Exposed

by Naomi Chase

  Brandon stared at his glowing computer screen, fingers poised above the keyboard. For the past hour, he’d been trying to talk himself out of accessing the statewide criminal records registry.

  But he’d already begun to crack open Pandora’s box. Why stop now?

  Drawing a deep breath that burned, he pulled up the inmate search page and typed a name: Fiona Luke.

  He pressed enter.

  And then he waited, pulse thudding as the database was searched.

  After what seemed an eternity, he got his answer.

  No matching records found.

  He stared at the computer screen until his vision blurred. And then he bowed his head and slowly exhaled.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  He nearly jumped out of his skin at Cynthia’s sudden appearance.

  Without waiting for his consent, she strode into the office and closed the door firmly behind her.

  By the time he logged out of the criminal records registry, she’d claimed one of the dark leather chairs in front of his desk. She was visibly agitated, her arms folded across her chest and her long legs tightly crossed.

  Brandon eyed her warily.“What can I do for you?”

  She twisted her lips.“Not much, apparently.”

  He frowned.“What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I just spoke to Mitch.” She was referring to their boss, the senior partner of the firm’s litigation department. “Please tell me what the hell I did to get on your bad side.”

  Impatiently Brandon began straightening papers on his desk.“It’s too damn late in the day for riddles, Cynthia. If you have something to say to me, just say it.”

  “Fine,” she hissed, her eyes snapping with anger.“I was just talking to Mitch, and he explained to me that other priorities are forcing him to take even more of a backseat role in the Quasar Diagnostics trial than he’d expected. Given the sheer magnitude of the lawsuit, he recommended that you enlist one of your colleagues to be your assistant.” She paused. “You chose Todd Kessler.”

  “That’s right,” Brandon calmly confirmed.

  Cynthia stared at him incredulously. “Are you serious? Kessler?”

  “Why not? He’s a good litigator. He wouldn’t be under consideration for partner if he weren’t.”

  “That may be so, Brandon, but I can’t believe you’d want him to assist you on such an important case when you’ve always questioned his integrity and work ethic.”

  Brandon tightened his jaw. “You’re upset because I didn’t choose you.”

  “You’re damn right I am!” Cynthia shook her head, glaring at him.“Even Mitch was surprised by your decision. Before he left this evening, he called me into his office to ask me whether you and I were having any problems that he should be aware of. I assured him that we were cool, but maybe I should have checked with you first. Are we cool, Brandon?”

  He scowled.“Of course we are.”

  “Then why didn’t you choose me to be your assistant? I mean, I don’t get it. We’ve always made such a great team, and up until today, I thought we looked out for each other. But I guess I was mistaken.”

  Brandon scrubbed a hand over his face, scraping bristly whiskers as he muttered darkly, “You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

  “Oh, really? So how would you feel if the shoe were on the other foot?” Cynthia challenged. “How would you feel if I were the one who’d been handed the reins of a case that most associates can only dream about litigating, the kind of case that could make or break your career? How would you feel if I had the opportunity to reach back and give you a helping hand, but I chose to work with another colleague I barely even liked or respected?”

  He’d feel the same way she felt: hurt, angry, confused, and betrayed. But of course he didn’t admit that.“Look, Cynthia,” he said, tension edging his voice, “just because we’re good friends doesn’t mean we always have to work together.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying!” she protested.

  “Bullshit! That’s exactly what you’re saying, and quite frankly, I don’t appreciate it. I was asked to make a decision, and I did. If you don’t like it, that’s your damn problem, not mine.”

  She shook her head slowly, her eyes probing his. “What’s this really about, Brandon? Do you owe Kessler a favor or something? Or is this some sort of male solidarity pact? Let me know so I won’t make the mistake of overvaluing our friendship in the future.”

  Brandon glared at her. “Now you’re just being a fucking drama queen.”

  She recoiled, gaping at him as if she’d never seen him be-fore.“What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve been acting really strange all week. Even now, looking into your eyes, it’s like you’re not even the same person. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but whatever it is, I strongly advise you to leave that shit at home where it belongs.”

  They stared each other down, two friends turned bitter adversaries.

  “Are you finished?”The words were low and terse, ground out through clenched teeth.

  Cynthia raised her chin.“I guess I am.”

  “Good.” Brandon flashed a cold, narrow smile. “Then get the fuck out of my office.”

  She flinched, blinking rapidly as tears sprang to her eyes. “Brandon—”

  He deliberately turned his attention to a stack of paperwork on his desk, rudely dismissing her.

  An hour later, eaten alive by guilt and frustration, he went to her office.

  He didn’t bother to knock or ask if he could enter, because he knew he’d get cussed the hell out. So he just stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind him.

  She was seated behind her desk, tapping furiously at her computer. Without sparing him a glance, she said coldly and succinctly,“I have nothing to say to you.”

  Brandon grimaced.“Then don’t talk. Just listen.”

  “You have two fucking minutes.”

  “Fair enough.” He humbly approached her desk, feeling like a condemned prisoner seeking a pardon from the queen’s throne.

  Without warning she shifted her gaze from the computer and leveled an icy glare at him.“On second thought, I do have something to say to you.”

