by Sable Hunter
“Marvelous!” He started to ask if it was anyone he knew, but he decided to get off the topic. He knew Sherwood’s opinion of his penchant for solitude. A twinge of jealousy flashed through his heart. Damn, he hated to be alone. Was this what his whole life was going to be like? Zane had the reputation of going where angels feared to tread, but putting himself in a position to be rejected by a woman again was where he drew the line.
Settling himself in the back of his prized Mercedes sedan, he knew there was no use putting off the inevitable. As soon as Sherwood pulled out on the highway, Zane called the Work Force. A hard, agitated female voice answered. “It’s early, but I’ll accommodate you. This is Earline Felts, owner of Work Force, may I help you?”
Zane wondered if he should apologize. He was going to work; he thought everybody else should be open for business, too. “Hello, my name is Zane Saucier of Saucier & Barclay. I find myself without a secretary this morning, but one of your people has been highly recommended to me. I’m wondering if you could send Miss Presley Love over for an interview.”
There was a pause, a pregnant pause. “Mr. Saucier, thank you so much for getting in touch with us.”
The abrupt attitude change amused him. “Can you help me, Ms. Felts?”
“Of course, we can help you. Presley Love, you say? Are you sure? We have many very qualified people to choose from. Miss Love is adequate. In fact, she is very talented. Did you say this was for the position of your secretary?”
Zane wondered why the woman was balking at his suggestion. “Actually, my personal assistant has resigned. She was more than my secretary. Chloe gave me the name of Miss Love. Is that a problem? Has she accepted another position? Did I miss out?”
A wry laugh came over the speaker. “No, she is still available. The thing is, Mr. Saucier, Work Force prides itself on matching the right employee with the right job. And while Miss Love is adequate for the task, she is not what I would call ‘front office’ material.”
Zane was confused. What did that mean? Something told him that it wasn’t an explanation he cared to hear. “Thank you for your insight, but I trust Ms. Jacobs. Let me be the judge of Miss Love’s qualifications. Could you send her over this morning?”
“Fine, I guess you can judge her suitability for yourself.” Earline cleared her throat and gave a half-laugh. “Excuse me, Mr. Saucier – I forgot about your uh, condition. Perhaps you and Miss Love will suit one another just fine.”
What in the hell did she mean by that? Women, he’d never understand them if he lived to be a thousand. Regardless, Mrs. Felts was not someone with whom he wanted to prolong a conversation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Felts, but I don’t have time to discuss this further. When can I expect her?”
“I’ll give her a call right now and she can be there within the hour. You can let me know how it works out by the end of the week, if you keep her that long.”
“Fine, thank you.” Zane was glad to hang up, the whole conversation disturbed him. He hoped to high heavens the day got better as it went along.
*****
Presley was nervous. Saucier & Barclay was a very reputable firm. The call from Work Force had not been totally unexpected, however. Sweet Miss Chloe had confided to her about Fraiser’s proposal and how much she wished for Presley to go to work at Zane Saucier’s law office in her place. Working at the law firm would be a dream come true for Presley. While she enjoyed her part time job at The Horseman, she didn’t like Work Force. Ms. Felts wasn’t an easy person to work for.
Working at The Horsemen’s Club had helped supplement her income. She had started out as a dishwasher, then moved on to helping in the kitchen. Now, she worked mostly out of her own kitchen preparing specialty desserts and pastries that Mr. Fraiser especially enjoyed. He paid her well for her creations. And that was a good thing, what she made at the temp agency was barely enough to pay the notes on her student loans. People just weren’t apt to give Presley much of a chance. So, she wouldn’t get her hopes up too much about this job, either, despite Chloe’s assurance that Zane Saucier would welcome her talents.
