Discovering Her Curves

by Jane Fox

  Discovering Her Curves

  Richmond Brothers Love Curves Book 2

  Jane Fox

  Copyright © 2019 by Jane Fox

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  1. Serena

  2. Dominic

  3. Serena

  4. Dominic

  5. Serena

  6. Dominic

  7. Serena

  8. Epilogue - Serena

  Also by Jane Fox

  About the Author

  One

  Serena

  It had been two months and five days since my high school boyfriend—the man who I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with—unceremoniously dumped me.

  I mean, not that I was counting.

  When he walked out the door, so did my perfect plan. The one I’d been working on for as long as I could remember. Graduate at the top of my high school class, get into my first-choice college, marry my high school sweetheart, go to a top law school, and live happily ever after.

  I’d only checked off the first two things on the list, but I wasn’t going to let my broken heart derail me any further. I’d gotten an internship with the district attorney’s office. It was competitive, it was prestigious, and it was mine. And I planned to throw myself into work until I couldn’t even remember my ex’s name.

  Colby Alan Stephens.

  Guess it was time to work a little harder.

  I knew that a good recommendation from this internship could make it a lot easier for me to earn admission to a top-tier law school. Which is why it stung a little that I was being thwarted by a copier.

  “Damn it!” I whispered under my breath as I opened every door and lifted every tray I could find, trying to find the source of the “ERR: PAPER JAM” message being displayed on the screen. The paralegal who had sent me to make copies had told me she needed them as soon as possible, and I was wasting time dealing with a paper jam.

  “Is it acting up again?” said a smooth, British-accented voice behind me.

  I turned around to find possibly the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in real life staring down at me in concern. He was probably in his late 30s. His blond hair was on the longer side for someone working in the DA’s office, but that wasn’t nearly as distracting as his perfectly square jaw and his piercing blue eyes.

  “Uh...” I said eloquently.

  Mr. Fantastic bent down beside me. “This thing. We should just replace it. Let me show you the trick.”

  He lifted a tray, pulled it out, and wiped down both sides with his hand.

  “Paper dust,” he explained as he returned the tray.

  He closed all the doors and within seconds the machine had resumed its copy job.

  “Thank you so much!” I said, resisting the urge to hug my savior.

  “Think nothing of it,” he said. “That copier is a menace. I’m Dominic, by the way.” He held out his hand.

  I took it and gave him my very best professional handshake. “Serena Sinclair,” I said.

  “See you around, Miss Sinclair,” he said with a grin, and turned to walk away.

  And wasn’t it fun to watch him go?

  I shook my head. I had to focus on my internship. There was no time to drool over hot guys who were way out of my league, anyway.

  I collected my copies and got back to work.

  Two

  Dominic

  I closed the door of my office. I needed to clear my head. The last thing I’d expected to find as I walked in that morning was an adorable, curvy blonde girl fighting with what was not-so-affectionately known around the office as the Copier of Doom.

  I suspected Janine had sent her on that particular task; Janine took her job as intern supervisor a bit too seriously sometimes, and seemed to go out of her way to make things challenging for the poor students who were just trying to get some experience.

  They came and went, and, to be honest, I hardly noticed them. I didn’t have any connection with the intern program aside from exchanging pleasantries with them when I passed them in the hall.

  But this girl.

  I could tell just by the determined set of her jaw she was a fighter. She was dressed in perfect female-lawyer attire: knee-length skirt, heeled shoes low enough to be sensible, her hair pulled back in a tight chignon. But a few tendrils near her face had sprung free, revealing her hair’s true curliness. That combination, of responsibility with just a bit of a wild streak that couldn’t be tamed, fascinated me. The voluptuous curves didn’t hurt either.

  I shook my head, hard. I needed to stop thinking about a girl who was not only half my age, but an intern in my office. No good could come of it.

  Not that I was in a position to think of romance, even if she was a suitable candidate. The ink on my divorce papers was barely dry. I needed some time to pull myself back together.

  My wife, Celeste, had blindsided me with her request for a divorce. I knew that we’d had problems, but I’d meant every word of my wedding vows. I’d made the commitment, and I planned to honor it.

  Celeste had different ideas.

  However, she’d been too optimistic about her lawyer’s ability to break the prenuptial agreement that we signed. My family’s money was entirely off the table, much to Celeste’s chagrin. I had agreed to alimony that comprised a generous portion of my salary, but half of an assistant district attorney’s salary was not nearly enough to finance the lifestyle she thought she was entitled to.

  She wanted access to the Richmond billions.

  Unfortunately for her, my family employs some exceptional lawyers. All of my siblings and I can draw freely from the trust, but our spouses have no access without our approval.

