CHAPTER TWO
JACK GLANCED at his watch. Half an hour until landing and their descent couldn’t come a minute too soon. He didn’t know how much more togetherness he could take. Mallory shifted in her seat and her right knee grazed his left leg. A shot of heat radiated up his thigh.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, then sighed.
It had been like this for the entire flight. The cramped quarters of the plane and Mallory’s enforced proximity was causing his body to react in conflicting and confounding ways. She’d exchanged the uptight suit for a lightweight dress with a hem that ended marginally higher and revealed an enticing hint of bare skin. Without her stockings he was treated to tanned, smooth-looking flesh and he found his gaze drawn back again and again.
He assumed her contradiction in dress, along with the arousing floral scent that had permeated the cabin from the moment of her punctual arrival accounted for his curiosity. He wasn’t about to call what he felt for Mallory interest.
But he hadn’t noticed her feminine fragrance in his office earlier that afternoon, and he couldn’t help but wonder about a woman who dressed and acted with an ultraconservative flair, yet managed to unwittingly tease a man with her voice and affect him with her scent. A woman who could entice with an innocent, accidental brush of bare skin.
“So what’s the plan when we arrive?” Mallory asked.
Grateful for normal conversation at last, he turned toward her. “Lederman has a car meeting us at the airport. We should be at the resort by nine. I assume we’ll unpack and get some sleep. After that, it’s up to our host what happens next.”
“With any luck we can discuss his plans, lay out strategy and be home in a couple of days.”
He didn’t miss the hopeful note in her husky voice. “What do you have against the beach?”
“Nothing if you’re on vacation. But every day we’re out of the office means work is piling up.” Her jaw ticked in frustration.
He leaned back in his seat. “That’s why I had the bulk of your work reassigned. Paul Lederman is eccentric. He doesn’t like to be rushed and if he’s refusing to leave the resort to meet with us in the office, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a quick decision on his part.”
She muttered something he didn’t catch and he shifted his gaze from the drawn window shades to her face, taking in her profile for the first time. Severe hair and black glasses aside, she had chiseled features, high cheekbones and even minus the makeup, porcelain skin most actresses and models would kill to possess. But she did nothing to enhance her looks. In fact, she did everything possible to detract from them. He wondered why.
He shrugged and transferred his gaze. This flight was definitely too damn long if he was looking beyond the surface and contemplating Mallory Sinclair’s grooming habits.
“What are the basic facts of the case?” As she spoke, she leaned down and pulled a yellow legal pad from her briefcase, then grabbed for a pen. “Ready when you are.” She sat up straight in her seat.
The woman was brusque and efficient, the way he liked his associates. But not his women. Women, he preferred soft and pliant, warm and giving. With at least a week at a resort ahead of him, there’d be no shortage of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, strangers no longer appealed to him, which meant life was becoming increasingly complicated.
A short, no-strings affair suited his lifestyle and beliefs best. He couldn’t end up in divorce court as anything other than counsel if he lived by his self-imposed rules. With no commitments, he couldn’t be the cuckolded, sad excuse for a man his father had become. But with age came wisdom and discrimination—and an increasing restlessness he couldn’t understand.
“Mr. Latham? Is something wrong?”
At the sound of her lush tone, a ripple of awareness meandered through his veins. A trickling, growing warmth pulsed in his groin. Something was wrong, all right. Everything he was feeling about his associate was off-kilter and he didn’t like it one bit.
“What did you want?” he bit out.
“The facts of the case.” She waved the legal pad in the air, reminding him of why they were together on the plane. “I want to be up on things to help impress the client.”
He met her gaze behind the thick lenses. Sanity returned and he immediately felt better. “You might as well call me Jack.”
She nodded, wide-eyed.
He forced his stare away from the blue eyes he couldn’t see clearly. “Lederman’s been married for years. He’s fifty-eight and wants out.”
“Why?” She paused, pen ready to write down his every word.
“Irreconcilable differences.”
“That’s the legal definition. What’s the behind-the-scenes take on things? What will boost the settlement in his favor? Assuming we get the case.”
Jack stretched his legs out in front of him as much as he could, but made sure he didn’t touch Mallory as he moved. “That’s what we’re here to find out. Then we decide how to take her faults and spin them in our client’s favor.”
“Interesting turn of phrase—her faults.”
“How so?”
She crossed her legs in front of her, and his gaze fell to her ankles. He’d never been a leg man, but she made him rethink his preference.
“You’re assuming it was Mrs. Lederman’s fault that the marriage disintegrated. There’s always the possibility that our client was equally to blame. And if that’s the case, we need to put a positive spin on his negative actions.”
He leaned his head against the seat and turned toward her. “That’s what I said. We need to put a positive spin on things.”
