The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  How Zek would take her into his proverbial bed was a question I was dying to ask him, but I already knew the answer. She most likely had too many faces to keep up with. A seductress had to be one of the many.

  “I’m not sure he believes that, but I’m sad to hear it nevertheless.” I brushed my hand past my mouth and let out a soft sigh. “Either way, you need to go home, Melissa.”

  “Can’t you talk for just a few minutes? I won’t stay long.” She took a step toward me, and I held up my hand.

  “No. Go home. Now.” I used a commanding voice that she didn’t seem to like too much, but her feelings were irrelevant. My heart was racing, and I was starting to wonder if I was underestimating the level of crazy the girl in front of me had swimming around in her head.

  I didn’t wait for her reply, but turned my back to her and worked calmly to get my door unlocked. I paused just before walking in and glanced back to find her watching me intently. Creepy wouldn’t have begun to describe the look on her face.

  “Good night. Take care.” I walked into the apartment and closed the door just before she rushed it. After flipping the lock, I let out a long breath and walked into the kitchen as I pulled my cell phone from my purse. She hit the door several times, yelling for me to come out, but stopped moments later.

  I could only imagine that the security guard had come up and warned her. The apartment wasn’t the most luxurious place I’d ever stayed, but it was nice and well protected. Which made me wonder how she’d slipped past the desk.

  My hands were shaking as I called Lizzy, one of the senior attorney’s in my firm. The woman just happened to be Zek’s sister-in-law, which put me in an odd position, but speaking to her would be helpful that night. She could assist me in making the right decision as to how to handle Alisa.

  “Lizzy Kellington.” Her voice was curt, and I glanced at the clock, realizing that she was probably knee deep in putting her kids to bed. A vision of her family swept through my mind. The woman had multiple pictures in her office, but I tried not to focus on them when I was there. It hurt too much to ponder on the lack in my life.

  “Lizzy, it’s Alisa. I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to think through next steps with someone.” I moved to the couch in my tiny living room and dropped down.

  “Of course. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll have a few minutes to myself. I’ll call you right back.”

  “Sounds great.” I pulled the phone from my ear and closed my eyes, relaxing as best I could against the softness of my sofa. There was almost a lingering taste of Zek on my lips, or maybe I imagined it.

  A groan left me as I thought back through the night and how frantic I’d acted when we started to make out. He probably thought I was a complete idiot.

  The phone buzzed and I jumped, aggravated that something so silly had startled me.

  “This is Alisa.”

  “It’s Lizzy. I’m all good now. So you went to see Zek?”

  “Yes.” I brushed my fingers through my hair and kicked off my shoes. “We got the paperwork signed for the Mills case. We’re under contract with him now.”

  “Good. So what else is going on? Did you need to talk next steps on the case?” She sounded a little concerned that at my level I would need to talk about what to do next.

  A smile pulled at my lips. “No. I got home to find Melissa Mills in the dark part of my hallway, standing near my door.”

  Her voice rose sharply. “You did what? Oh my God, Alisa. Are you okay? She didn’t do anything to harm you, right?”

  “I’m fine. I’m a little shaken that she would think to show up here. She played it off as if she were looking for someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on.” I released a dry chuckle. “I guess I was too friendly at the coffee shop? I didn’t think I was, but the girl has some serious issues.”

  “Of course she does. She’s accused a handful of men of rape.” Lizzy let out a sound of disgust. “How in the hell did you get rid of her? You did get rid of her, right?”

  “Yes. I told her very firmly to go home, and I walked into my apartment. She didn’t start banging on the door until I’d closed it and locked her out. The security guard for the complex must have carted her off.” I sat up as a shiver ran down my spine. “I’m thinking that I should file a restraining order.”

  “Absolutely you should. I’ll work it up tomorrow morning. Do you want me to send my husband out there to pick you up? Mark won’t mind. My house is a holy hell wreck, but you can stay in our extra bedroom tonight if you want to.” Her voice softened significantly, and something told me that she had the possibility of quickly becoming a good friend to me in the future.

