by Kylie Parker
It did not take long for him to go around to the other side of the car and open the driver’s side door and get in. He turned the key in the ignition and the car purred to life. Carson gave her a smile.
“If you like this,” he said easily as he pulled out onto the street. “You’d really love all my brother’s cars.”
“Yeah,” Stephanie said, feeling awkward at the mention of Chris. “I’ve seen his Lambo.”
Carson glanced over ta her from out of the corner of his eye.
“He’s shown it to you?” he asked, and she heard a note of genuine intrigue in his voice.
“Yeah,” Stephanie nodded, wringing her hands in her lap. “He drove me back home in it one day.”
“Huh,” Carson grunted, seeming to be lost in his thoughts momentarily. “Well, was it a smooth ride?”
Stephanie looked over at him and raised a brow.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Has he… ever given you a ride in it?”
Carson scoffed loudly and broke into a laugh.
“That would be a no,” he answered with a chuckle. “You probably already guessed this, but Chris and I aren’t the most loving siblings.”
Stephanie decided to make no comment. There was silence stretching between them in the car for a long while. Stephanie looked out the window of the car and watched the passing city through the glass.
Soon, they arrived at their destination. It was downtown, in the older part of the city, and the parking garage there was small and uncrowded.
“It’s a quiet place,” he said. “But I love the food. It’s authentic. You won’t get any better on this side of the Atlantic.”
Stephanie gave Caron a smile.
“Just a moment,” he said.
Carson turned off the car and got out of the driver’s seat, then came around to her door and helped her out. She vaguely noticed his eyes going up and down her body, and she looked back at him with a raised brow.
“Just noticing your lovely choice of wardrobe,” he said with an easy smile, and no hint of remorse. “It’s an honor to have such a beautiful young woman on my arm tonight.”
Stephanie blushed from the flattering compliment, and she couldn’t help but take Carson’s hand when he offered it to her. He led her through the parking garage and held the door of the small restaurant open for her. As soon as she stepped in, she was assaulted with the beautiful scent of Italian cuisine.
The hostess immediately came to attention as soon as Carson walked in the door, and a polite smile came to his face.
“Mr. Skii,” the hostess greeted him. “I have your table ready for you just over here.”
“Thank you,” Carson smiled back and led Stephanie behind him as they were led to a small corner in a back corner of the restaurant.
The hostess put down menus in front of them before moving away. Stephanie glanced down at them and noticed that there were no prices listed for the food items, and her eyes widened. This place must have been ridiculously expensive.
Soon, a waiter appeared beside their table with a pitcher of water, which he used to fill up their water glasses.
“Good evening,” the waiter said in an even, almost bored tone. “My name is Thomas, and I will be attending to you this evening. Is there anything I can start you off with?”
“We’ll both have your three-course dinner,” Carson said almost before the waiter had finished speaking.
“Very good, sir,” the waiter said. “And will you have the accompanying wine as well?”
“Yes,” Carson confirmed.
“Wonderful,” Thomas said and collected their menus from the table. “We will be right out with your first course and some wine.”
Thomas turned and left, and Stephanie watched him go for a moment before turning back to look at Carson. He was looking at her observantly, and almost slightly amused. Stephanie cleared her throat somewhat nervously and looked back at him with a small smile.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“This seems like a very nice place,” she said softly.
“If you think you like it now,” Carson said easily. “Wait until you taste the food.”
Stephanie vaguely felt a twinge of hunger in her stomach, and she had to admit that she really was quite hungry.
It was only a few moments before their first course, a serving of mozzarella and tomato, with a side of bread that smelled absolutely heavenly.
Stephanie followed Carson’s lead as he picked up a fork ad knife and cut into the tomato and cheese. She brought the combination of food to her mouth, and she barely withheld a soft moan as it met her taste buds. Her enjoyment must have shown clearly on her face, for Carson looked up at her and gave her a smirk.
“It’s a favorite dish of mine,” he said easily, collecting yet another bite on his fork. “Perhaps not the healthiest food available, but I like it all the same.”
Stephanie absorbed his words but kept her attention largely on the food in front of her. The two ate their first course in relative silence, and it wasn’t until each of their small plates were cleared that Stephanie looked up again. Even then, she took up her glass of wine and drank a considerable amount. When she put the glass down, she saw Carson looking across the table at her with raised brow. Stephanie blushed.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, feeling embarrassed at her actions.
“Don’t be,” Carson chuckled. He picked up his own wine glass and drained the entire thing in a single gulp.
Stephanie laughed and felt herself settle a little. Carson smiled over at her easily.
“So my brother took you to one of his races?” Carson asked her, raising a brow at her.
“Yes,” Stephanie nodded. Carson gave a grunt.
“Not an ideal place for a date,” he noted, obviously setting her up to give him a response.
“Well, he didn’t introduce it to me as a date,” Stephanie explained, feeling a little foolish. “Not at first anyway.”
“Oh,” Carson leaned forward, seeming intrigued. “And what did he introduce it as?”