  Brandon paused midstride.“Okay.”

  “One of the things I’ve always admired and respected about you, Brandon, is that you’re a true Southern gentleman. Really, you’re like a throwback to a different era, which is why every female at this law firm is halfway in love with you. But the man I encountered an hour ago was an asshole, an asshole with a serious mean streak. Whatever you’re about to tell me doesn’t justify the way you spoke to me. I apologize for offending you, but I honestly don’t believe I said anything you wouldn’t have said to me if the situation were reversed. Now, I understand that we work in a pressure-cooker environment and sometimes the stress can get to us. But I swear to God, Brandon Chambers, if you ever disrespect me that way again—”

  “I’m attracted to you.”

  Stunned into speechlessness, she stared at him.

  He offered a wry half-smile. “That’s why I didn’t choose you to be my assistant. Not because I owe Kessler a damn favor or I’m honoring some stupid male bonding ritual. I chose him because I honestly don’t trust myself around you. Working long hours and weekends together in preparation for the trial?” He grimaced, shaking his head. “That’s just way too much temptation.”

  “Wow,” Cynthia murmured, slowly leaning back in her chair.

  Brandon perched on the corner of her desk, arms folded across his chest.“Things are really fucked up between me and Tamia right now, and I don’t want to complicate matters or take advantage of you in any way just because I’m feeling …” He searched for the right word.

  “Vulnerable?” Cynthia offered.

  “Yeah. I guess that’s pretty accurate.” He gave her a small, rueful smile. “I owe you an apology for allowing my personal issues to interfere with our professional relationship, not to mention depriving you o
f an opportunity to add such a high-profile case to your résumé.”

  “It was selfish of you,” Cynthia calmly agreed. “And you also made an assumption that could have been corrected if you’d shared your concerns with me beforehand.”

  Brandon held her steady gaze.“What do you mean?”

  “You said you didn’t trust yourself to spend long hours with me. By that you were implying that you might make a move on me in a moment of weakness, and your assumption was that I would naturally reciprocate.” She shook her head slowly.“But you were mistaken.”

  He was silent, prompting her to continue almost gingerly.

  “The thing is, Brandon, I’m attracted to you, too. I’d have to be blind and comatose not to be. But I have no intention of acting on my feelings because I know it would only lead to disaster. See, I’ve always had a rule against getting romantically involved with colleagues. I’ve seen how workplace romances can destroy careers, so I’ve vowed never to become a casualty. Next to my family, making partner is the most important thing in the world to me. I’m not about to put that in jeopardy, no matter how tempted I might be.” Her lips curved ruefully. “And believe me, I’ve been tempted plenty.”

  Brandon stared at her, wondering why her no-fraternizing policy didn’t make him feel as relieved as it should.

  “I’m sorry to hear about you and Tamia,” Cynthia continued quietly.“Do you want to talk about it? I think you already know that I’m a pretty good listener.”

  Brandon wanted more than anything to unburden himself, to share his fears and suspicions with someone else to see whether he was just being paranoid. But confiding in another woman would have made him feel like he was betraying Tamia.

  “Thanks for the offer,” he declined with a rueful smile, “but I think I’d better work this one out on my own.”

  Cynthia smiled gently.“I understand.”

  Brandon glanced at his watch, then rose from the desk.“I haven’t spoken to Kessler yet, so I’ll meet with Mitch on Monday morning and let him know that I’ve decided to make you my assistant instead.”

  Cynthia’s expression softened with gratitude. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. There’s no one I’d rather have in the trenches with me than you.” He grinned, winking at her. “As long as you keep your hands to yourself, woman, we should be cool.”

  Cynthia threw back her head and laughed, a sound that was pure music to his ears.

  Tamia had hoped Brandon would be home when she returned from her hair appointment. On Friday nights, they usually made a concerted effort to leave work on time so they could go out on a romantic date. But the dark, empty silence of the condo greeted her when she arrived after seven-thirty.

  She called Brandon to see whether he was on his way home, but he didn’t answer his cell. Hoping he was just stuck in traffic, she ordered dinner from their favorite gourmet delivery service. By the time the meals arrived, Brandon still had not returned.

  She called him again.

  Still no answer.

  Disappointed, she ate her meal alone in front of the television. Afterward she took a long, relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi bathtub and slipped into a red silk negligee from Victoria’s Secret. After getting an eyeful of her in the sexy lingerie, Brandon wouldn’t even consider sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight. Or so she hoped.

  She grabbed the latest issue of Essence and climbed into bed, savoring the luxurious texture of one-thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton against her bare skin. She was determined to wait up for Brandon, no matter how late it was. They hadn’t made love since last Friday. Given how strained things were between them, she knew that the longer they went without having sex, the more susceptible to temptation Brandon would become.

  She couldn’t allow that.

  Perusing the magazine, she watched ten o’clock melt into eleven before she finally dozed off.

  The next time she opened her eyes, Brandon was standing over the bed. He must have been watching her sleep. But there was no warmth on his face, no tenderness or affection. His expression was completely devoid of emotion.

  Ignoring a whisper of unease, Tamia gave him a drowsy smile.“Hey, baby.”

