The Client

by M. S. Parker

  Maybe I was just an idiot when it came to men.

  I suddenly realized that Tyrell was still waiting for an answer. “I'd really like us to stay friends,” I said. “My head's a total mess right now.”

  He smiled. “I get it.”

  Before either of us could say anything else, the sound of a door slamming caught our attention. Actually, it caught the attention of everyone in the entire gym. I saw the surprise on a few men's faces, but then they went back to what they'd been doing as if nothing happened.

  “Well, Dorian's pissed about something,” Tyrell said. He looked down at me. “I don't envy you having to train him when he's like that.”

  “Does he lose his temper often?” I asked.

  Tyrell shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. “He's always been intense, but he never really snaps at people. It was one of the things that made him such a great fighter. He could focus all that intensity, but he never lost his temper and did something stupid.”

  Until last night.

  But I didn't say that. I did, however, know that it was my fault, and I needed to fix it.

  “Wish me luck,” I said, hoping my voice sounded light.

  “Luck,” Tyrell said as I walked away.

  I paused outside the door to Dorian's office and took a slow breath. I was pretty sure I looked outwardly calm, but my insides were still twisted into knots. I knocked.

  “What?” Dorian barked.

  I managed to not scowl. “I just wanted to let you know that I'm ready to start whenever you are.”

  Silence for a few seconds, then Dorian spoke again, “Go home.”

  I clenched my jaw, then forced myself to relax. “We can reschedule for later if you'd prefer.”

  “No.” His voice was clipped. Cold. “I'm no longer interested in what you have to offer.”

  I stared at the door, hurt and shock mingling with anger at his words. When he told me to come in this morning, I assumed that he would pretend like last night never happened. I'd been willing to accept that.

  I sure as hell wasn't going to accept someone talking to me like that.

  Spinning around, I headed for the door, feeling eyes on me as I went. But I didn't look at any of them, not even Tyrell. I didn't care about the clothes I'd left here or the fact that I needed the money this job provided. All I cared about was getting as far away from Dorian as possible.

  I didn't even realize that someone was standing right outside the door when I pushed through, and even then, it took my brain several seconds to catch up to what I was seeing.

  “Gordon?”

  Coffee-colored hair. Blue eyes. Dimples.

  It was him.

  My cheating ex-fiancé.

  “What do you want?” I snapped. I was aware that I didn't need to sound so sharp, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with anymore shit right now.

  “I came to–”

  The rest of his sentence was lost as someone grabbed my arm from behind and spun me around. I had a moment to register those near-purple eyes, and then Dorian's mouth was on mine, the kiss as fierce as the one we'd first shared last night. It was reckless need, the sort of thing that led people to do stupid things.

  Like we'd done last night.

  The memory was like a splash of cold water, and I pushed against his chest, the movement catching him off guard enough that I was able to break free. I took a step back, my shaking fingers curling into fists.

  “Don't touch me.” My voice was steadier than the rest of me. “You made your feelings about what I have to offer perfectly clear.”

  An arm went around my shoulders, and I smelled Gordon's familiar aftershave. A few weeks ago, I would've found it comforting, but now it made my stomach turn. Still, at the moment, it was better than staying here with Dorian.

  “Come on, babe.”

  I let Gordon lead me to a cab, not looking back when I heard my name. I couldn't do this. I thought I could, but it was impossible to be around him. Not if he was going to be an ass one minute, then try to kiss me the next. At least with Gordon, I knew where I stood now.

  I didn't listen to Gordon giving the cab driver an address, and I didn't look out the window when we pulled away just in case Dorian was still standing there. For the first minute or so, things were fine. Gordon stayed next to me but didn't say anything. I'd take a few minutes, get myself together, and then make sure the cabbie dropped me off at home before he took Gordon wherever he wanted to go.

  I was still trying to clear my head when I felt Gordon's hand on my thigh. I resisted the urge to slap it away, but rather picked it up and put it back in his lap.

  “Look, Gordon, I appreciate you helping me out back there, but I'd prefer if you kept your hands to yourself.”

  He scowled. “Come on, babe, don't be like that.”

  My eyebrows went up. Was he serious?

  “I kept my distance to give you a chance to cool down.”

  “Cool down? This wasn't a fight over you leaving the toilet seat up. I caught you having sex with a woman while her husband watched. In my bed.”

  I felt the cab driver's eyes on us now.

  “I told you that you shouldn't be so uptight about sex.” He half-turned, his body effectively trapping mine against the door. He threw a glance over his shoulder, then smiled down at me.

  A chill ran through me. I didn't like that smile.

  He reached for me, one hand grabbing at my breast, the other going between my legs.

  “Get off me!” I twisted, but there wasn't much room for me to maneuver. “Stop the car!”

  “Keep going,” Gordon ordered. “I'll give you something good to watch.”

  “Stop, Gordon!” I tried to shove at his hands, but I couldn't get him off me.

  Suddenly, the car jerked, throwing us both off balance. I reached behind me, fingers scrabbling for the door handle. I heard the click a moment before the door gave and I was tumbling backwards.

