Chapter 7

Leo

Five years later

Mondays had never been my favorite day of the week, but walking into my office to see Tabatha Holt bent over made up for it.

She looked up from the pile of sugar packets she’d spilled and gave me a warm welcome. “Good morning, Mr. Pace. How was your weekend?”

She’d always called me Mr. Pace, even in the bedroom, which had been as much of a turn-on as anything else about her, and she was a beautiful girl. She picked up the last of the packets and stood, smoothing out her skirt and fluffing her hair.

“It was good. Too short as usual.” I glanced up to see a stray sugar packet had wedged itself in the pleat of her blouse and walked over to save her from future embarrassment. “You missed one.” I pulled the packet off her shirt and gave her a wink. “Better put that one in my coffee. It’s extra sweet.”

She giggled and turned to fix me a cup as I walked into my office and placed my briefcase on my desk. She walked in with my steaming cup of brew, placed it on my desk, and ripped the packet open. Once she poured it in, eye fucking me the whole time, she stirred it with a red swizzle straw.

“Just the way you ordered.” She licked the stick, her tongue stroking it before her mouth closed on it, exactly the way she’d tasted my cock, and then with a wink, she walked away.

“You sure make my mornings brighter, Tabby.” As she closed the door, I mumbled to myself, “And my dick harder.” I knew I shouldn’t encourage her so much, but the game between us was the only thing that kept me sane around the office.

My father hadn’t ever made working for him pleasant, and with him being such a hard-ass all the time, putting me and my best friend Jon against one another constantly, it only made working for him worse. Lucky for me, I had proven myself to be a vital asset to the firm, and my undefeated title was still strong thanks to my latest win.

I heard a knock and wondered if Tabby was going to come in and offer more of her services, but then Jon opened the door and walked in, killing my boner.

“There’s the golden child. I heard about the case Friday. Congratulations, man. I don’t see how you do it, but you’re on fire. I hope you celebrated over the weekend. I didn’t hear from you.”

“I might have had a little fun. Or two.” A brief image of the two women I’d spent my nights with came to mind and got my blood flowing again.

“Oh, yeah? What were fun’s names? New fun or old fun?”

“Names are unimportant. You know I’ll never actually hook up with anyone for more than a night or two.”

“Right. But you do realize that one day, you’re going to have to settle down. You can’t keep juggling your job and all the women.”

“That’s just the thing, man. I don’t waste time juggling. I tell them right up front what I want. If they don’t want to play my game, they don’t have to. Maybe if you’d quit trying to put your energy into finding Mrs. Right, you’d stop losing cases. Get your head in the game.”

Jon chuckled. He hadn’t been on a date in months, but every time he found someone, he wondered if he should marry them. “Just because your father gives me all the losing cases, doesn’t mean I’m not focused. And we’re not getting any younger. I thought I’d be married by now.”

“You and Mindy practically were. Which reminds me, did you ever get your balls back from her purse?” He’d dated Mindy for almost four years before they finally broke up, but because of a home they’d bought together, they’d remained friendly. I hated the way she walked all over him, and I’d offered to represent him in suing her to force her to sell so they could pay it off and he could recoup his money. Instead, being the gentleman, he’d given it to her.

“Very funny.” He gripped his sac and held up his middle finger, and that’s the precise moment my father walked in.

“Jesus, what the hell is going on in here?” My father clenched a file in one fist and waved the other hand out like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Jon’s checking for a hernia. He said the cases you’re giving him are too much to carry.”

Jon pulled his lips in tight to try not to smile. “Actually, I came down to congratulate your son on another victory, but I was just leaving.”

Now it was my turn to hold up a middle finger. It was just like him to rush off when my father showed up, and even though he’d tried to get the old man to acknowledge that I’d done such a great thing for his firm, he knew as well as I did that it would never happen.

My father huffed, looking at us both with a scowl. “Stop making those obscene gestures. You’re professionals. Act like it.”

Jon hurried out and left me alone with him. “So, Dad, what’s up. You rarely come down the hall to my end of the building.” I offered him a seat, but he shook his head. The old man liked to posture over people. It made him feel like a big shot.

“I’ve signed you on another case. It’s high-profile, and a lot of money is on the table.”

I eased back in my chair and put my hands up over my head. “Naturally, you want the best on the case?” I gave him a wink and figured he’d know I was kidding. Any normal father would. Hell, a normal father might have kidded back or acknowledged I’d never lost a case and maybe been proud of that.

Instead, he shook his head and looked at me like I couldn’t disappoint him more. “That ego is what’s going to knock you on your ass one day. Now focus, would you?”

“What’s the case about?” I never knew what type of case he’d throw my way, and I was waiting for the one that might come in and blow my streak.

“You’ll be representing Whit White. He’s a manager in the music industry, and he’s being sued by one of his bands.”

“Is it a strong case? What’s he being sued for? Breach of contract? Sexual harassment? Misuse of power?”

“They claim he was stealing their money. He seems to think the contract is ironclad.” My father walked over and placed the folder on my desk.

“Who’s the band?”

“Some hard rock garbage, Bloody Sunday or some shit. I can’t remember. It’s in the file.”

“Sabbath Sundae?” The blood rushed from my head, and I felt like melting into the floor.

He snapped his fingers. “That’s it. Sounds like it will be pretty cut and dry.”

I got to my feet. “Dad, I can’t take this case.”

“Why the hell not?” He stepped closer. “Is there some kind of conflict?”

“You remember our neighbors the Campbells back at the old house? Kya is the lead singer and founder of that band. They used to practice right next door to us.”

“And you haven’t been friends with her since she grew tits, so what’s the problem?”

“It’s a conflict.” I didn’t need to tell the old man I’d slept with her twice and that I’d been pretty shitty about how I’d treated her the last time I saw her.

While I’d meant the whole friendship thing, I actually never thought I’d see her again, but this was going to put me seeing quite a lot of her, and she’d never forgive me for representing some asshole who was out to get her money more than likely.

“You’ll take this case. I’m not losing this money because you knew some kid back fifteen years ago. Be ready to meet your client tomorrow.” He turned and walked to the door, and I plopped down in my chair, knowing, case aside, I might have just taken on a situation I couldn’t win with Kya or my father.