by Sienna Snow
Nathan’s face reddened with embarrassment, and he pulled at his collar. He turned to me and spoke. “Sam, you’re, umm…you know, you. And it’s… How do I put this without being sexist and completely out of line? Never mind, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”
“Nathan, I’m not following this train of thought either.” I furrowed my brow.
“Let me clarify for you, Samina,” Judge Camden said from behind me. “What Nathan is attempting to say is that you are a very attractive person who happens to make Ms. Bassett very jealous. And changing to another attorney who is equally attractive but younger will not bode well for Mr. Travis.”
When was being thirty considered old? Besides, Karina was only a year younger.
“Honestly, that isn’t my problem.”
I tried to have sympathy for Nathan, but his life wasn’t the one on perpetual hold. I couldn’t step outside my home without a camera pointed in my direction. If I was going to be a celebrity, I’d rather it be on my terms and not as part of a media spectacle.
Because of this case, my life was in complete shambles. The man I’d thought I’d spend the rest of my life with couldn’t look at me without getting angry, and I was left to live in fantasies. My friends hated going anywhere in public with me, not to mention there was no way in hell I could spend a night out on the town without causing more problems for myself.
“Ms. Kumar, I have to say, I respect your decision,” Judge McGregor said. “I was in your shoes before I took my current position. It isn’t one I wish to revisit. I have to say, I’m impressed how you’ve maintained a solid reputation, considering your poor choice in clients.”
Okay, was that a compliment? Maybe she didn’t hate me after all.
“Thank you.” I checked my watch. “Your Honor, I’d like to return to my client before anything unexpected happens.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if Clint had arranged a wrestling match between his and his ex-wife’s supporters.
“I agree. We don’t need any more spectacles. I’ll announce the changes to the case. Congratulations, Ms. Kumar. You are no longer representing Clint Bassett. Good day, Ms. Kumar. Mr. Travis.”
Chapter Two
Six hours after leaving the courthouse, I opened the door to my beautiful house and sighed. Thank God the hired security had my place protected like Fort Knox. The last thing I needed was another incident with an overzealous reporter—one break-in to capture the perfect picture was more than enough for this lifetime.
The paparazzi camped out along the front of my property, waiting for any sighting of me, and all I wanted was a large glass of wine and a sexy-as-sin man in my life. Preferably, someone like Devin Camden but without the career ramifications.
The wine I had in hundreds of bottles, the man was another matter.
After the roller coaster of a day I’d had, I might just pass out from exhaustion following a scalding shower and forgo the alcohol.
True to form, Clint and Kimberly had continued their love/hate behavior with long, sad looks and a complete meltdown from Kimberly when Nathan informed her that Karina was now lead for Clint. Nathan could have at least waited until Karina and I had exited the courtroom before sharing the good news.
On the positive side, I was officially on vacation for the next month and a half. Sometimes it was good to be the boss. I still had briefs to review, documents to draft, and planning to conduct, but those were things I could do for the most part from my kitchen island, in my PJs, with a cup of coffee. Besides, I’d more than earned this break by putting in nonstop hundred-hour weeks for over four months.
I planned to savor every moment of this stay-cation. The second it ended, I’d begin a new chapter of my life that would require more energy than I’d expended on the Bassett case. Too bad these new steps would be as a single woman.
I dropped my purse and keys on the front table and then took in the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Sound.
I finally had a home of my own. I’d moved out of the cramped condo in downtown Seattle a week before the trial started and into a place where I could see myself living the rest of my days.
The house was two years of blood, sweat, and tears. Who knew building a house on the Puget Sound would take so long? In the end, it was worth it.
Nine thousand square feet of water views, a chef’s kitchen, and a backyard that rivaled the landscape at a five-star resort. This was my dream home, built because of the success that came after years filled with long hours, little sleep, and limitless drive. And not a dime of it came from my father or my trust fund, something I’m sure annoyed my father to no end.
However, moving in had been bittersweet. I’d hoped it would have been with the man of my dreams, my partner, my husband, the father of my future children, but life had other plans.
I had no one to blame but myself.
I walked through the house to the doors leading to the back patio, and then to the half wall overlooking the beach below the cliffs.
Gripping the iron railing, I closed my eyes and envisioned piercing blue ones gazing at me with love and laughter. Something I hadn’t experienced in so long—over eighteen months, to be exact.
This man would see past the public persona to the woman underneath and still love me. He would accept my need for success as much as I did his. He wouldn’t hide what we were to each other, but be proud of it.
What I wanted could all be a dream, but I refused to give up hope. I’d thought I’d had it once, and it could happen again.
Maybe.
At that moment, I felt a presence behind me. The scent of soap and crisp cologne hit my senses.
Dammit, what did he want? How many times were we going to rehash the same fight, the same pain?
He couldn’t get over what my life had become and would continue to be, and I was tired of trying to make him understand. It wasn’t as if I’d chosen the fame or the notoriety.
