I pour my second cup of coffee, and recall the sexual encounter from the night before. Alex’s silly grin as he carried me into our bedroom, making a grandiose gesture of laying me down on our bed. His excitement was infectious, and I played along, informing him when I woke that I was going into our kitchen to start our coffee. His broad smile and naked body nearly had me jumping back in bed next to him for another round of roommate sex. Instead, I left him snuggling into my pillow.
Pajama bottom–clad, he saunters into the kitchen. Gliding up in front of me, he places his hands on my hips. "You're dressed," he says, kissing along my neck.
My breathing quickens, and my knees go weak. "You're not."
He presses his lips against mine, reaches behind me for a coffee cup, somehow able to maintain his position against me. "How did you sleep?"
I lightly scratch his back and kiss his soft bare shoulder. "Really well. Best sleep all week actually."
"Hmm...me, too. Curious." He playfully bites along my lower lip.
"Curious," I mimic. I love these little moments with Alex and hope they define our relationship more than anything else. The small nothing moments mean everything. These pockets where we can just be together without any intervening problems. It's just the two of us, unscripted—sharing, laughing, and enjoying each other.
The doorbell rings.
"That'll be Lisa," I murmur.
Jake breezes through the kitchen on his way to answer the door, which only invites Alex to continue kissing me. It is a prolonged, sweet, simple kiss, not a kiss intended to go any further. One that connects us and reminds us of what we mean to each other.
I hear the front door close, and soft voices filtering in from the foyer. Alex groans, pulls away from me, and gazes into my eyes. I know he feels what I'm feeling—complete.
An unfamiliar scent lingers in the kitchen. "Did Jake put on cologne?"
Jake escorts Lisa into the kitchen.
Wow!
This is not the same girl from the office. She has on a tighter-than-usual pink top and white shorts. Her hair is down, and she has taken great care with her makeup, including the shiny pink lip gloss. Over her shoulder is an overnight bag, that looks more like a hockey bag, bulging at the seams. I envision an outfit for every eventuality, and wonder how many are short and silky with a built-in push-up bra.
God bless her. I hope she gets lucky.
Jake relieves her of the bag, and she smiles sweetly at him. Jake’s face goes from a light shade of pink to tomato red in two-point-two seconds flat. It's just about the most adorable thing I've seen from the oversized, gruff teddy bear of a man.
Lisa spots us, and her eyes widen as she takes in the beauty that is Alex standing before her.
"I brought some muffins from the place we usually go. I can't think of the name..." Her eyes are fixed on Alex's tanned bare chest.
I can't blame her, really. It has the same effect on me, and I see it daily.
Alex turns to me and gives me a quick kiss before taking his coffee and exiting the kitchen. "Good morning, Lisa. It's nice to see you again."
"It's nice to see you," Lisa replies. Her gaze follows Alex out of the kitchen, and she turns a deeper shade of scarlet.
I walk over and take the muffins from Jake. "Can you show Lisa to her room and help her get settled while I put these on a plate and make another pot of coffee?"
He nods, and Lisa follows him down the hall. I wonder if Jake will lay claim to her right now or wait until tonight. If I had to guess, I'd lay odds that he's kissing her until her toes curl, effectively erasing any lingering thoughts of a half-naked Alex in her head.
For most of the day, Lisa and I go over the order I plan to introduce evidence during the trial. The boys—Alex and Jake—stay clear of the area and remain in their respective offices to allow us to work uninterrupted. At some point, sandwiches appear on the table, and I'm not sure where exactly they came from, but I'm relieved someone thought to feed us.
By late afternoon, we are running through the trial software and making final determinations on placement, accompanying questions, and points I want to make. I move toward the projection against the wall to get a closer look at a photo. Alex and Jake stand at the back of the room.
Of particular concern to me are the two pictures of the victim lying on the floor. One photo is a close-up of the victim’s neck, showing telltale marks of strangulation and denoting a personal attack—not one from a hired gun as the prosecution alleges. The second shows objects scattered and broken around her, leading one to believe there was a fight, and not a single blow to the head from behind.
"Don't we want the victim on the floor first and then the neck picture following it? Make the point right away, being up-front that there was a struggle?" Lisa argues.
"No. We introduce the neck first. Look at it. There's still a lot of blood present in the photo, as well as part of the victim's face. We introduce this, have the doctor explain what's relevant, and then take it down as soon as we can. We don't want the jury to have time to look at the entire photo and become disgusted by the blood or her white lips. It'll work against us. Let them see there are marks on the neck and then move on. The second photo just shows the crime scene."
Lisa tilts her head to the side. "Yeah, but you can see her lying there. You said you don't want them to see the victim?"
"True, but she's just lying there on the floor, and it's from a good distance away. She hasn't been turned over, so she's still on her stomach, and we can't see her face. She's anonymous. There's no visual connection to the victim. Minimal blood visible from this angle, so no one will lose their lunch. It's a safer pic to have up for an extended period of time while we discuss the crime scene. It won't turn them against Tony—in theory."