Mr. Frasier had been a widower for years and Chloe Jacobs was perfect for him. When they had first started dating, he would bring her into the restaurant and Presley would occasionally share a cup of coffee with her. As she and Chloe had gotten to know one another, it wasn’t long before they found they had the law in common and a bond was forged that soon became a close friendship. Chloe’s encouragement gave Presley hope. This opportunity she had been granted was not one she took lightly. Presley did not intend for Chloe’s faith in her to be in vain.
The front reception area was impressive and she hung back, watching employees and clients as they moved about. It was easy to tell the two apart. The clients had an anxious expression and the law firm employees looked to be on a mission. For the most part, they were young, good-looking and filled with confidence – unlike her.
Presley ran her hand over the smooth wood of a table and thumbed through a Texas law review magazine, trying to look busy. As she waited for the woman at the desk to get off the phone, Presley inspected the photos on the wall. They were all of a very good-looking man. He was working with horses. One photo in particular captured her attention. A golden palomino with a scar on its right cheek, stood with its head bent to touch the chest of the man in front of him. The man was the same as the one in the other photos – a tall, well-built man in typical western dress. But there was nothing typical about the handsome cowboy. Presley felt her pulse pound. His expression was so kind and loving. At that moment she knew he had instilled in the horse an absolute assurance that it was loved. This man could be trusted.
Presley smiled.
She envied the horse.
“Excuse me, may I help you?”
Presley turned to greet the receptionist. At first the woman was smiling, but when Presley drew closer and the woman got a good look at her, Presley saw the woman’s countenance change. Her eyes narrowed and she sneered.
A reaction like this always made her want to sink into the floor, but she squared her shoulders and faced the music. “I have an appointment with Mr. Saucier. I’m from the temp agency, Work Force.”
“Really?” With one word, the woman projected skepticism and disapproval. She wasn’t prepared to go against her superior’s wishes, however, so she pressed the button and announced her. “Zane, the woman from Work Force has arrived.”
“Thank you, Melody. Send her in.”
Presley thought this was probably a useless endeavor; there was no way she was going to fit in here. Saucier & Barclay was filled with beautiful people and she – wasn’t. Nevertheless, she marched forward.
“Come in, Miss Love.” The voice that called to her was deep and authoritative, but something about it warmed her heart. It was a kind voice.
“Yes, Sir.”
The room was huge, yet comfortable. There were two work areas, one larger than the other – comfortable chairs, computers, a credenza – everything one would need to conduct business. Another room sat off to the side, but her gaze passed over it. Clearly, that was the inner sanctum. Presley’s eyes moved quickly around the room before they settled on the man behind the larger desk. Her breath caught in her throat. It was the same man pictured in the photo with the horse. This was Zane Saucier? He stood up to greet her.
God Almighty! The man was fine! Dressed in a perfectly cut grey suit, he dominated the room. Presley wanted to run and hide. She didn’t do well around really good looking men. With a reflex born from years of hiding, she jerked her hand up to cover her mouth. There was no way in hell this was going to work.
A movement next to the desk caused Presley to glance side-ways. It was a dog! She was a little shocked and a gasp escaped her lips. “Are you okay?” he asked. A beautiful black Labrador sat there with the prominent halter and handle that a blind person would require.
She looked back at the gorgeous man standing in front of her. “I’m fine; your dog startled me
, that’s all.” Was he blind? No! Impossible! Not him. The tragedy of it all took her breath away.
Presley stared at his handsome face, hoping to see some indication that she was wrong. It didn’t matter if he looked at her with disdain – she just wanted him to be able to see. Zane appeared to look right at her, seemingly right in the eye. However when he held out his hand in greeting and she extended hers in return – he didn’t take it, rather he waited for her to touch the tips of his fingers with hers. It was obvious he could not see her hand approaching his. The breath lurched in her throat. God, no - he was blind. She closed her eyes in abject sorrow and let her fingertips graze his. When she did, he grasped her hand warmly and Presley felt kindness, strength and security. Still, it hurt her soul. If she could have changed things for him, she would have – in a heartbeat.
“Welcome, please sit down. My previous secretary held you in high esteem.”