His career couldn’t be the only thing that mattered.
“Are you still mad at me?” I asked without turning.
I gripped the railing tight and stared out at the waves rippling behind a passing boat.
“No.”
“If you’re here for another act to our unending fight, I just don’t have the energy or the time for it today.” I couldn’t hide the tremble in my voice.
Dammit, Samina. You’re not supposed to let him see how much it hurts.
His presence was throwing me as it was, and an argument was only going to cause me to say something I’d regret later.
“No, that’s not why I wanted to see you.”
“Then why are you here? Aren’t you afraid one of the paps will photograph you? You might end up on the cover of a tabloid magazine if you’re not careful.”
He stepped closer to me, making me stiffen. I could almost feel his body heat behind me.
“No. I took the private walkway from the neighbor’s property. I’m the one who hired your security, so they let me pass.”
“The closest neighbor is half a mile away.”
“Was that a question?”
Irritation prickled my temper, and I inhaled deep to stay calm. “I guess you are here to pick a fight, and as I said moments ago, I’m not in the mood. You can leave the way you came.”
I continued to gaze at the deep blue depths flowing in front of me. Maybe if I ignored him, he’d go away. Combined with everything that had happened in court today and the constant reminders of my failed relationship, there wasn’t any energy left to deal with my ex.
I was barely coping as it was.
“I’m here for only one purpose.”
“And what is that?” I turned to face him, and my heart skipped a beat as I took in the man standing before me.
He was breathtaking. A light sheen of sweat from his hike covered his dark brows. He’d thrown his suit jacket over his shoulder and his shirtsleeves were rolled up. His normally impeccable sandy-brown hair was windblown, giving me an urge to run my fingers thr
ough it as I’d done countless times.
“I’m here for you. It’s been weeks since I touched you. I miss you. I need you.”
He stepped forward, making me press against the railing.
“Go away. What happened at the courthouse today doesn’t change anything.”
His face grew angry. “All I wanted. All I ever wanted was for you to pick me first. To make me the priority and not the media darling you’ve become. You did that today.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I picked you first, years ago. You never saw it. You were so wrapped up in making partner and then the federal magistrate appointment to notice. I told my father to go fuck himself when he made me choose between my inheritance and you. I haven’t spoken to him in over five years. Do you have any idea what it’s like not to have your mother at your wedding? I picked you, but you never saw it.
“When I made my career a priority, you couldn’t take it. I never wanted to hide our relationship, you did. What happened today was for me. I’m making myself a priority for the first time in my life.”
He moved in front of me and whispered, “Sami.”
I grimaced. He was the only one who called me that.
I wanted so badly to touch him, to feel his hands and mouth on me. If I took the step, everything we’d been through over the past year was meaningless. Nothing would change.
Well, sex was the one thing I wouldn’t change. He was the only man whose touch I’d ever known and would always crave. He knew what I wanted and needed before I did. He was the perfect lover.
Too bad the way he was in the bedroom wasn’t anything like the man outside it.
He represented conservative values, albeit with a few modern beliefs. He had no tolerance for sensationalism or excess, everything my clients usually projected.
“Give us another chance, baby.”
He reached out to cup my face, but I moved out of his way, turning toward the water again.
“Don’t. I won’t fall back into our pattern.”
“We’ll do it differently this time.”
“Over the last few years, I’ve believed that too many times, only to see things shatter. I stupidly accepted it when we were in law school, and then I grinned and bore it when we started our careers. I can’t do it anymore.” I shook my head. “It won’t work. I’m going to stay in the limelight. I won’t ever be in the shadows again.”
“Sami, please.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and then wiped away a stray tear.
“Go home to the condo you got when we separated, Devin James Camden. I’m sure you have a full docket tomorrow. You don’t need me to distract you. Besides, if you stay any longer, I’m sure a photographer will see you, and you’ve made it crystal clear that your privacy and reputation are more important than anything else.”
“I’m not giving up.” His fingers grazed along the back of my neck. “You’re it for me.”
“It’s over, Devin.” My shoulders shook as I dug my nails into my palms. “I’ve accepted it. Now you have to.”
“Not happening.” His voice grew cool. “For it to end, we have to divorce, and I will fight you every step of the way.”
“Dammit.” I whirled around.
He smirked, turning toward the pathway. “I never back down. You should know this. Consider yourself warned.”
Chapter Three
A week after my encounter with Devin and the end of my representation of Clint Bassett, I walked toward the doors of my law firm, Kumar, Zain, & Associates.
I’d enjoyed seven days of sleeping in, yoga, and countless laps in the pool. Now it was time to get a little work in so I wouldn’t go insane from relaxation. I’d become a workaholic and trying to break the habit had become harder than I thought.
At least I had Karina to keep me up to date with the antics of the Bassetts. Her daily report kept me from getting bored. Thankfully, Karina hadn’t thrown her hands up and decided she’d rather work for another firm instead of keeping Clint in line.
