Courting Justice

by Brenda Jackson

  He released her mouth as quickly as he’d attacked it, and she saw desire spark in the depths of his eyes. She reached out and tugged his hair and whispered, “You need a haircut.”

  “No, what I need is you,” he muttered huskily against her lips, and then he quickly moved toward the sofa.

  * * *

  At that moment, Angelo knew he wanted Peyton with an urgency that he’d never felt before…at least not since he’d been with her last. He felt the need, the craving and the want all the way to his bones. He placed her on the sofa and pulled back slowly, looking down at her with a yearning that was like a slow burn in his stomach. He had to make love to her, entwine her body with his and become one with her. Claim her.

  He leaned down and kissed her with a greed that had his loins throbbing. But first he needed to make her understand that his desire wasn’t just physical. He pulled back from the kiss and took her hand and placed it over his heart and whispered, “Yours.”

  He knew his heart would be crushed if she said she didn’t want it. He stared into her eyes, waiting.

  Then she finally asked, as if she still wasn’t completely certain, “Mine?”

  Holding her gaze, he nodded slowly and said, “Yes, yours. Nobody else’s.” If only she knew just how much he meant that. Just how much what he’d said was true. She had spoiled him for any other woman.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, caressing her cheek.

  She chuckled softly. “You don’t lie very well.”

  He fought to keep the frown out of his eyes. She didn’t believe him about that either. That Elton guy had done more than broken her heart. Whether she knew it or not, he’d also undermined her confidence. At the moment, if Elton had been here, Angelo would love to have planted his fist in the man’s face.

  Deciding not to argue the point with her he slowly pulled her up so he could join her on the sofa and placed her in his lap. He then cradled her in his arms.

  She cleared her throat, and he glanced down at her. “You have something on your mind, Peyton?”

  “Yes, I thought we were about to…”

  He smiled. “We are. I need to hold you just as much. I missed you.”

  She leaned back and grinned. “It’s only been four days.”

  “That’s four days too long,” he said, meaning it. He wondered how he would handle things when he had to return to New York and didn’t see her for weeks on end.

  “Well, if you must know,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, “I missed you, too.”

  He actually felt a glimmer of hope that made his heart flutter. Her admission was a start. For the moment, he couldn’t say anything, and then he repeated what she had said to him. “It’s only been four days.”

  Following his lead, she smiled up at him and said, “That’s four days too long.”

  Pleased, he leaned down and kissed her.

  * * *

  “I’m hungry,” Peyton said, stretching out in bed beside Angelo. They’d made love a number of times since he’d arrived and she was exhausted and hungry.

  “I take it you didn’t eat dinner,” he said, turning her toward him to cuddle.

  “I was checking out the fridge when you showed up and figured the best I could do was order takeout. You in the mood for Chinese?”

  He chuckled. “Actually, we’ve been invited out.”

  She lifted up and stared at him. “By whom?”

  “Sam. I stopped by the office thinking you were there and was told you left early. I got to see everyone, and Sam invited us over. Luke and Mac will be there as well.”

  Sam and Blade, who lived in Houston seventy percent of the time, had purchased a home in Oklahoma after they’d married since Sam was still associated with the law firm and spent time in Oklahoma at least three months out of the year. Blade was involved with several construction projects here as well.

  Peyton didn’t say anything as she thought about the implications of Sam’s invitation. If Peyton and Angelo arrived at Sam’s together, then they would be seen as a couple when that was the last thing she wanted. She had tried making it clear to her two best friends that she did not want a serious involvement with Angelo.

  His leg that was entwined in hers moved, reminding her that whether she admitted it or not she was involved with him. She wasn’t one who had sex for the fun of it, so there had to be something serious going on between them. But she would be the last to claim it had anything to do with love.

  Angelo said he was returning to New York in two days, the same day she would be headed to Chicago for two weeks. Distance is what she needed from Angelo. Hopefully that would give her space to clear her thoughts. She’d discovered that too much lovemaking had a tendency to muddy the waters. Angelo mentioned that when he returned to New York he would be working on some case that was guaranteed to keep him busy. She didn’t plan to do anything in Chicago other than rest, relax and visit with old friends.

  “So what do you say?” he asked, using his finger to tilt her chin toward him.

  She figured that he knew she was thinking about the implications of going with him over to Sam’s, being seen together as a couple. She’d talked to Mac and Sam and had even gone into detail about Matt and what he’d done. They thought it was time for her to move on and not look back. Both women had been hurt by men they assumed had loved them, only to be proven wrong. She understood what they’d said. But still, heartbreak was a personal thing, and Peyton just wasn’t ready to make a move just yet.

  She met his gaze. “What do you want me to say?”

  He chuckled softly. “Plenty. None of which I’m sure you’re ready to say, so I’ll wait patiently until you are.”

  She let out a deep sigh. “Will you, Angelo? Will you wait patiently, knowing it might be a long wait?”

  He moved his finger to stroke the side of her face. “Yes, because, baby, you’re worth the wait.”

  * * *

  “I know you don’t want to hear this,” Mac said, glancing over at Peyton as she helped her set Sam’s table for dinner.