  I didn't try to stop myself, knowing that it would only jar my hands. Instead, I rolled into it, using the momentum to somersault backward and then push myself up on my feet. I didn't hesitate, didn't wait to see if he'd come after me. Instead, I just ran.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dorian

  The moment I told her to leave, I regretted it, but by the time I got to my door, she was already stepping outside. I ran after her, not caring what anyone thought, only knowing that I needed to stop her before she disappeared. I had to make things right.

  I knew I should've said something when I grabbed her arm, but no words would come. Instead, I did what I'd been thinking about all night.

  I kissed her.

  I hadn't even noticed the other guy until he was escorting her into a cab. Part of me said to take what happened as a sign that I really wasn't supposed to be with her, that she didn't want me. Except I felt it in her kiss. She wanted me. She was just pushing me away because I hurt her.

  I wanted to make that better, to apologize.

  I flagged down a cab and gestured in the direction the other cab had gone. I didn't know what I was going to say or do, only that I couldn't let things stand the way they were. We'd only gone a couple blocks when I saw the cab ahead of us jerk suddenly, then pull over to the curb. I was already reaching for the handle when the back door opened and Sara came tumbling out.

  Shit.

  Something was wrong.

  I was out of the cab and running down the sidewalk before we’d even come to a complete stop. I heard the cabbie yelling after me, but I kept going. The man who'd been with Sara was out of his cab as well. She was running away from him, cutting through the crowd the same way she did when she was running from me that first day. The big guy was following, shoving rather than trying to move around people.

  Adrenaline flooded through me and I followed him. My gut said that even though Sara had willingly gotten into the cab with him, whatever was happening now wasn't good.

  She disappeared between two buildings, and the man was
only a few steps behind. I put on an extra burst of speed, rounding the corner just in time to see the man shove Sara from behind. She tripped, stumbled, and fell, hitting the ground hard enough to make me wince.

  Anger flared as I watched the man loom over her. He was shouting something, but I couldn't hear the words. I did, however, see him draw his leg back to kick her, and that was enough to tell me that I wanted to beat the shit out of him. I didn't change my speed or direction, but I did shift my weight.

  When I was just a few steps away, I shouted, “Hey, asshole!”

  He turned exactly the way I'd predicted he would, and my fist connected with his jaw hard enough to make my arm go numb. He dropped like a stone, and I didn't need to look at him to know he was out cold. I'd always been able to tell when I had a KO.

  Sara was already pushing herself up when I stopped next to her and stretched out my hand. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me, but she took my hand and let me help her to her feet. Once she was up, my fingers tightened around hers.

  “I'm sorry,” I blurted out.

  “I hope not for knocking Gordon out.”

  Gordon? This asshole was her ex? I scowled down at him and resisted the urge to kick him the way he'd been planning to kick her.

  “No, I'm not sorry for that.” I looked back at her. “I'm sorry for being such an ass. I was an idiot.”

  She gave me a hard look, then nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” I repeated, surprised.

  She looked around. “I really don't want to have this talk here.”

  I nodded this time, keeping her hand in mine as I walked us back out to the street. I caught the same cab, and when I gave the still-annoyed cabbie the address, she looked at me, surprised.

  “Where are we going?” she asked warily.

  “Where I should've taken you yesterday,” I said, raising her hand to kiss her knuckles. “And where I'm going to apologize to you again.”

  “Would this apology happen to include orgasms?”

  I choked on a laugh when I saw the driver jerk in his seat. “If you want it to.”

  “Are you going to be an ass again?”

  “Probably,” I answered honestly. “But I'll try really hard not to be.”

  She considered me for a moment. “If you ever treat me that way again, I'll knock your ass out.”

  I stared at her, knowing it wasn't even close to an idle threat.

  “Now,” she continued. “About those orgasms...”

  * * *

  Having Sara spread out, naked on my bed, was so much better than our frenzied fucking at the gym. Not to downplay how amazing it'd been, but this was better. Taking my time to explore every inch of her, knowing that once we were done, neither one of us would run away. Knowing that I could lie in bed with her all day and all night.

  We had to talk at some point, work through some issues, but both of us wanted it, so I knew we'd be able to do it. For right now, however, my only focus was seeing how many times I could make her come.

  I'd already given her one orgasm with my fingers, and I fully intended to give her at least one more with my mouth before sliding inside her. My cock was hard and throbbing already, but I ignored my own needs for the moment. I was eager to taste her.

  She cried out the moment my tongue touched her, and I moved over her bare flesh slowly, teasing her, drawing out her pleasure until she was panting, writhing. I used my thumbs to hold her open as I dipped my tongue inside her, then slid it up to circle her swollen clit. She was so wet that she was dripping, and I moved my tongue over her, sometimes making long strokes with the flat of my tongue, sometimes tracing a path up and around her clit.

  “Dorian!”

  The sound of my name on her lips made my balls tighten. I'd always loved hearing women scream my name, but there was something special about hearing it from her.

  “Come for me, Sara.” I flicked my tongue against her clit, then pressed...hard.