  His answering smile was faint.“Hey.”

  “I was trying to wait up for you.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, surprised to see that it was after one a.m. “Why are you getting home so late?” she asked, striving not to sound accusatory.

  He sat on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes and socks.“I stayed at the office until ten, then met Dre for drinks.”

  Tamia sat up and reached over to run her hand across his broad back, massaging between his shoulder blades. When his muscles tensed beneath her touch, she slowly withdrew her hand, feeling spurned.

  “Why didn’t you answer your cell phone?” she asked cau-tiously.“I called you twice.”

  “I was back and forth between my office and the Xerox machine.”

  “What? Your secretary’s on strike?”

  Brandon gave her a sardonic look. “She was gone for the day. Besides, I’m not allergic to making my own copies. Anyway, if you called me after ten, I was downstairs at Stogie’s and probably couldn’t hear the phone above the crowd noise and the TV. The playoffs were on, so it was pretty loud.” His lips twitched.“Any other questions?”

  She smiled and shook her head, leaning back against the soft mound of pillows.“How are Dre and Leah doing? How’s the new living arrangement working out?”

  “So far so good.”

  Tamia felt a pang of envy. “Really? How wonderful for them.”

  “Yup. Sure is.”

  She patted her sleek, freshly relaxed bob. “I got my hair done tonight.”

  “It looks nice.” But he barely even glanced at her head. Nor did he notice her plump breasts practically spilling out of her negligee, begging to be caressed and sucked.

  Rising from the bed, he began to undress. She watched as he removed his pin-striped shirt and slung it over the back of a chair. Although he’d grown up with maids at his disposal, he was surprisingly neat, rarely leaving clothes on the floor or dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

  “Speaking of meeting friends for drinks,” Tamia began conversationally, “that’s what Shanell and I did yesterday after work. And guess who we ran into?”

  “Who?” Brandon asked, unbuckling his leather belt.

  “Cynthia.”

  He glanced up.“Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I had no idea her father is pastor of Yarbrough Redeemed Life Ministries. That’s, like, the biggest black mega-church in Houston.”

  “Texas, actually.”

  “Wow.”Tamia whistled softly.“If his ministry is even half as successful as Joel Osteen’s, he must be loaded.”

  “You could say that,” Brandon murmured.

  Yet another reason your parents probably adore Cynthia, Tamia thought bitterly.

  Brandon had shed his suit pants and sauntered into the large walk-in closet to hang them up.

  “She had a date,”Tamia called after him.

  “Who?”

  “Cynthia.”

  There was a short pause.“Did she?”

  “Yup. She was meeting him there for drinks. Good-looking light-skinned brotha with glasses. Kinda reminded me of Maxwell.”

  Silence.

  Tamia continued, “Every time Shanell and I glanced over at their table, they were smiling and staring into each other’s eyes. Looks like they really made a connection.” She chuckled slyly. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Cynthia gave up the goods that very same night. You know what they say about pastors’ k—”

  Brandon emerged from the closet and she promptly lost her train of thought, her mouth going dry at the sight of his buff, naked body. Even as fine as Dominic was, there was nothing in the world like a sexy, dark chocolate man.

  “I’m taking a shower,” Brandon muttered.

  Tamia nodded weakly as he disappeared inside the master bathroom and closed the door. Moments la
ter, when she heard the rush of running water, she flung back the covers and slipped out of bed. Brandon had obviously been too preoccupied from work to pay attention to what she was wearing, she told herself. Maybe he’d appreciate the negligee once the silken fabric turned wet and translucent in the shower, clinging to her voluptuous curves.

  Smiling wickedly, she sauntered across the room to the master bath. But when she tried to open the door, it was locked.

  She frowned.

  Brandon never locked the bathroom door. Ever.

  Things were even worse than she’d thought.

  With a growing sense of dread, she returned to the bed and crawled beneath the covers. Nearly thirty minutes passed before Brandon emerged from the steamy bathroom. Still wide awake, Tamia watched as he retrieved a pair of dark shorts from the mahogany dresser and pulled them on.

  Their eyes met.

  She held her breath, waiting to see where he intended to sleep that night.

  When he walked over and climbed into bed with her, she nearly wept with relief. Whispering a fervent prayer of thanks, she switched off the bedside lamp so the only illumination in the bedroom was a sliver of moonlight that seeped through an opening in the custom drapes.

  Brandon drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Encouraged, she ran her hand down his muscled torso, slowly working her way toward the waistband of his shorts.

  Suddenly he caught her wrist, stopping her.

  “Not tonight,” he murmured.“It’s been a long day.”

  Disappointment washed over her.

  She hesitated for a moment, then curved her arm around his chest and pressed her body against his side, taking whatever intimacy she could get.

  They lay silent and unmoving in the near darkness.

  As Brandon’s breathing slowed and deepened, Tamia glanced up at his shadowy face, thinking he might have drifted off to sleep.

  But his eyes were open as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

  And for the first time since they’d started dating, Tamia sensed that she was the last thing on his mind.

  Chapter 25

  “You look like shit.”

  Tamia scowled at her sister.“Gee, thanks. Nice to see you, too.”