Presley’s heart pounded. “Thank you. I am grateful to be considered. Miss Chloe is a good friend.” She forced herself to say the words carefully. When she became excited, Presley had a tendency to let a lisp slip in when she pronounced her s’s.
Zane listened carefully and tried to formulate an image of the young woman. Her voice was beautiful. He could detect a deliberate control in the way she said her words. She didn’t speak haphazardly. He admired that. It also made him wonder what she would sound like when she lost all of that cool control. Smiling to himself, he wondered where that had come from. He knew nothing about this woman – yet. How she looked, what her personality was like, how they would work together, all of that was still a mystery. But he soon would, and for some reason, he looked forward to it.
Sitting down, he leaned back and asked. “Do you have experience with the law? Have you worked at a law firm before?”
Ah, a touchy subject. “I am familiar with all of the law office management programs like Abacus, CaseFox, Practice Master and Legal Track. I’m also up to speed on the online law libraries as well as the subscription ones at UT and Tulane. Whatever you need, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you.”
“If you don’t mind, let me ask you a few questions so I can gauge the depth of your knowledge.” Frankly, he couldn’t hope she was as knowledgeable as Chole – but it would make such a difference if she was.
“Certainly.”
“Let’s say, my step daughter is thirteen. She has been with my wife and I for fifteen months without seeing her real father. I’m being deployed in three weeks and our daughter doesn’t want to go back to her dad because they are having disagreements over school. Does she have the right to tell a judge that and stay with my wife while I’m gone? What do we have to do legally to keep her home?”
Presley knew this like the back of her hand, and before she realized what she was saying, she answered like a lawyer. “Statue 25-415 will guide you in how to file for custody and Statue 25-405 states that the court can interview the child to determine her wishes.”
Damn! Was that a fluke? He’d try again. “Let’s say we had a client that was in a relationship with a guy who was verbally and emotionally abusive. After a few months, the yelling and arguing had escalated and she was scared. The guy would tell her when and where she could go and wouldn’t let her leave the apartment. But she gets away. Now he’s breaking into her email, calls and threatens her and her friends. She’s afraid he’s going to get violent. What can she do?”
“She should close her current email and get a new account. As for the telephone, she should report his threats as harassment and file a report with the police. It would be wise to tape record all of his calls and make at least two copies of them. I’d also copy and save all threatening emails. According to Statue 13-2923, this is stalking and she needs police protection. Criminal jurisdiction would apply either to location of calls made or received. The victim’s rights unit would be a good place to start. I’d strongly suggest that she get a domestic violence protective order and be ready to write down everything the man has done to her. She should be specific and have dates, times, and quotes.”
By this time, Zane had sat straight up and moved forward in his chair. He was hanging on her every word. It was a shame Laney Taylor hadn’t known Presley Love. Lane could have used Presley’s advice. “You realize you could be an attorney, don’t you?”
“Well, I. . .” She was saved from explaining when his cell phone rang.
“Excuse me, Presley.” Zane stood up and walked to the window. He listened for a moment, then began to speak. “Laura, I’m surprised to hear from you.” His silhouette stood in direct contrast to the bright rays of sunshine coming through the window. In the distance she could see the pink dome of the Texas Capitol. But the sight of that remarkable landmark was nowhere near as impressive as the set of shoulders that all but blocked the light from the room.
“I enjoyed myself, also. You are an incredible woman.” Presley watched him bow his head, as if listening intently. She felt uncomfortable eavesdropping. “I’ll have to check my calendar, but I think I’ll be at a conference that weekend.”
She tried not to listen as he made small talk with a woman that he obviously had dated at one time or another. She was sure that Zane Saucier could have any woman he wanted. God, Presley was so nervous, her fists were clenched so tight that her fingernails were digging into her palms. Not only was this a wonderful opportunity for her, but Zane Saucier was an extremely attractive man. His face was fallen angel beautiful with long dark brown hair that touched the top of his collar and warm golden brown eyes. And his body! He wasn’t wearing the jeans and tight western shirt she had seen in the photo outside, but he looked equally devastating in his business attire. And she couldn’t help but notice that his tie was loosened and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, showing a smattering of dark hair on his chest.