  “No. I’m fine. Really. I just wanted to call to make sure you agreed with my assessment on the restraining order. I didn’t want to overreact.”

  “You’re not overreacting at all. I’m honestly just in shock right now. This is great for the case, but damn... what was the girl thinking? You didn’t offer her friendship or a soft place to land if she needed it, right?”

  I snorted and stood up, walking around the apartment to make sure all of the windows and doors were locked.

  “No. I would never do that. I’m not offering Zek a friendship other than what we already have from our past either.” I pulled the drapes down in front of the windows and walked to my bedroom on legs that refused to do more than shuffle along.

  “Are things okay between the two of you? I know you’ve just really decided to take all of this on, but if you—”

  “We’re good. Thank you for asking.” A yawn escaped me. “I’m sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. I’m going to head to bed. I’ll be in a little late in the morning. I have a dentist appointment.”

  “No problem. Let’s work on the restraining order the minute you get in, okay?” Lizzy sounded more like my mom than my boss.

  “Perfect. Thank you, Lizzy.”

  “Anytime.”

  We hung up, and I carried the phone with me to the bathroom. I wasn’t used to having someone come at me the way Melissa had. It was something I needed to better prepare myself for, especially the more sought after I became. It would get a lot worse before it got better, if ever. My schooling and mentors had prepared me for all of the possibilities in terms of things that could occur in the court room, but outside of it? No. Not that I held them accountable for that, but having been in the presence of a few crazies over the last few years, I was starting to think they might want to add a class to the psych curriculum to better prepare us.

  I needed a warm hug. Someone to snuggle up to. Clark had his own family, and Zek was off limits. All of my friends had been Ben’s friends, and I’d shut almost everyone out after the divorce. It felt safer to make a clean break from everyone. The only person I had left to reach out to was my mom.

  I hadn’t spoken with her in far too long and seeing that I couldn’t seem to get my mind off Zek, it seemed the appropriate time to have someone talk some sense into me. She answered on the first ring.

  “Hi, baby. What’s going on?”

  “Does something have to be going on for a girl to call her mom?” I smiled and worked on getting my earrings off.

  “No, but you’re usually so busy that when you do call, something’s up.” My mother’s voice softened a little. Panic was always her first emotion.

  “That’s not good. I’m going to have to start calling more often. I just wanted to check in.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing. Your dad is doing well. He’s out in his wood shop trying out a new tool I got him for the fun of it.” She paused, but only for a second. “Tell me about your new firm. Are you liking it? Settling in okay?”

  “Yeah. I like it. I have a new client, and he’s promising to keep me on my toes.” I stopped just outside of my closet and leaned against it. I missed my parents. There was no reason not to call more often. My desire to prove myself a good, solid person had left me with far too many missed life events and loads of accolades instead. Funny how gaining th
e world meant nothing if there was no one around to share it with.

  “Oh yeah? Tell me all about it, but only if you can.” Her laugh was so warm. So Mom.

  “It’s Zek Kellington. We signed the papers last night. It’s official. I’m his attorney.”

  “Your brother’s best friend from school? The same Zek you used to talk about all the damn time because you just love, love, loved him?”

  I smiled and let out a soft laugh. “I’m almost frightened to say that I still might love, love, love him.”

  “Uh, oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

  “Right? I thought I could take his case and not have any of those old feelings come rising up, but now I’m realizing I was being unbelievably naive.”

  “You naive? Noooo...”

  “Mom. Really. Tell me what to do.”

  “You’re already signed up to take the case, right?”

  “Yes, but one of the members of our senior counsel gave me an out. Zek’s her brother-in-law, and she’s willing to step in if things don’t work between him and me. I just don’t want to mess this up.”

  “Because of your career or because you have feelings for him.”

