Hot Lawyers: The Lee Christine Collection

by Lee Christine

  But he knew her.

  She gave a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry I’m no help.”

  He reached for the sketch again, folding the paper over so only the mouth was visible. “Don’t apologise for something that’s not your fault.”

  “Here.” He passed it back. “Just concentrate on the mouth for now.”

  Allegra stared at the partial drawing. From her experience in the Courtroom, about fifty percent of perpetrators were recognised from a sketch.

  She had a toss of the coin chance.

  As opposed to Luke’s strong, angulated jaw line, this one was rounded and slightly fleshy, the lower face lacking definition. And the cruel slash of mouth in no way resembled Luke’s firm, well-shaped lips.

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Anything?”

  “No, nothing.”

  He took the piece of paper and folded it again. “Concentrate on the eyes this time.”

  She turned back to the drawing and immediately caught her breath.

  Luke leaned forward, his eyes riveted on her face. “What is it?”

  She pointed to the sketch, unable to suppress a shudder. “I can’t be certain about the rest of his features, but the eyes are accurate. When he stared at me through the balaclava, his eyes were just like these.”

  “Good girl.” Luke’s hand caressed her knee. “Do they remind you of anyone you know?”

  She shook her head, disappointed when he withdrew his hand. “No. And if I’ve met him, I don’t know him well.”

  His face a picture of concentration, his eyebrows snapped together. “Why’s that?”

  She handed him the sketch. “It’s not like looking at you for instance. Even in a balaclava, I’d know you immediately by your eyes.”

  His expression softened at her words.

  “Coupled with your build, you’d be instantly recognizable to me, as would my mother. Even Josie, my secretary. I’m certain I don’t know this person.”

  She got to her feet, in sudden need of air. “But I will have a long hard think about it.”

  “Thank you Allegra.”

  A lump formed in her throat at his sudden formality. So they were back to that now.

  “I think I’ll take a walk outside Luke, clear my head.”

  As she made to leave he reached out, catching her hand in his. “I’ll join you.”

  She glanced down at their intertwined hands, her heart spinning at the prospect of spending more time with him. “Aren’t you snowed under?”

  “Yes, but there’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight again. I’ll be pulling an all-nighter anyway, so it won’t make much difference.”

  Perhaps that’s why he’d put her in the spare room. He didn’t plan on sleeping.

  In the kitchen, he pushed the sliding door aside and she stepped onto a wide veranda skirting two sides of the house. While the front of the property was all trimmed hedges and formal garden beds, the rear overlooked a wide expanse of mown lawn and a small dam.

  “Oh, this is beautiful, Luke.”

  “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  The centrepiece of the whole vista was a sparkling in-ground pool, surrounded by white sun loungers and bright yellow umbrellas which fluttered in the soft breeze. Inside the Balinese-style pavilion, was the largest barbeque she’d ever seen.

  They skirted the pool and headed towards two outbuildings. “Do you entertain a lot?”

  He shook his head, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. “No, I’m too busy. The couple who look after it use it more than I do. I host the Christmas party though.”

  Allegra pointed to the larger of two bottle green buildings off to one side. “That’s one impressive men’s shed, or is it a bowling alley?”

  He smiled, slowing his pace to match hers as they strolled across the grass together. “Not quite. I’ll show you.”

  As they drew closer, Allegra noticed the windowless building was constructed entirely of brick and concrete, painted in a colour that matched the Colorbond shed alongside it.

  Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, Luke unlocked a heavy double deadlocked door and punched in a security code. Then he reached inside and flicked on the light switch.

  “Wow, you’re really protective of your ride on mower, Commander,” she teased, stepping inside and turning to watch as he locked the door behind them.

  The fluorescents stuttered, before bathing the interior of the building in an eerie, artificial light.

  Allegra turned, totally unprepared for the sight which greeted her, the air conditioning cool on her skin.

  With a small cry, she took a backward step, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

  Luke was right behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

  Mounted on one wall, were more guns than she’d ever seen in her life.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Relax—they’re models.” Luke’s hands warmed her shoulders and his deep voice rumbled in her ear. “You know the law, counsellor. It’s illegal to store weapons on a wall.”

  Allegra cringed, heat flooding her face. “I recall the legislation now you mention it. It’s just, they look the real deal.”

  “The real ones are located on an industrial estate, a short drive away.” He let go of her shoulders as she turned to face him. “Alarmed, and locked in safes, bolted to the concrete floor.”

  She let go of a breath. “Good to know.”

  He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “This is where I do the ballistics, so sometimes I have a piece or two here. I can’t risk a break-in at either property. It’s why I have staff here.”

  She laid a hand on his chest, the thrum of his heart steady beneath her fingers. “And here I was thinking you were just a lazy housekeeper, Commander.”

  He laughed and her pulse gathered speed. “You can use the security I can provide.”

  She took her hand away, irked by his reminder she was here only because of the attack, not because she was special to him.

  Needing a distraction, she moved away and studied the masculine work space. Protective goggles, face masks, drills and an assortment of paraphernalia covered the adjacent wall. One long work bench held an assortment of machinery. Cleaning equipment lay strewn across the floor. Two computers sat on a large corner desk.

