These last three months since Colby and I got back together have been awesome. My house sold a month ago, clearing that piece out of my life, and Colby’s last show is this weekend, so there will be more time for us. Two weeks ago, Colby showed up at my office practically bouncing out of her skin with excitement. Her father’s estate cleared probate and they were able to pay off the money I’d loaned them and put a little back into the business. Now they are debt free and all breathing easier. I have a crazy amount of money in my bank account that I’m not sure what to do with again, but it made them all happy to have that settled, so I’m glad too.

The only thing that hasn’t been good is the firm where I work. Their demands have been ridiculous. If it were up to them I’d do nothing but work, and I’m over it. When 70 hours a week isn’t enough, that doesn’t say good things to me. Now that I have a life that I’m enjoying, I don’t want to spend every waking moment at a job I only tolerate. With Colby gone it wasn’t killing me to work, but now that she’ll be home I have no interest in being here all the time. It makes no sense to me.

I’m contemplating this dilemma while closing out a completed case and opening a new one. About that time there is a knock on my door and before I can answer, the door is opened and Jerry Stanton strides through. Nina is behind him with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. He must have barged right in. The guy is such a dick.

“Martinez, I need you to finish work on the Scandro file today and send it over for review. The last one like it that you did wasn’t to our liking and we want to make sure this one is done right.”

I clench my teeth instead of telling him to fuck off. I did exactly what I was told by our senior partner, Mr. Hadensbach. This guy is a partner, but he’s my equal, and there is no way in hell I’m sending anything over to him for approval unless Mr. Hadensbach tells me too.

“Stanton, no one told me they didn’t like the way I handled that case. If you wanted it done a certain way, you should’ve taken it yourself.” I pause for effect. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” I point at him like I’m just remembering. “You didn’t take on the client because they specifically asked for you not to.”

I bend over and grab my cup of coffee and take a sip, watching how red his ears get when he’s pissed. He thought he would come in here and manhandle me a little and make me do what he says. He mistakes my quiet demeanor for being a pushover.

“Unless Mr. Hadensbach directly requests that I send it over to your department, you can forget taking a look at what I’m working on. Now, if you could see your way out, I have things to do.”

“You’re an asshole, Martinez,” he growls as he leaves the room, slamming my door as he goes.

A second later, my assistant peeks in. “I’m so sorry. Mr. Stanton wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’s such a jerk.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can handle him.”

“Just be careful. I don’t trust him; most of the other lawyers don’t either and none of the women do.”

“Has he done anything to any of the women?”

“Not that anyone has said, but most women have a sixth sense for a certain kind of unsafe man and he sets off all of our red flags, or at least the ladies I do lunch with.”

“Okay, well you let me know if you hear of anything. I won’t allow anything like that to happen under the same roof as me.”

“I know, Mr. Martinez. You’re a good man.”

She smiles at me and pulls the door closed behind me. I need a vacation. Maybe I’ll see if Colby wants to join me on one after she gets back home. We could use a little time together without anyone else around.

* * *

Colby’s due home tonight so I got the key to her house from her sister and have tried to plan the most romantic night I could think of. Diego’s wife cooked us a lasagna that’s warming in the oven. I changed the sheets on her bed and bought the store out of candles to light around the house. In fact, I bought so many of them it’ll probably take me 20 minutes just to light them all. According to Dana, no one has ever done anything like this for her before and I like that I can be the first. She deserves so much better than she’s gotten in the past and it’s my mission to ensure that she knows there is nothing more important to me than her.

Everything is just about ready—the music is playing softly, the lasagna is warming, the beer is chilling in a bucket on the table and I only have three candles left to light when I hear a car door. I abandon the remaining candles, excited to have her home, and open the door for her. Only it’s not her. Fuck me. I thought this guy had gone back into his hole again. Curtis is climbing the steps and stops halfway up when he sees me.

“You’re still around?” he asks, pausing on the second step.

“Yeah, what are you doing here?”

“Told Colby I’d meet her here. We have a date.”

“Not likely.”

He leans around me and peeks through the entryway. “I think your little seduction scene is about to go to waste, partner, but I’ll be glad to use it to my benefit.”

