“You’re clothes are being pressed by the building staff, which should be ready when you get out of the shower. I’m going to make us some breakfast,” I said.
“Really? Is this protocol? Sex, shower, and then you make breakfast?”
“Well, I haven’t had sex since I moved here, but before that no. You’re the only woman I’ve ever spent the night with. I’m a busy, hardworking lawyer. I haven’t had a girlfriend since I was in my first year of college and even then, I never did let her spend the night in my dorm. I was a very serious student.”
“Obviously, since you’ve become a partner at such a young age.”
“Well, will scrambled eggs in a wrap work for you?”
“Sure, that sounds delicious; I’m starving. Somebody worked me out really hard last night,” she bemoaned while rubbing her belly.
“I guess I’m going to have to feed you a lot more because I plan to work you out as often as I can. Get your sexy, naked ass in the shower. Jackson went out of town for the next week so I need to hold down the office.” I thought about all the drama Jackson was going through and understood his urge to get Elizabeth tied to him as soon as possible. Hell, Laney was after me too. She’d had one of her hookers call me to offer her services and that of her little sister. I was pissed because I didn’t want anyone to fuck up my relationship with Sophia.
“I’m hurrying,” she shouted as she scurried off into the bathroom.
I ran down my stairs and started breakfast for my fiancée. Damn, the sound of it was too fucking wonderful. The woman changed me with one look. I thought about last night. It was the best sex I’d ever had. I knew it was because my feelings were involved.
I’d just finished our breakfast when I heard the Penthouse elevator door chime. Just as I walked to it, I heard the steps. God help me if she decided to walk to the elevator in a towel. The young guy who arrived with the clothes took a quick look around my shoulder and I heard the running footsteps behind me. Damn it. I was going to have to spank her pretty, little ass.
“Get lost little shit. She’s not for your viewing pleasure,” I growled at the twenty-year-old ass.
“Um. Yes, sorry, sir. I swear I didn’t see anything,” he stuttered and rushed back down the elevator. I loved the idea of an open apartment, but since Sophia was now going to live here, there was going to be a door put at the beginning of the foyer.
“Dearest, where are you?”
“Over in the kitchen,” she called out. Suddenly, the image of her being spread across my breakfast nook open for my feasting played in my mind.
“Do you mind telling me what possessed you to walk by the open elevator in just a towel,” I asked jealously.
“I had no idea where I was going. It wasn’t like you gave me a tour. How was I supposed to find the kitchen?”
“You may have a point Miss Rinaldi, but I still don’t like when some little punk kid gets a look at my wife.”
“I was covered. You have enormous towels that conceal me, so nothing was showing. Stop being so combative. I’m hungry and thanks to you, very sore.”
“Well, I’m taking care of the first thing, but I’m sorry the second one doesn’t seem to be possible to fix at the present moment. Here are your clothes. Finish, then get dressed. I’m going to be in my study here, just down through that hallway on your right. Hope you like it.” I kissed her hard. That wasn’t the brightest thing to do when I wanted her so damn intensely.
I walked swiftly away and into my personal study, leaned against the closed door and let out a deep breath. She messed with my equilibrium, common sense, and possessed my heart. I pushed off the door and took a seat in my favorite chair. I had a full caseload, but I knew that I would need to knock off some of them this week if I was going to spend more time with my woman.
Jackson had already left with Elizabeth yesterday, so my plate was full. I hated to admit it, but I needed to focus on my work and not on my woman for the time being. By the time twenty minutes had passed, I had worked my ass off writing up a proposal for an out of court settlement. All that mattered now was getting both parties to agree to it. My client would easily go with my opinion, but it was his claimant that might not bite.
Sophia knocked on the door just as I was packing my briefcase. “Come in, babe.”
She walked in looking like a fucking naughty secretary. My mind went into full fucking mode. “Babe, you’re wearing that to work?”
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s too fucking sexy. I didn’t realize how hot you’d look in it when I pulled it out of your bag.”
“It’s not that revealing. It’s extremely modest.”
“Modest! I don’t like you looking so damn hot in the office, but I know I can’t have you looking like a bag lady, so I’ll just have to take it out on your cooch later.”
“Well, I have a meeting with my first client today.”
“Female or male?”
“What does it matter?”
“Female or male?”
“You’re being ridiculous. You’re the one who assigned the case to me.”
“So male. I’ll be in there with you.”
“Now that’s crazy.”
“Why? You’re new and I’m your boss.”
“No, you’re my boyfriend and undermining me.”
“Wrong. I’m your fiancé and your boss. I’m not undermining; I’m just looking out for my woman. You’ll have full control of the meeting. I just don’t want some guy staring down your cleavage.”
She just rolled her eyes at me and asked, “Are you ready, Mr. James?”
“Mr. James?” I asked.
“Is that not your name?” she replied.
“You know damn well in the office we use each other’s first names.”
“Well, it’s more formal, and I don’t need them thinking that our relationship is more than just a working one. I’ve dealt with that mess in Chicago, but this time it’s true, so please treat me as just another employee.”
