SHE WAS WINNING.
And Stone wasn’t sure what the hell to do about it. She wasn’t just winning the trial, either. She was winning her vow that they wouldn’t have sex again.
Sure, it had only been a week. But it felt like a lifetime since he’d been closer to her than the distance between the prosecution and the defense tables. A couple of times he’d stepped close to her, so close that he’d gotten a whiff of the shampoo she used on her hair. It was something fruity, something that made his mouth water with desire to put his face in it, to breathe deep as he thrust inside her body.
He groaned and shifted on his desk chair. It was late—or early. He had no idea at the moment. He’d gone back to the office after court had ended its session at the end of Friday. But it could have been Saturday by now. He glanced toward the tall windows, but the light was dim. Maybe it was night illuminated with the city lights of Midtown.
Despite his muscles protesting the sudden movement, Stone forced himself up from his chair and walked to the window. No. It was daylight, just overcast with ominous clouds darkening the sky.
He’d been awake all night. No wonder his body ached. But it wasn’t just his neck and shoulders aching from being slumped over his desk. His body ached lower.
And it ached for Hillary...
Damn her.
She was torturing him. And she knew it. Or she must. Or why did she wear those little suits of hers just a little too snug, so that the button pulled across her full breasts and so that the skirt molded against her ass.
He wanted to grab her ass. Wanted to hold it, as he drove himself inside her. He groaned at the thought of taking her like that.
But hell, he’d take her any way he could get her right now. He wanted her so badly—almost as badly as he wanted to win. But his chances of either were starting to look as dismal as that dark sky.
The bank statements hadn’t been forged or fudged like the documents the mole had concocted against Ronan. Byron Mueller had transferred a hefty sum of money to his son’s friend—the one the two of them had supposedly been hanging out with on Byron’s yacht when the murder occurred.
While Hillary could have argued that the son would lie for the father—especially since the father bankrolled the son’s decadent lifestyle—it would have been harder for her to claim the same about the friend, if those damn bank statements hadn’t turned up.
She’d nearly been gleeful when she’d presented them in court. The kid had tried to stick to his story regarding the alibi. But she’d flustered him.
Just like she’d flustered Stone. He didn’t know who to believe now.
He only knew one thing for certain. That he wanted her. She was so damn exciting in court—and out of it. As fun as it was sparring with her in front of the jury, it was even more exhilarating having sex with her.
She was so damn passionate. So damn responsive...
How could she not want him anymore?
Wasn’t she aching for him like he was for her? Or did she have someone else to fill in for him?
Heels clicked against the wood floor outside Stone’s open door, and his pulse quickened. Was it her? Had she come to see him? To fuck him?
He turned hopefully toward the door, but his shoulders slumped when he saw who had entered his office. Allison McCann was undeniably beautiful with her pale skin and deep red hair. But she wasn’t Hillary.
Whereas Hillary was full of fire and passion, Allison was cold and aloof. Some men might consider her a challenge. But Stone knew the real challenge was a woman like Hillary—one who was as passionate about winning as he was.
It was just too damn bad that she was winning now.
He uttered a weary sigh as his sleepless night weighed on him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his only sleepless night since he’d had sex with Hillary. He was exhausted.
“Hello, Ms. McCann,” he greeted her, but he could not inspire any real enthusiasm to see her. “Did we have an appointment?” It was Saturday, so he doubted it.
“A few of them, Mr. Michaelsen,” she replied. “But you keep canceling them.”
“I don’t remember rescheduling one for today.” Not that he hadn’t. Hillary had him so distracted he’d only just figured out what day it was and if it was day or night. So it was possible that he had made an appointment.
Her skin flushed slightly. “You did not.”
“I did,” Trev said as he strolled into Stone’s office behind her.
Stone peered at his friend through eyes bleary from lack of sleep. “Funny, but you don’t look like my assistant.”
Trev chuckled. “Seems like you need one for this trial. And, lucky for you, I happen to be between cases of my own.”
Allison glanced at him with just a flicker of an expression. Stone couldn’t be certain but she seemed faintly surprised. He wasn’t. He knew Trev was just weighing which case he wanted to tackle next. He had plenty of requests for representation. But he was looking for something that excited him.
