by Carsen Taite
Table of Contents
Synopsis
What Reviewers Say About Carsen Taite’s Work
By the Author
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
About the Author
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
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Judge Camille Avery, newly appointed to the federal court, is finally back on her dream career path. She’s determined not to let any mistakes, past or future, get in her way, but a complex murder case and undeniable attraction to her rebellious law clerk threaten Camille’s carefully planned future at every turn.
Attorney West Fallon is a social justice crusader, reluctant to put her career plans on hold to clerk for a federal judge, even if the judge is the man who saved her life. When he’s suddenly forced to retire, West is stuck clerking for Judge Camille Avery, an infuriatingly stubborn—okay, brilliant, intense, and sexy—law-and-order jurist who seems just as unhappy to be saddled with her.
As Camille and West explore their growing desire and challenge the boundaries of their work and personal relationships, a big case threatens to destroy both their careers. Can their love survive?
What Reviewers Say About Carsen Taite’s Work
It Should be a Crime
“Law professor Morgan Bradley and her student Parker Casey are potential love interests, but throw in a high-profile murder trial, and you’ve got an entertaining book that can be read in one sitting. Taite also practices criminal law and she weaves her insider knowledge of the criminal justice system into the love story seamlessly and with excellent timing. I find romances lacking when the characters change completely upon falling in love, but this was not the case here. I look forward to reading more from Taite.”—Curve Magazine
“This [It Should be a Crime] is just Taite’s second novel…but it’s as if she has bookshelves full of bestsellers under her belt.”—Gay List Daily
“Taite, a criminal defense attorney herself, has given her readers a behind the scenes look at what goes on during the days before a trial. Her descriptions of lawyer/client talks, investigations, police procedures, etc. are fascinating. Taite keeps the action moving, her characters clear, and never allows her story to get bogged down in paperwork. It Should be a Crime has a fast-moving plot and some extraordinarily hot sex.”—Just About Write
Do Not Disturb
“Taite’s tale of sexual tension is entertaining in itself, but a number of secondary characters…add substantial color to romantic inevitability”—Richard Labonte, Book Marks
Nothing but the Truth
“Author Taite is really a Dallas defense attorney herself, and it’s obvious her viewpoint adds considerable realism to her story, making it especially riveting as a mystery. I give it four stars out of five.” —Bob Lind, Echo Magazine
“As a criminal defense attorney in Dallas, Texas, Carsen Taite knows her way around the court house. This ability shows in her writing, as her legal dramas take the reader into backroom negotiations between the opposing lawyers, as well as into meetings with judges. Watching how Carsen Taite brings together all of the loose ends is enjoyable, as is her skillful building of the characters of Ryan and Brett. Nothing But the Truth is an enjoyable mystery with some hot romance thrown in.”—Just About Write
“Taite has written an excellent courtroom drama with two interesting women leading the cast of characters. Taite herself is a practicing defense attorney, and her courtroom scenes are clearly based on real knowledge. This should be another winner for Taite.”—Lambda Literary
The Best Defense
“Real life defense attorney Carsen Taite polishes her fifth work of lesbian fiction, The Best Defense, with the realism she daily encounters in the office and in the courts. And that polish is something that makes The Best Defense shine as an excellent read.”—Out & About Newspaper
Slingshot
“The mean streets of lesbian literature finally have the hard boiled bounty hunter they deserve. It’s a slingshot of a ride, bad guys and hot women rolled into one page turning package. I’m looking forward to Luca Bennett’s next adventure.”—J. M. Redmann, author of the Micky Knight mystery series
Beyond Innocence
“Taite keeps you guessing with delicious delay until the very last minute…Taite’s time in the courtroom lends Beyond Innocence a terrific verisimilitude someone not in the profession couldn’t impart. And damned if she doesn’t make practicing law interesting.” —Out in Print
“As you would expect, sparks and legal writs fly. What I liked about this book were the shades of grey (no, not the smutty Shades of Grey)—both in the relationship as well as the cases.”—C-spot Reviews
Battle Axe
“This second book is satisfying, substantial, and slick. Plus, it has heart and love coupled with Luca’s array of weapons and a badass verbal repertoire… I cannot imagine anyone not having a great time riding shotgun through all of Luca’s escapades. I recommend hopping on Luca’s band wagon and having a blast.”—Rainbow Book Reviews
“Taite breathes life into her characters with elemental finesse… A great read, told in the vein of a good old detective-type novel filled with criminal elements, thugs, and mobsters that will entertain and amuse.”—Lambda Literary