“Everyone will know soon, but I’ll try.”
We drove to the office and she held onto the attitude. I wasn’t trying to be a dick, but for some reason I was blatantly jealous.
“Babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“It’s not your fault. I fell for my boss.”
“Tell me you’re talking about me,” I teased.
“You know damn well I wasn’t sleeping with Hoyt. You learned that last night.”
“I knew you didn’t sleep with him before that. I believed you from the start. Or at least that was what I was thinking.”
“What if I hadn’t been a virgin?”
“It wouldn’t change my opinion. I defended you to my brother yesterday on the issue. He didn’t know if it was true or not, but he wanted to make sure I didn’t get screwed over. I assured him I believed you, wholeheartedly.”
“Thanks for having faith.”
“Honey, I’m a lawyer and a damn good one. I can tell when someone is lying to me. From the eye movements and body language, you were being honest.” I grabbed her hand, gave it a squeeze and a kiss before we pulled into the parking garage.
“If our relationship comes out, it isn’t going to matter. I’ll fire the whole damn staff before I let anything mess with us.”
“Thank you, Caleb.”
“No, thank you. Come, I’ve got a very busy schedule. What time is your meeting?”
“It’s at eleven.”
“Damn, I’m in court until about eleven, depending on how long it takes.”
“Well then, I guess you’ll miss it. Pity.”
“Don’t be a little shit.”
“I’ll behave.”
“I’m not worried about you. I just don’t like men around you. Besides one or two men, every other man has gone full-stop perverted when you’re around.”
I let her go up so that no one would know we were together, but since there was security everywhere, they would have spotted us entering the garage. I shook my head a
t her request. It wasn’t going to last long, especially once I catch any one of my staff talking to her in anything other than a professional manner.
Once I got to my office, Malcolm was waiting for me.
“What now?”
“Nothing terrible. But until you saw me you were grinning, so I’d like some answers.”
“One thing I have to say is that she is completely mine, and I’m not going to let her go.”
“What if she’s playing you?”
“She isn’t.”
“You can’t be sure.”
“Listen, I’m going to say this to you and if it gets out, I choke the shit out of you.”
“Okay,” Malcolm interrupted.
“Sophia was a virgin.”
“Bullshit!”
“You can say bullshit all you want. I know the truth and so do my ruined sheets.”
“Damn, so it was a lie?”
“Yeah, it was. A jealous rumor. I looked at her cases before she sat down for her interview, and she was too busy working hard to be fooling around. I want to pop the fuck in the face for starting the rumor. She seems upset by our relationship because of it. Sophia wants to keep us a secret.”
“That’s not going to work out. The way you look at her makes it clear she’s yours. Kristen implied it was like you were undressing her. If I were you, I’d just come out as a couple.”
“I need to talk to Jackson about it. He’s my best friend and she’s our employee.”
“I don’t think he’s got shit to say since he picked a barely legal fiancée. Kristen’s busy making all the arrangements.”
“She must be going insane with all that on top of everything else.”
“Hell no, she isn’t. She loves this stuff. Remember when she just started, and I refused to let her out of my sight. She still managed everyday tasks and then some, even with me stalking her.”
“Yeah, you were fucking nuts when it came to her. I thought it was just a one night stand, but you fell for her fast.”
“I knew it wasn’t, but I didn’t get a chance to make it right before she ran out of my life. I didn’t know she’d show up two months later. I still don’t know what actually made her apply for a job she really wasn’t qualified for—on paper—but I wasn’t going to let the chance slip by again.”
“Well, that’s the way I feel about Sophia.”
“I knew it, bro, it’s her I wasn’t sure about. But if she was innocent, then you lucked out.”
“There’s no if.”
“Then when I see her, I’ll apologize.”
“Don’t tell her I told you about the whole virginity thing. She’d probably murder me.”
“Don’t freak out. I’m not that uncouth. But I do have to say, I like it a hell of a lot more knowing she wasn’t playing you. Giving up the ‘V’ was a big step.”
“Tell me about it. I fucking freaked out when she told me. I had to get out of the car and think. My dick was so hard and I knew that she deserved more than a fast, horny fucking.”
“She told you before? Lucky. I got a fucking surprise.”
“Hell, it was still a surprise to hear it.” Just then someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” I called out.
Kristen walked into the office. “I need to run a few errands for the boss man, so I’m going to miss our meeting. Do you want to have Jackson’s assistant in with you or you could have Sophia?”
“No, she has a meeting at eleven, so she can’t. I’ll take his assistant.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her.”
I wanted to talk to Sophia, but I got stuck on a call right before Claire walked into my office. I thought she was way too flirty with us, but I didn’t think anyone else noticed, until later that afternoon when I got back from the meeting and court.
I knocked on Sophia’s office door since she had her head down looking at her file. “I’m busy. Come back later.”
“Too busy for me?” I murmured, thinking she didn’t know who stopped at her door, but she did.
“Yes, too busy for you. I’m too busy for you from now on. Please leave.” I heard the slight crack in her voice. She sounded like she was going to cry. Concerned, I stepped into her office and closed the door, locking it.
