Seduce Me

by Jo Leigh

  “Good luck with that.” Fred picked up a dish towel, and then put it back down. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “Yes, you did. It’s not as if I haven’t already realized how screwed I am. Still, there’s always hope.”

  “Of course there is,” he said, although the look on his face certainly didn’t show it. “Hey, if he’s done nothing else, I know he’s changed how you feel about yourself, and that’s worth a hell of a lot.”

  “That’s true. I am more confident. And I have better underwear.”

  Fred fist-bumped her as they were joined by Tony and Max. “As I was saying,” Fred said archly, “I really hate that your boyfriend won, because I’m supposed to be the king of Scrabble, but I’ll do my best to recover my pride and move on.” He faced the winner with narrowed eyes. “Next time we’re playing Dungeons & Dragons, and I’d like to see you win that one, Mr. Triple Word Score.”

  Max laughed. It was nice. The goodbyes continued as they walked to the door. Once it was closed and locked, Max pushed her back against the wood and kissed her. It made her blood heat and stilled her mind until there was only one place she wanted to be.

  There were dishes to be put away, but she ignored them. Dropping clothes like breadcrumbs, they kissed the whole way down the hall and by the time they were between the sheets, there was no part of her that wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to waste a minute.

  * * *

  SIX-THIRTY SHOULD have been too damn early to feel this good, but Max had two fingers inside Natalie, who was straddling him, even though she was barely awake. Her head was resting on his chest, and her mix of sleepy, slow and mussed up made everything right with the world.

  “What are we doing?” she asked, her words slurred and her hand flailing at her hair, only for her curls to win again as she moved her hips so his fingers could go deeper. She wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Mostly letting him do all the work, but that was fine. Better than fine.

  “We’re waking up,” he said. “With sex. And for the record, you climbed on top of me.”

  “Ah,” she said as she closed her eyes. “I’m very clever. This feels wonderful.”

  “I know. Wait till it’s more than fingers.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Okay. Oh!”

  Because sometimes he was a freaking genius, he’d already taken a condom out of the packet. Unfortunately, he had to help Natalie sit up on her own in order to put the damn thing on. “Can you stay like that?”

  “All right,” she said.

  He let go.

  She fell forward just enough to block any possibility of him reaching his cock.

  He tried again. This time letting go of her at a different angle, and waiting to see if it was going to be possible at all.

  Instead of trying to manage her hair, she anchored herself with a hand on his chest. He was able to slip underneath her and sheath himself. “Done,” he said.

  “Wait. Already?”

  “Not done with sex. Done with...it doesn’t matter. Maybe I should just let you sleep a little longer.”

  “No. Don’t do that.” She wiggled her butt. “I like you a lot better than my alarm clock.”

  A little shift of his hips, a hand to keep her steady, and there he was in position. He took his time entering her, and when she squeezed him and moaned, the world became better than ever.

  “Max. Max. Wait.”

  He froze. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. I need to—” She flipped her head back, and finally he could see her beautiful face, her half-lidded eyes and the flush across her cheeks. “There we go,” she said. “Carry on.”

  He laughed, and they both jiggled, but then he pushed in and she tightened her muscles and there was no room for anything else as the hot wet heat of her surrounded him, and she sat up and arched her back.

  Last night after they’d hit the sheets had been fast and furious and hotter than hell. They’d attacked each other like heathens. He’d thrown her legs over his shoulders and if the guys downstairs hadn’t heard them, then they weren’t trying, because she’d been loud.

  Now it was all slow motion and small movements. The way her upper teeth gripped her lower lip, making it pale until she opened her mouth. Watching her lip plump back to pink was maddeningly erotic.

  Her nipples were stiff and puckered, and the temptation to suck them was agony. But he held off in order to take in the stretch of her neck, the flush spreading across her chest. The flutter of her tummy, and the low groan when he finally bottomed out.

  “Faster,” she said, adjusting her knees until she could balance without touching him. Her index finger moved in a straight line down from her sternum, past her belly button, to her clit. “More,” she whispered, touching herself.

  God knew he tried to hold out, but watching her... He finished before she did. Thankfully, not by much.

  After she finished coming, she flopped down next to him as though someone had cut her strings. They lay beside each other, panting, too wasted to move, even though he wanted to look at her.

  “Natalie.”

  “What?”

  “Is today one of your days off?”

  She moaned as she smooshed her face against his arm. “We could have slept in.”

  “Are you sorry we didn’t?”

  She raised herself up just enough that he could see her smile. “Nope.”

  He turned more onto his side. “Friday night,” he said. “Come with me.”

  “Huh?”

  “There’s a party. On a yacht moored at Chelsea Pier. It’s kind of dressy and there’ll be cocktails and a lot of lawyers. Come with me.”

  “That’s an interview. You’ll be working.”

  “Yes and no. It’s not really an interview, not in the traditional sense. I’ve wanted you to come before, but this one will be nicer. The yacht’s big. There’ll be a live band. I’ll have to leave you a little bit, but not for long.”

  “I’ll be a distraction.”

