My Greatest Mistake

by T Gephart

  “As you wish, Your Honor.”

  Zara

  I had no idea what I was thinking.

  I knew almost nothing about Edwin except there was some crazy sexual chemistry between us and I hadn’t been that attracted to a guy in a long time.

  Maybe it was stress hormones messing with my biology. The excitement of my promotion, the dash to the hospital, meeting some random guy who coincidentally had the same name of my supposed soulmate had worked me into a state. Heightened arousal from “pressured” situations was a real thing. And while it had been a while since I’d been reckless with a guy, I still knew how it all worked.

  The car ride was almost unbearable.

  As promised, he called a town car, which was so much nicer than a cab. It didn’t have a fancy privacy screen, but it smelled of freshly cleaned upholstery and forest pine. Pity all I could think of was sliding across that leather seat, straddling him and making out like a fiend.

  Instead, I stayed on my side of the car, my fingers white-knuckling my gavel while they stayed respectably in my lap.

  If he was having the same predicament, he wasn’t showing it, his body relaxed with his arm draped casually across the seat.

  Who even was I? And why the hell was I so attracted to him? Was he as good-looking as I thought, or had I been spending too much time with Belle and was starting to believe in fantasies.

  “So your family all live in New York?” I asked, trying to make conversation while heat pooled low in my gut.

  “Maddy is in L.A. but the rest of them are here. Well, not here—in the city—but Rochester. You?”

  “Belle and I share an apartment in Greenwich. But my parents live in Queens. A little closer than yours,” I added lamely, not needing to point out that across the bridge wasn’t nearly as far as upstate.

  “Yeah, just a little.” He grinned. “But I make it back enough times through the year they don’t miss me too much.”

  Oh, now that was interesting information.

  Did he add it to suggest that we could potentially see each other again? Or was he just making idle small talk? And why the hell was I analyzing it anyway? I’d just met the guy, and all of a sudden I was weighing up whether I’d dive headfirst into a long-distance relationship with him. It was unlike me, and more to the point, not helpful. Because regardless of whatever destiny was at play, life didn’t work like that and I should’ve known better.

  At least I used to.

  I still did, right?

  That stupid prediction was really messing with my head.

  Determined not to get hung up on the details, I refocused on why I was in the car in the first place. And it wasn’t to form some weird arrangement where he stopped by and saw me whenever he was in town.

  “And there’s Nate,” I pointed out, remembering his friend had been why he’d been at the hospital in the first place.

  He nodded, his fingers lifting to rub the gentle stubble on his jaw. “Ahh, yes, Nate. How boring his life would be without me in it.” He playfully chuckled, the last bit added like it was some kind of inside joke.

  I was about to ask him about it when the car stopped in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

  It was exactly the kind of hotel I’d expected. Expensive, luxurious and far enough away from Time Square he didn’t have to deal with too many tourists.

  “Here we are, sir.” The driver slid out of the car, opening the door.

  Edwin slid out first, stepping out onto the sidewalk with his hand outstretched. “Zara.” He said my name like an invitation, my mouth watering as I looked up at him against the illumination of the star-lit sky.

  He was beautiful.

  Too good-looking to even seem real and I was about to go up to his hotel room with him.

  While it might have been out of character—more so that I hadn’t dated anyone the last few months—I had no issue with sleeping with him.

  Sure, I could hear the collective gasps from the peanut gallery, shocked that someone with my level of professional standing would dabble with a one-night stand. But while I hadn’t done it before, it wasn’t something I was adverse to.

  I’d had opportunities in the past, but none presented so . . .well, deliciously. And if I were ever going to do it, surely there wasn’t a better candidate than Edwin . . . my supposed soulmate . . .

  My body relaxed into his touch as I joined him on the sidewalk, his hand pressed against the small of my back with just enough pressure to let me know he liked control. And while I didn’t usually get off on the whole alpha-dominating male thing, there was something about him—and his hand—that I really really liked.

  “You want to go to the bar?” he offered, the heat in his eyes hinting that wasn’t what was on his mind. But to his credit, he was a gentleman, giving me the option to slow it down a little—or a lot—if I’d had second thoughts on the ride over.

  I had not.

  “You have a mini bar in your room?” I asked, knowing that even the lowest priced rooms in a place like the Four Seasons would have a fully stocked selection of alcohol and overpriced nuts.

  “I do, and if there’s something else you want, we could always order room service.” He didn’t break his stride, leading me to the elevator.

  Ironically it made me feel empowered. Loving the attention I usually didn’t receive, but also being completely in the driver’s seat. He was letting me call the shots, and that was one hell of a turn on.

  “Guess we’re going to your room then.” I turned to face him, watching as his eyes swept over my body and he licked his lips.

  The metal doors opened before he got a chance to respond, pressing the button for one of the higher levels as they closed behind us. We were the only two in there, the temptation to start kissing him almost unbearable as we rapidly climbed the floors.

  His hand dropped from my back to my waist, bringing me closer to him. “Zara, I—”

  I cut him off, understanding what we were doing was slightly crazy but not wanting to stop. “I’m here because I want to be,” I assured him. “And I want to kiss you.”