Like Stone’s case excited him. Or was it just Hillary that excited him?
Unfortunately, she—and the trial—had also exhausted him. So maybe he could use Trev’s help. He settled back onto his chair, trying not to flinch as his muscles protested how much time he’d already spent at his desk. He waved Trev and Allison into the chairs in front of him.
He turned toward his partner. “So you called this meeting. What’s on the agenda?”
Before Trev could open his mouth, Allison spoke. “You need to do some damage control. You’re losing your trial in court and in the press.”
“Have you been in court?” Stone asked.
“Yes, I have attended a couple of sessions this week,” she said.
He hadn’t noticed her. But then, Hillary was the only woman he’d been noticing for a while now. When she was near, she totally distracted him.
“Oh” was all he managed.
“You’re not arguing with her,” Trev said. He’d also observed a couple of sessions.
“You know Hillary is kicking my ass.” Stone was not too proud to admit it.
“Is that all she’s doing?” Trev asked, his green eyes gleaming with speculation.
If the publicist hadn’t been present, Stone might have admitted the truth to his friend. But they weren’t alone. And he didn’t want to embarrass Hillary publicly. He saved that for private. Of course, she’d been careful to not allow him any more private time with her for the rest of the week.
He nearly groaned over how much he missed her.
Then Trev chuckled. “Guess that’s my answer, huh?”
“I didn’t answer you,” Stone reminded him.
“And that was an answer in itself.”
“God, I hate lawyers.” The words slipped out of Allison McCann almost as if unbidden. She looked as shocked as Stone and Trev were when they turned toward her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, and her pale skin flushed with embarrassment.
Guess she hadn’t meant to say that aloud—especially as Street Legal had to be one of her biggest clients, or else why would she have shown up on a Saturday?
Instead of being offended, Stone laughed. Trev had his same sense of humor and importance, and he laughed even harder.
“It’s just that you—that lawyers in general,” she said, “seem to find it hard to answer a question directly.”
“Stone isn’t always like that,” Trev defended him. “He’s probably the most direct one of the four of us.” He turned back toward him and narrowed his eyes as he studied Stone’s face. “That’s why I know something’s going on with him and Hillary Bellows.”
“It’s not,” Stone replied. At least it wasn’t anymore, and he doubted that she would let it go on again.
“That’s good,” Allison replied.
“What?” Trev asked. “You got a thing for Stone?”
She narrowed her eyes in a glare that she turned on Trev. But Stone nearly shivered from the coldness of it.
“What?” Trev asked. “I thought you liked directness.”
“I like...” Allison began, “...directness...”
“Not lawyers,” Stone finished for her. He could understand that. He hadn’t dated any lawyers before Hillary. Not that they were dating or anything.
They were just having sex. Or had had sex.
Mind-blowing sex. Maybe that was because they were in the same profession and understood each other so well. Or maybe it was just because she was hot as hell.
Allison McCann was not hot. She was about as cold a woman as Stone had ever met, which she confirmed when she said, “Since you’re not in a relationship with Hillary Bellows, you won’t mind us going after her in the media.”
“Going after her?” Stone asked uneasily.
“We can bring up how she is only trying this case to go after her boss’s job,” Allison suggested, “how her ambition blinds her to justice.”
Trev nodded in agreement.
Was that true? Was that why she couldn’t see that Byron Mueller was innocent? Or was that because the billionaire was starting to look damn guilty even to Stone? That was who Stone should be talking to right now. Not Allison McCann and his partner.
“I’m not so sure that’s true,” Stone said in Hillary’s defense.
“You don’t think she’s ambitious?” Allison asked.
He chuckled. “Hell, yes, she is,” he heartily admitted. “But she’s also all about justice.” She had been during every trial they’d had together, but most especially this one. Was she like Judge Harrison and just biased against billionaires? Or did she have some personal reason to not like the man?
“She’s all about winning,” Allison said. “And she does against everyone...but you.”
Stone tensed. He hadn’t realized that. He’d known she was good, but he hadn’t realized just how damn good she was.
“This case is personal to her because of you,” Allison said. “We can use that, too. Say that she must have a crush on you and because you’ve never been interested in her, she’s acting like a woman scorned—bitter and resentful.”
Stone laughed again. For many reasons.
