Chapter Fourteen

Running late, again. She didn’t have a second to spare. Christina had so much to do, before…oh no, she almost forgot. She had dinner plans with Trevor, in less than an hour.

She hurried back to the office to pick up a printout she had asked Jill to leave on her desk. Her goal was to be in and out of the office in minutes, but ran into another lawyer in the elevator. He wanted her opinion on one of his cases. The five minutes he asked for turned into twenty.

Inside her car, she checked the clock—six-forty. As she merged into highway traffic, Christina remembered she was supposed to call Steven. “Damn.” She couldn’t call him while driving, and she’d barely have enough time to change before Trevor arrived. “Double damn.”

With mere minutes to spare, she had the quickest shower of her life and slipped into a pair of black tights and a sleeveless, ultra-long top. She applied a thin coat of makeup, and then ran a brush through her damp hair, scrunching her long locks with her hands for style. Just as she stepped into her heeled ankle boots, she heard the doorbell ring—seven on the dot.

“I hope I’m not too early.” Trevor wandered into the living room.

He looked handsome in black pants and a leather jacket. “No, just a typical day, running late at the office.” Christina’s response was a breathless whisper.

“If you need more time? Or if tonight isn’t good, we can reschedule.” He smiled, glancing at the photos of her family on the mantel.

Even though she longed to pop a frozen dinner in the microwave, curl up on the sofa, and sip a glass of wine, Christina had to admit Trevor came to her rescue the other day. She owed him. “I have been looking forward all day to dining out.” She linked her arm through his and guided him out the door.

When they arrived at one of Halifax’s finest restaurants, they didn’t understand the attendant’s confusion with Trevor’s reservation.

“I’m sorry, Monsieur Peterson, we had your reservation booked, but received your cancellation less than an hour ago,” the tall, grey haired man said.

“I didn’t cancel. We’re here.” Trevor waved a hand in front of them.

“There must be a mistake, please accept my apology.” He tapped the reservation book with the tip of a pen. “We are booked solid this evening. Perhaps we could make you comfortable at the bar with complimentary drinks. I will have a table cleared as soon as possible.”

Trevor’s eyebrows arched inward. “How long a wait are we talking about?”

Trevor was clearly irritated by the error, but remained calm and polite. Christina placed a hand on his arm. “We can come another night. I know a nice spot close by.”

He nodded and then thanked the attendant for trying to accommodate them.

She gave Trevor directions to an Italian restaurant, which too was just as busy, but because she knew the owner and staff, they were seated at a table with only a short wait.

Antonio Ciccone, owner and head chef, was Vince’s brother. Antonio greeted her at the bar and immediately sent someone to clear a table.

She introduced Trevor to Antonio, and they chatted for a few minutes before Antonio excused himself to return to the kitchen.

As Christina expected, dinner and conversation were both great. Trevor made her laugh and fun is exactly what she needed tonight. She was sad when the night came to an end. After the drive home, Trevor walked Christina to the door and she invited him in for coffee.

“It’s close to midnight and I know you’ve had a rough day. You did a great job of hiding those yawns.”

“I’m so sorry.” She thought her attempt to conceal her exhaustion had been flawless.

“Hey, don’t apologize.” He leaned on the wall, jingling his keys. “I had a great time and hope we can go out again.”

“Definitely.” She kissed his cheek. “Give me a call the next time you’re in town.” After stepping inside, Christina fastened the security chain and kicked her boots into the closet. The doorbell buzzed. She assumed Trevor had changed his mind about that cup of coffee so she unhooked the chain and opened the door. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

Steven stood on her doorstep. He pushed past her and stormed into her apartment.

“What are you doing here?” She closed the door and followed him into the living room.

He sat on the recliner and flipped through the pages of a magazine lying on the coffee table. “You were supposed to call me.”

“My meeting with Gwen took a while. I then went to the office to pick up some documents, but got sidetracked. Then I was stuck in traffic and barely had time to get ready…” Why was she explaining and sounding like a blubbering idiot? She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Get ready for your date with Trevor?” His eyes darkened. “Unlike you, I put my professional life before my personal life. I would have thought this case would take precedence over a date.” He tossed aside the magazine. “How was your date? Couldn’t have gone well. He didn’t even come in.”