  Her fists thudded against the mattress, and she pushed her hips up against my mouth. I grabbed her hips, holding her in place as her climax rolled over her. I pushed her higher, further, until she was begging me to stop. Only then did I raise my head.

  I'd fully intended to go down on her until she came for a third time, but I needed her too badly.

  “Sara, can I...?” I let the question trail off as I raised myself over her.

  She nodded, her eyes meeting mine. Her pupils were blown wide, irises nearly black. “Now,” she rasped out, her voice rough.

  Her arms went around me, nails digging into my back as I slid home in one smooth stroke. Her body molded around mine, the perfect fit. Some of it was probably biology, but I knew there was more to it than that. We hadn't known each other long, but there was something between us, something that couldn't be explained by logic or biology. It was a sense of completion, a sense of home.

  I rocked against her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. There were no hard thrusts, only slow, deep strokes, and when our eyes met, it was like I could feel everything she was feeling. The two of us moved together now like we did every time we sparred, more of a dance than anything else. My orgasm was building inside me, a slow sort of burn rather than the usual explosion.

  “So close,” she breathed, her nails digging into my back.

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I could feel her muscles quivering, feel her body taut with need. And then she was there, tipping over the edge, and I was falling too.

  But I wasn't scared this time, because I knew she'd catch me, that I'd catch her. Nothing was perfect, and love was rarely easy, but I had no doubt that the two of us could make it.

  I kept my body curled around hers as we came down and our breathing slowed. I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her temple.

  “You know,” she said, breaking the silence. “It's a good thing you apologized.”

  “Oh really?” I asked, nuzzling her ear. “Why's that?”

  “Because I'm pretty sure your dad was going to try to adopt me.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, he really does like you.” I pulled her closer. “But that's too bad. You're mine.”

  She sighed and closed her eyes. “Yes, I am. And you're mine.”

  Yes, I certainly was.

  The End

  Please turn the page to start reading A Legal Affair - Book 1 (Club Prive – Leslie’s Story).

  A Legal Affair Book 1 (Club Prive - Leslie’s Story)

  Chapter One

  Leslie

  Eying the clock, I tried not to think about everything I needed to do between now and the time I could leave.

  Maybe I didn’t punch in and out, but I did have to work so many hours in order to bill my clients, and since Calvin and Associates didn't actually have any associates, I did a hell of a lot of overtime.

  I needed another me.

  Actually, I needed another lawyer or at the very least, a paralegal.

  I had an administrative assistant, and Haley was amazing, but I needed help with more than just administrative tasks. I needed a paralegal and a lot more than the intern I got on a limited basis too.

  I’d been trying to find help for a while, but so far, no dice.

  The past couple of weeks had been crazy, but most of that was because I’d been trying to juggle a personal life on top of business more than normal.

  My heart gave a girly sigh as I remembered the wedding I attended not that long ago.

  Carrie and Gavin were ridiculously perfect together, and so happy.

  Seeing Krissy had sent a pang through me, too, though not a good one. She'd seemed like she was holding together okay after her miscarriage, but how was I to know? I’d never wanted kids, couldn’t even fathom the idea. Krissy, she'd been walking on cloud nine ever since she'd gotten the positive test result...and then it was just gone. She lost the baby, and she’d gone from cloud nine straight down to the lowest sort of hell.

  Although we didn't talk as much as we had when we worked together,
I knew how hard it'd been on her.

  I missed my friends.

  Which was why, in a couple of hours, I was hooking up with my closest friend.

  It wouldn’t be exactly the same as before, of course. Dena was living with her boyfriend – or rather, he was living with her. Arik was a defense attorney for the rich and powerful and wasn’t that a joke. Dena had finally landed her dream job, which was usually working for the people who fought against the rich and powerful. The ADA and the defense attorney. It should've been a Lifetime movie.

  But she was happy.

  That meant a lot.

  So far, I’d only spent a short amount of time in Arik’s presence, but Dena seemed happier than I’d ever seen her, so that was all that mattered as far as I was concerned.

  The song on the radio changed and I sighed, feeling more despondent than normal.

  The love song rolling out of the surround sound had a knot welling up in my throat, and all I really wanted to do was put down my pen and shut down for the day.

  No, what I really wanted to do was curl my knees to my chest and listen to the song, maybe sing along for a bar or two. As the woman wailed about how love had left her behind, I had to fight not to chime in.

  Sing it, sister.

  I needed to push this melancholy away before I hooked up with Dena.

  Not that long ago, the two of us were the ones who’d meet up and reminisce over the good old days, when it had been the four of us – Carrie, Krissy, Dena and me – hitting the town and looking to raise hell and have as much fun as we could.

  Then it was Krissy, Dena and me. Then Dena and me.

  Now, it was just me.

  The lone wolf...

  “You morose bitch,” I muttered. Throwing my pen down, I leaned back and rubbed at my temples. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

  It wasn’t like I wasn’t happy for my friends. Sure, I’d expected some of them – okay, I’d always expected Carrie to settle down. Find a nice guy, fall in love, and get married. She was that sort of girl. The one we'd always had to drag out, push toward the hot guy.