“You said we need to spin her faults…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head before capping her pen. “Never mind.”
“I’m not sure I get the distinction you’re trying to make.”
She let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m sure you don’t.” She busied herself putting away her things and latching her briefcase.
“Good afternoon, folks.” A voice sounded on the loudspeaker, from the cockpit of the small plane. “We’re about ready to begin our descent, so go ahead and fasten your seatbelts…”
The captain’s voice prevented any further talk. Mallory checked her safety belt and stared out the window. She obviously had no desire to finish their conversation. Yet she’d gone and given him an odd, empty feeling in his gut. As though in the brief minutes of their discussion, she’d judged him and found him lacking.
He didn’t like the sensation of coming up short in her estimation and he wasn’t sure why. Once again, she had him off balance, only this time she’d left him with the burning desire to shift both her negative opinion as well as her lack of interest.
Jack loved a challenge, but he only acted when that challenge made sense. And his interest in Mallory Sinclair did not.
* * *
A WARM BREEZE blew off the ocean, carrying the scent of salt water in the air. Mallory’s hair frizzed in the humidity, destroying the bun she’d worked hard to make earlier this morning. She glanced at her watch. It was 8:00 a.m. and there was still no sign of their host.
“He’ll be here,” Jack said in response to her unspoken aggravation. “He said to go ahead and have breakfast and he’d meet up with us by the time we were finished.”
She raised her gaze from the cinnamon-raisin French toast on her plate to glance at Jack’s face—something she’d been avoiding doing all morning. If she’d thought him devastating in a suit, he was overwhelmingly handsome in khaki shorts and a collared, short-sleeved shirt. Powerful muscles flexed in his arms and tanned skin peeked through the open buttons over his chest. His jet-black hair had been combed neatly back, and a pair of Oakley sunglasses covered his piercing gray eyes. He was perfection in a masculine package while she was a frizzy mess of conservatism in a bland, navy dress.
Oh, well. She wasn’t here to impress Jack with her looks, she was here to dazzle both him and the client with her brains. If only she could pull her thoughts off his sexy frame and focus on the task ahead of them. She’d spent last night in her room across from his, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Unable to forget the scent of his musky cologne or his deep, rumbling voice.
“Glad you could make it. So what do you think of my place?” A booming male voice interrupted her inappropriate thoughts before she could take them to the sensual conclusion she’d experienced in her dreams.
“It’s incredible, but then you already know that.” Jack rose from his seat and Mallory followed suit. “Makes me realize I’m in the wrong line of work,” Jack said and laughed.
“You’re welcome out here any time,” a burly man said. “Now help me get rid of the albatross I married and I’ll name a suite after you and this colleague of yours.”
Mallory did her best not to wince at the callous words he used to describe his wife. The woman he’d married, for better or worse. The woman she assumed he’d once loved.
“Paul Lederman meet Mallory Sinclair, one of our top associates. Mallory, Paul Lederman.” Jack gestured between Mallory and their client who was dressed even more informally than Jack in boxerlike bathing trunks. Eccentric was putting it mildly, she thought.
She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you at last, Mr. Lederman.”
“Call me Paul.” He pumped her hand with enthusiasm. “Can’t be so formal while sitting at the beach and looking at this view.”
She glanced over his shoulder, taking in the clear blue sky and the glistening water in the background. He was right. She’d been so caught up in not watching Jack, she’d all but ignored the beauty in front of her. “You’re a lucky man, Mr. Lederman.”
He corrected her with a shake of his head.
“I mean Paul. Jack’s right. This place is incredible.”
“Then after we talk, make sure you let loose and enjoy it a bit. I like my attorneys on the same wavelength as I am.” He pulled out a chair and joined them at the table beneath the large umbrella. “Marriage.” He shook his head. “Risky business.”
Mallory grabbed for her pad and pen, while Jack leaned back in his seat. “Yours made it twenty-five years. Something must have held you two together,” Jack said.
Mallory liked the fact that Jack didn’t automatically bow to Lederman’s point of view, even if he silently agreed with the man.
“My money,” Lederman muttered.
“And children,” Jack added.
“The kids are on their own now.”
“So what are you looking for?” Mallory asked. “A quick out or…”
She didn’t get a chance to finish before he picked up speed. “I don’t care about quick. I just don’t want to be taken for all I’ve got. All I’ve worked for my whole life.”
“Does your wife work?” she asked.
“Hell no. Unless you count spending my money work.”
“What about raising your kids, Paul? When did that stop counting for something?” a female voice asked.
Mallory looked up.
An older but still beautiful brunette stood behind Paul Lederman. “And what about catering your parties? Seeing to your important guests? Your whims? Your needs? Your health?” The woman met Mallory’s gaze in an obvious search for feminine understanding.