  This time she sat all the way up and by the look she gave him, she was wide-awake.

  “I’d like you to come. But whatever you decide is fine.”

  “Where is this yacht going?”

  “Nowhere. That means if it’s awful, you can sneak off and no one’ll be the wiser.”

  “Can I let you know when I’m not chock-full of sex hormones?”

  “Spoilsport. Of course you can.”

  “Tentatively, yes, then,” she said.

  He grinned. “Tentatively, yay.”

  She kissed him and flopped down on her back. “I read about your case,” she said, staring up at the ceiling. “It was a major deal. I can see why they all want you to come work for them.”

  He felt as if he’d been sucker punched. His gut tightened and his heart, which had just gotten back to normal, raced into fourth gear. “I was going to tell you,” he said. “But I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

  “I gathered. I’d like to understand more about what you did. From the articles, it seemed to me that you capitalized on an iffy stance from the FDA?”

  “That’s about right. I brought it to my boss’s attention.” He was playing down his role. Not intentionally, but Max heard it in his voice. He wondered if she could hear it, as well. “It turned out to be important.”

  “I also read that because of the final ruling, there are lawsuits coming up to challenge the FDA’s position.”

  “That’s true, too.”

  She sat up again, cross-legged, the sheets pooling at her waist. Her hair caught the morning light, making it look like a halo. “Obviously, you did what you were hired to do, and you did it exceptionally well. Is it always going to be David and Goliath cases?”

 
“Probably.”

  “Are you always going to be on Goliath’s side?”

  “I don’t know. I hope not. What I really want is to focus on my research. I know you know how fulfilling that can be. It’s such an amazing rush to follow the trail of an idea, to discover something no one had connected.” He sighed. “But in all the interviews, they keep talking about me being in the courtroom. I don’t hate it there, but it’s not me, you know? Especially because the trial work would be in addition to the research, and Christ, that just seems...difficult.”

  “So can’t you just tell them what you want?”

  His smile was crooked. “Not if I want to achieve my goals. I mean, I really do want to step up. Forget it, I’m just whining when I have no business doing any such thing. I hit it lucky and big, and this is my moment. That win is what’s going to put me in the big leagues.”

  “No, I see that,” she said. “But it must have been hard, to have such a bittersweet victory at the root of all this success.”

  He gently squeezed her leg. And didn’t mention that there hadn’t been anything bittersweet about it. That had come later. After he’d met her.

  * * *

  MAX HADN’T PLANNED on going to City Hall Park that day. But when Joey Balaban had called, asking if he had time to meet, he didn’t even consider saying no. He saw Joey right away at the fountain, standing with his hands in his pockets, looking more like a student than a criminal lawyer.

  The park was crowded, as expected, but Joey spotted him quickly and they headed off south, walking on the well-kept lawn. “Thanks for coming.”

  “No problem,” Max said. “It’s good to get out, walk around.”

  “I know I called out of the blue, but I was hoping I could ask you a favor. About family matters, of course. The never-ending argument.”

  “I figured. What can I do?”

  Joey shook his head and ducked to get out of the way of a running kid. “Next week, I’m setting up a meeting at Ivan’s home. I’m going to tell them I want to talk about the lawsuit. I’ll make sure Victor’s clan is there, too. Nat and I have to sit them all down and tell them to knock it the hell off. The problem is, I might be a good enough attorney to represent them in court, but I’m easily dismissed as Luba’s baby boy. And while they do respect Natalie, I don’t know if the two of us will be sufficient to put this idea to bed permanently. I was hoping you’d come and help us make the point.”

  “That it’s a foolish waste of money?”

  “Yes, basically. And that they don’t have any proof that anyone stole anything. They’re just being stubborn old goats.”

  “They’re not going to like that.”

  “Nope. But if you’re there, and you tell them they’d be fined for wasting the court’s time, I think they’ll listen.”

  “They’ll also hate me.”

  “I doubt it. Hanna likes you and Natalie respects you. Besides, they’ll find something else to argue about soon enough. This war won’t ever end. But at least it won’t cost them both a fortune.”

  “Sure, I’ll do what I can.”

  “Great. I’ll set things up.”

  “No problem, but after next week, I’m back to work and I may not have the time.”

  “Okay. Thank you. Seriously, thanks.” Joey paused in the shade of a cherry tree. “I also wanted to ask you about your firm. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Latham, Kirkland and Jones, and I was thinking after my stint at Legal Aid, I might check them out.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know that much about the criminal side of the firm. I do know they have an excellent reputation and the lawyers there are top-notch. I’d give them a try if I were you.”

  “Good to know.” Joey nodded. “After this last case, a lot of firms have to be knocking on your door.”

  Max smiled, and shrugged, though he saw no reason to be closemouthed at this stage. “I’m seeing what’s out there, testing the waters. I could very well end up staying with Latham. What other firms are you thinking about?”

  They walked again, heading back along a different route. “I’ve got a considerable list, including small firms. In fact, that’s appealing to me more and more. I’d like to work somewhere I could really get to know the clients. Work on cases that mean something to me.”