Something about this guy’s arrogance crawls under my skin and irritates the shit out of me. I can’t decide if it’s his cocky demeanor or his sure-fire way to say something crude in reference to Colby. I spoke to Colby last night and she had no plans. She thought I was working, but I don’t think she would meet with him if she thought I was busy. Not with the way things have been between us since I showed up in San Antonio to help her.

“I’m thinking it’s time for you to go crawl back under whatever rock you came out from, Curtis. If Colby was so important to you, you would have held on to her the first time. You obviously didn’t have a clue how good you had it and now you’re back. It’s just too bad she’s taken now.”

“By you? Please. Colby likes a man who’s a little more,” he pauses and looks me up and down, “manly than you are.”

For whatever reason, his words snap something inside me. Maybe it’s the pressure from work. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m tired of being underestimated. I’m not sure what really triggers it, but I dive for him, taking him through the air to his back on the ground at the base of the stairs. The next thing you know we’re rolling around and swinging at each other like a couple of schoolyard kids in a fight. I nail him two good ones in the face before the headlights of Colby’s car bathe us both.

Without thinking, I look up and he catches me in the chin good enough to knock me off balance, and we are back at it again. A rock digs into my back and I grunt while locking my legs around his and flipping him to his back. I pull back to swing again and Colby grabs my fist. “Stop it!” she screams. “Quit acting like childish idiots!”

I shake her hand free and jump to my feet, never taking my eyes off of him. He stands up quickly and wipes the blood from his nose and lip on his sleeve.

“Trying to save him from an ass beatin’?” Curtis taunts.

“Actually, it’s the other way around. Now, what in the hell is going on? I have neighbors. I’m sure they’ve called the cops by now.”

“Why didn’t you tell the ambulance chaser you had plans with me tonight? He’s got the get-laid package all set up in there for you, but you have other plans.”

“I didn’t tell him that because I don’t have other plans. I told you no.”

“Not the second time I asked.”

“I didn’t respond to the text or voicemail because I’d already said no once. I didn’t think you were stupid enough to show up here after I said no.”

“So you’re saying you’d rather give it up to the King of Khakis, rather than me?”

God, he’s an arrogant asshole.

“No, I’m saying I want to give it up to the former Green Beret, Army combat medic turned lawyer who loves me for more than what’s between my legs. I want to give it up to the man I’m in love with who has more character and strength than you. Stop calling me, stop texting me, stop emailing me, and stop showing up places to see me or my family. We are all done with you. I’ll file for a restraining order if you keep this up.”

Before he can say anything else a police car pulls up along the curb and two officers get out. I almost laugh out loud because Curtis is not going to like this. The responding officers are none other than Dex and Quinn, my friends. I’d bust up laughing if I thought it wouldn’t get me a glare from Colby. I can’t help grinning though.

Dex is the first to speak, “Victor, what the hell are you doing rolling around in the grass like a teenager, and who is this?” He gestures to Curtis. Then his eyes move next to me. “Awe, Colby, so good to see you. How have you been?” He leans in and kisses her cheek and moves out of the way, never taking his eyes off of Curtis, but giving Quinn a chance to hug Colby too.

“Hey, Dex. Just a little scuffle. Someone didn’t understand no meant no, but I’m sure that’s cleared up now. What do you think, Curtis?” I ask in the most sarcastic tone I can muster.

“I think this is bullshit. It just so happens that the responding officers are friends of yours. Maybe I need to make a call to the police station about this.”

His false bravado and threat are hilarious and Quinn busts up laughing. She steps forward. “How about we slap some cuffs on you and take you down to the station ourselves and you can explain it after you’re booked for trespassing and assault.”

“This is bullshit. You can’t be serious. Colby, you’d let them do that?” He looks at her like he doesn’t believe it.

“Uh, yeah. No means no.”

Quinn steps forward a little to confront him. “I do agree it’s bullshit, but more so that you’re standing here after she told you no. Bullshit that you still don’t get it when you’re over there alone and she’s with Victor over here. It doesn’t get any clearer than that. However, we all have other things to do so you can either take off and not come back or take a ride with Dex and me. What’s it going to be?”

He throws his hands up, clearly exasperated. “I’m outta here. It’s not like she’s worth all this trouble anyway. There was a reason I left the first time.”

I don’t even blink. “Yeah, you left because you’re a dumb-ass. You came back because you realized you won’t ever find better.”