“What are you doing?” she asked as I came around her desk and lifted her by her upper arms, out of her chair.
“I’m talking to my clearly upset fiancée.”
“I’m not your fiancée.”
“What has gotten into you? Everything was okay when we parted this morning. What happened since we both were working?”
“Working... is that what you call it?”
“Yes, I believe it’s what most lawyers meeting with clients and going to court call it.”
“If you were going to a meeting, why was Jackson’s assistant with you?”
“Really, that’s what has gotten your panties in a fucking bunch?” I gripped her chin and looked her in the eyes. “Don’t ever doubt my morals because I bent my ethics for you. I’ve never slept with another employee, ever. She wouldn’t have been hired if I had before she started here. I’m not that guy. What made you think I wanted anyone else?”
“I was getting coffee when I heard the guys saying she was leaving with you again for probably another trip to your hotel.”
“Really, these fucking men act like a bunch of old ladies. I’ve never been intimate with her. She’s a flirt but nothing more. I think it’s just her personality. We’ve been to the hotel when meeting a client. When Kristen isn’t able to go with me to take notes, sometimes, I borrow Claire. That’s it. For someone who knows how rumors feel, shouldn’t you give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“I know, but still it sucks to hear people saying you slept with her. I couldn’t put it past you, even if it was in the past. You wouldn’t like it if I’d left with someone I’d slept with before.”
“No, they’d be dead. But you’ve only been with me, so they would have gotten at you after me. And since there’s no after me, I would end them.”
“I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to deal with this.”
“What is this? Us?” She nodded. “This is forever. You and I are a team, and I’m not going to let anyone separate us. I’m going to make it my priority to keep you happy; that’s all that matters to me. So just hold your head high and don’t let any of these pieces of shit make you feel less than wonderful. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my wife and I plan to make it official very soon.”
“Thank you for making me feel special.”
“You are special to me. Now come and give me a kiss before I go back to my office to finish my latest case.” She reached up on her tippy-toes and kissed me lightly along my jaw, then up my cheek until she reached my lips. She was sexier than she knew. It was hard to believe that she was a virgin at this time the day before.
I pushed away and rushed out the door before I fucked her right there, grumbling as I exited. “Damn woman is a menace.” I heard her giggling and felt a hell of a lot better. I was so busy trying to fix what was bothering her that I forgot to ask about the meeting. I’ll wait until later tonight. Seeing her again would get her fucked on the desk. One day…one day.
~~~~~~~
Wow, when he left my office I had a full turn around, emotionally. I can’t believe or even understand the feelings he brings out in me. Yes, I had ambition and happiness, but I’d never been jealous, envious, or an emotional wreck. I turned back to my assignment and got through the next few hours before we left. Picking up my things at home took a while, so we ordered a pizza and got some wine. Once we finished dinner and cleaned up the mess, it was time for bed. Of course, that didn’t mean sleep. That meant a night of mattress gymnastics, something I was becoming a pro at.
The next morning, we got to work and this time came in together. If they were going to gossip about Caleb with anyone, it might as well be me. He said he had something important to take care of this morning so he only spent two hours in th
e office, but he would meet me for lunch.
I just finished writing up my brief when there was a knock at my door. I looked up and it was the wrong James brother standing there.
“What can I do for you, Mr. James?” I asked insolently. After his suspicions and accusations, I didn’t care for him. I knew it was because he loved his brother, but I was still hurt by it.
“Mr. James?”
“What is it with you men? Is it not your last name?”
“Yes, but you know we go by first names here?”
“So, Malcolm, what can I do for you?”
“I’m guessing he told you what I said.”
“Nothing more than anyone else said, but yes, he told me.”
“He’s my brother. I needed to watch his back. Truth be told, the whole Chicago thing was a factor in my opinion about you, but it wasn’t the main reason. I’d never known Caleb to be anything but honest and forthcoming. With you, he was going against the grain and it was scary because I knew you had the power to crush him. I just came in here to tell you I’m sorry for misjudging you for no other reason than my brother was acting crazy and the rumors.”
“I get that. I really do. It’s just this stupid rumor won’t go away.”
“I get that. Rumors are killer since it’s hard for people to tell the difference. Don’t worry. From everything in your file, you were a great lawyer for their firm, and you’ve already finished one of the cases you were given. I saw the end result and was very impressed.”
“Thanks. I’ve worked hard trying to prove to everyone that I could do it, only to have my career derailed by some asshole.”
“Well, if you keep up the good work, you’ll prove that you’re good all on your own. I can’t say that you’ll ever make partner because Caleb isn’t going to like that idea.”
“Yeah, something about barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen comes to my mind when I hear the shit that comes out of his mouth.”
“Can’t blame us; it’s in our DNA.”
“No, I suppose not…” I grumbled. Malcolm patted my hand and gave me a smirk.
“Hey, get your hands off my woman. I leave for a little bit and you come in here trying to steal her away.”
“Please. He has a beautiful wife.”
Caught Crossing the Line Page 5