Steven must have been parked outside, watching and waiting for Trevor to leave. Christina ached to slap the smirk off his handsome face. “What gives you the right to come into my home and make accusations on how I conduct business? Calling you could have waited until morning. As for my date, that’s none of your business.”

“If you’re sleeping with my cousin, then your relationship with him becomes my business.” His brows rose.

Christina placed her hands on her hips. “Have you gone completely mad?”

“You don’t understand. Trevor and I have bad history. He’s holding a grudge and wouldn’t think twice about using you to hurt me. He obviously knows we have a connection.”

She held up her hand. “Stop saying that. How many times do I have to tell you? No connection exists between us. We had a brief fling. That’s our history.” She shook her head and then left him to go into the kitchen for a cup a coffee. Christina returned with one cup, hoping Steven would take the hint he wasn’t welcome. She placed her coffee on the table and sat on the sofa. “Do you think Trevor wants payback for Tammy?”

“So, he told you.” Steven leaned forward and wrapped a strong hand around her cup, bringing it to his lips.

Smug jerk.

“You don’t have any rat poison in the house, do you?”

His wink sent a shiver along her spine. “You should have asked before swallowing.”

“Then I’d better tell my side of the story before I lose consciousness.” He laughed and took another sip. “Tammy wasn’t as innocent as Trevor thought she was. Every time he left town, she’d attach herself to me. I told her I wasn’t interested, but she didn’t care. Trevor was my best friend. I would never cross the line of family and our friendship. My disinterest in Tammy only made her more determined.”

Christina rolled her eyes. “You expect me to believe you were the victim.”

Steven slumped in the recliner and closed his eyes for a moment. “Tammy called me one evening, threatening to tell Trevor she and I were lovers. She insisted we meet at her place.” One of his hands clenched into a fist. “Stupid mistake. She had a love nest set and all she needed was me.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“Oh, I tried. As I turned for the door, she yelled obscenities and threw a glass of wine at me. I had just left the court house and was wearing one of my expensive suits. Tammy apologized and gave me a cleaner she claimed would wash the wine from my jacket and shirt. Well, the stuff didn’t. My jacket and shirt were ruined. I was heading for the front door when Trevor arrived.”

She wanted to believe his explanation. “Trevor said he asked you to explain, but you refused to say anything.”

“He was crazy in love with that psycho. I knew he’d believe me over her.” Steven stared at Christina. “I let Trevor think Tammy and I had sex, to ruin their relationship.”

“You destroyed your friendship with Trevor to spare him from Tammy?” Her eyes widened.

“Exactly. I had hoped he’d eventually come around.” Steven stood and joined her on the sofa.

She scooted to the side until the pillows hit her back. “So, you claim Trevor is using me. What makes him any different than you? You pursued me until you got what you wanted and then you didn’t just dump me, you had me fired from my job.” Her muscles tensed. “What exactly do you want now? Another cheap roll in the hay? You can’t accuse me of sexual harassment this time.”

“I only want…” He glanced away, his gaze stuck on a spot in the carpet.

Words failed the man who always has something to say? Christina flinched as his hand reached forward. Standing, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What would your girlfriend think of you chasing after me? You’re playing house with me while your lady friend is conveniently out of town. Isn’t that what you accused me of doing?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” His head cocked to one side.

“I don’t think Ms. Sharp would be pleased to know what you’ve been up to.”

“Rebecca? What does she have to do with us?”

His blue eyes turned dark and he abruptly stood.

She jumped and wrapped her arms around her middle.

With one hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I came here tonight to talk to you about the case. We’ve both had a long day. It’s probably best we meet at your office tomorrow. Around ten, if that works for you?”

“Ten is fine,” she responded.

He then stormed past and left the apartment.

She inhaled a sharp breath, stunned by his sudden departure. What just happened? When she mentioned Rebecca’s name, Christina saw his attitude change. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough.