Rush
“A simply beautiful interplay of police procedural magic, murder, FBI presence, misguided protective cover-ups, and a superheated love affair…a Gold Star from me and major encouragement for all readers to dive right in and consume this story with gusto!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Switchblade
“I enjoyed the book and it was a fun read—mystery, action, humor, and a bit of romance. Who could ask for more? If you’ve read and enjoyed Taite’s legal novels, you’ll like this. If you’ve read and enjoyed the two other books in this series, this one will definitely satisfy your Luca fix and I highly recommend picking it up. Highly recommended.”—C-spot Reviews
“Dallas’s intrepid female bounty hunter, Luca Bennett, is back in another adventure. Fantastic! Between her many friends and lovers, her interesting family, her fly by the seat of her pants lifestyle, and a whole host of detractors there is rarely a dull moment.”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Courtship
“The political drama is just top-notch. The emotional and sexual tensions are intertwined with great timing and flair. I truly adored this book from beginning to end. Fantabulous!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
“Carsen Taite throws the reader head on into the murky world of the political system where there are no rights or wrongs, just players attempting to broker the best deals regardless of who gets hurt in the process. The book is extremely well written and makes compelling reading. With twist and turns throughout, the reader doesn’t know how the story will end.”—Lesbian Reading Room
“Taite keeps the stakes high as two beautiful and brilliant women fueled by professional ambitions face daunting emotional choices… As backroom politics, secrets, betrayals, and threats race to be resolved without political damage to the president, the cat-and-mouse relationship game between Addison and Julia has the reader rooting for them. Taite prolongs the fever-pitc
h tension to the final pages. This pleasant read with intelligent heroines, snappy dialogue, and political suspense will satisfy Taite’s devoted fans and new readers alike.”—Publisher’s Weekly
Lay Down the Law
“Recognized for the pithy realism of her characters and settings drawn from a Texas legal milieu, Taite pays homage to the prime-time soap opera Dallas in pairing a cartel-busting U.S. attorney, Peyton Davis, with a charity-minded oil heiress, Lily Gantry.” —Publishers Weekly
“Suspenseful, intriguingly tense, and with a great developing love story, this book is delightfully solid on all fronts. This gets my A-1 recommendation!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Reasonable Doubt
“I was drawn into the mystery plot line and quickly became enthralled with the book. It was suspenseful without being too intense but there were some great twists to keep me guessing. It’s a very good book. I cannot wait to read the next in line that Ms. Taite has to offer.”—Prism Book Alliance
Above the Law
“…readers who enjoyed the first installment will find this a worthy second act.”—Publishers Weekly
“Ms Taite delivered and then some, all the while adding more questions, Tease! I like the mystery and intrigue in this story. It has many “sit on the edge of your seat” scenes of excitement and dread (like watch out kind of thing) and drama…well done indeed!”—Prism Book Alliance
Without Justice
“Carsen Taite tells a great story. She is consistent in giving her readers a good if not great legal drama with characters who are insightful, well thought out and have good chemistry. You know when you pick up one of her books you are getting your money’s worth time and time again. Consistency with a great legal drama is all but guaranteed.”—The Romantic Reader Blog
“This is a great read, fast-paced, interesting and takes a slightly different tack from the normal crime/courtroom drama having a lawyer in the witness protection system whose case becomes the hidden centre of another crime.”—Lesbian Reading Room
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Sidebar
© 2017 By Carsen Taite. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-753-8
This Electronic Original is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: August 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
By the Author
Truelesbianlove.com
It Should be a Crime
Do Not Disturb
Nothing but the Truth
The Best Defense
Beyond Innocence
Rush
Courtship
Reasonable Doubt
Without Justice
Sidebar
The Luca Bennett Mystery Series:
Slingshot
Battle Axe
Switchblade
Bow and Arrow (novella in Girls with Guns)
Lone Star Law Series:
Lay Down the Law
Above the Law
Letter of the Law
Acknowledgments
Big thanks to the usual suspects. Rad and Sandy Lowe for providing a publishing house where their authors are both comfortable and challenged at the same time. Ruth Sternglantz for your superb marketing. Cindy Cresap for making every book better with your keen editor’s eye. Ashley Bartlett for your insightful critique of the first draft and pushing me to write, even when it’s hard. And VK Powell—I think you read this manuscript about a dozen times as I wrote and rewrote and rewrote again. I can’t thank you enough.
