by Eve Langlais
She glanced at him and smiled. “I read about that recall. Brake modules?”
He nodded.
“So you won and earned a paycheck. Sounds like a good day to me,” she said with a shrug.
“That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s a shame, though–the only help I can offer the people who did get hurt was by proving it was the supplier’s fault for not doing due diligence on their products.”
She tilted her head as she glanced at him and then looked away with a soft laugh.
“What?” he asked.
She shrugged and smiled. “Nothing, just a silly thought.”
“Sometimes those are the best.”
“It’s silly.”
“Then make me laugh.”
She sighed. “You’re a lawyer. You’re not supposed to care about people.”
He chuckled. “Does that make me less of a lawyer?”
“Oh no, of course not!” she was quick to say. “Maybe a better one? At least if you were defending people.”
“I hate to lose,” he admitted. “Especially if it means somebody gets hurt. That and I enjoy being wealthy, but I’d hate to earn blood money to get there.”
She chuckled. “You’re almost an enigma, Mr. Wynn.”
“An enigma?” he asked. “Why is that?”
“I didn’t expect you to be complicated,” she said. “It’s almost as if under that thousand dollar suit, there’s a heart that beats warm blood.”
“Ouch!” he joked. “That’s a shark joke?”
She grinned.
“Cross here,” he suggested as they slowed for a corner. “I’m up that way a bit. And speaking of being over this way, what are you doing down here? And dressed like that? A date?”
She laughed. “If I dressed like this for a date, I’d expect to be making enough I wouldn’t need to return it to the store tomorrow!”
Hunter’s laugh joined hers. “It’s a smaller market in Detroit than you’d think. New York, Denver, Phoenix, and LA are the places where girls can make a good living that way.”
Emily’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God, did you just give me tips on how to be an upper–class prostitute?”
“Not tips, just facts,” he said. “I’m legally obligated to advise against it, though. You’d break too many hearts.”
She blushed and looked away. He gave her a few moments and continued down the street until he turned into a parking lot with steel poles preventing anyone from entering or exiting the ramp. “You parked here?” she asked. “How do you get in or out?”
“I have a code,” he said and pointed at the security shack with a console on the outside. “Guard inside, so try not to look threatening.”
Emily laughed. “Me? Threatening?”
“Oh yeah, there’s no telling what weapons you might have hidden under that dress,” he said.
She looked down at herself and back up. She opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. Her cheeks flared and he could smell not only anxiety, but arousal. Unlike her nerves, it was a mellow and warm scent in the bitter December cold.
Hunter backed off. Emily intrigued him. He’d dismissed her twice but she was proving to be far more interesting than he’d thought. He wasn’t the sort of man who was after a long–term relationship, but a short–term one was a lot of fun. It was part of the reason why he and his partners held their annual outing.
“I was interviewing at the MGM,” she said as he led her to the elevator.
“That’s not the dress a cocktail waitress or dealer would wear,” he pointed out.
“I was hoping for a management position,” she said. “I’m going to school for my bachelor’s in business.”
Hunter took stock of her and nodded. “A bachelor’s?”
“I have an associate’s,” she added. “It wasn’t enough to save me from being downsized at Coughlin Marketing, so I went back to school.”
“Ah,” he said. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind when I give Tiffany a raise. She’s got to support you until you land something else.”
“You’re serious? You’re really going to give her a raise because I agreed to let you drive me home? Oh my God! Wait–you don’t expect me to, um–”
Hunter laughed. “Didn’t we clear up you weren’t a prostitute already?”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Then why do it?”
“Positive reinforcement works so much better than negative,” he said. “It shows I’m serious and that I care.”
She stared at him until he turned to look at her with a twinkle in his eye. She looked away, blushing again. “Right here,” Hunter said as he pointed at his car.
“Oh–Oh!” she gasped as she stared at the dark red sports car. “That’s a beautiful Corvette!”
“Careful,” he warned. “I’ll start talking about her, and I don’t want you to get jealous.”
“Are you kidding me? How could I be jealous of this? I’d sleep with her if she were a woman, and I couldn’t even take a shower in gym class with the other girls!”
Hunter laughed and opened her car door for her. “Careful–trying to sit in her might cause your dress to show me those weapons I mentioned earlier.”
Emily grinned. “I’ll take the risk!”She held his hand with one of hers and used her other to hold her dress against her legs as she sat down and back. She swung her legs up together and into the car, swiveling on the seat and then sighing as she settled into it. Emily ran her hands along the smooth leather console and admired the sleek curves of the dash, manual gearshift, and the state–of–the–art electronics in the Z06.”It’s amazing.”
“She’s amazing,” Hunter corrected her.
Emily grinned. “Sorry. Don’t want to make her jealous.”
“She shares,” Hunter said.
“Ooh, then you’d better show me what she can do!”
Hunter chuckled and shut her door. He walked around the car, stretching his neck until it popped. It looked like it was going to turn out to be a good night after all.
Chapter Four
“Mr. Wynn?” Mercedes asked from the door to his office.
Hunter looked up from the case he was studying and glanced at his clock. “You’re in early,” he observed.