Tears filled her eyes and jealousy twisted in her stomach. “Stop kidding yourself.” He doesn’t want me. I’m a temporary distraction. The sooner he’s out of my life, the better.

****

After another sleepless night, Christina’s eyes were masked with dark shadows. With the tip of her finger, she dabbed on concealer to hide their gloom, and then placed the makeup in her desk drawer.

“Did you even go home last night?” Vince knocked on her open office door with one hand and held a coffee tray with two cups in the other. “I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you look terrible.”

She pushed her chair away from the desk. “With compliments like that my ego is to surely swell.” She snatched the coffee from his hand. “Didn’t your mother tell you if you didn’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all?”

“Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“I didn’t get much sleep.” She pointed at the file on her desk. “This damn case has taken a turn for the worse, and my client doesn’t want to go to court. Her husband appears to be a clean-cut politician, but there’s more going on.”

“What about another woman?”

“I’ve checked. He’s covered all his tracks.” The caffeine gave her a boost of energy. She sat on the edge of her desk, dangling one of her shoes from the tip of her toes. “Speaking of another woman, I hear you have a girl friend.”

Vince jerked and his hand shook, spilling his coffee over the edge of his cup and onto his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I had dinner at Antonio’s last night. He said I just missed you and your pretty lady.” She tossed him a tissue. “You’ve been holding out on me. I’m supposed to be your best friend.”

“I had dinner with a friend, that’s all.”

Vince blushed, a sure sign he must be smitten by whoever this lady was.

“Speaking of holding out, you’ve hardly mentioned a word about your weekend. I know something happened between you and that jerk.” He tucked a lock of hair, loose from its clip, behind her ear. “You’re not sleeping, you’ve been crying, and you look like hell. What’s going on?”

“Thanks, that’s the second time you’ve told me I look awful.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I feel as though I might snap at any moment. There’s so much happening—this case, my sister’s wedding, and Steven is around every corner. I can’t avoid him and I’ve damn tried my best.”

Vince put his arm around her.

“Had I known Ciccone would be mauling you at this hour, I would have called first.”

Her stomach clenched. Christina glanced over Vince’s shoulder and found Steven scowling from the open doorway.

****

Steven took a step closer to Vince.

Christina slid off her desk and jammed her body between them. Animosity sliced through the air.

Steven wasn’t sure whose loathing soared higher. He was envious of Vince’s strong relationship with Christina and he didn’t care if Vince liked him.

She placed her hands on their chests.

He was sure the last thing she wanted was him and Vince brawling in her office. The well-manicured fingers lying on Steven’s chest warmed his skin right through his shirt.

“You’re early. Our meeting isn’t until ten.”

He flinched as her glare landed on him. “I had to schedule another appointment and hoped we could meet now.” He stared at Vince who stood with a rigid posture. “Give it up, buddy. Your infatuation with Christina is pathetic. She needs a real man.”

Vince took a step closer, pressing Christina tighter in the middle. “I’m not your buddy, and if anyone here is to be pitied, it’s you. What does it take for you to understand she can’t stand the sight of you? Just being in the same room with you makes her physically ill.”

Though the words stung, Steven ignored the other man’s bitterness. He moved closer, pinning Christina and enjoying the warmth of her curves.

“Stop it, both of you! Someone will get hurt if you don’t put an end to this foolishness, and I don’t want to be the one on the receiving end of a flying fist.” She turned to Vince, putting a restraining hand on his arm. “I have to discuss this case with Steven. I’ll catch up with you later.”

At the sight of her hand on another man’s body, Steven clenched his hands at his sides. Why couldn’t he control his jealousy?

“I’ll be fine,” she told Vince.

Vince stepped to the side and then slammed his shoulder into Steven’s as he walked by. “Take the hint, buddy, she wants nothing to do with you.”

I’ll trash this piece of garbage. Afraid what the man said was true, Steven stepped forward, ready to pounce on Vince, but Christina grabbed Steven’s arm just in time. Her fingernails bit through the sleeve of his jacket, but her persistence didn’t stop him from throwing a verbal punch. “You don’t know anything about my relationship with Christina.” He stood straight, legs apart, and his arms across his chest. “You need to let go of her skirt and find someone else to chase.”

