by Rachel Cade
“You were wearing those earlier today.” He was staring at her lower half, and Nik kept her feet pressed firmly into the floor.
He was a couple of feet away from her, standing in a way that for him was possibly relaxed. But being in his vicinity filled her with a special kind of anxiousness that made her fear and crave at the same time.
“Jeans at City Hall.” Oliver raised his eyes to hers.
“It was impromptu.” Nik lowered her eyes to keep from rolling them again, resisting the urge to pick at her necklace. “I had no idea I’d see you or that you’d be so offended.”
“There’s that sass again.” His jaw tightened a bit after he spoke. Oliver paused before peering at her. “Youth shouldn’t be used as an excuse for laziness.”
“Holy shit. Is this what I came down here for? I already got lectured today, Mr. D.A.” She found herself turning around.
*
Was she actually about to walk out?
There was a gentle sway to her hips as she moved away.
On her fourth step, he spoke. “You must know I don’t appreciate that.”
The petite young woman stopped but didn’t turn around.
She had a gentle figure, despite her mouth being anything but. The high bun in her hair gave him an open view of her graceful neck and shoulders. She wore a white tank top with spaghetti straps.
“We were having a conversation.”
“Actually, you were putting me down because you don’t like my pants.”
He chuckled a bit. “I was putting you down for your lack of discernment. There’s a time and place for everything.”
“Is this your apartment?” she asked as she turned around, and it drew his attention to the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“It’s a penthouse,” he corrected. “And no, it’s not.”
She sat down on a couch. “Is this okay for me to do? Or is it not appropriate in these?”
“What do you want for dinner?” he asked, completely ignoring her.
One Hour Later
Oliver stared down at the box on the table while she pulled up a cheesy slice.
“Pizza,” she said, as if it was her first meal in days. “God, this looks so good.”
She bit into the meat lovers and he watched her close her mouth as she chewed.
“Mmmm.”
He watched her reaction for a moment. “I’ll assume it is.”
“Have some.”
“Later.” He moved back to the window. “Come here.”
A moment later, she was standing by his side.
“Am I supposed to be looking for something?” She took another bite.
“Yes. Directly across from us.”
She looked where he pointed, to the window in the building across the street.
“Shit, can they see us too?”
“No. Do you know who they are?”
“No.”
“Griffith Powell and Tim Oman.”
“Are they like a couple or something?”
Oliver licked his mouth. “Griffith Powell is a community organizer and Baptist preacher. He makes the news a lot. I’m surprised you don’t recognize him. This other gentleman is a real estate developer; he receives a lot of city contracts.”
“You knew they were meeting and got this place so you could watch them? If so, that’s kind of creepy.”
“Knowing when to talk and when to listen is a skill you’re in dire need of acquiring, Miss Pearson.”
“Noted. So these two guys are important to you for some reason.”
Oliver nodded once. “That’s correct.”
They stood in silence watching the two men talk and drink at a table together while she finished her slice of pizza.
“So what’s the rest of the story?” she asked.
Oliver’s brow furrowed as he turned to her. “Well, that’s where you come in.”
“Me?”
“Yes.” He wanted to grin at the look on her face, but refrained.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Slowly she shook her head. “What’s that?”
“A week from now, Griffith is having a charity event in Brooklyn. It’s a fundraiser for his after school program, Great Steps.”
He could see her jaw tightening.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Oliver turned back to the window. “Perhaps I made a mistake.”
“What is it that you want?” she asked.
“Tact is another skill you would find immensely useful.” Oliver felt like he could use a drink.
“I like to get to the point. So can you?”
Their heads were turned toward each other while their bodies still faced the window.
He stared her down, and she didn’t back down from his hard gaze.
“I need his phone. Your rent issue will go away for another month for an hour’s work.”
“Wait. You want me to steal from a preacher?”
“You’re borrowing. It’s a two-act job.”
She laughed shortly, turning away from the window.
“So what if I say no?”
“You’re not.”
“How do you know that?” She was hovering over the pizza again, deciding on her next slice.
“Because your rent isn’t the only thing that’s due.”
Nik wasn’t pleased with the reminder.
