into his mind at the oddest times.
He avoided the courthouse but could not help following the case on social media.
"You look good in here." Zoe glided in, wearing one of her killer suits, this one of smoky gray with an eye-popping rose pink sweater.
Her thick black hair was done up in an intricate French bun at the nape of her neck.
Diamonds were at her lobes and around her neck.
He could not help but think that she looked so different from the woman who had taken up residence in his mind.
"Don't get used to it," he growled. He had borrowed the office because he needed the space and the resources.
He also could not ignore the fact that his parents had wandered in on some pretext of looking at the project.
He knew what they were hoping and was going to have to disappoint them. He did not do corporate.
"Oh, I might just do that." Amused, she walked over to sit on the edge of the desk. "Your clothes need work though." She flicked an elegant hand at the slate-colored T-shirt and denims. "And your hair-" She sighed. "Darling, when was the last time you had Dimitri pay a visit?"
Raking a hand through the unruly strands, he simply grinned at her. "Months. He was becoming a pain in the ass. What do you want? Or are you just here to critique my wardrobe?"
"What wardrobe?" she muttered. "I just wanted to see what's going on." Turning the folder around, she peered at the blueprint and the jottings. "I understand you had some trouble on the site yesterday?"
"Nothing we couldn't handle." He flexed his right hand and could still feel the ache from the punch he had landed on the guy who had gotten in his face. The man had an iron jaw and a thick skull.
"You know we could send people to guard the area."
"And have those assholes thinking we cannot handle them?" He snorted. "Not a chance."
She studied him, her expression one of concern. "This macho thing you have going on is not attractive."
"Says who?"
"Women are not attracted to men who court danger."
Leaning back in the soft leather chair, he eyed her in amusement. "See how much you know."
"Darling, I worry about you."
"Not your job. Now, if you don't have anything productive to add to what I'm doing, go away."
"There's a function-"
"No."
Her sigh of irritation had him smiling.
"You didn't let me finish."
"I didn't have to. You said function, and I'm thinking a suit and a tie and conversations with boring executives and the works, and my skin starts crawling."
"It's the annual lawyers' ball, the one where we try and raise money for the homeless veterans. This year we're including the DA's office as well. A show of camaraderie to the other side, so to speak."
He didn't hear the rest of it; all he heard was the DA's office.
"The DA's office?"
"Yes." She gave him a curious glance. "Why?"
"Nothing." Try as he might, he couldn't get rid of the idea that was popping into his head. He would get to see her. Of course, he could always do that by popping into the courtroom. But he wanted to see her outside of work. Wanted to see what she looked like when she wasn't in court.
"I'll think about it."
She blinked at him. "You will?"
"Don't make a big deal out of it, or I might just change my mind."
"All right." She dared not applaud for fear of him changing his mind. "You could be my date."
"I'm sure you have hundreds of eligible guys to choose from. What happened to Henry?"
"His name is Harry, and you put the fear of God in him. Now he's afraid to be in the same room," she reminded him.
"He was an asshole."
"He was just a little bit drunk. Other than that, he's perfectly harmless. You cannot just run off every guy I'm interested in; it's frustrating."
"Well, then you need to pick guys who're not assholes," he pointed out reasonably.
"That's very poetic. Since you ran him off, you get to escort me." Her eyes wandered over his slightly crushed shirt. "I'll pick out a suit for you."
"Not a chance in hell. I'll pick out my own clothes."
"T-shirt and jeans? No."
"I'll add a jacket, don't worry." He grinned at her pained expression. "Go away."
Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. "You look good in here."
"Not for long. Get gone."
Sliding off the desk, she walked toward the door. "You're doing excellent work."
He merely grunted. The minute the door closed behind her, he shoved away from the desk and went over to the cabinet. It was almost two in the afternoon, so he was jolly well going to indulge. Pouring a finger of the excellent scotch, he wandered over to the window.
Their corporate office overlooked a park and the stunningly beautiful museum. Low overhanging clouds did not diminish the beauty of the fall afternoon. Taking a sip of the drink, he considered. He made it a point to stay away from these functions and had been doing that for years.
Now, he was deliberately planning on donning a suit and attending one, all because of a woman he didn't even know. A woman who was not his bloody type. One who, if she was telling the truth, was involved. But right now, he did not give a flying fig. He wanted her.
Christ Almighty, what the hell was he doing? He should stay the bloody hell away from her. She screamed "complication" in all caps. If he needed a woman, he just had to make a call.
Women pursued him, and most of them from his society, the one he was careful to stay clear of, were morbidly fascinated by his tats and his "bad boy" reputation.
That was one of the main reasons he had stopped fishing in that particular pool.
He had gotten weary of hearing how fascinated and turned on they were by his "wayward" ways and how he tended to thumb his nose at society.
Not to mention the fact that he did whatever he pleased.
But Kara Saunders fascinated him. Christ, she was the first woman in a hell of a long time to hold his interest. Perhaps it was the fact that she was so neat and tidy.
It made a man want to peel away the layers and get to the bottom, to get to skin.
He had touched that skin and felt the softness there.
He had also breathed in her subtle scent, and it had sent him into dizzying lust. He had been so damned close to putting his lips on hers, and the fact that they had been interrupted had made him angry and frustrated as hell.
Mistake or not, he wanted more. He wanted to see what she looked like under all those layers. He might be disappointed, and it might turn out to be a buildup, but he had to find out for himself. He couldn't get her off his mind.
Tossing back the drink, he walked back to the desk, determined to get her off his mind.
*****
She told herself she wasn't really looking for him.
He had not been by in the last three days, and that was fine.
She should not be courting danger, and a man like Zane Stanhope would never be interested in someone like her.
He had moved on by now. She was ashamed to see that she had been googling the family and had studied at length the glossy photos of the women he had been involved with, according to social media.
He wasn't her type, with all those tattoos and the fact that he hung out with people of questionable character.
She was a churchgoing woman of impeccable character.
She was always trying to do the right thing, and absolutely nothing was wrong with that.
So, why couldn't she get him out of her mind?
Sighing softly, she tried to do just that by turning her attention to the pile of folders on her desk.