  His mouth was on mine before I realized what was happening, moving us back against the wall and pressing against me as he took what I was offering.

  My body arched into him, feeling his erection as he took my lips with no hesitation. Whatever he’d been about to say, he was no longer thinking it, the hot, deep kisses increasing in intensity and intention until the elevator finally stopped.

  The doors opened, flooding the closed space with the bright light of the hallway and some much-needed air. My body felt hot, parts of me tingling with anticipation since it was clear where it was leading.

  “Jesus, you’re beautiful.” He kissed my neck as his hand dropped to my hip. “You’re making it hard for me to think straight.”

  He wasn’t the only one having a hard time maintaining his intelligence, all and any reasons on why going into his room was a bad idea just seemed to no longer exist.

  “Which one is yours?” I pulled him out of the elevator, wanting privacy to continue what we were doing. As much as I enjoyed being reckless with him, I wasn’t ready to completely torch my career. And being caught on surveillance footage acting indecent was the kind of thing that would haunt you when you were trialing an important case. Or being ratified by the senate.

  He nodded to a door not far on the right, leading us there and making quick work of unlocking it with the swipe card. We were met with a soft glow of ambient lighting, the lock behind us reengaging as he tossed the keycard onto the sideboard.

  I didn’t move, my body pressed against the door, feeling like I was in some weird dream.

  It wasn’t hesitation, more disbelief that I was actually in the room, about to be reckless like my sister, Belle, had been begging me to be. And to think I’d been ready to walk away from him only a few hours earlier, not even bothering to go to that nurses’ station. I could already hear Belle’s smug “I told you so,” never being so glad to have been prov
en wrong in my life.

  He stalked closer, keeping mere inches between us as his eyes steamrolled hungrily down my body. Everything hummed, feeling tight and needy as I watched him shuck his jacket.

  My hand reached out, placing my gavel and handbag on the sideboard to join the key as he pulled at his tie. He was going slow, either because he liked to tease or was giving me the chance to back out. It was such a lawyer thing to do, making sure there were numerous opportunities to confirm consent so I couldn’t argue later I had no idea what he was doing. The idea he was being careful just turned me on more.

  “Take it off.” I nodded to his shirt, anticipating what was underneath.

  It was clear he had an amazing body, the evidence of those well-trained muscles barely contained by the suit. But since removing the jacket, I was positive the preview wasn’t even close to how incredible reality was.

  His shoulders rolled as he tossed his tie to the floor and pressed against me. He hadn’t removed his shirt like I’d ask, but my protest was silenced by his mouth on mine.

  What had I asked him to do again? I really didn’t care, one hand hooking onto my waist while the other moved up my side.

  “Yes,” I breathed out, wanting to be touched so badly I was almost tempted to beg. I didn’t though, not willing to waste the time or the energy while he was kissing me like that.

  God, it had been a while.

  Not since I’d been kissed, I’d dated a guy a couple of months ago.

  But kissed properly, by a man who knew what the hell he was doing and how to make it feel good.

  It wasn’t a negotiation. It was a closing argument that no jury in their right mind would ever be able to ignore. And wow. . . I could only imagine how well he’d be able to command other parts of my body, the sweet pressure of his mouth making me whimper as I kissed him right back.

  My hands—which had been pressed against his chest—were no longer content to just stay idle. Instead they decided to explore, confirming he was essentially a god—or at least built like one—as I mumbled my appreciation against his mouth.

  “Zara,” he groaned, his mouth moving to my neck as he palmed my breast. “You’re making me crazy.”

  I liked that.

  That he felt as out of control as I did.

  “Edwin,” I gasped, feeling the tug low in my gut. “I know you’re going back to Boston. And I have no expectations. But I really, really want to sleep with you.”

  It wasn’t going to be like one of Belle’s fairy tales. We were not going to fall into some magical romance destined to be together forever, but holy hell did I want to have one night with him.

  One night I knew would be mind-blowing in all the right ways, and something I knew I’d never forget.

  “Fuck,” he cursed, breathing heavily as he peeled himself off me. “Zara, I want you. Please know that I am so insanely attracted to you, I can’t think straight.”

  My eyes widened, feeling the inevitable “but” that sounded like it was coming.

  He was trying to save my feelings. Worried I was probably going to regret it in the morning, or worse, try and demand a relationship.

  “No, it’s okay. I want this too.” I did my best to make my position clear, willing to sign an agreement—much like the one that had engineered our meeting—if it made any difference.

  He huffed out a breath, shaking his head. “No, no you don’t. Or at least you’re not going to want to once I tell you the truth.”

  The truth?

  The words rattled around in my head as the air expelled from my lungs. I had no idea what he was about to say but none of it felt promising.

  “You’re not a lawyer?” I asked, wondering if he thought it would get me into bed faster if he thought we shared some common ground. Maybe the whole story about leaving medical school had been bullshit, worried I’d fallen for the oldest con in the world.

  “I’m a lawyer, Zara. I was honest about everything I told you about me and my family.” His chest rose and fell, holding me steady before he locked his eyes with mine. “But I’m not Edwin Carlisle. My name is Lincoln Archer.”