“So I was right in assuming you don’t do anything legal?”
Oliver sighed. “Miss Pearson-”
“What kind of district attorney drives a Maserati anyway?”
“A wealthy one,” he countered. “Are you accepting my offer or not?”
He’d moved toward the table and was staring down at her. He didn’t look upset, just like a guy that shouldn’t be fucked with.
“Sorry, I get confused. I don’t know when you’re going to give me an option or take it away.”
How much trouble was she going to let her mouth get her in tonight? Maybe she was hoping if she annoyed him, he would just send her away. But her stubborn side factored in, egging her on, not wanting him to think she was naive just because she was young.
“That’s not an answer.”
“So I’m supposed to get this guy’s phone, give it to someone else, and then put it back?”
“Those are the general details.”
“But I’ll be the one taking all the risk. That whole giving back thing isn’t my usual get down.”
“So you’re not capable?” he questioned.
“I didn’t say that.” She took a bite of pizza. “I think you’re low balling me.”
Oliver moistened his lower lip, and his teeth flashed. “I’m always willing to negotiate.”
“I want double. If I have to sit around a bunch of stuffy old people, it’s got to be worth my while.”
“Done.” He stood next to her and grabbed his own slice.
Nik stared at his hands while he brought the slice to his mouth. She really didn’t think he was going to have any.
“Are you married?” she asked.
Oliver continued chewing, but cut his eyes at her. For whatever reason, he was amused by her, and subtly let it show. She imagined it took a lot to get under his skin.
“I know some guys are and just take off their ring,” she added.
He continued chewing, then swallowed.
“What would that have to do with anything?” he asked slowly, looking down at her.
“A simple yes or no would be great.”
“No, your honor.” He leaned forward pouring himself a drink. “I’m not.”
Nik heard the sound of pouring while caught up in his reaction. The white teeth that showed from his sudden broad smile mesmerized her. It came across as genuine yet a little mischievous at the same time.
Quickly, she averted her gaze back to the table. “I’m going to finish my pizza and then head out. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow with school.”
She took another slice as well as the glass of seltzer he’d pour
ed for himself and walked over to the couch.
Oliver cleared his throat, watching his glass disappear with her.
Nik was three bites in when he sat down next to her, holding the same slice and a second glass of seltzer in his hand.
Maybe he was comfortable in the silence, but she couldn’t be, not with his entire body less than six inches away from hers on the couch.
She sat back into the cushions as she chewed, trying to take in the apartment’s surreal beauty while ignoring the feel of his body heat.
“We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, right?” she asked after swallowing.
“I did say something sort of like that earlier, didn’t I?”
“Is it all right if I ask a question?” She leaned forward to set her glass on the table.
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. Asking for permission was a nice touch.”
She wouldn’t look at him just then. This was the first situation she’d found herself in as an adult where she couldn’t keep control over her emotions.
Was it because this guy was so far out of her league? He was someone she would never converse with normally, or even pass on the street. She’d known it the first time she saw him, and the more she knew, the more she was drawn to him.
“What made you mad that day on the train?” she asked, trying not to blurt it.
“What?” He sounded genuinely surprised.
“You were looking at your phone, then your face got really mad.”
Nik risked a glance. Her intention was to return to her pizza, but Oliver’s intense gaze held hers.
“It was a text from my A.D.A. about a case. You really were watching me, weren’t you?” he added lowly.
“What was the case about?” she asked, not glancing down at his mouth as much as she wanted to.
“That’s confidential, young lady,” he said with a tilt of his head.
Nik sent her eyes heavenward. “Does it have anything to do with the phone you need?”
“Crawl before you walk, okay?”
She let her disappointment show with a dramatic sigh.
“And don’t be silly about it. There’s a certain amount of loyalty I require before you gain access to that kind of information.”
“I’m not being silly.” He mimicked her sigh, causing her mouth to gape when she whipped her head toward him. “That’s not how I sounded.”
“Tell me who you borrowed that money from.”
Nik’s mouth snapped shut. And just like that, the humor was gone.
“Just a name will be fine,” he added.