  Not surprised, Max just nodded. He imagined most Legal Aid attorneys were of that mind-set. “There are a lot of good reasons to go small, although being located in Manhattan is outrageously expensive, as I’m sure you know, which makes it difficult to turn down any case. But I can put you in touch with a couple of people in Brooklyn who might be able to steer you in that direction.”

  Joey’s smile reminded Max of Ivan. “That’d be great. I’ve got some contacts from Harvard, too, so maybe I won’t be cast adrift.”

  “Harvard, huh?” He took another look at the guy. “You’ve got to have more than your share of firms knocking at your door.”

  “Yeah.” Joey gave a modest shrug. “Where did you go to law school?”

  “Northwestern.”

  “That’s a great school.”

  “It worked for me.”

  They were by the fountain again. Joey checked his watch, and then held out his hand. “I appreciate you meeting me here. At Legal Aid, we don’t have the luxury of long lunches. Or any lunches, most days.”

  “It’s got to be great working there, though, huh?”

  “Yeah. I wish I could stay, but that’s not the deal I made.” He backed up a few paces. “I’ll call you.”

  After Joey turned, Max didn’t immediately head off in search of a cab. He walked north, not paying attention to much. Just thinking about what his father had said. Keeping his own promise to consider his next move carefully. He’d been so gung ho about the law growing up. He’d wanted to be Clarence Darrow, Thurgood Marshall, Abe Lincoln.

  But then he’d grown up and seen the world change. To support a family these days cost a fortune. He and Mike had been lucky. Their uncle Roger had left them a nice bequest when he’d died in 1994. Enough to put them both through college, then law school for him and graduate school for Mike. With the rest of the money, his brother had opened his first gallery and Max had made the down payment on his loft. At the time, the market had been the lowest he’d ever seen it in New York. The monthly mortgage payment was still outrageous, but he’d always been careful with his finances.

  He knew he wanted a family someday, later down the road, and he wanted to make sure they would always have enough, no matter what. He didn’t have to save the world or even like his clients. But he did have to be smart about his future.

  15

  THE YACHT WAS owned by the senior partner of Daniels and Porter. Natalie recognized the name from their television commercials. According to Max, personal-injury cases comprised only a small part of the giant firm, which had offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, London, Paris and Dubai.

  The cab dropped them off at Pier 56, where they were met by white-gloved attendants who were checking off names before escorting guests up the plank. “Is it called a plank?” she asked, leaning close to Max.

  “I don’t believe it is. I think it’s a gangway.”

  “I like plank better. You never hear a pirate threaten to have his captor walk the gangway.”

  He grinned at her. “That makes me think of the Jets and the Sharks.” He bent a little and snapped his fingers in an absolutely terrible impression of a gang member from West Side Story.

  “You are adorable,” she said. They moved up the receiving line. “How come you’re so calm when this firm is so huge?”

  He slipped his arm around her waist. “It helps that I’m with the most beautiful woman on the boat.”

  “Ah, so you’re going to use outrageous flattery a
s your main tactic.”

  Max, who looked stunning in his gray suit, shook his head. “In this instance, they’re going to be the ones using the flattery. I just need to keep my head and remember that it’s all fun and games until you actually see the contract.”

  From the moment they’d stepped on the dock, he’d been checked out blatantly by women and men. It didn’t hurt that the tie he’d chosen made his eyes shine a fascinating blue-green. She was decidedly not the most beautiful woman in sight, let alone on the ship. But she felt like the luckiest.

  Truth be told, she was a bit intimidated by the number of lawyers all in one spot. And the unbelievably luxurious yacht. Thank goodness she’d had this dress. She’d spent a great deal on it two years ago for the Tribeca Film Festival, where Omnibus was a sponsor. With her recent upgrade in underwear, it fit her even better.

  It was finally their turn to get on board, and Lord, what a sight. Subtly aglow with recessed lighting and artfully placed strings of white minibulbs, the very large open-deck area had roving white-jacketed servers offering food and several different cocktails, including Champagne. There was also a bar and a five-piece band playing the kind of jazz that you can’t ever dislike out loud, lest you be thought plebian. Fitting, as most everyone around them looked as if they’d been selected by central casting. Thankfully, there were a few folks who seemed like real people. Like people she’d know.

  Max grabbed them a couple of Champagne flutes as they made their first foray around the deck. Just as she was about to comment on the quality of the drink, Max was approached by a very distinguished-looking man. Bald except for a collar of short silver hair, the man stood ramrod-straight. She wondered if he was ex-military, or had just trained himself to look as intimidating as possible.

  Max introduced Natalie as his friend to William Daniels, the senior partner and vice versa. Hearing Max call her that stung a bit, but then that’s precisely what she was. No matter what she’d rather be. Daniels shook her hand and met her gaze for an appropriate amount of time, but as soon as he turned back to Max, she understood that things had gone from social to business. The conversation changed in tenor and topic, beginning with a compliment about Max’s role in the tort case, and a question about how it had come about.