Curtis, obviously done with the altercation, turns to leave and flips us off as he stalks back to his truck and pulls out of the driveway.

We all stay quiet watching him leave until Dex turns his head toward the house, squints his eyes and asks, “Is that Barry White coming from your house, Colby?”

I answer for her. “Yeah, I obviously have other things to be doing, if you get my drift,” I nod my head toward Colby and raise my eyebrows.

Dex busts up in loud laughter, the kind I don’t think I’ve ever heard from him before. “Right, man, get back to your night. You might want to get cleaned up before you resume,” he says as he chuckles his way back to the squad car. Quinn gives us both a hug and strides over to join Dex, and a few seconds later they disappear down the street.

“Sorry you had to come home to that. I was doing well until he said a few uncool things, and then it got ugly.”

She steps in front of me and brushes the grass pieces off my shirt and rises on her toes to kiss my chin. “You’ll be forgiven if you grab my bags from the truck.”

I grin down at her. She’s full of surprises. I think any other woman would’ve been pissed, but she just lets it roll off her back. I put my hand out with my palm up. “Keys.”

“Still in the ignition. I was more concerned with breaking up your fight so you didn’t spend the night in jail for killing him. His comments irritate everyone. I figure if he got the most patient man I know to resort to blows, it was possible you wouldn’t stop.”

“Okay, I’ll grab your stuff. Head inside and take a load off.”

I hear a girlish squeal of delight as I lean into her truck and remove the keys from the ignition. When I make it to the door with her suitcase, purse and carry-on, I’m surprised to find her still just inside the doorway. Her eyes are glassy like she might cry. I set everything down, close and lock the door behind me and move toward her. She turns and folds into my arms.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“No one has ever done anything like this for me. It’s so sweet and thoughtful and romantic and that asshole almost ruined it.”

I stroke her hair carefully. “Don’t worry about Curtis. He’s a nonfactor. I just thought you deserve something nice to come home to. I love you and I don’t want you to ever doubt it.”

“I love you too. Now come with me because I can’t kiss you again until you’re cleaned up.”

She leads me to the bathroom where she helps strip off my clothes and then takes her own off. She turns on the water while I remove my hearing aids. Then she pulls me into the shower with her. While I stand under the spray, trying to rinse some of the blood off, she pumps some soap into her hands and begins to clean me off, starting at my face and neck, pausing near the areas that are sore and continuing down my body. By the time she reaches my lower belly my cock is rock-hard and ready to do more than shower so I stop her. “My turn,” I tell her and she smiles.

Placing my soapy hands on her shoulders, I move them down to the milky white flesh of her breasts, taunting without actually touching the nipples. She arches back, pushing them toward me, but I avoid them, teasing her. She whimpers when I skim lower and lower until I graze the lips of her sex.

“Victor, please,” she begs as I move away. Her eyes are hooded, heavy with desire and her body is pliant, allowing me to move her into the position I want. Hands to the shower wall, feet spread, ass tipped up for me. “I don’t have a condom. Do you want me to get one?” I ask quietly, near her ear.

“Have you been with anyone else?”

“Nobody but you, baby,” I tell her.

She turns her head enough to look into my eyes. “I trust you and I’m on the pill.”

“Thank God,” I groan. “Tip your ass a little higher,” I instruct her and she does.

I position myself behind her and slide in slowly, relishing the feel of skin on skin, nothing between us. Fuck, it’s heaven. Once I’ve buried myself deep in her silky channel I slip my hand around her front and my pointer finger finds her clit and circles the swollen nub softly at first. My cock remains buried in her, unmoving; I’m just enjoying the feel of her pussy convulsing around me.

When I can’t take it anymore I pull back and then thrust inside her and she clamps tight around me. My finger works her, rubbing harder and faster, until I know she’s close. “Rub your clit. I need to give it to you harder,” I tell her. She takes over and I grip both of her hips and pull her back to meet my thrusts. As soon as she cries out and shudders with release, she braces herself with both hands against the shower wall. My hips are relentless as they piston in and out of her until I finally detonate inside her. I hold tight until the pulsing in my cock stops. Once I slip free of her she turns around and wraps her arms around me. “Best welcome home I’ve ever had,” she whispers.

“Yeah, I just hope I’m not burning your house down out there,” I joke, referring to the candles burning all over the house.