In the brown depths, Mallory glimpsed a sadness and weariness that tore at her heart. Without knowing all the facts, Mallory imagined Mrs. Lederman as a woman much like her own mother, who sacrificed everything in order to further her husband’s desires. If her mother had focused even for a moment on anything other than her husband, she might have taken notice of the daughter she’d borne, then ignored when her father had decreed her a disappointment. With a sigh, Mallory shook off the personal memories, but her heart went out to Mrs. Lederman.
But she couldn’t afford to pity her client’s wife. Not if she was going to convince the man she could represent him to the best of her abilities. With difficulty, Mallory tore her gaze away from the woman’s pleading expression and focused on her client instead.
She couldn’t read the man or his feelings for his soon-to-be ex-wife. But she did see an aging man with a slight paunch and receding hairline who was married to an elegant, attractive woman who still desired to be his wife.
“I suggest you two do all communication through your attorneys from now on,” Jack said, in a kind but firm voice.
Mallory glanced up through hooded eyes. The sadness in Mrs. Lederman’s countenance grew.
“I didn’t realize you’d already hired yours,” his wife said.
Paul Lederman coughed once. “I haven’t finalized a decision yet.”
“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourself,” Mallory advised.
He nodded. “The lady’s got a point because I’m hiring the best.”
Mallory recognized Lederman’s subtle implication that he hadn’t yet decided if Waldorf, Haynes deserved the job, but right now her focus was on Mrs. Lederman and her pain.
“You don’t scare me, Paul. I’m looking at a man who doesn’t recognize the best when he’s got it in his life.” To the other woman’s credit, she held her emotions in check as best she could before she walked away, head held high.
“I didn’t realize you were still living together,” Jack said, breaking the awkward silence that followed.
Lederman snorted. “Not together. Opposite sides of the resort. She won’t leave. Says she loves me but what she really means is she won’t be charged with desertion. From her point of view, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is hers. Damn place is turning into the War of the Roses.”
He shot to his feet quickly, pushing his chair back hard. “And I want someone who can get me the hell out of it without a dent in my wallet.” Muttering to himself, the older man stalked off, leaving Jack and Mallory alone.
“Dammit.” Jack groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s explosive. I don’t want to lose this client.”
Mallory nodded. “Even if we get the case, with his personality if we can’t control him, she’ll come off looking sympathetic.” Which the other woman most definitely was, Mallory thought.
But she schooled her face into the blank mask she’d perfected over the years, careful not to reveal her inner turmoil to Jack. He was a partner and had a vote in whether or not she became one as well. There was no way she could afford to show weakness now, especially gender-oriented weakness.
She tapped her pencil against her pad. “There’s a story behind every sympathetic façade. Maybe Mrs. Lederman has a lover.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. Although Mallory had been called in on this case because of her gender, he’d expected to battle some form of feminine empathy while working along with her. Instead she was wholly focused on their client’s needs. He ought to be impressed, but her coolness bothered him in ways he didn’t understand. After all, didn’t he already know she was ambitious?
“What if it’s Mr. Lederman who’s cheating?” he asked, curious as to how she’d get around the hypothetical dilemma.
Mallory shrugged. “It all comes down to power. Whoever’s got the most power—in this case, money and strength of will—wins. It doesn’t look like we’ll get much of a fight out of Mrs. Lederman.” She paused in thought.
For a brief moment, even behind her glasses, her eyes clouded over and Jack clung to the hope she’d crack. Show some sign of feminine emotion. But just as quickly, the glimmer disappeared and Mallory met his gaze head-on, determination on her face. “We ought to take advantage of the fact that she doesn’t seem to want the divorce,” she said. “Use that to our advantage in convincing Lederman we’ve got the best strategy.”
“She doesn’t want the divorce yet. If she gets hit hard she’ll probably hire an attorney who will come out swinging.”
“Exactly.” Mallory’s voice rose in pitch, excitement infusing her tone as well as her spirit.
He could see now why she was so good at her job. Because she truly loved the nitty-gritty details and the opportunity to work out solutions to a client’s benefit. He understood because he felt the same rush of adrenaline each time a case or an idea came to a successful conclusion. “So what do you propose?”
“We need to strike first and the only way we can do that is by winning control of this case. I’ll call Rogers and see what kind of dirt he can dig up on Mrs. Lederman and her past. In the meantime, you question Mr. Lederman. I mean Paul. He’s more likely to open up to you anyway. Male bonding and all that.”
A grin edged the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t help it. She was a bossy thing when she got revved up and he enjoyed her take-charge attitude. “Any other orders?”
An unexpected flush stained her cheeks. From pale to cherry in a matter of seconds. So warm blood ran through those veins after all. For a brief moment, he wondered just how hot he could get that blood pumping. Until he refocused and realized this was Mallory he was daydreaming about. His staid, uptight, probably repressed colleague.