“Not really. I usually don’t have anything to interrupt you with this early.”
Hunter offered her a smile. “Is this a good or a bad interruption?”
Mercedes frowned. “I’m not sure. Tiffany, from the front desk, wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh?” Hunter mused a moment. Mercedes and Tiffany got along fine but he knew there was some tension between them as well. As the office manager, Tiffany was also in charge of the secretaries and clerks, except for Mercedes and the other partner’s secretaries. They lived outside of the beautiful blond’s domain and reported only to their bosses. “Give me a minute and send her in,” he said.
Mercedes smiled. “Of course, Mr. Wynn.”
“Oh, and Mercedes?”
“Yes?”
“How’s Alan treating you? It is Alan, right?”
“We’re doing good,” she said. “No sense in rushing things though, you know?”
Hunter chuckled. “All too well. I hope things continue to go well. If you have any problems, though…”
Mercedes smiled. “I’ll be fine, sir. Thank you for your kindness.”
“Always. You’re my number one around here, and don’t let anyone tell you any different.”
She stepped out and shut the door, giving him a chance to collect his papers and slide them back in a folder before Tiffany knocked on the door and then opened it. She stepped in and shut the door behind her before lifting her eyes to his and trying a smile. It was a weak attempt that crumbled when he bared his teeth in a smile.
“Miss Ackers, what can I do for you?”
She stood still, outside of her hands fidgeting at the hem of her skirt that ended just above her knees. He could smell her nervous sweat. “Mr. Wynn, I received notice of my pay
stub being debited to my account today.”
“Credit, my dear,” he corrected her. “A debit would be if we took money from you.”
Her mask broke for a moment, showing a wrinkled brow of irritation, but she wiped it away with a thought. “Yes, I suppose that makes sense.”
“Sorry.”He offered a fake apology. “Words are powerful things, you know. We make our living off them. But that’s not why you’re here. Was there a problem with your account?”
“No sir, far from it. Well, not if it’s right. I think there was an error made. I received more than I should have but when I went to Madeline about it, she told me to see you.”
“Ah, that. Yes, well, you’ve done such a remarkable job for us I felt we’ve overlooked your talents far too long.”
“Thank you, but that’s a large increase,” she said.
He nodded. “Aren’t you worth it?”
“Sir?”
Hunter leaned forward and gestured at one of the plush chairs on her side of his desk. She moved to it, her hands still clutched against her skirt. She tugged on it as she sat down to prevent it from pulling and bunching. The end result left Hunter fighting to keep his eyes from trying to see into the shadows between her legs.
“Tiffany, you work long hours and stay on top of a staff of people who everyone depends upon. They may not have the credentials or the opportunity to be doing what I and my associates do, but without them our jobs would be impossible. Maintaining our levels of success and profitability would be impossible. Yet each one has different wants and needs. What you do is like herding cats and you do it well. I want to reward you for it.”
Tiffany stiffened. “I’m just doing my job. It’s not worth this much, though.”
Hunter laughed. “It’s also incentive to go above and beyond.”
She blinked a few times and nodded. “I see. What, exactly, did you have in mind? Are we talking a promotion or, um, something else?”
“Given your excellent service, I trust you will find ways to justify the increase,” he said with a smile. “I speak for the firm when I say we value loyalty very highly. The sort of position you hold requires a lot of responsibility, so it should also allow certain bonuses. Your discretion is expected to be among those responsibilities.”
Her breasts rose and fell inside her snug–fitting dress as she took in a few deep breaths. He inhaled her anxiety and then noticed as it fell away and was replaced with something else. Something muskier and sweeter smelling.”I’m going to have my hands full,” she said while rolling her shoulders. “You doubled my salary. That’s going to require a lot of justification.”
Hunter’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth but was distracted a moment when he noticed the hem of her skirt seemed to have risen to her mid–thigh. Between her crinkled skirt and the way it was pulled taut between her parted thighs, he could see her legs were coated in stockings that shimmered in the soft lights of his office.
He closed his lips and cleared his throat. As appealing as her unspoken offer was, he had to remind himself he wasn’t interested. In spite of how the growing odor of her arousal was seeping into his senses.”You see it as doubling; I see it as a recurring cost of business that I trust won’t impact our bottom line. In fact, knowing how hard you work and the dedication and determination you’re showing me right now, I expect the efficiency improvements in the office to more than make up for this.”
Tiffany’s eyes widened. “Mr. Wynn? Am I–I don’t know if I understand.”
“It’s easy to understand. You are a beautiful young woman who has a mind and a hunger even greater than your beauty. Use those, Miss Ackers, because beauty is a fleeting thing. Keep your goals in mind, my dear, and always focus on doing what needs to be done in order to reach them.”
Tiffany’s cheeks reddened and then her control broke as a wry smile twisted up the corner of her lip. “Unless, of course, it requires using my fleeting beauty to get where I want to go.”
Hunter laughed and regretted it. He didn’t want to encourage her, but she had the pheromones of a seductress. “Yes, there is that! You’re well on your way, Miss Ackers.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wynn.”She beamed. Her legs twitched as she found a way to widen them another half an inch. “Loyalty is very important to me too. I look forward to proving how loyal I can be.”