Stephanie looked down at her table, slightly worried about revealing too much of her personal interactions with Chris. In the end, though, she decided that it couldn’t hurt too much, to be honest with him.
“He told me it was a meeting,” she said. “An unconventional meeting.”
“In a formal dress?” Carson raised his eyebrow.
“Yes,” Stephanie sighed. “He said there would be a dinner involved and that he needed me there as his assistant.”
“Hm,” Carson nodded. “And when did he tell you that it was a date?”
“On the way there,” Stephanie admitted, and Carson laughed.
“Well, that’s one way to get a woman to go on a date with you,” Carson quipped.
“And your way was so much better?” Stephanie smirked at him.
Carson nodded and laughed.
“Well, you may have a point,” Carson said easily. “If I was genuinely interested in you.”
Stephanie couldn’t help but be slightly surprised and mildly offended by his words. Carson smiled as he saw that she had been taken off guard.
“Surprised?” he asked her.
“Well…” Stephanie faltered for a moment. “I mean… if you’re not interested in me, then why ask me out to dinner and make that the condition on which you would help your brother?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Carson pressed her.
“Apparently not,” Stephanie replied, laughing lightly.
“To get under my brother’s skin,” he said. “It’s really as simple as that.”
Stephanie remembered the fury that Chris had exhibited, and she could see that Carson truly did know how to irritate his brother.
“Well,” Stephanie sighed. “It definitely worked.”
“I didn’t get you into any trouble, did I?” Carson asked, humor in his voice.
Stephanie recalled how furiously he had made love to her, and a shudder ran down her spine.
“
No, not really,” Stephanie shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like we’re exclusive… as a matter of fact, I’m not even sure what we are at all.”
Stephanie frowned at the thought, and Carson watched her carefully from across the table.
“And that bothers you,” Carson stated, more of a fact than a question.
“Well, I suppose it shouldn’t,” Stephanie sighed and shook her head. “I really am just his assistant. I’m sure he’s had plenty before me, and I suppose he’s fucked them too.”
“He always did have a problem with women,” Carson said, and Stephanie felt her heart sink a little. She had suspected as much, but to hear him point it out so bluntly certainly wasn’t easy.
“But then again, at this point, I’d say those things are the least of his problems,” Carson went on. “Has he told you why he made such a big fuss about getting a hold of me?”
Stephanie frowned.
“Well, you’re a lawyer,” she said. “I assume it’s a legal issue.”
“Well, sort of,” Carson shrugged. “But why me, and why so urgent?”
Stephanie racked her brain for possibilities.
“Is it some sort of scandal?” Stephanie guessed, and Carson smiled.
“Bingo,” he said.
Stephanie had figured as much. There were really only a few reasons that could explain what was going on with him the office, and it was rare to see him so worked up.
“Well politicians get into scandals all the time,” Stephanie said with a shrug.
“Do they?” Carson mused aloud. “I try not to meddle in politics much. Too many lies, even for a lawyer. They make messes and weave webs that are almost impossible to untangle themselves from. I mean, I could do it, of course, but it would be an immense bother, and hardly worth my time. And usually by the time lawyers are in the picture, the damage is done, and it’s too late to do any real reparations.”
Stephanie felt herself worry a little for Chris, and Carson must have seen it on her face, for he laughed.
“Don’t worry,” Carson assured her. “My brother is nowhere close to that level. In fact, he doesn’t do much in the way of weaving webs, but he does do a lot in the way of hiding his vices.”
“His vices?” Stephanie ventured to inquire, worried slightly about what she would hear.
“Well of course,” Carson nodded. “Booze, women, fast cars, illegal races. I mean, for any other rich person, nobody would question these sorts of hobbies. But think of who my brother is. A Senator, and the poster boy for wholesome American values at that. It would hardly be good for him if, for example, a picture of him touching his assistant at an underground car race went viral. Especially when nominations are up for the next president of these United States.”
Stephanie went pale at the information she had just been bombarded with. If what Carson was saying was true, someone had snapped a picture of them at the race he had taken her to. This was detrimental to her career, of course, but it would be incredibly damaging to Chris’s. As of now, he was probably the most adored politician in America. He seemed to be spotless. If this photo got out to the media, though, that would all go down the drain.
“And you know, it’s lucky that this photographer is after money,” Carson said. “If it was just a media punk, it would have already been out in a thousand magazines over the country. Now, though, it’s just a threat.”
Stephanie came to a realization.
“They’re blackmailing him,” Stephanie said aloud.
“Yes, they are,” Carson nodded once. “And that’s why he needs a lawyer to come to bat for him. And a lawyer that will maintain the secrecy of this predicament due to the nature of the photograph. But honestly, I don’t think it’s just the scandal that has him worried.”
Stephanie frowned, confused.
“Well what else could it be?” she asked, shaking her head in confusion.
Carson smiled knowingly.
“Well, think of who else’s career could be at stake,” Carson prompted, and Stephanie realized that he was talking about her.
She almost laughed at the notion.