I took in the sign above the building, and a slight jolt shot through me. After five years and a few well-known clients, my firm was considered one of the top litigation groups in Washington State.
I’d graduated from law school when most of my friends were finishing up their undergraduate degrees. Besides my best friend, Jacinta, who was a super nerd herself, very few people could say they’d completed law school and clerked for some of the top judges in Texas by the age of twenty-one. A lot of doors opened up when you were the child of Minesh Kumar, a finance and tech billionaire. Thankfully, once I started work and proved my worth, most people forgot my parentage and focused on my skills.
A couple of years later, when I’d moved to Seattle and eventually started my firm, my reputation as a top up-and-coming litigator was all anyone knew about me. To this day, most people had no clue whose daughter I was.
I walked inside and toward the elevator. I punched the button and then I straightened my shirt over my jeans. Rarely would I come to the office so casual, but technically I wasn’t working.
As the cab doors closed, I noticed some surprised glances projected in my direction along with a few worried ones.
What could be going on?
I had planned to run in, grab some files I needed to review, and be out the door within minutes, giving me more than enough time to grab some food at my favorite Thai place and get back home for a phone conference with a former client.
Now I was second-guessing this thought process. There was no doubt I’d have to put out some sort of fire.
God. Please don’t let it be anything to do with Clint.
I sent my prayers up to heaven and exited the elevator. I turned the corner leading to the executive offices and then came to an abrupt halt.
Devin was in my law partner Tara’s office.
All our offices were made of glass walls to give the illusion of openness with the benefit of soundproofing. There was the option to tint the glass for even more privacy, but we rarely used that.
This couldn’t be good, no matter what it was. Tara’s facial expression told me she was pissed, and Dev’s said he was determined to get what he wanted. He’d given me that same stance numerous times over the years.
I approached the door and knocked before opening it.
“Why are you here?” I fixed Dev with a glare.
“I came to get advice on what my options were to live in our house. The condo is small, and I need space to spread out. I think nine thousand square feet is plenty of room to keep us from bumping into each other.”
I clenched my jaw, stepping into the office and shutting the door. “You never expressed any inclination or desire to move in. If I recall, you wanted nothing to do with me or the house.”
Tears prickled the backs of my eyes as I remembered the devastation I’d felt my first night under the roof of our beautiful home.
“I changed my mind.”
“Well, you can change it back.”
“Not happening. I have rights. You think Clint Bassett is a pain in your ass, wait until I get started.” He lifted a brow. “Are you afraid of us living together again?”
The last thing I needed was him under the same roof as me. We’d end up fucking within the first ten minutes, and we both knew it. I had to keep my head on and my hormones in check.
Plus, I was in the middle of making essential plans I wasn’t ready to disclose to Devin.
“Tara, I know this is your office and all. But would you give me a moment alone with Devin James Camden?”
I knew some of the clerks were loitering close by. Only a select few knew about my relationship with Devin, and they were long-term staff who’d all signed non-disclosures.
Without a word, Tara got up and left the office, closing the door behind her.
“Do you know you only call me by my full name when you’re irritated with me? No matter how much you like to deny it, you have a true Southern side to you.”
I ran a frustrated hand
over my face.
“What do you want from me, Dev?”
“Say that again.” He stood and walked over to where I leaned against Tara’s desk. “Say my name the way you’ve always done. The way you say it when I make love to you.”
He traced my lips with his thumb, making my pulse jump.
I grabbed his hand, planning to push it away, when I noticed his ring, a custom-made gold-and-platinum band.
“Why are you wearing it now? It’s been almost five years.”
I stared at the ring I’d given him. The one that meant we belonged to each other.
“Because my wife refuses to wear hers unless I wear mine. I want every man in your vicinity to know you belong to me.”
I released his hand and tried to move away from him, but he caged me against the desk with an arm on either side of my hips.
“You confuse me. What’s changed? You’re still a judge who needs to keep a low profile, and I’m an attorney who takes on well-known clients and has become a celebrity in my own right. Hell, I have groupies.”
“I thought about what you said last week, about putting you first.”
“And?” I folded my arms across my chest.
“I can’t lose you. The thought of anyone else touching you…” his fingers gripped my thighs, “…anyone else kissing any part of you…” he sank to the floor, holding my legs tighter, making my core spasm, “…giving you pleasure, is unbearable to fathom. I’ve spent too many years neglecting you.” His thumb grazed the inside of my jean-clad crotch, making a moan form in the back of my throat. “The idea of another man taking my place rips me apart. And I know, without a doubt, we are headed in that direction unless I change.”
I glanced to the side and noticed one of my legal secretaries doing her best not to gawk at the sight of Dev kneeling before me, with his face a hairsbreadth from my overheated sex.
“Dev, stand up. Everyone will know we were involved if you don’t stop this.”
“Are involved.”
I couldn’t bring myself to repeat him. Sexual attraction couldn’t be the only thing to make a relationship.