She laughs a little. “Come on, let’s rinse off and get out. I’m starved.”

“That’s good because Claudia made us a lasagna and it smells awesome.”

“You thought of everything.” She grins up at me before she swats me out of the way and rinses off.

The rest of the night is spent eating and making love in every room of her house and in every position imaginable.

* * *

The next morning, I feel rejuvenated. Maybe it’s the amazing sex. Maybe it’s that I slept in the arms of a beautiful woman last night, or maybe it’s just that my life seems to finally be working out. Whatever the case, I’ll take it. I kiss Colby goodbye and head for work. I’ve got another 12-hour day in front of me and I want an early start so I can be home when the shop is closing to spend time with Colby.

Nina’s desk is empty. She doesn’t arrive until eight so that gives me plenty of time to get moving on some things and have them ready for when she comes in. For a change, I turn Pandora on through my phone and use background music. Before I know it, Nina is poking her head in my door to let me know she’s arrived.

“You are in a particularly good mood today, Mr. Martinez,” she says and I glance up to smile at her. Her hand flies to her mouth as she gasps. “Where did you get that bruise on your cheek and that split lip?”

I touch it self-consciously. I forgot all about it. “A little scuffle last night. No big deal, I even forgot about it.”

“It looks painful.”

“Really, it’s fine. Besides, nothing’s going to stop the smiling today. Colby is home.”

Her face softens slightly and she says, “I’ve never seen you so beat-up or so happy. I can’t decide if I should be concerned or thrilled.”

“I’m better than good. Really. Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay, well I’ll be at my desk if you need anything. I see you have some things piled up for me this morning.”

“Yes, I’ve had a productive morning.”

Her smile is the last thing I see before she leaves the room. The morning is quiet and my desk is halfway clear when my phone rings. The caller ID indicates that it’s coming from Mr. Hadensbach’s office, one of our founding partners.

“Good morning, Mr. Hadensbach.”

“Morning, Martinez. I don’t see anything on your schedule right now; can you come up to my office?”

This is highly unusual. Normally, he’ll book a time with my assistant for me to meet with him, but when it comes to the senior partners, the answer is never no. “Yes, sir.”

We hang up and I quickly complete my task, stand and pull on my suit coat before walking out to Nina’s desk. “Hey, Mr. Hadensbach called me to his office. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Her brows pull together. “Is everything okay? That’s not his usual way of doing things.”

“I have no idea. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m sure it’s okay. I’ll see you shortly.”

By the time I arrive on the top floor and am standing in front of Rebecca, Mr. Hadensbach’s stuffy and highly efficient assistant, I’m a little nervous. I was hoping to avoid any of the partners until my face heals up but that isn’t in the cards I guess.

“Mr. Hadensbach will see you,” she clips, without even looking up from her computer screen. It’s a good thing most clients don’t have to deal with her and her lack of personality or we wouldn’t have any clients to speak of.

As I enter the office, the beautiful Colorado scenery comes into view through his full wall of ceiling-to-floor windows. It’s breathtaking, but before I can take another second to really appreciate it, Mr. Hadensbach greets me from the left side of his office, and when I turn to return the greeting, I see Jerry Stanton sitting on the loveseat in the corner with his arm resting across the back and his right ankle propped on his knee. What the fuck? The weird look on his face tells me he’s been up here starting shit, so I can’t imagine what I’m about to encounter.

“Hello, Mr. Hadensbach,” I greet him, and reach out to shake hands.

His assessing eyes roam my face, pausing briefly on the cut on my lip and the bruise on my face.

“Did you have an accident, Mr. Martinez?”

Stanton chuckles from his comfortable location on the couch.

“You could say that, sir.”

“Is everything okay?” he asks, and I get the impression that his question is well meaning.

“Yes, sir. Everything is good.”

“Probably wouldn’t come to work looking like that if you weren’t slumming it, man.” Stanton’s thinly veiled shot at my girlfriend irritates me and I suck in a deep breath through my nose, doing my best not to blast him here. He’s being very unprofessional and I refuse to stoop to his level.

“What does that mean?” Mr. Hadensbach asks me instead of Stanton.

“It means my girlfriend is a mechanic and Stanton’s still ticked off that she turned him down when he asked her out,” I say with a calm I don’t feel.