  “I guess both.” I shrugged and let out a long sigh. “I need some advice. Lay it on me, please? You’re the only one who will talk straight to me.”

  “Well, you’ve already agreed to take the case, and my Alisa isn’t a quitter. If the boy wins your heart in the process, then good for him. He’s a success story like none we’ve seen. Your father talks about him almost more than he talks about Clark.”

  “Then you know that he’s facing rape charges.” I flinched, not wanting to bring it up, but knew my parents were pretty good on keeping up with current events.

  “Yes, but not everything you see is believable, Alisa. Figure out if he’s a man worth defending, and if he is, give him all you’ve got. If not, tell your brother and he’ll whoop him good for us all.”

  “Mom...” I let out a short laugh and shook my head. “Alright. I’m going to go all in, but when he breaks my heart, I’ll need you to hold me while I inhale ice cream. Okay?”

  “I did the first time, and I’ll do it again. I love you, we both do.”

  “Me too, Mom.” I hung up the phone and walked to the bathroom, resolved on not giving up.

  I started a hot bath and moved to my closet as I tugged my clothes off. I wanted so bad to call Zek and have him come stay with me, but it would only lead to us diving into a relationship that neither of us had the power to sustain right now.

  He had too much on his plate, and I really wasn’t sure if I could handle having to watch him leave again. I’d yet to ask him if he was guilty over the investment case, but it was an answer I wasn’t ready to receive. The internal judge deep inside of me said that he did it, but I couldn’t let myself damn him just yet. Whether he did or not, Lizzy was right — I would defend him. I was his lawyer and it wasn’t my job to judge, but to help look for evidence that supported a favorable outcome for him as my client.

  One of my high school yearbooks caught my attention as it sat idly on the bookshelf just inside my closet. I grabbed it, and then tugged through my dresser drawers for something comfy to wear to bed. It wasn’t the best of things to fall to sleep to, but I didn’t care.

  I flipped to the senior portraits and found Zek without much trouble. He was listed as the most likely to succeed. A chuckle left me as I brushed my fingers by the picture. He was impossibly handsome then, and things hadn’t changed much.

  “Why do I have to feel the way I do about you? It’s really not fair. All these years and the tables couldn’t be turned for me?” I sat the book down and pulled off my bra and panties before stepping into the tub, sinking down into the hot water.

  Something deep inside of me whispered the truth about our upcoming affair. I would fight like hell for him no matter what he did or didn’t do. That was compounded by the inherent need I had to be wanted by him. It was sick and childish, but to finally get closure where he was concerned was all I wanted.

  To hear him apologize for leaving me as if I didn’t matter was what I desired most. I had just been a girl and him nearly a man, but all those late nights snuggled into my bed together had stained me deep inside. I hadn’t shaken him over the last eighteen years, and he’d been out of sight. Now that he was right in front of me, I didn’t stand a chance.

  I slid my hands down my tummy and over my sex as my eyes closed. My hands quickly became his. He was everything I wanted in my bed. Too bad he was nothing that would ever fit properly in my now straight-laced life. At one time I had been deemed a rebel, but that part of me slowly died over time.

  Him showing back up threatened to resurrect it. I needed his hands to grip my flesh, his mouth to cover my skin, his desire to consume me and leave me weak.

  “Resurrect it,” I whispered and sunk my fingers deep into myself, losing my thoughts to the vision of us taking our night so much farther than we had.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Zek

  The shock of seeing Jon on the cameras the night before still hadn’t worn off. He’d been my lawyer at the firm for as long as I could remember. More than that, I’d considered him a friend.

  But there it was, in black and white. He was involved in whatever Melissa was up to, I had no doubt. Now I just needed to see what Alisa and Lizzy thought about the new information I’d uncovered.