There was nothing bitter and resentful about Hillary. And she knew exactly how interested he was in her.
“What?” Trev asked. “You’re not liking any of this?”
He shook his head.
“Why not?” Trev asked. “Why don’t you want to go after Hillary Bellows?”
He wanted to go after her—hard. He wanted to take her on her desk again. Or in his car. Or hell, maybe even on a bed. Or up against a wall.
He wanted to fill his hands with her breasts and fill her up with his—
Trev snapped his fingers again. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Stone ran a hand, that shook slightly, over his face. “I was up all night working the case,” he said. “This wasn’t the best time to have a meeting.”
“You want to cancel again?” Allison asked, her voice going all prissy.
“No.” But it was Trev who offered the assurance. “Stone needs to get some rebuttal out there. Hillary Bellows is giving interview after interview where she makes our law firm sound like a bunch of crooks—”
“And cons,” another male voice chimed in.
Stone glanced to the doorway where Simon Kramer, the managing partner, leaned against the jamb. He didn’t look any happier with him than Allison McCann did.
He groaned.
“She’s right,” Simon said. “We need to get some rebuttal out there.”
“That’s not all we need to do,” Stone said pointedly. He’d told Hillary about the mole when she’d come up with those bank records because he’d been hoping they were forged like the documents used against Ronan. But for some reason he hesitated about saying anything in front of the publicist.
His partners must have felt the same, for they didn’t expand. But Simon nodded in agreement. He knew they needed to find the mole.
“What?” Allison asked uneasily.
Maybe she thought they were going to fire her, especially since Stone kept canceling meetings with her.
Simon stepped forward and smiled at her. “Street Legal needs to win this case.”
He knew about the million-dollar bonus, and as the managing partner, money mattered most to him.
“Why don’t you and I discuss those press releases?” Simon asked Allison.
Stone stood up but not because Allison also had. He stood up to protest Simon letting her bash Hillary. But before he could say anything, Simon shook his head. That was another argument Stone knew he wouldn’t win.
Simon wanted to defend and protect the firm, which had been his idea all those years when they’d lived on the streets. They had all worked hard to build it but no one harder than Simon. He was obviously determined to not let anyone hurt it. The mole. Or Hillary Bellows.
Stone sighed as they walked away.
Trev stared after Allison McCann. Once Simon led her out of sight, he let out a low whistle and asked, “Why have none of us ever been with her?”
“Would you want to read the press release she’d put out when one of us ended it?” Stone asked. He was afraid of what she was going to put out there now—about Hillary.
Hillary was already furious with him over the bra thing. And the panties. He hadn’t put the panties in his briefcase. But he also hadn’t returned either of the items. Of course, that was her fault. She’d told security to not allow him up unless she called down and said they had an appointment.
And he knew the only reason she’d take an appointment with him was if he asked for a plea deal for his client. But that wasn’t going to happen. At least not for his client.
Stone was getting just about desperate enough to ask for a plea deal for himself—for at least one more time with Hillary. But somehow he didn’t think one more time would be enough.
* * *
It had been over a week since she’d had sex with Stone in her office. But she swore she could still smell him in it—on her. She breathed deep and closed her eyes, remembering how he’d made her feel so damn needy.
Just like she felt now. She needed him, needed him to touch her, to taste her...like he had when he’d lifted her onto her desk and dropped to his knees in front of her. He’d licked and lapped at her mound before flicking his tongue over her clit. She shifted against the chair as tension built inside her. She wanted him to go down on her again, wanted him to drive his tongue and his fingers inside her.
A soft moan slipped through her lips and she reached down, needing to touch herself like he’d touched her. But before she could slide her hand beneath her skirt, like he had, her door rattled.
Excitement coursed through her, and her already taut nipples tightened more. Maybe he’d charmed his way past security again. Maybe he was as hungry to be with her as Hillary was to be with him again.
But when her door opened, it wasn’t Stone standing in front of her. It was her boss.
And all her passion fled, her distaste for her boss chilling the heat of desire she’d felt remembering how it had been with Stone. The short guy wasn’t leering at her like he usually did, though.
Instead, his eyes were narrowed and he was glaring. She knew why. She’d seen the press release Street Legal had put out. Stone had waited awhile to issue one, but he’d made up for lost time.