“A mechanic? That’s unusual. I only know of one female mechanic. My brother won’t go to any other. Averette, I think is her name. I only take my car to the dealership since it’s under warranty, but not Howard. He swears by her.”

“Well, sir, that’s my girlfriend. Colby Averette over at Averette Automotive. She is one of a kind.”

“Hmmm. Is she the reason you’re all scuffed up?”

I debate the merits of lying to him. I’ve never been a hothead. Last night was a rare moment for me since I left the service, but I decide honesty is best.

“Yes, sir. She came home from being on the road last night and a stalker showed up at her house. She’s asked him repeatedly to leave her alone. Things got a little heated. I don’t have client meetings for a few days so I didn’t think much about returning to work a little banged up.”

“As long as you aren’t meeting clients looking like a barroom brawler, I can’t say anything about it.”

“Thank you, sir. Now, may I ask what this meeting is about?”

“The Scandro file. Jerry’s concerned it’s not being handled properly and although I’ve never had an issue with your work in the past, I felt his complaints were worth looking into. He said he offered to review the file and you declined him.”

I slide my hands into my pockets and tip my head a little to the side. I want Jerry to know I’m not squirming in the least. “I’ll be glad to give the file to you for review, sir. It will be complete in the next couple of hours. I will not give it to Stanton though. I have an email from the client requesting that Jerry not be allowed to work on her case. She didn’t elaborate, but because her family is a big client of ours, I thought it best to follow her request to the letter.”

His eyebrow rises. “Can you provide a copy of the email?”

“Yes, sir. It’s already in the file on the shared drive. I’ll forward it to you via email too when I return to my office, if you’d like.”

“In the file is fine.” He turns his gaze to Stanton and asks, “Were you aware of an issue with this client?”

“No, I can’t understand what would be the issue.”

Jerry glances to me and I grin at him with a silent fuck you. I’m not elaborating as to why they don’t want him working on the case. The email states plainly that the client thinks he’s a creep. I want him to sit on that nervous feeling until Mr. Hadensbach shares it with him.

“Is that all you needed, Mr. Hadensbach? I’ve got plenty to keep me busy this afternoon. I’ll send the case to you to review once it’s complete.”

He nods, never taking his eyes off of Jerry. Ha-ha, kiss my ass, Jerry.

“Martinez,” he calls out as I have my hand on the doorknob, and I turn to him. “Will you be bringing your girlfriend to the mixer Saturday night?”

“Yes, I think I will.”

“Good, I look forward to meeting her.”

I nod and slip through the door, happier than I was even this morning.

* * *

That evening Colby and I are on our way home from visiting with her sister when I ask, “Will you go with me to my company mixer on Saturday night? We won’t stay long but I have to put in an appearance.”

“I don’t know. My last encounter with your co-workers didn’t go so smoothly.”

“My boss specifically asked if you’ll be there.”

“He did? Why?”

“Apparently, his brother is a client of yours at the shop and has been singing your praises for years. I think his name is Howard Hadensbach. Also, that asshole Stanton said something about us in reference to my face from the fight last night.”

“Yeah, Howard is a great client. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about what would be said in your super-snooty office.”

“Don’t worry. It’s no big deal. I don’t have any client meetings for a few days. I should be fine by then.”

In my peripheral vision, I can tell she’s started chewing on her fingernail before she asks, “What should I wear?”

I glance over at her, confused. “I have no idea. I’m not a woman. Let me ask my assistant in the morning and get back to you. Guys don’t think about that kind of thing.”

“So you’ll just show up in gym shorts and a T-shirt if that’s what you happen to be wearing?”

“Well, no, I’ll wear a suit. I almost always do for work functions. On occasion, I’ll break out the tux if it’s black tie.”

“Hold on a moment,” she says as she relaxes against the headrest, closes her eyes and smiles dreamily, “I just had to hold that visual of you in a tux for a little bit.”

I laugh a little, ready to reply, “I—”

She grips my arm. “Shhh. I’m still thinking about it.”

I laugh a little more, letting her have her moment.

Finally, she turns her head to me with the same smile and says, “Okay. Just let me know what she says. I probably don’t have the proper attire and will need to go digging in my sister’s closet.”

The thought of her legs in a cocktail dress and high heels leaves me with the same smile she has.