by Caine, Candy
The song ended. Scott realized if they remained together on the dance floor, his cock was going to become quite an embarrassment. “Let’s sit the next one out and enjoy our drinks.”
Marnie smiled. He appeared to be just as uncomfortable as she. Perhaps after the drinks they would go. And then what?
“How’s the DA treating you, Scott?” Marnie asked, trying to cool down things.
“I think he likes me. Or the extra hours I put in.”
“Does anyone else in your department work as hard?”
“Of course.”
Marnie raised a shapely eyebrow.
He rolled his lips. “Almost as hard.”
“Beware of the backstabbers. You may have earned the good cases thrown your way. However, there will be people who only see that you’re getting all the plumb cases and hate you for it. The very fact you’ve worked your ass off for them won’t ever enter their minds,” Marnie cautioned.
“You’re right. There were folks who thought my getting the Kalb case was wrong. I guess people will always be jealous and self-serving.”
“Truer words were never spoken. Another drink?”
“No. It might put me to sleep,” she said.
Scott glanced at his watch. “It is late, maybe I should take you home.”
A half hour later she was home. When they reached her door, he gently pulled her towards him and kissed her.
“Thank you for a great evening, Marnie,” he said, but didn’t release her right away.
Still feeling the heat of his kiss on her lips, she replied, “I had a wonderful time too.”
The reflection of the light danced in her eyes, as Scott fought the desire to crush her to him. Instead, he fought his hedonistic impulses and asked, “A movie and dinner next week?”
“That sounds good. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a movie.”
“Until next week, then,” he said as she opened her door.
Scott bent to kiss Marnie goodnight, but her arms instinctively went around his neck and her fingers burrowed through the back of his hair. That triggered a heated response from him and he began to plunder her mouth with his lips and tongue. Marnie’s response held just as much passion. His kisses sent shockwaves throughout her entire body.
This time his urges got the better of him.
“Oh, Jesus,” Scott muttered as he pushed Marnie inside the apartment, kicked the door closed and pushed her up against the wall. Her mind could hardly register what was happening—not that she would stop it.
Scott continued to ravish her mouth with his as he reached under her dress and pulled her panties off. A beat later, he’d opened his slacks and let them fall. Pulling up her leg, so she was half-straddling him, he pushed his hard cock up into her and began to thrust.
He growled her name as he sank into her. She let out a gasp as he filled her completely. Her arms tightened around him as he sucked her nipples through the thin fabric of her dress. Thank God she wasn’t wearing a bra. Marnie felt the pleasure zing all the way to her vagina. His thrusts quickened. Marnie shifted to feel him deeper and each stroke became more pleasurable than the one before it. Her mind and body were overwhelmed by him.
The slapping of skin on skin and their breathing grew more ragged and louder.
Unintelligible grunts soon added to the cacophony of sounds as they neared their climaxes. Marnie gave out a long extended moan as her universe became a thousand pleasurable points of light.
Scott plunged deeper and faster into her for several more beats before he, too, succumbed to his own climax. Letting out a loud groan and one last hump, he collapsed against her and they both slid slowly down to the floor.
Finally Scott was able to catch his breath and speak. “I’m not sure if this is the right time to ask this, but you’re on the pill, right?”
“You think?”
“Well, are you?”
“Yes—and no STDs. What about you?” Marnie gasped.
“Past or present history?” Scott said, but quickly added, “Only kidding. I’m healthy, too,” Scott breathed as he placed a tender kiss on her lips.
“What now, funny boy?”
“Ask me to stay,” he said, gently stroking her face.
“Do you want to?” Marnie asked searching his beautiful grey-blue eyes.
“More than anything.”
After sorting themselves out, they stood facing each other by the foot of her bed. Scott gently kissed her. Marnie closed her eyes and savored the kiss. His lips slipped down her neck.