  “You reproduce the crime here?”

  “Pretty much.”

  She glanced sideways at him as he drew level with her, his scent and body heat beckoning her closer. “My father’s paranoia about the safe storage of his weapon instilled a fear of guns in me I can’t shake to this day.”

  She half turned, feeling the weight of his gaze on her. “Martin went looking for it once. I’ve never seen my father so angry. He got into so much trouble.”

  Luke remained silent, though his eyes softened at her words.

  Pain knifed through her at the memory. “I’m grateful Dad died before Martin. At least he was spared that agony.”

  “Oh, baby.” Luke took her hand and drew her close. “If I knew this would stir up painful memories I wouldn’t have brought you in here.”

  As always, his proximity had her senses spinning. Would she ever stop reacting to him this way? “It’s okay. I was keen to see inside.”

  He nodded, reaching out to gently cup her cheek. His voice dropped a semi-tone. “Look on it as part of your education then.”

  She reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. This nightmare would end one way or another, and when that time came he would take another case, try and save another life. And she would be forced to let him go.

  But not today.

  Unwilling to dwell on that depressing thought, Allegra ran her hands down his arms and curled her fingers around his tanned biceps, searching for a humorous remark.

  “I must say, I prefer these guns to the ones on the wall.”

  He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “They’re just as lethal, my fingers just as comfortable wrapped around the handle of a gun.”


  Desire coursed through Allegra’s body and she moved closer, breathing in his sexy man smell. “Are you trying to scare me off, Commander?”

  His hands slid to her hips. “Just reminding you what you’re dealing with.”

  She’d always been organised, disciplined, and too darn driven to live in the moment. But Luke Neilson made her want to do just that. He didn’t do long term, and if the guy in the balaclava got his way—neither would she.

  She pressed her hips up to his. “This place has the security of a nuclear power plant. No-one can get to us here.”

  “Here?” His eyes narrowed and the scar on his cheek moved a fraction. “You, Ms. Greenwood, are one bad girl.”

  But he pulled her to him, searching for her mouth and filling his lungs with her sweet, heady aroma. Her breasts pushed against his chest, the warm curves and deep valleys a magical landscape for his hands to explore.

  It’s just sex, Luke told himself, his mind in denial even as his heart engaged. He was getting deeper into her with every minute they were together.

  Then she snagged his lower lip between her teeth.

  Jesus! He went rock hard in his jeans.

  He captured her chin in the V of his hand and returned the favour, nipping her plump bottom lip and swallowing her gasp with a kiss. He tilted her face to just the right angle, the pulse in her throat fluttering beneath his fingertips.

  He took control, as was his nature.

  And she let him.

  With a satisfied growl, he plunged his tongue into her hot, wet mouth, her taste a drug that fogged his mind. Driven on by a primal need to claim her, he spread the fingers of his free hand across her bottom and pulled her hard up against his erection.

  Her gasp dragged the oxygen from his mouth.

  Luke wrenched away. What in God’s name was he doing? “I’m sorry. Did I hurt your arm or something?”

  Her grip on him tightened, and she got right up in his face. “Give me a break, Commander. If you think a cut and some bruises are going to put me off, you don’t know me very well.”

  She was all fired up like she’d been in Court, her breath coming in shallow little pants. But her eyes burned with arousal and her jutted chin dared him to argue.

  He broke eye contact and glanced around the shed. “How the hell are we going to manage this?”

  “The work bench?”

  “Too dirty,” he muttered.

  “The chair?”

  “Unstable, and the floor’s concrete.”

  Shit, he sounded as desperate as he felt. He needed to think with his bigger brain. He studied the workspace again, his vision drawn to the black shape in the far corner. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

  “Get undressed.” His request sounded more like a command, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she appeared to like it.

  “Ooh, yes sir.”

  She did a slow pirouette, lifting the hem of the shirt with tantalising slowness before pulling it over her head. Grinning, she twirled it around once and tossed it on the bench.

  Luke stared, heart booming as she stood before him clad only in a scrap of black lace masquerading as knickers. She was, without a doubt, the most goddamn incredible woman he’d ever known. The thought of another guy so much as laying a hand on her…

  And bloody O’Callaghan stood waiting in the wings.

  He reached into his back pocket and took a condom from his wallet, nerve endings like live wires. With a flick of his wrist he threw the wallet on top of the tee-shirt.

  “This is a first,” he murmured, sliding a hand behind her neck and drawing her to him for a brief kiss. “I’ve never banged my brains out in the work shed before.”

  She lowered her voice and gently mocked him. “Consider it part of your education.”

  “You, my girl, are begging for another spanking.”

  “Ooh, promises, promises.”

  She laughed and helped him dispose of his clothes. Then she wriggled her hips and stepped out of her knickers.

  Impressed by her adventurous spirit, he led her to the back of the room and grasped the edge of a black tarpaulin. Feeling like an illusionist revealing his most impressive trick, he dragged it away with a flourish.

  Allegra stared at the gleaming black and chrome motorcycle secured in a heavy duty stand. “A Harley Davidson?”