What would it be like to touch him? Presley felt her nipples tighten. She couldn’t help but indulge. It probably wasn’t fair, but since he couldn’t see her looking – she could ogle him to her hearts content. Oh, Lord – he was speaking to her; his phone call must be over. She had to pay attention.
“Sorry about that, I just have a few more questions if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not, I’d be glad to tell you what you need to know.” She scooted back in her chair and got ready to sell herself to the best of her ability.
“I’m going to ask questions that I would already know the answer to if I had read your application or if I could see you – so bear with me. How old are you?”
Easy enough. “I’m twenty seven.”
“Where did you grow up?”
Okay, this topic was not so comfortable. “I grew up in Beaumont. My grandmother raised me. She passed away while I was in college. I’ve been on my own ever since.” What she didn’t say was that her mother had left her at her grandparent’s house when she was two days old and she hadn’t seen her mother but a handful of times in her life. Presley didn’t know where her mother was living, nor did she even know her father’s name.
“I know Beaumont well. I’m originally from Louisiana. Texas is my adopted home. Are you married?”
He couldn’t see, but Presley blushed. “No, I don’t think marriage is in my future.”
“Famous last words, but I have no plans to enter the bonds of holy matrimony, either.” Before Presley could mourn the idea that he didn’t want to marry, he moved on to even more precarious ground. “Where did you go to school?”
Careful, Presley, she admonished herself. “I went to The University of Texas, on scholarship.”
“I went to Tulane, but I did graduate work at UT. What did you study?”
“Pre-law.” That was the truth, not the whole truth – but close.
“Ah, that explains it. I advise that you get back in school and pass the bar.” Before she could attempt to explain her circumstances, he continued. “Do you think you would like to work here with me? We’ll go through Workforce for now, to see how it goes. It would be on a
trial basis to see if we’re a good fit, of course.”
A good fit? “Of course.” Now, he had given her an image. She was bent over the desk and he was showing her what a ‘good fit’ they were together. Great Scott! She was almost squirming with arousal. Looking down, she noticed her nipples were big and swollen. Presley crossed her arms over her breasts and couldn’t help but glance behind her to make sure they were alone. It would be her luck if there were hidden cameras and someone was monitoring her lust factor for the hot boss. “If you give me a chance, I’ll work very hard for you.”
In spite of her momentary lapse of lust, she knew she wanted to work here. They had the reputation of taking on meaningful cases and doing their part to end injustice in the world.
“All right – good. Chloe’s recommendation of you and your obvious knowledge is good enough for me. When can you start?”
“Now?” she offered.
“Excellent. Your desk is right behind you and I think Chloe left you all the instructions you’ll need to get started.”
Presley was happier than she had been in a long time.
In the Caymans
“Would you take me snorkeling?”
Libby lay on a large beach towel. She was wearing a red two-piece with fluttery sheer panels that hung down from an otherwise regular bikini top. It was floaty in all the right places, but still managed to show off her sexy maternity curves. Aron lay by her, and was spending a lot of time kissing her stomach. “Snorkeling? Do you think that’s wise, Pregnant Lady?”
“I checked with the doctor. He said watching the pretty fish would probably reduce my stress.”
“I have an idea how to reduce your stress,” he nuzzled the swell of her breast.
“And you’re very good at it, too.” Libby flounced over to face him. “It would be fun. Please?”
“Let’s think about this,” Aron tried to reason with her. “Motorcycles, horses – bars – does any of this adventure sound familiar?”
“Yes, I know,” Libby persisted. “I have a tendency to get into trouble, but this is our honeymoon and being with you is the most exciting thing in the world – but I would love to do something extreme.” She made a little face that emphasized her request.