He nipped and nuzzled her soft, creamy skin. When he slipped his hands behind her back to unzip her dress, Marnie pulled out of his grasp covering her chest.
“What’s wrong?” Scott asked, but quickly realized what prompted her reaction. She didn’t want him to see the scars from the gunshot wounds. He wasn’t going to let Kalb kill having naked sex for them. He’d already done enough damage.
“It’s okay, babe.” Boldly, he unzipped her dress and let it fall. Seeing the terrified look in her eyes, he kissed her deeply. Then he looked at her bared chest a long moment. Briefly his eyes filled, but he blinked them away before he gently planted tiny butterfly kisses along the angry red ridges and puckered skin. Then he crushed his lips to hers and kissed her with all the passion he felt.
“Did you think I’d be so shallow as to care about a few scars?” he said, hoarsely.
She looked into his eyes as if to search for hidden meaning. All she could see was heated passion and something underlying it. He identified it for her.
“I love you, Marnie Davis. There I’ve said it. And nothing’s going to ever change that.”
Tears filled Marnie’s eyes. She wanted to hear those words. Flinging her arms around his neck, she clung to him. He lifted her onto the bed and quickly stripped off the rest of his clothing. Then he slowly removed hers, kissing her skin as he bared it. Marnie felt her insides liquefying. It was hard for her to imagine wanting him again after that scene in the hall, but she did. And obviously by the sight of his erection, he wanted her, as well.
They made love slowly, taking the time to explore each other’s body. Marnie loved how his hard muscles flexed as she ran her hands over his back. He had a perfect round ass. She loved the thick, dark hair on his chest that made her breasts tingle when he kissed her.
What Scott could do with his mouth and tongue was an art form that should be considered lethal. After nipping and sucking her nipples into tight raisins, he trailed kisses down her belly. He slid a hand between her legs. Marnie arched her back.
“You’re so wet. I want to taste you.” He pulled her legs apart and buried his head between her thighs. His tongue licked and probed inside her sex. She shifted her position trying to get him to lick her clit, but he teased her by avoiding it and lathing the area around it. Finally, as he cupped a breast, fanning it nipple, he finally sucked her clit. She’d cried out in pleasure. Wanting to share, she sat up and reached for his cock. He slipped easily into her wetness and they began to move in a slow dance of love. The tempo gradually increased, as their breathing grew more audible until they both came again. He collapsed on her and she held him tightly, whispering, “I love you, Scott.”
Chapter Nineteen
Debbie greeted Marnie with a stack of messages to go along with her steaming mug of coffee. “This is the price of popularity.”
“It’s so overrated, my friend.”
“You finally went on the dinner date?” Debbie asked. “Spill the beans.”
“Uh-huh. Nice restaurant.”
“Come on, Marnie, tell me all. It wasn’t the restaurant that attracted you.”
“He’s a terrific guy. Good dancer, too.”
“And to think all they’re cloning is sheep,” Debbie quipped as she walked out.
Marnie laughed.
Marnie was almost through checking her messages and email when Debbie came marching in holding a flower arrangement.
“These I believe are for you. Aren�
��t they simply lovely?”
“Yes, they are. Who are they from?”
“Like you don’t know. You really want to go with that?” Debbie asked.
Marnie shrugged and took the card from the attached envelope. “Thanks for a wonderful time. It was well-worth waiting for. Yours, Scott.”
“It’s from Scott.”
“No, kidding,” Debbie said sarcastically. I guess he really had a good time, too.”
“I should thank him.” Looking at her watch, Marnie knew he’d be at court already.
“I’ll call him at home tonight.”
Marnie never got the chance. At 5:00 pm Scott walked into her office. “I see you got my flowers.”
“Yes. I was going to call you later and thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like them, but that’s not the reason I’m here. I wanted to catch you before you left for the day to give you enough time to clear your calendar.”
She dropped the pen she’d been holding and gave him her complete attention.