  After grabbing a coffee on my way into the city, I parked a few blocks from Dellup’s offices and took my time walking through the busy streets. People rushed by me with no concern for others around them, and I couldn’t help but think about how often that had been me. Life hadn’t been about money or fame, but success was equally dangerous. My desire to race to the top of the corporate ladder left me alone, weary, and quite broken.

  Why the thought of Alisa bringing me back to life continued to haunt my thoughts was beyond me, but it did. Her silky blonde hair and dark blue eyes stole my heart, even after all the years that had passed.

  Hell, they would have had I not known her at all. She was a gorgeous woman, and her ex-husband was an idiot to have let her go.

  I held the door open for a couple of women in suits as they buzzed past me, only to turn and glance over their shoulders. At first, I assumed they were looking at me, which was rather flattering, but the sound of feet hitting the pavement caused me to turn.

  A reporter took my attention. “Mr. Kellington. Our sources say that you’ll not be settling with Mills, Canterbury and Viking. Is that a true statement, and if so, why?”

  A young woman in a suit next to him pushed just in front of the guy. “Mr. Kellington, is it true that you actually did sleep with Miss Mills? She’s around twenty and you’re almost forty, right, sir?”

  Microphones danced in front of me like a pack of pissed off bees. I smiled, nodded and turned to walk into the large high rise. They followed me in and moved in front of me, peppering me with various questions, some really good and focused and others wildly speculative and racy.

  I politely moved through the crowd and thanked the three large security guards who moved up to push the press back. I’d been in business far too long to think I had a shot against even the greenest reporter behind me. They were mostly taught to twist the truth, and those who weren’t hadn’t figured out how to get paid to tell the truth just yet.

  Waiting for my legal team to guide and direct me as to what message we were sharing was my only option. I didn’t mind so much. I trusted Lizzy like I would my brother, and Alisa would always hold a special bond with me. I was beyond lucky to have them both on my side for the next few months. It was sure to be painful and a bit trying at times, but I rested in the fact that whatever was meant to happen would. The three of us would do our part to push the balance in my favor, but everything still rested on the opinion of a jury.

  We had more than enough to shut down the rape case, or so I believed we did. The insider trading was another situation entirely. I dreaded
the day Alisa asked me whether or not I did it. I wasn’t sure I could lie to her, and yet I was almost positive I would have to if I wanted her to continue to fight for me.

  I let my wayward thoughts go as I rode the elevator up and avoided the odd stares from the three women riding with me. My face had been splashed all over the evening news for the last week, thanks to both scandals rocking our city. If there were wanted ads like the old days, my ass would be on all of them.

  The elevator opened and I got off, taking a sharp left and walking into Dellup. The woman at the desk looked up and gave me a tight smile.

  “Hi, Mr. Kellington. Who are you here to see this morning?” She brushed her dark hair back and studied me as if trying to discern some hidden secret I was holding.

  Hell, everyone is trying to figure that out about me, it would seem.

  “I’d like to see both Lizzy and Alisa Manning if possible.” I unbuttoned the navy jacket I wore over my starched white shirt and light blue tie. There was no reason not to keep my appearance as clean and professional as I could. It would seem that the press was waiting in the wings to make me look worse than I was, no matter what that might require.

  “I know Lizzy is in. Let me check on Ms. Manning. Just have a seat, and I’ll get you back to see one or both of them shortly.” She smiled and picked up her phone.

  “Thank you.” I turned as Alisa walked through the door and stopped short. Her outfit was almost a perfect replica of mine, but she wore hers intensely better. “Morning.”

  “Hi, Mr. Kellington. Are you here to see me, or...?”

  “You and Lizzy if possible. Your receptionist is calling back now.” I nodded toward the woman behind me, but couldn’t take my eyes off Alisa. Everything inside of me screamed for me to take the few steps between us and kiss her again like I had the night before. The image of her sitting on my lap, straddling me rolled over me, and I forced myself to remain expressionless. She was needy and lonely, and that alone made me want to offer her my heart, my time, my anything to make things better.