What he’d said...
Or what he had at least authorized McCann Public Relations to say...
Anger coursed through her, chasing away that last bit of desire she’d felt for him. If he had been the one to show up in her office, she would have slapped him instead of having sex with him.
Well, she would have at least slapped him first. Or maybe after.
It had been too long since she’d been with him outside the courtroom. But even in the courtroom he turned her on, the way he argued with her...the way he looked at her.
Even though she was beating him, he looked at her with a lot less resentment than her boss was currently looking at her with. “It’s not true,” she told him.
“What?” he asked. “That you’re not winning the Mueller trial? That’s not true?”
She leaned back and smiled with satisfaction. “Oh, that’s true.” And she wasn’t certain who was more shocked—the defendant, his lawyer or her boss.
“You didn’t tell me you had evidence to disprove Mueller’s alibi.” And he sounded petulant that she’d kept that information from him.
She shrugged. “It only just recently came to my attention.” Thanks to Street Legal’s little office mole.
Was it some ex-lover of Stone’s? Or another of the partners? She could understand a woman being bitter if Stone stopped having sex with her.
But giving out the practice’s secrets went beyond scorned. That was vindictive. Just like her boss.
“You should have told me the minute you got it,” he said. “I would have taken the case then.”
Which was why she hadn’t told him.
“But I will be taking it now.”
She held back her protest to offer a weak nod. “Of course, but aren’t you worried?”
“What? You think I’ll lose it?” He snorted derisively, but she saw the nerves flicker in his beady little eyes.
“That must be what Stone Michaelsen thinks,” Hillary said. “Or else why would he have put out those lies undermining our department?”
Wilson Tremont’s forehead furrowed as he tried to follow her. “You’re saying he thinks you could beat him but that I can’t?”
Hillary shrugged. “Of course I know you’re the better lawyer of the two of us,” she lied. “And despite that press release, there is no way I will ever have your job.” That was no lie. She shuddered at the thought.
No. Stone had gotten it right that first night in her office. Well, that right in addition to all the other things he’d done right to her.
She wanted to be a judge someday. She wanted to dole out justice, not play the games her boss had to in order to keep his job. But she wasn’t above playing them herself in order to keep this case.
“You’ve already pointed out how I know nothing about politics,” she reminded him. Of course, he was wrong, but he didn’t need to know that. She’d changed her last name, so nobody would know that. “And I have no interest in learning.”
Except for when she ran for district judge. Then she’d employ everything she knew. And she knew a hell of a lot.
Her boss nodded. “That’s right. You’ve said that.”
“Yeah, Allison McCann and Michaelsen couldn’t have lied more in that press release than they did.” She rubbed her chin and acted as if she were trying to figure out why. “What could they be up to?”
She’d led him to the water, but he had to lean over and drink himself. And he did.
His face flushed as he realized what she had. Stone Michaelsen thought she was the better lawyer. “He thinks he can beat me!” He sucked in a breath as if Stone was there and had punched him.
“So you’re right to take the case from me,” she said, as if she agreed with his power grab. “You can prove him wrong.”
Wilson stood silently in her doorway.
“You’ve beaten him before, right?” she asked.
And his face flushed a deeper shade of red.
She pitched her voice low as if she was confiding a secret to him. But he already knew. “I’ve never beaten him before, either.”
But she would this time—if he and McCann hadn’t fully manipulated her power-hungry boss.
“He’s always pulling some last-minute trick,” Hillary continued. Like seducing her...
“That must be why he and that PR firm wanted to cause the look of dissension in our office.” She sighed. “Once you take the case from me, it’ll look like you fell for their game.”
Wilson cussed. “Then they’ll be laughing at us in the media.”
She sighed and nodded. “Probably. And bragging about how they played us.”
“I will not have that,” he said. “You’re keeping this case. I’m sure you can handle whatever game Stone Michaelsen is playing.”
That made one of them. She could handle anything Stone threw at her in the media or in the courtroom. But when he touched her, when he kissed her...
Game over.
He won every time.
No. She was smart to stay away from him. No matter how much she wanted him, she couldn’t risk it. She was not going to lose the case or her self-control. She’d already known her career depended on her winning. Now she wondered if her heart might as well...