“We’re giving our closing arguments in the Kalb case tomorrow morning and the jury will probably get the case to deliberate.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
“What’s good?” Frank Conway said, walking into Marnie’s office.
“Hi, Uncle Frank,” Scott said, shaking his hand. “I stopped by to let Marnie know we’re doing our closing arguments in the Kalb case tomorrow.”
“I’m glad. It’ll finally be over,” Frank said. “Closure.”
“Did you have something to ask me, Frank?” Marnie inquired.
“Actually, I’m glad you’re both here.”
“What’s going on?” said Scott.
Frank eased his bulk into a leather chair and faced them. “I know Louise had her heart set on having a beautiful christening party for little Jarrett next Sunday following mass, but something’s come up.”
“Best laid plans of mice and men,” Scott said.
“You might say that. Uncle Sam moved up Thomas’ deployment.”
“Allison must be beside herself,” Marnie said.
“Tell me about it,” Frank said, rolling his eyes. “She’s calm compared to Louise.”
“So when are you going to have the christening?” Marnie asked.
“It’s going to be Thursday evening at 7:30.”
“I’ll be there,” Marnie said.
Scott nodded for emphasis as he said, “Me, too.”
“Good. That’s settled then.” Then Frank raised himself out of the chair and walked out.
“Bummer,” Scott said.
“I wish the world was a lot safer,” Marnie said.
“Well, I’ve got to go over my closing for tomorrow. See you then.”
“You can bet on it.”
Chapter Twenty
Marnie slowly walked down the hall and stood before the doors of the courtroom. Usually her walk was brisk and determined. The only determination she had at the moment was shaky at best. Though she told Scott she wouldn’t miss his closing or the eventual sentencing of John Kalb, she honestly didn’t want to be here. Kalb’s hooded, black beady eyes still haunted her sleep. His voice chilled her very soul. Thanks to her seeing a therapist, the nightmares had decreased in number, but not altogether. They still came some nights making her to relive every moment of terror. Just as John Kalb screamed and pulled the trigger, she’d force herself awake, shaking and gasping for breath.
She realized that she’d probably missed Scott’s initial closing, but she knew the prosecution had to prove Kalb’s guilt beyond the shadow of a doubt, so Scott would address the jury one last time after the defense lawyer’s closing.
Inhaling deeply one last time, she slowly pushed open the door. The room was quiet as Ralph Unser, the defending attorney, was sitting down after called on by the judge to present his closing argument to the jury. He was a public defender, looking fresh out of law school as if he was thrust into a lion’s den without a weapon. Still idealistic, he’d most likely give it his all and it looked like Kalb was allowing him to do so for now. Short and slim, Unser, had large, round, rosy cheeks which made him look much younger than he was. His blond hair was already thinning and the poor guy would most likely be bald by the time he reached thirty-five. The beige suit he was wearing looked as if he’d slept in it, which is what he probably did, having most likely worked through the entire night preparing for his closing argument.
Marnie spied an empty seat on the aisle and sat down. She listened as Unser droned on, sometimes stumbling over his own words, as he tried to garner whatever sympathy for the man he could. Because he was so nervous, it went much quicker than he’d planned. It would only be a matter of minutes before the prosecution gave its final closing argument.
She found herself unusually inattentive, her mind drifting every so often. Bits and pieces of conversations with Marishka came to the forefront of her mind. She felt tears sting her eyes. She knew what happened to Marishka wasn’t her fault…and yet, she couldn’t shake the notion that there might have been something she could have done to prevent her death. Lying in the hospital bed she’d often thought about this…
There was a momentary silence in the room, which drew her attention back to the proceedings at hand. Ralph Unser had sat down and the judge called on the prosecution.