  Luke nodded. “A vintage Fat Boy.”

  She raised an amused eyebrow, looked him up and down. “You don’t say.”

  He laughed, the condom between his teeth as he folded the tarpaulin to roughly the size of a single bed mattress. Her eyes followed his every movement as he spread it on the floor. Perfectly proportioned, his body could have been sculptured by Michelangelo himself.

  He straightened, must have read something in her face, because he took the condom from between his teeth and drew her to him. “Hey, if you’re having second thoughts, we don’t have to do this. I’m the first to admit you deserve more luxurious surrounds.”

  Allegra’s throat constricted. Any day now she could be unemployed, alone, or dead. She didn’t care they were in a shed. She longed to spend every minute with him, doing exactly this.

  She ran her fingers through his silky chest hair and tilted her head to look at him. “It’s not that.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She ran her hand down his arm and plucked the condom from his fingers. “I’m thinking, that I want to put this on you.”

  She opened the packet and withdrew the condom, heard his breath hiss between his teeth as she reached down and rolled it over his silky hardness. He swallowed, the Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, a dark flush staining his face and neck.

  Then his hand shot out and captured her wrist and the next thing she knew he was on the improvised bed, pulling her down on top of him.

  He stretched out on his back. “Get on top, baby.”

  A bolt of desire tore through her lower body, so strong her internal muscles clenched of their own volition. He had more experience than her in every facet of life, but he was just that sort of man. Sex to him was as natural as breathing.

  She straddled him, and he helped her find a place for her knees on either side of his hips. He settled her on top, his body cushioning hers from the concrete floor and dusty tarpaulin.

  Then his hands spanned her waist and he nudged for her heat. He brought her down on top of him, stretching her with his hard thickness, his eyes locked on hers as he slid into her warm, moist depths.

  Allegra caught her breath. “I like it, Luke,” she whispered.

  He groaned as if in pain, an untamed sound coming from deep within his throat. “Oh I like it too, baby.”

  “I mean, I like that you’re experienced.”

  He shifted the angle of his hips a little. “You’ll like it when I find your G-spot,” he said, stroking the sensitive undersides of her breasts so her nipples went hard. “Don’t move.”

  Somehow she managed a nod. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  His chest shook with silent laughter. “Let me do the moving. You’re sore, remember? The slightest pain and we stop.”

  “Not on your life, Commander, and I’m feeling nothing here but pleasure.”

  He looked delighted with her answer, and Allegra closed her eyes and relaxed, safe in the knowledge he was a sensitive and generous lover, if not a long term one. Savouring every new feeling his exquisite touch elicited, she pressed down on his shoulders, felt him harden even more.

  Then all at once the slow rocking wasn’t enough. Unable to resist the burgeoning feelings of arousal he stoked in her, Allegra began to move, her overly stimulated body craving a greater friction between them.

  She slid down onto his chest and stretched out on top of him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his throat as he took a firm grip on her hips. He was strong, grinding his pelvis against her clitoris, and going harder and deeper than he had last night. He ground away with a steady determination
, and she learned what it meant to be given a good hard ride.

  Allegra’s heart got out of rhythm, and blood roared in her ears as a tsunami of passion built between them. He must have sensed she was on the brink because he turned his head and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Come for me.”

  His erotic request had her crying out, her body shattering around him as he hit her in all the right places. Mindless, caught in the throes of the best orgasm she’d ever experienced, Allegra bathed him in her body’s moisture, his powerful thrusts reverberating through every cell in her body.

  Only when she’d quietened somewhat, did he give in to his own needs.

  Drunk with pleasure, Allegra acted on instinct. As his body tightened with tension for one long beat, she kissed him. Hard. Wet. And with a lot of tongue. To her delight he groaned deep in his throat and exploded inside her, his body wracked with enormous shudders as he pounded his way to ecstasy.

  Later, she lay in his arms, luxuriating in the soft stroke of his hand on her back and the feeling of her limbs entwined with his.

  As their sated bodies cooled and the sweat dried on their skin, Luke’s hand stilled, and he dozed. Undetected, Allegra propped her chin in her palm and studied his arched brows and long lashes, the scar on his cheek and the stubble that wouldn’t go away no matter how much he shaved.

  She swallowed a lump in her throat. Together, they’d created a memory.

  One she’d never forget.

  Luke Neilson had left her more satisfied than she’d ever been before. And though she knew it to be impossible, more loved.

  Shivering, Allegra pulled the quilt over her legs and glanced at her watch.

  Eleven pm.

  Every now and then the cloud cover would peel back from the moon, allowing soft beams of lunar light to shine through the overhead skylight and brighten the bedroom. But mostly, the night was black in the Southern Highlands.

  And silent too.

  Allegra put her case notes on the bed, and listened for the low tones of Luke’s voice coming from the study.

  Nothing, only a distant roll of thunder.

  She returned to her notes, pleased she’d brought the file with her. The case was coming up for hearing soon, and she was finding it hard to settle to sleep. Accustomed to the urban noise and rhythmic pounding of breakers on Bondi Beach, the silence was disconcerting.