With a flash of a grin, Vince winked at Christina and then turned to leave. “Next time, I won’t let her stop me from putting you in your place.”

“I look forward to it.” Steven squared his shoulders.

She shoved him aside and slammed the door shut. “You daft idiot. Are you insane? Picking a fight with my colleague. Where is your professionalism?”

“I’m not the one making out in my office.” The sight of Christina resting her head on Vince’s shoulder had made Steven’s stomach rotate into a tight knot.

“We weren’t making out. We were…oh, forget it. I’m done explaining myself to you. I’m running on minimal sleep and now I have a throbbing headache. I don’t have the patience to cope with your childish behavior. You came here to discuss the case, so discuss.” She popped a pill she retrieved from her purse and swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “My client doesn’t want to go to court. The media will not be kind and she wants to protect her children. I need more time.”

Christina had excellent gut instincts regarding twisted divorce cases. She would soon discover the missing piece to the puzzle. Steven had followed her career. She never allowed distractions to get in her way, but he was more than a distraction. Christina would absolutely hate playing nice, but she didn’t have a choice.

“I can’t. My client wants this wrapped up immediately.”

She leaned against her desk, extending her long legs. “Your client needs this divorce case publicized to win his election.”

Steven didn’t rebut because her assessment was correct.

“My client isn’t having an affair. Give me a couple more days…please.”

Steven stared at those sexy legs, remembering a time when they were entangled with his. His pulse skipped a beat.

Sliding them backward, she retracted her legs.

Too late. He closed the distance and lifted her on the desk. His legs forced hers apart as he nudged between them. He could take her right here, in her office, and she wouldn’t have the will to stop him. He trailed light kisses down her neck.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned her head to one side.

“Hell, woman, you know what it does to me when you say please,” he whispered against her skin. “You’re playing a dangerous game, but you won’t win.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “You want something from me, and I want something from you. I say we make a deal.”

“I’m listening.” She held his gaze.

“I’ll give you a few days. I might even convince my client to joint custody.”

Her eyebrows rose. “You could do that?”

“I can and will.” Steven slipped his hand in her hair and removed her hair clip, tangling his fingers in her hair. “If you agree to one night.”

“What?” She pushed him and jumped off the desk, straightening her skirt. “You can’t be serious? You want me to have sex with you in order to win my case?”

Steven laughed. “Listen to my terms before you go into hysterics. I’m suggesting a date—candlelight dinner, wine, conversation, and dancing.” His intention was to wine and dine her—to win her back.

“There has to be more. There always is with you.”

“You’re beautiful when you’re upset.”

She snatched the hair clip from his hand and lifted her hair to secure it in place. “What happens after the date?”

“That will be up to you.” He rested his arms over his chest. “I’d be willing to oblige a suggestion of an intimate ending.”

She pressed a finger on his chest. “You’re lower than hell.”

“If you don’t go to court to plead your case, your client won’t have a chance.”

“What if I don’t agree to your deal?”

“Then you’ll leave me no choice. I’ll have to set the wheels in motion to have the children removed from your client’s home.” He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping she’d believe him.

Christina opened her office door and waved her hand.

He walked to the door and stood beside her. With the tip of his finger, Steven gently lifted her chin and descended his lips over hers. The light brush against her lips had his pulse racing. “To seal our deal.” As he drove away from Christina’s office building, he smiled. She was clearly appalled by his suggested compromise, but too smart to decline. He wasn’t proud of his actions even if he had good intentions.

Normally, this type of case would be a breeze for Christina. His involvement in this case had her flustered. He wanted to return her focus in a way she couldn’t refuse. Christina would rise to the challenge. Offering her time with a price, she’d work harder to achieve victory, and if for some misfortune, she didn’t find the missing puzzle piece before the time allotted, Steven had one heck of a night planned.

A sinister plan? Maybe, but if his scheme went the way he prayed, they’d both win.