Hunter fought his urges. Not the desire to tear a hole in her nylons and–what if she was only wearing thigh highs and a garter belt? His breath caught in his throat at the vision of Tiffany bent over his desk with her skirt pushed up and–
“Tiffany, that’s wonderful,” he managed to say. He glanced at his clock and then at his door. “I have a meeting with the partners I’m running late for. Perhaps another time we can discuss what your thoughts are?”
She smiled and rose to her feet. Her dress dropped back down her legs without any sign it had been crinkled higher. “Of course. I look forward to it.”
Hunter swallowed and started arranging the folders on his desk. He did have a meeting, but he had half an hour until it was scheduled to begin. He needed some time to clear his head first. The door clicked open and shut a moment later, allowing him to relax and return to wondering just how high her stockings went.
“Mr. Wynn?”
Hunter looked up and saw Mercedes standing in the doorway. “Yes?”
“Is everything all right? You’ve been staring at that folder for a while now.”
Hunter glanced down at the folder and then smirked. “It’s a complicated case,” he admitted.
Mercedes raised an eyebrow. “I see. Are you still going to the boardroom? Mr. Caskins has already arrived.”
Hunter glanced at his clock. He’d lost several minutes daydreaming about Tiffany. Too many more and he’d have to face the ridicule of his partners. He needed to get in there and talk to Tyler before everyone arrived. More damage control–he didn’t want the talkative man talking about the research he’d done on Tiffany.
Chapter Five
Hunter strode into the executive conference table across from Tyler and offered him a smile. “Glad you could make it.”
“You guys are my biggest customer right now,” he said.
“Always,” the lawyer corrected.
Tyler smirked and shrugged. “Make a move on the secretary?”
“What? No!” Hunter blurted. He snorted and took a moment to compose himself. “I don’t do that with people I work with.”
Hunter snapped his fingers. “The other girl!”
“What? What other girl?”
“The one you thought the blond was screwing.”
“Tyler, please.”
Tyler wagged a finger at him and nodded. “I’m on to you, old son. I think I just figured out who this year’s guest is.”
“I haven’t picked anyone yet,” Hunter argued. He opened his mouth to say more when Stephen walked in with Jerry. They were laughing at something one of them said. Jerry shut the door and they both took seats at the end of the table, Stephen next to Tyler and Jerry closer to Hunter.
“Good job on the brakes case,” Jerry said.
Hunter grunted. “Thanks. How’s yours going with Blue Cross?”
Jerry groaned. “They’re not paying us enough. I swear the state and the doctors are conspiring to make it impossible to fire anyone in a union ever again.”
“How else are they going to get people to vote for them?” Tyler suggested.
“Hunter, what’s this about upping Tiffany’s salary?”
“Responsibilities too,” Hunter said. “She’s done a hell of a job for us. I’m challenging her to figure out what’s next.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I want her to take on more of a human resources role,” Hunter said. “She has that already and it seems like a no–brainer to me.”
“Careful, she’s blond,” Jerry said.
Stephen laughed and added, “No–brainer could be more than she can handle!”
Hunter chuckled wit
h them in spite of his feelings about her.
“A fine looking blond too,” Tyler said. “I just–”
“I had a long talk with her this morning,” Hunter interrupted. “She’s going to step up to the plate. She warmed up to me too.”
“Warmed up to you?” Jerry asked.
Stephen groaned. “Jesus, did you–”
“No!” Hunter snapped in an effort to stop him. It was pointless. Jerry pantomimed a woman giving a blowjob. Hunter chuckled in spite of himself. “I meant she stopped acting so cold and reserved. I think she’s been wanting a chance to prove herself for a while now. Now she’s got it. I bet she’s going to shine.”
“You’re not thinking about her for the retreat, are you?” Stephen asked.
Hunter frowned. “No, I think she’s an asset to the firm. I’d hate to lose that.”
“Yeah, she’s got some assets all right,” Tyler agreed to another round of chuckles.
“So who is the guest of honor?” Stephen pushed. He rubbed his hands together. “I’m getting anxious. Last year’s was a lot of fun. Monthly hunting trips just don’t compare, especially since it’s a rare month all four of us can get away.”
“Tracking that bear was fun–she put up a fight,” Jerry offered.
Stephen snorted, earning a shrug from Jerry.
“I’m not sure yet, but don’t worry. I’ll find somebody and I promise, it will be one of the best we’ve ever had.”
“Running short on time,” Stephen said.
Hunter grinned. “I work best under pressure.”
Tyler snorted. “Wow, the ego’s getting deep in here.”
Jerry cleared his throat. “Speaking of ego, let’s talk about last month’s numbers. For the quarter, we’re hitting our forecast. With Hunter wrapping up his case, the invoice should go out this week. Assuming a net forty–five payment, we’ll–”
“Come on, you know damn well they’ll push it to sixty days,” Stephen said.
Jerry sighed and nodded. “Probably. But that still puts us looking good for first quarter next year, and that’s without the retainers.”
“I’ve got some potential new business,” Stephen added. “A software firm dealing with some IP issues.”