“Maybe I need a certain amount of loyalty too,” she answered quietly.
“Did he name his favor yet?”
Silence.
“I haven’t decided if your bad girl persona is genuine yet. However I am aware that you put yourself in a worse situation to get out of a bad one. You have potential, Miss Pearson, but you have to learn to base your decisions on strategy, not desperation.”
“Is this how you interrogate people?” she questioned.
Oliver smiled, thinking something he kept secret.
“Is he an ex?” he asked. “Is that why you’re protecting him?”
“I’m not protecting anyone but myself.” Nik licked her dry lips. “If I give you a name, I can’t control what happens after that. I’m already in enough trouble as it is. Just because I’m here with you doesn’t mean I trust you.”
Oliver’s teeth flashed. “Everything you just said is completely true.” He leaned back into the couch before standing. “Potential,” he repeated.
Slowly he walked around the table. “So what’s your next move?”
“What do you mean?”
“Originally, you came here out of curiosity. I offered you a job, you accepted, then renegotiated the terms. Now,” he sat down on the coffee table directly across from her, “you just admitted you don’t trust me.”
He was a big guy; luckily the metal coffee table was sturdy in addition to being expensive.
“You’re a lawyer. Nobody’s supposed to trust you. I don’t know what my next move is; I’m just playing it by ear. I think you’re looking for a pupil, though.”
Oliver smirked.
“I could teach you a lot of things, but you’d have to be willing to learn.”
It was on her tongue to ask why he’d choose her.
Before she attempted another word, he was holding up something in front of her.
Nik planted a hand over her chest to find it naked.
The small heart charm on her gold necklace glinted in the light.
“How did you do that?”
Oliver swayed the necklace like a hypnotist, teasing her.
“I didn’t even feel you touch me.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
There was a silence between them, while Oliver denied her eye contact.
“I see myself in you a little bit,” he began, staring down at the necklace, “Anyone can steal from someone else. But it takes a determined skill to do it undetected.” Oliver’s gaze found her, “And when you can get them to give it to you willingly, then you’re a master.”
“And how did you learn how to do it?”
“Back in Hungary when I was young. Even younger than you,” he teased, “I was on the street, and it wasn’t easy there. I got my ass kicked a few times. So I had to get smarter. I watched other thieves and I practiced and worked until I got better.”
“So how far were you able to get?”
“I made enough to come to America, eventually.”
“Did you put yourself through law school on swiped wallets and necklaces?”
He smiled. “No. I obtained a scholarship.”
“Does it still help you now, your past?”
Oliver thought on it for a moment. “It taught me how to observe people. When to make myself known and unknown and ultimately how to always get what I want. So yes. Good question.”
“Have you ever been a part of something you regretted? Like you wish you could go back and change it?”
“Remorse is the poison of life.”
Her smile was lopsided. “I guess I should want to be more like you, then.”
“What do you feel remorse over?”
“I uh… can I plead the fifth?” She asked with a flash of her teeth.
Oliver laughed to the point it echoed against the walls. “You cannot. I won’t allow it.”
His voice was teasing, but he probably did want to know the truth. What could it hurt? He’d at least told her something about himself. And she was pretty sure it wasn’t information most people were privy to.
“Before I took your wallet that day, I promised myself I’d quit stealing.”
“Why’d you decide to stop?”
“I knew it was only a matter of time before I got caught. I was with someone and the situation spiraled out of control. Somebody got hurt … I couldn’t stay there.”
Just speaking it out loud brought her back to it, sending a shot of adrenaline thought her veins before she pulled herself back.
Oliver listened intently and gave her a moment before speaking. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
He held the necklace open at the clasps, where it hung at its natural v shape between his hands.
Then he gestured to put it back on her.
Instead of getting up, he remained on the table and leaned forward, reaching around her neck.
He didn’t enclose their space more than necessary to lock the clasp, but she was engulfed in his warmth and spicy scent.
His fingertips caressed over the back of her neck, making little circles as he opened the clasp. Each touch sent small shock waves of heat over her skin.
And his face was so close, all she had to do was reach up and run her hand over his jawline or his chin.
She wanted to know what it was like to really touch him.