  Lincoln

  It had gone way further than it was supposed to.

  I’d meant to tell her at the coffee shop.

  And then in the car.

  Hell, even the elevator would’ve been okay, knowing it was really my last chance. There was no denying the longer I left it, the shadier I felt, letting her believe I was actually someone else.

  But then there was that kiss. And whatever I’d meant to say got sidelined while I owned that sweet mouth of hers.

  Jesus, she was hot.

  So sweet and sexy, with a sense of humor that turned me on as much as her gorgeous body.

  “What the hell?” She pushed me away, her mouth and eyes wide. “You are not Edwin Carlisle? What kind of sick, twisted joke is this?”

  Her hands flew out at me, smacking my chest wildly as I tried to grab them. “It’s not a joke. My name is Lincoln.”

  She was seething, her body visibly shaking from anger as her eyes narrowed. “Is this how you get off? Lying to women? Taking them to your hotel room under false pretenses?”

  “Hey, I never lied to you. I never said my name was Edwin, or even confirmed that it was. You assumed. And I didn’t lure you here pretending to be something that I wasn’t. The guy in the hospital and at the coffee shop—that’s me. It wasn’t some act to get you into bed. I am not that guy.”

  I understood she was mad, and I absolutely deserved to be chewed out. But taking her to my hotel room hadn’t been part of the plan. Hell, I’d assumed we have a coffee, I’d come clean and then either we’d laugh about it or she’d storm off. In both cases, we’d probably never see each other again. New York was a big city, and I didn’t even permanently live in it. But orchestrating all of that to trick her into sleeping with me . . . yeah, that was something I’d never do.

  Her nostrils flared, the rise and fall of her chest pushing out rapid, hard breaths. And not the sexy kind like she’d been doing a few minutes before. “Ohhhhhhhh you really are a lawyer.” She choked out a humorless laugh. “Wow, glad you cleared up the technicality. But we both know, that even if you didn’t say the words, you let me believe it.”

  “Look, I might not have been honest about my name but that was the only thing. Do you mean to tell me that the only reason you’re here is because you thought my name was Edwin Carlisle?” It couldn’t just be the name, right? That crazy attraction, the chemistry . . . that was with me. Not some random guy she’d never met and assumed I was.

  Her hands anchored on her hips, her voice lowered in what I could only describe as both calm and unsettling. “Oh, so this is my fault? That I was so dumb, that because I took you at face value, I shouldn’t be irate? Please tell me that isn’t what you’re saying.”

  I might not be an expert on women, but I knew when I’d fucked up. She might be smaller and lighter, but I didn’t have any doubts she could do serious damage if she wanted to.

  And she was right. No matter how I wanted to dress it up, it was a jerk-off thing to do. “No, no. It’s not your fault. I just meant . . .” I stopped, trying to think of anything I could say that would make the situation better. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to deceive you, okay. When I walked back over to you at the hospital, I’d meant to correct you. But you were so—” beautiful, animated, funny, captivating “—well, I hadn’t expected us to hit it off.”

  The physical attraction had been there from the moment we’d met—she was stunning in ways I couldn’t even begin to explain. But after talking to her some more, there was something else. An attraction of a different kind. “So yeah, I might’ve withheld setting the record straight because I wanted to spend more time with you.”

  “Is that your apology? Because I didn’t hear the word sorry one time during all of that,” she deadpanned, the anger level only slightly ratcheted down.

  Great.

  She wanted me to say sorry. Which w
as expected, I guess, but difficult when I wasn’t completely apologetic about it. And I didn’t want to risk having my balls ripped off with her bare hands by lying to her. Even if technically, it was for the first time.

  I took a breath, meeting her gaze without hesitation. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my name was Lincoln.”

  It was the best I could do, because honestly, it was the only part of the situation I was sorry about. “But spending time with you, getting to know you—however brief—and not wanting the night to end is something I’d never experience regret over. And whether you think that is wrong or not wouldn’t change my opinion.”

  “Wow, you’re really good at this,” she chuckled, but I was positive the laugh was more ironic than amused. “I’d be impressed if this was a court room.”

  And while I knew it wouldn’t help my cause, and would probably make her angrier, my lips edged into a smile. “You’re impressed?”

  “God!” She threw her hands up, rolling her eyes. “Only you would take that as a compliment.”

  “Hold on a second.” I held up my hand, wanting the clarification. “What do you mean, only I would take that as a compliment? You barely know me. Now you’re an expert?”

  While I was glad I was no longer at risk of being pummeled by her fists or her gavel, I wasn’t willing to let her latest series of misconceptions stand.

  “Lincoln,” she breathed out. “If that is even your real name,” she added with the lift of her brow. “It doesn’t take an expert to work out what kind of man you are. I see them every single day at work. Cocky, arrogant, and mostly delusional.”

  The insults should’ve offended me, but they didn’t.

  Because as much as I could be cocky and sometimes arrogant, I was never delusional. I also recognized an opening when I saw one, and if she’d wanted to leave, she’d have done that already.