  “What?” Peyton asked looking up from arranging a place setting.

  “You and Angelo look really good together.”

  Mac was right. She didn’t want to hear it only because she thought the same thing. She had caught a glimpse of their reflections in the full-length mirror in her bedroom right before they left her place. Granted, Angelo would look good with any woman he was with, but it had been something about him standing close beside her while she’d checked her appearance one final time before leaving that had almost made her go still.

  Knowing Mac was waiting on a response from her, she said, “I told you and Sam my history. Not that I felt you needed to know, but because I felt in knowing my past the two of you would understand.”

  Mac rolled her eyes. “Understand what? That Matthew Elton was a jerk? Trust me, he joins the ranks of many others. Remember Lawrence Dixon?”

  Peyton drew in a deep breath. Yes, she remembered Lawrence Dixon and what his betrayal had done to Mac. “Yes, I remember him,” she said softly.

  “After him I thought I could never love another man,” Mac said. She chuckled. “It sure didn’t make things easy for Luke, and I think you’re making the same mistake with Angelo.”

  Peyton placed silverware beside a plate and then turned to Mac. “It’s not the same.”

  Mac smiled softly. “Heartbreak is heartbreak.” She didn’t say anything for a moment. “Do you know what I think?”

  Honestly, Peyton thought she was afraid to ask but decided to do so anyway. Mac’s thinking usually wasn’t as off-the-charts as Sam’s. “What?”

  “I think it’s not that you don’t think Angelo is really in love with you, it’s that you’re afraid to believe that he truly is.”

  Peyton rolled he
r eyes. “And why is that?”

  “Because then you have no reason to carry that chip on your shoulder.” And without saying anything else, Mac walked off.

  Peyton frowned. Although Sam had accused Peyton of having a chip on her shoulder many times, this was the first time Mac had ever said so. Did she really have hang-ups about people with money, or was it that she was looking at things more realistically than others?

  She turned to head back into the kitchen to see what Sam needed her to do next when she glanced toward the living room. Luke, Blade and Angelo were standing around, drinking beers and talking about the upcoming football season and how they were looking forward to it.

  All three were extremely handsome men, but the one that kicked up her pulse a notch was Angelo. She had to congratulate everyone. When she and Angelo had arrived, no one acted as if it was out of the ordinary to see them together. In a way that bothered her, although she wasn’t sure just what she’d expected. Maybe a look of disbelief on their faces would have sufficed.

  She wasn’t sure just what caused Angelo to choose that moment to look her way, but he did. His gaze locked with hers and immediately she felt an intense stirring in the pit of her stomach and a rush of desire that nearly consumed her. It was as if some sort of sexual stimulation was transmitting from him to her.

  And for a quick minute, she felt something else, something she hadn’t felt in a long time and never with this intensity. It transcended all levels of sexual attraction, instinctively drawing her to him. It gave her pause, made everything inside of her go still, as a flicker of recognition of an emotion she thought she would never feel again burst to life.

  “If you would take a moment to stop staring at my brother like you’re going to stalk across the room and rip off his clothes any minute, I’d appreciate your help in placing a few of the platters on the dining room table, Pey.”

  She turned and glared at Sam’s smarmy grin. Peyton felt there was really nothing she could say because in all honesty, she had been tempted to cross the room and tear off Angelo’s clothes. Sam didn’t need to know that she’d done that very thing earlier that day.

  “Don’t mess with me, Sam,” she warned, moving past Sam to head toward the kitchen. As far as she was concerned, she couldn’t get to Chicago fast enough.

  Chapter 23

  “Angelo, are you listening?”

  Angelo glanced up at his father. He really hadn’t been and that was unfortunate, especially when the old man was giving him a briefing on the Gallant case. “Sorry, my thoughts drifted for a moment,” he said.

  Antonio Di Meglio leaned back in his chair and stared at his son. “I take it you had a good time in the Bahamas.”

  Angelo grinned. His father had no idea, and he didn’t intend to enlighten him as to what that good time had entailed. “Yes, I enjoyed myself.”

  “That’s good, you definitely deserved the time off and I hated calling you back into the office, but if Gallant is considering hiring us as their law firm, we need to be ready to step in if their current attorneys are released.”

  Angelo nodded. He’d only been back a full day but already he’d done his research. The people over at Gallant still weren’t happy with their law firm’s failure to put together a Chinese deal. “I went over all the reports and the community group in question really hasn’t made any move. They don’t even have an attorney, just the backing of some local advocacy group.”

  “Yes, but it’s coming. You know the media. They will be on it like white on rice. Gallant wants to avoid a situation like BP in the Gulf a few years ago. But then they don’t want to be taken advantage of either.”

  “I can certainly understand that. The city council has set up a hearing to air the community’s concerns,” Angelo said.

  His father nodded. “Yes, and Gallant wants us there since they’ve officially made a decision to hire us if any trouble arises. And of course, you know they want you to handle things if there’s a need.”