  Celeste had vowed to fight for what she thought she was owed. Finally, it seemed that we had come to a tentative agreement, although neither of us was particularly happy about it. I had signed the paperwork and was waiting for my lawyer to confirm that Celeste had done the same. It had been an exhausting few months, and the last thing I needed was to drag a promising young woman into that mix.

  Why was it, then, that I couldn’t stop thinking about her?

  Three

  Serena

  I was as discreet as I could manage, but I had to find out who my Copier Savior was.

  “You don’t know?” said Anna, one of the interns who had been there for a few months. “That’s Dominic Richmond. He’s an ADA, although he doesn’t need to work. He’s one of the Richmond-Richmonds.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes like she couldn’t believe my ignorance. “His parents are loaded. Like, ‘buy a private island on a whim’ loaded. They adopted a whole bunch of kids. I think they even made a movie about it. So he just works because he wants to. Well, that, and to keep his ex-wife living in style.”

  “He’s divorced?”

  Anna gave a short laugh. “You don’t have a chance. He doesn’t even look at interns, much less…” She gave me a critical look.

  I knew what she meant, and I wasn’t going to let her know how much it stung. Much less girls who look like me.

  “I should get back to work,” I mumbled.

  “You really should,” Anna said. “Before Janine catches you slacking.”

  Guess I’d be avoiding Anna in the future. Sometimes life is about knowing who not to talk to.

  The following day, I found out what it really means to be the new intern: I got sent on a coffee run. And, honestly, I was beginning to suspect some sort of hazing
. I mean, how is one person supposed to carry eight cups of coffee? Even with cup carriers, I was feeling overwhelmed.

  I’d made it almost all the way back to the office when disaster struck. One of the cups sloshed over onto my wrist, causing me to jerk backwards. Then, my entire fragile balance was gone, and I watched, as if in slow motion, as both trays tumbled forwards onto the sidewalk.

  The people around me immediately began doing that thing where they pretend they haven’t seen the disaster they just witnessed. And I stood there, shocked, embarrassed, and honestly not sure what to do next.

  In my head, I could already hear Janine yelling at me. The second day of my internship might very well be the last.

  “Serena, are you all right?”

  I knew that voice. I turned with dread to find Dominic Richmond staring at me, his brow creased with concern.

  “No,” I said in a small voice, before I could stop myself. I could feel a tear run down my cheek and I cursed myself for not being tougher.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” he said gently, and reached out to wipe the tear away. “This is fixable. Let me help.”

  I nodded wordlessly. I’d take any help I could get, especially from him.

  “Let’s get these cups thrown away, then we’ll go get new ones.”

  I immediately began calculating whether I had enough in my bank account to cover the cost of eight pricey cups of coffee. I could do it, but it would probably be rice and beans for a week or two.

  “What’s wrong?” Dominic asked, his blue eyes intent on my face.

  “Just shaken up, still,” I said. I couldn’t tell him my financial woes. I’d already shown more than enough weakness in front of him.

  “There’s nothing to be upset about here,” he said, helping me collect the cups. “I’ve got you.”

  And didn’t that sound just perfect, coming out of his mouth.

  With the mess cleaned up, we returned to the coffee shop. Dominic opened the door for me, which flustered me more than it should have. I mean, he was clearly just being polite.

  There was a different girl at the counter, which was a minor relief to me. I placed the order and then pulled out my wallet to pay for it.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Dominic asked gently.

  “Paying for the coffee?”

  “No, you aren’t,” he said, putting a matte black credit card down on the counter.

  “You don’t need to do that. It was my mistake. I can take responsibility for fixing it.”

  “Serena, there’s no way I’m letting you buy fifty dollars’ worth of coffee when you were sent on a ridiculous errand to begin with. Run the card,” he told the cashier firmly.

  His tone of voice indicated that he wasn’t to be disagreed with, as much as I wanted to. I wasn’t sure where to look; I knew that I should say something to Dominic, but I felt thoroughly tongue-tied.

  “Thank you for your help, sir,” I finally said.

  “None of this ‘sir’ stuff, Serena,” Dominic said. “Call me Dom. Well, if Janine’s around, maybe you better call me Mr. Richmond, for your own sake. She can be scary.”

  I smiled for the first time since I’d lost control of the coffee and risked a look up into his eyes. “This is the second time you’ve come to my rescue.”

  He laughed. “You strike me as the sort of damsel who usually handles her own distress, so I’m fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to be of service.”

  “I just really need this internship to go well,” I said. It was out of my mouth before I realized that I was probably over-sharing.

  “Which field of law are you considering?” he asked. He looked as if he was actually interested in my answer.

  “You’ll laugh,” I said, glancing at the floor.

  “Oh no,” he said in mock horror. “Is it personal injury? Should I expect to see you on late-night commercials hawking your services?”

  I knew he was joking and gave him a smirk. “No, but you’re probably going to tease me just as much. I’m interested in civil rights law.”