Lisa nods, confirmation the argument makes sense outside my head. That makes me feel a little better.
Alex looks from the photo to me as I answer Lisa's questions. Crossing his arms over his chest, he tilts his head to one side, pausing to examine the photo.
Alex Stone, businessman extraordinaire, captivated by what I'm doing. How cool is that?
Alex drops down next to me on the couch and drapes his arm around my shoulder. "Steaks will be ready in ten minutes. Will you be working after dinner, or shall I make a pitcher of margaritas?"
"Oh, steaks and Alex Stone's margaritas? No more work tonight."
Alex laughs and kisses me on the forehead before returning to his grill on the patio. I know this is one area I can give on that will hopefully ease the pain of the upcoming week. Alex's possessiveness is going to be a challenge when I'm in trial mode and unavailable physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The four of us—Lisa, Jake, Alex and I—finish off the third pitcher of margaritas after feasting on perfectly grilled filet mignons, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. I never in a million years would've taken Alex as a grill master, but I can add that to the growing list of talents he possesses.
We move from the table to the seating area in front of a large stone outdoor fireplace next to the pool and hot tub. Alex and I snuggle up on the love seat while Jake and Lisa occupy oversized chairs opposite us.
Lisa is explaining her childhood, growing up in a large blue-collar family. There was no money to help with college, so Lisa went to the local community college and received an associate's degree in paralegal studies. She's been attending college at night and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in December.
I had absolutely no idea, and I'm more than slightly embarrassed. It strikes me that I know so little about Lisa, whom I've worked with for more than five years. I need to take more of an interest in people and not shut them out. I'll start with Lisa—right after the trial.
"Well," Alex announces, "Kylie says you're smarter than most attorneys she knows."
I clink my glass against his. "Fuckin' A, Bubba." My words slur a bit.
"Are you applying to law schools?" Alex sucks down the remainder of his drink, apparently unaware, or unconcerned, this is a personal matter and none of our business.
I decide to go along with the inquisition since my curiosity is piqued.
"Oh, no." Lisa shakes her head and swirls the straw in her half-empty margarita. "I just set a goal to get a bachelor's degree. Jack said it will help in the future with raises and bonuses and stuff."
"Why not go to law school? You obviously have an excellent grasp of the subject. You're smart and young. And you would have an excellent mentor." Alex points to me, empty drink in hand, and the ice clinks against the glass.
She smiles and something sparks in her eyes. "That's true, but I can't afford to leave the firm and go to law school. Besides, I love working with Kylie." She gives a not-so-convincing smile. "I don't need to be a lawyer. I'm good with where I am."
"You should think about it," Alex insists, always authoritative and the man in charge. He refills all our glasses and shakes the empty pitcher at us. "More?"
"No!" the three of us exclaim in unison.
Alex is already in bed when I crawl in next to him and snuggle against his chest. "No sex tonight, Mr. Stone. My assistant doesn't need to hear my loud screams of passion."
"That's just a challenge now," he says. "Besides, we might hear hers. Did you see the way those two were looking at each other? I'm guessing they didn't even make it to Jake's room and are currently fucking like rabbits on the stairs."
"Thanks for that mental picture, babe. Not sure I want an image of Jake screwing my assistant in my mind's eye."
A deep chuckle breaks free from his chest. "Sorry. So, why does that mean we can't have sex? That's not fair. I get a girl for Jake to do, ensuring he's happy for a while, but I get screwed—without the benefit of actual intercourse? That is some kind of shit, baby."
I smile, knowing Alex is kidding—mostly. "If I could actually have sex with you and be quiet, I would be humping you right now, but that has yet to happen. I can't help but make ecstatic, inappropriately loud moans while you're drilling me."
Alex leans in and kisses me. "That's very base. I should get you drunk more often. Your language becomes uninhibited and crude. I like it."
I push him away. "Don't try to seduce me with fancy compliments, Stone. I'm not falling for it. No sex. Period."
"Were we really loud?" I push the mass of unruly hair away from my face and drag in gulps of air to get my breathing under control.
Alex rolls onto his side and grins like a madman. "I don't care. That was amazing, and I don't give a shit who heard us." Alex says through labored breathing. "I got you to come four times. New record."
"Yes, yes, I'm glad you're so very proud of yourself." I feign disapproval, but I am secretly amazed at what my body can accomplish under Alex's masterful manipulations. I'm unable to exert any self-control when he turns on his ever-present, insatiable sex drive.
"I am proud of myself, actually." He traces the outline of my protruding lower lip with his finger. "And if you continue to pout, I'll take that bottom lip and do things to it that will make you come again—very loudly."
For a moment, I consider forcing him to prove it.