  Angelo hoped there wouldn’t be a need since he had planned to head back to Oklahoma the first chance he got. He might be imagining things, but a part of him could feel Peyton softening. She wasn’t as hard-nosed as she had been regarding them continuing their affair. And when they’d parted at the airport and he’d kissed her and told her he loved her, she had held his gaze with a strange look in her eyes. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he did know that he had Mac and Sam in his corner. He’d had a long talk with them the day he’d stopped by their law firm. They knew his feelings for Peyton were genuine, and he refused to give up hope that one day those feelings would be reciprocated.

  “You’re daydreaming again, Angelo.”

  Angelo simply nodded. “Yes, I was.”

  His father didn’t say anything for a minute. “I guess you’ve got that business with Peyton pretty much settled?”

  Angelo lifted a brow, wondering how his father had figured out that Peyton played a part in his wayward thoughts. “What business are you talking about, Dad?”

  “You finally realized just what she means to you.”

  To say he was surprised by his father’s comment was an understatement. Deciding there was no need to deny a thing, he said, “I think I realized it some time ago but just recently decided to act on it.”

  His father grinned. “I’m glad. Does that mean your mother and I need to plan another wedding?”

  How he wished Peyton could have been there to hear his father’s question. Just like that, he’d admitted to having feelings for Peyton, and already his father was welcoming her to the family. There had been no question or concern about her background.

  He decided to test the waters a little more. “So you think it will be a good match?”

  His father laughed. “Hell, it will be a perfect match. Peyton’s a bright and intelligent girl. She’s beautiful, energetic and has a heart of gold. That’s evident from all of those hours of pro bono work she donates to community organizations, helping others every year.”

  Angelo felt it was as well.

  “And then there’s the way she holds Mac and Sam’s babies in her arms. It’s like she longs to have one of her own.”

  Angelo had seen her hold his niece and Mac and Luke’s baby several times, but hadn’t ever picked up on anything.

  “I’m more observant than you are,” his father said, smiling. “Comes with the age.”

  Angelo chuckled and then became serious. “I’m in love with her, but she’s not there yet with me.”

  “Is that what she said?”

  “Basically.”

  His father’s smile widened. “Your mother told me that same thing, in a lot of different ways—some not so nice. But I hung in there. I take it that you’re going to do the same thing.”

  Angelo leaned back in his chair. “Definitely.”

  * * *

  Peyton settled on the bed and glanced around the room, remembering how many times she’d spent the night there when her grandmother had to pull a night shift at the rubber plant. Those were the times when she and Serena would lie in bed as kids and plan their futures. Back then, neither of them knew that she would grow up to live out her dream of becoming an attorney and that Serena’s life would be cut short, just days before her seventeenth birthday. Losing her best friend had been hard, but with her grandmother and Ms. Lora’s help Peyton had gotten through it.

  That was one of the reasons she loved Lora Lattimore so much. Besides being Serena’s mother, she had been like a daughter to Peyton’s grandmother, since Ms. Lora and Peyton’s mom had been childhood friends. What little Peyton did know about her mother had been what her grandmother and Ms. Lora had shared with her.

  Peyton knew she could have easily stayed at a hotel since there were several in the area. But she knew Ms. Lora wouldn’t hear of it and would probably get offended if she
chose to stay anywhere else.

  The first thing Peyton had done after picking up a rental car at the airport had been to drive through places she used to frequent as a child. A lot of the old section had been torn down to make way for city revitalization projects. She was pleased with the progress that had been made and that longtime residents hadn’t been displaced in the process. She was glad most of them had moved to Pembrook Pines, a development on the outskirts of the old neighborhood that was fast becoming its own little city. Most of the people living there were first-time home-owners and some even owned businesses in the area.

  Mr. Griffin, a man who used to be her grandmother’s neighbor, had opened a meat shop, and Mrs. Florence, who used to attend her church back in the day, had opened a flower shop. And Seymour Conyers, a high-school classmate of hers, had opened a printing shop.

  She thought of her own roots back in the community where she’d grown up. You know you’ve arrived when they put a Starbucks on the corner. Yes, the old neighborhood didn’t look like it used to, and she thought that was a good thing. The people of the South Side of Chicago were hardworking folks who wanted the best…and some of the best had come from this side of town. You couldn’t get a better role model than the First Lady.

  When a car drove by blasting loud music, Peyton couldn’t help but smile, thinking some things never changed…or did they?

  She eased off the bed and went to the window, not to see anything in particular but just to think. It seemed she’d been doing that a lot lately and most of the time—a good ninety-five percent of it—Angelo had dominated her thoughts.

  She threw her head back and closed her eyes. What was he doing to her that she couldn’t go to bed without thinking of him at night? His face was the first thing that flashed in her mind upon waking up each morning. Whenever she took a shower, she vividly remembered taking one with him, and how he would run his hands all over her body, stroke her, get down on his knees and taste her before thrusting inside of her. And his thrusts were as good as it got. She’d never before screamed so loud and so often. Never before had any man possessed the ability to make her nipples harden and tingle just with the sound of his voice. And no man had ever made her secrete spontaneously without foreplay. She was totally, absolutely convinced such a thing wasn’t possible…until Angelo had proven her wrong in so many ways.