When Scott strode in front of the jury, the members became more alert. What a contrast he was to the other man. The women, especially, had their eyes riveted on him. He was dressed in a dark suit that hugged his athletic-looking body. His thick, black hair was combed perfectly in place. He seemed tired, too, but the slight dark smudges under his silvery eyes only intensified the richness of their color. As he spoke, he made slight hand gestures to accent what he had said. His delivery, brief and to the point, seemed pitch-perfect and she couldn’t detect a single flaw. Even if the facts hadn’t been substantiated, he would have Marnie believing his words as if they were gospel, as he did that panel of jurors. That was the goal of every good attorney. Grab their attention and make them believe. And, if she was reading the jury correctly, they believed enough to convict and send Kalb away for a very long time.
Returning to his seat, Scott noticed Marnie sitting in the courtroom for the first time. Pleased to see her, he smiled and nodded. She returned the nod and he sat down.
Now that the closing arguments had been completed, it was necessary for the judge to instruct the jury on the rules of law that were to be applied in the case. Marnie listened as Judge Saunders began to charge the jury. She knew the judge to be thorough and her instructions would take a while.
The judge spoke slowly and carefully for over an hour, and then sent the jury off to begin their deliberations, before she retired to her chambers. Marnie made her way over to Scott. “Your closing was superb.”
“You think so?”
“The jury was like putty in the palm of your hands.”
“Coming from you, that’s quite a compliment.”
“You reminded me of Frank,” she added.
Scott beamed. That was the best compliment he could receive. “Let’s go to the cafeteria and get something to eat.”
After sitting down with their food selections, they continued their discussion of the trial. Ralph Unger came along with a tray. He looked lonely and out of place.
“Ralph, why don’t you join us?” Scott asked.
When Ralph seemed to hesitate, Scott added. “It’s okay. We’re not the enemy.”
Reddening, the public defender approached the table. “Ralph, this is Marnie Davis. She’s an attorney for Conway, Pasternak and Freed.”
“Hello,” Marnie said as she extended her hand. Ralph shook it and sat down.
“Wait a sec…Aren’t you the lawyer my client shot?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure you’re not the enemy?”
“Not your enemy, I assure you.”
Ralph smiled, thoroughly understanding what she mean
t. He had no love for his client, either. “Do you think they’ll deliberate long, Scott?” Ralph asked.
“That’s a tough question to answer.”
“I certainly hope it’s over quickly. He’s a creep. Never happy with anything I did.”
“True-to-form,” Marnie replied. “He had made his wife’s life a living Hell. And then he killed her.”
“Well, that’s not too reassuring,” Ralph said.
“Sorry, Ralph. I didn’t mean it to come out sounding like that. Nothing pleases the man.”
“Honestly, between us, I sincerely hope I lose this case. I would like to see them lock Kalb up and throw away the key.”
“I think we all would like to see that,” Scott said.
The three attorneys had been sitting and talking for a little more than an hour when Marnie noticed the bailiff approaching their table.
“The jury has reached a decision,” he said.
Everyone got up and cleared their table. “I think this is probably a record time,” Scott said, as they all followed the bailiff into the courtroom.
Kalb was brought back into the courtroom in handcuffs. Ralph certainly looked more comfortable standing next to the man when he was shackled. As the guard unlocked the cuffs, Ralph inched away. Judge Saunders entered the room and the bailiff instructed everyone to rise. Following the judge’s entrance, the jury filed in.
“Madam Foreperson, have you reached a verdict?” Judge Saunders asked the first juror.
“We have, Your Honor,” she answered and handed the charge slip to the bailiff, who, in turn, turned it over to the judge. The judge glanced at it and gave it back to the bailiff.
“Will the defendant please rise,” the judge said. John Kalb, who was now free of his shackles stood alongside a shaky Ralph Unger, who seemed to shrink in stature with each passing moment.
“The foreperson will now read the verdict,” Judge Saunders instructed.
“In the case of the State of New Jersey versus John Kalb for the unlawful death of Marishka Kalb, we find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree. And on the charge of attempted murder of Marnie Davis, we find the defendant guilty.”