To Lainey, my amazing wife, cheerleader, and confidant. Thanks for making this wonderful life possible. Couldn’t do it without you. Wouldn’t want to.
A special shout out to my Cairn Terrier, Mollie. For almost your whole life, I’ve been writing books and you’ve occupied the space beside me—couch, chair, floor beside my desk—while I tell these stories. Although sometimes you snore through the edits, the way you wag your tail and widen your soulful brown eyes when I tell you it’s time to write warms my heart. Every single time.
And to my readers. Your kind words of encouragement and loyal support are appreciated more than you can ever know. I write stories because you read them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Dedication
For Lainey—there’s no one I’d rather have by my side.
Chapter One
West Fallon pushed through the revolving door and spun toward a future she’d been dreading all year. The long security line that greeted her once she entered the federal building only increased her anxiety. When she finally reached the conveyor belt, she dutifully placed her wallet and keys in the pale green dog food bowl provided by the security guard and removed her belt and placed it on top of the pile. She patted her pockets for good measure before walking through the metal detector. The absence of a loud beep meant she was safe from the second guard, waiting with a metal wand, and free to go. West shoved her stuff back in her pockets, but when she reached for her belt, she caught sight of a goddess who vanquished all thoughts of what lay ahead.
She was tall and dressed in a tailored suit that didn’t completely hide her curves. She ran a hand through her chestnut hair, and West took in her tapered nose, full lips, and flawless skin marred only by a fierce frown that didn’t quite diminish the brightness in her hazel eyes. “I have no idea what’s setting off the alarm.” Her voice was smooth despite the undercurrent of frustration.
The guard shrugged and pointed at her bag. “Sure you put all your electronics in there?”
“I’m positive.” The woman pointed at the X-ray monitor. “Besides, shouldn’t you be able to see whatever’s in my bag?”
“It’s your bra,” West blurted out. Hardly able to believe she’d referenced this stranger’s underwear out loud, she went all in. “Nasty underwires.” A slow flush burned its way through her as she remembered the time she’d brought her pal Jill Martin here a few years ago. Jill’s double D, full support brassiere almost kept her from entering the building. But this woman was no Jill Martin, interested in exploring the place where federal crimes were tried. No, she was older, late thirties at least, and the suit signaled she was probably here for court, not a curious look around. West cocked her head, assessing the woman’s attire. “Are you an attorney?” A slight hesitation and then a quick nod. “Cool. Just show them your bar card and they’ll let you in.”
The woman stood still for a moment and then began rummaging in her bag. West stared, acutely conscious she was bordering on being rude. Her work here was done, but in a tug-of-war between what waited upstairs and this woman’s beautiful eyes, the eyes won. When the woman successfully negotiated her way past the guard and collected her bag, she smiled in West’s direction. “Thanks for the tip. Do you work here?”
“Not if I can help it.”
“Oh, sorry.” The brunette scanned her, lips pursed. West looked down at her casual outfit, jeans—not her best ones—a Ghostbusters T-shirt, and red Converse. She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not some defendant, looking for free representation. I’m here to see a friend.”
The stranger joined in the laugh. �
�I didn’t mean to imply anything. Besides, I was the one who couldn’t get through security on my own. I haven’t been here in a while, but last time I was, I don’t recall the machines being so sensitive.”
“Where are you going?”
“Excuse me?”
West paused. She’d asked the question without thinking. It wasn’t any of her business where this woman was headed, plus she couldn’t quite decide if she was just avoiding the inevitable. For a second, she considered asking the woman to join her for a cup of coffee or an early lunch—anything to prolong the contact, but she squelched the impulse for the distraction it was. “I just thought I might be able to point you in the right direction. I’m headed upstairs.” She pointed at the directory to their left. “Most everyone in the building is listed there.”
“Thanks.” The woman looked over at the directory but didn’t move.
West glanced at the bank of elevators and then back at the woman, torn between wanting to escort her wherever she needed to go and an aversion to anything that would prolong her errand. They both had business to attend to, and the sooner she got hers over with, the sooner she could get out of this place and back to a summer full of the kind of work she really wanted to be doing. Her itinerary didn’t include time for distractions, and everything about this woman screamed distraction. She shot her one last look. “Have a good day.”