He definitely needed to hook up with a woman and soon. Sexual drought. There was no other explanation for the bizarre reactions he was having toward his associate.
She shook her head. “Sorry. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”
“Actually I’d say you were on target and thinking clearly. You go ahead and call the private investigator. If Lederman sees we’re investing time and money in him without a guarantee, he’s likely to be impressed. And I’m positive I can sway him before this trip is out.”
“Really? I mean, great! I’ll get on it.” Her surprise was tangible.
Given her probable history with the other partners in the firm, he understood. But he wasn’t one to knock a good idea just because it hadn’t come from him. Her ideas were solid and her train of thought followed his. They’d make a good team.
A good working team, he amended. “You do that.”
She met his gaze and nodded. She held his stare a minute too long.
He was unable to break the connection, but she had no problem. As she’d done many times this morning, her intense gaze darted from his, guiltily, as if she were a kid who’d gotten caught doing something naughty.
What a bundle of contradictions she was. He doubted he’d ever understand her. It was probably best he never did. Because she drove him to distraction, causing him to question himself and his feelings. Why did he care what Mallory thought or felt as long as she did her job and did it well? Why did he have this strong, lingering desire to see if she possessed a feminine side? Why the hell did he need to know she had the emotions and the ability to empathize with a woman Jack would ultimately screw in a divorce settlement?
His feelings regarding Mallory Sinclair made no sense. Though Jack doubted Lederman was blameless, he was certain Mallory was right. If they dug deep enough, they’d uncover dirt on Mrs. Lederman and probably force her hand—which by implication would win Lederman over.
But Mallory’s callous disregard of the other woman’s plight stayed with him. And Jack knew why. Her single-minded determination to succeed at all costs reminded him of his mother’s tenacity at taking what she wanted outside her marriage, regardless of the repercussions to his father. A strange analogy, maybe but one that was alive and glaring.
One that gave him the urge to see how far she would go in the name of her job. He leaned forward. “Mallory.”
She paused from collecting her things. “Yes?”
“If you run into Mrs. Lederman and chances are good you will…”
She rose from her seat. “Don’t worry, Jack. I can handle her.” She paused, then drew a deep breath. “Reach out to the tentative vulnerable wife we just saw. Woman-to-woman, you know?”
Jack closed his eyes. He knew. It was the exact reason she’d been chosen for this case. But hearing her say it so callously, as if she had no empathy at all for Mrs. Lederman, gave him an impression of Mallory he didn’t want to believe. The professional part of him was impressed but the man in him yearned to see she was human, that she felt at least a feminine kinship for Mrs. Lederman even if she couldn’t act on those feelings.
And he still wanted to know she wasn’t as cold and calculating as she appeared. “You make it sound like you’d hit her up with false sympathy anywhere, including the ladies room.”
She paused, as if contemplating his words and her delay in answering gave him hope.
“If that’s what it took to win this client over, then yes. I would,” she said at last.
So much for hope, he thought, disappointed beyond words. “Geez, lady, you’re cold. Just once on this trip I’d like to see the woman beneath the frigid façade.”
She stiffened and Jack cursed. He hadn’t meant to speak aloud, nor had he meant to insult her. He just couldn’t understand the conflicting emotions she inspired in him. But it wasn’t an excuse and he doubted she’d understand.
She held the pad against her chest. “I take it that wasn’t a compliment.”
That much was obvious. “Look, I meant nothing by it. It was just a thoughtless…”
“Tactless, male remark. No offense taken.” But her lips trembled as she spoke.
He didn’t believe her. Though she hadn’t run off in tears and her strength impressed him, he’d finally managed to crack the frigid mask she’d pasted on her face. This time she wasn’t able to hide the pain his words caused her.
He felt lower than a snake. He’d gotten his wish. He hadn’t seen her feminine side but he knew one existed. Unfortunately getting his wish held little satisfaction right now and not only because he’d hurt her. But because in causing her pain, he’d learned something about himself and Mallory. He cared about her feelings—something that was rare for him when dealing with women.
He hated phony tears. He hated when a woman played on his sympathy because he’d supposedly hurt her tender feelings. His mother was an expert at playing his father. And Jack had always sworn he’d never be the vulnerable one. To accomplish that goal, he couldn’t let himself care.
He glanced at Mallory’s face. She’d managed to plaster on a fake smile. One he didn’t buy for a second. And that bothered him. A lot.
“See you.” She turned and walked away, blue skirt hanging too low around her legs, hair pulled back in an unattractive bun.
“Shit,” Jack said loud and clear. He glanced around the beach, which had filled up with women. Scantily clad women. Single women.
If Mallory appealed to him on so many levels there had to be a reason.
Maybe he just needed to get laid.