  He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I’ll admit, I didn’t pay as much attention to what he said as I should have, focused as I was on the heat of his hand. “Serena, that’s a fantastic field. Why did you make it sound like it was something embarrassing?”

  I pulled myself together, shrugged, and refused to meet his eyes. “My classmates tell me I won’t be able to pay my rent with lofty ideals. It’s not the most lucrative field.”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t decide to be a lawyer for the money.”

  I shook my head no adamantly. “I mean, I’d like to make a living. But I’d rather make the world better than have a lot of money.”

  Dom’s lips quirked up into a smile. “And that’s what makes you special.”

  His hand squeezed my shoulder once again. I had no idea how to respond, so I just stared at him. The moment was completely ruined when the barista called my name to let me know my order was ready.

  “Let me take a tray,” Dom said. After what had happened last time, I was in no spot to refuse.

  He still managed to open all the doors for me, even carrying a tray of coffee. My murmured thanks each time didn’t seem to add up to nearly enough for everything he’d done for me.

  “I really don’t know how to thank you,” I said when we were in the elevator.

  “Have dinner with me,” he said, grinning.

  The door to the elevator opened and I’m sure that I looked ridiculous, the intern gaping at the ADA. As soon as I realized, I snapped my jaw shut.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked quietly as we walked down the hall.

  “W-when?” was all I could manage to ask.

  “How about tonight? If you don’t have other plans.”

  “I don’t,” I said. “But I should go home and change.”

  “Don’t,” he said softly in my ear. “You look perfect.”

  And with that, we arrived at the conference room where I was to deliver the coffee. As soon as I opened the door, I heard Janine’s sharp voice. “Took you long enough.”

  “I apologize,” Dom said smoothly. “It’s entirely my fault.”

  “Oh, Mr. Richmond,” she squeaked. “I had no idea. It’s not a problem, not at all.”

  On my way back to my desk, I risked a look at Janine. She was staring daggers at me. I certainly hadn’t made a friend.

  Four

  Dominic

  I sat in my office, trying not to feel like a dirty old man. I’d just asked out a woman half my age. Who was an intern in my office. I didn’t need a law degree to understand what thin moral ground I was standing on. But I couldn’t help myself. Serena lit a fire in me—that combination of grit and innocence. I was enchanted.

  I thought about watching her sway those curves as she removed her conservative lawyer-wear piece by tantalizing piece, and suddenly I was more than enchanted. I palmed my cock through my pants. I’d never jerked off at work, but it was already a day of firsts.

  “Sir, I tried to stop—” came across my intercom. There was no need for Rosalie to finish what she was saying, because my door slammed open. Celeste stood there, looking supremely pissed off. She strode into my office, slamming the door once more behind her.

  “You asshole,” she seethed.

  “Nice to see you too, Celeste,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

  She slammed a stack of papers on my desk. “You actually expect me to sign this bullshit?”

  “You haven’t signed it yet?” I said. I could hear my voice rising just a fraction, but I’d really thought we had finally come to an agreement.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she said, venom dripping from her words.

  “Celeste, let me remind you, you’re the one who initiated the divorce proceedings,” I said, gritting my teeth in an attempt to stay calm.

  “I’m worth more than this, Dominic!”

  “That agreemen
t gives you half my salary for twenty years or until you remarry, the house, two cars, and a sizeable cash settlement. How much more do you really want?”

  “Just ask Mommy and Daddy to open their wallets,” she sneered. “Because I’m not going away this easily. I’ll drag this out for years if I have to.”

  And, having gotten the last word, she stormed out with one final slam of my door.

  Massaging my temples, I pulled out the emergency bottle of Scotch that I kept in my desk and poured myself a dram. Maybe two. Celeste could get under my skin like no one else, and she damned well knew it. And on top of that, I knew that everyone in the office had heard. I groaned. Serena had heard, or she’d hear about it soon.

  Serena!

  I’d asked her out with the understanding that the divorce settlement was finalized and I was a free man. As a lawyer, I should have known better—no contract is official until signatures are on the paper, and sometimes not even then. But I’d been so certain that we’d finally worked things out that I’d let myself ask sweet, innocent Serena out to dinner.

  She deserved so much better.

  So, what should I do? Should I cancel?

  I thought of how relieved Serena had looked when I’d paid for the coffee. I suspected that she didn’t have a lot of money while she worked her internship, and I’d been looking forward to treating her to a nice meal. And that didn’t have to change. Even if our relationship couldn’t go in the direction that I desperately wanted it to, we were still colleagues, right?

  It wasn’t hard to talk myself into going, although part of me still thought I should cancel. But I wanted to sit across from her, talk with her, even if things didn’t turn romantic. And I managed to convince myself that that’s all our relationship would be.