“Me?” she asked, lost in the absurdity of the situation.
“Of course,” Carson said. “You know, I don’t think he would have reacted like this if it was just him. He probably would have just paid the guy off. But this… this is different. He wants to send this guy a message. Which, incidentally, I can help accomplish.”
Stephanie felt uneasy about the course of the conversation.
“What do you mean by send a message?” Stephanie asked, feeling nervous about the whole situation.
Carson gave her a dark smile.
“Legally,” he said. “I cannot discuss the finer details with you.”
Stephanie shook her head. She knew this was going further than necessary, all because she had gotten involved with Chris. She was saved from having to respond when the waiter brought another course of their meal. Stephanie kept her eyes focused on the food, and nibbled at it as she thought.
For the most part, this thing seemed like an entirely unnecessary mess that had been blown out of proportion. And from what Carson had said, it was largely due to her. She felt sick that Chris’s reputation could be on the line, especially with the presidential election coming up. She was certain that if she had just upheld a professional demeanor in the office, none of this would have happened.
While she was busy lamenting the problem that Chris was facing, she was unaware of Carson looking across the table at her.
“I’m sorry if I put you off your dinner,” he said, an apologetic smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, it’s not your fault,” Stephanie assured him. “It’s all my fault.”
“You shouldn’t think that,” Carson said.
“Well, it is,” Stephanie said, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t be in this situation if I was just a professional and didn’t let my feelings interfere with my work.”
“So you do have feelings for my brother?” Carson raised a brow and gave her a meaningful look.
Stephanie felt as though she had been backed into a corner, and she frowned.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Is this all just some juvenile attempt at getting me to tell you all about my feelings so you can just go and tell them to Chris?” Stephanie huffed, crossing her arms.
Carson laughed aloud and shook his head.
“Absolutely not,” he answered her, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “I’m just interested to know. My brother and I don’t really talk much about our personal lives. But it is very interesting that you genuinely have feelings for him.”
“Interesting?” Stephanie asked, and took another bite of her food.
“Quite,” Carson nodded. “You see, most of the time with men in a position of power, or with a lot of money, there are not genuine feelings involved.”
Stephanie blinked and felt her heart sink. She could imagine women who would simply be after Chris, or even Carson for the fame or the money.
“Well, I’m not interested in living off of someone else’s money,” Stephanie said.
“But you’ll drive a free car?” Carson raised his eyebrow. Stephanie’s face flushed violently.
She said nothing. She knew what looked like, and there was little she could say that wouldn’t serve to incriminate her. Much less to a lawyer.
After a long stretch of silence, Carson shot her a broad smile and chuckled.
“Relax, Stephanie,” he said. “I’m sure it was hard for you to accept that car.”
“What if it wasn’t?” Stephanie returned, her tone dark and stale. “What it I really am just after your brother for his money?”
“You’re not,” Carson said easily, collecting another bite of food onto his fork.
“You’re so sure,” Stephanie raised a brow, trying to put up a solid front. Carson merely laughed.
“I’m a lawyer, remember?” Carson laughed. “I know when people are telling a lie that not even they beli
eve.”
Stephanie sighed. Carson was right. She could barely even pretend to have negative intentions for Chris. She decided she wasn’t interested in playing mind games with Carson, either.
“I do have a question, though,” Carson said. “You’re genuinely interested in my brother… but why?”
Stephanie was taken a bit by surprise by the question.
“Excuse me?” she said and blinked.
“What is it about him that you like?” Carson asked simply, holding open his hands. “Is it his personality, his looks, his sense of humor? I mean, you’re the one who likes him, not me. Personally, I think he’s a pest. But you say you like him. I’m curious to know why.”
Stephanie frowned and thought about it for a long moment. After several seconds, she had no choice but to shake her head.
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “It just… it just sort of happened…”
“I see,” Carson said, looking down at the table. “May I ask… which one of him do you like most? The senator, the gambler, or the alcoholic?”
Stephanie felt herself bristle at the subtle attack of Chris, but she worked hard to keep herself under control.
“None of those, actually,” she said softly. “He’s… someone else with me.”
Carson looked up at her, and for the first time, he looked genuinely taken by surprise.
“Someone else…” Carson repeated her words, and a soft smile appeared on his face. “Maybe if he was ‘someone else’ with everyone, he wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Maybe not,” Stephanie agreed. She found herself thinking about Chris, and she looked down at her plate, pushing around her food.
For most of the rest of the dinner, the two of them were much quieter. Stephanie was lost in thought, and it seemed to her that Carson was as well. Of course, they did not ignore one another, and they spent some time in conversation about a few other things. For the most part, though, they were each quiet.
Carson stood up at one point and excused himself to go use the restroom. They had finished their main course and were waiting on the desert, so Stephanie vaguely fiddled with the tablecloth. She was relieved that the evening hadn’t ended with her doing anything she would regret. She thought of Chris, and of how heartbroken he would be if she told him she had fooled around or even had sex with Carson. That is, she figured he would be heartbroken.