Legal Action (Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles) (2 page)

             
JP leaned over the sofa and handed her a martini and he said, “Here ya go, love of my life.”

             
“The martini, I’m sure you mean,” she said, and he laughed as he went back to his cooking.

             
Finn was still yelling at the TV and she couldn’t help it, she loved his British accent. Maybe it was the Southern girl in her, maybe it was that he was hotter than hell and didn’t seem to know it.

             
She started laughing and he looked at her and said, “Alright then, what’s so funny?”

             
She just loved the stability of her life with two gorgeous men who were straight and hot and the truest friends she’d ever known.

             
“Score, yes!” Finn yelled and she died laughing as he turned red with embarrassment, flashed a crooked smile and massaged her feet.

***

              She dressed carefully in a white Carolina Herrera wrap blouse and a black pencil skirt that hugged her body and ended below her knees. She slipped into black Manolo pumps that were simple yet made here legs look a mile long. She examined herself in the full length mirror. It was Marilyn Monroe meets Audrey Hepburn, perfect. She looked demure enough to woo the jury and sexy enough to rattle Witt Collier, the pompous lawyer for the plaintiff. She would give her final argument that day and the case would go to the jury, which always made her nervous. She was always afraid she couldn’t do it, convince the jury that she was right and make them see her point of view as the correct choice. She was a good trial lawyer, and although this was only her second year of practice she’d never lost a case.

             
Sheppard and Sheridan was an important law firm in California, she’d been picked as a first year intern and out of a dozen, only she had persevered. All the members of the San Diego office had shown up at her graduation and she’d been offered a position on immediately.

             
She’d proved herself over and over, she worked tirelessly and refused to back down in a battle of words. She didn’t have much of a social life, but she was well on her way to becoming the youngest partner at Sheppard and Sheridan.

             
Jack Sheppard swore she loved to be backed into a corner in the court room, that the bailiff practically had to call the paramedics to staunch the blood flow from the opposing attorney once she’d had her say. The “
hell cat
,” the other lawyers called her, and she’d liked it at first, but she had a soft side and she wondered if she would ever give in to it. It might be nice, to not always have to win and yet, still come out on top.

***

              Standing before the jury, Charlotte knew every man in the courtroom was staring at her ass. They’d probably jerked off looking at it years ago when it was gloriously bare on the pages of American Jock.

             
When the infamous pictures had appeared in the magazine, the ‘
ass shot’
was always the one she’d been asked to autograph. Physically, it was her strong suit.

             
She used that now, the notoriety that haunted her, to her advantage. This was a case about sexual harassment, so why shouldn’t she? Let them look at her, examine their own lustful hearts and side with the female clients she was representing. She finished her powerful speech and as she walked to her chair she realized that not only were Jack Sheppard and Billy Sheridan sitting in on the proceedings, so was Alexander Bly.

             
He sat between her two bosses. In fact, he seemed to be there
with
them. Obviously they’d come to hear her close the case, but Bly looked truly surprised to see her
.

             
She was aware of his eyes on her and she was glad she hadn’t noticed him before, he made her nervous. Her hands trembled as she sat and gathered the documents in front of her.

             
The jury was back in record time deciding in her favor. Witt Collier took her hand and bowed theatrically and there were congratulations and thanks thrust her way.

             
She glanced to the back of the courtroom and the three men were gone. On her way out of the courthouse she juggled her purse and briefcase and tried to check messages on her cell phone.

             
“Charlotte!” she looked up at the sound of Billy Sheridan’s voice and there they were. All three of them were standing on the granite steps of the court house, and evidently they were waiting for her. Billy Sheridan and Jack Sheppard both shook her hand and kissed her cheek lightly, congratulating her profusely.

             
Alexander Bly was staring a hole through her and she knew her cheeks were flaming. He looked perplexed, a look she’d never seen on that overly confident face before.

             
“Alex Bly, I believe you know Charlotte Christiansen, our secret weapon,” Jack Sheppard said.

             
Alexander Bly was so handsome she could barely look at him. He’d been attractive before, but now he was damn near irresistible. He was tall, six feet four, she’d guess, by the way he towered over the others and they were both tall men. His grey suit was perfectly tailored, Saville Row, custom made, for sure. He was probably thirty three or thirty four now and looked to be in great shape. His shoulders were broad and his legs were incredibly long, he looked rather menacing as he tried to make her eyes meet his.

             
She didn’t want to get caught in those hypnotic eyes or look at the high cheek bones and strong square jaw or wide sensual mouth.

             
His hair was combed back and grazed his shirt collar, but it had a slight wave that made it seem tosseled and he had a cowlick in front. It caused a swatch of hair to fall over his forehead and his hand kept pushing it away. That small gesture caught at her heart, made him seem less imposing and rather vulnerable, somehow.

             
“Christiansen,” Bly repeated, holding her eyes as he took her hand in his.

             
“I kept Jorgen’s name, after the divorce,” she said and her voice sounded strange, “people knew me as Charlotte McCall from the magazine article, it was just easier for me to stay under the radar.”

             
“I doubt that you could ever stay under the radar,” he said and she realized he hadn’t let go of her hand.

             
She pulled it away quickly, collected her wits and said, “Alexander Bly, twice in two days, strange.” 

             
“I was thinking, interesting, rather than strange,” his voice held a hint of something unsaid. His voice and his eyes made her feel out of control, made a small geyser erupt down low in her belly.

             
She felt herself reacting to him, her panties were already moist and it pissed her off. Why did the thought of him affect her after so many years?

             
Witt Collier walked up just then, shook hands with the men and turned to her.

             
“One of these days Charlotte, I’ll remember how very good you are,” he said with a tight smile. “You have a knack for finding the weaknesses in my arguments and ripping them to shreds for the world to see. Pick you up at seven?”

             
“I’ll meet you there,” she said and she saw Bly’s jaw clench.

             
Witt laughed, “of course, you run the show, after all. Exceptional closing argument, by the way.”

             
They watched him walk away and Billy said, “Time for a celebratory lunch, you name the place Charlotte.”

             
“I can’t,” she said, feeling so annoyingly aroused with Alexander Bly watching her, his face dark and brooding. She remembered masturbating to the memory of those eyes, her body exploding to the sound of that calm, deep voice in her head.

             
“Of course you can,” Billy said, “now, what will it be Charlotte? French, Italian, you pick, it’s your day.”

             
She knew she was blushing and that it always showed on her pale cheeks, the sweet kiss of death, Jorgen had called her looks. White skin, black hair and blue eyes, an irresistible Southern belle he’d said.

             
“I have an appointment, a new client coming in at one, but thanks for being here for the verdict.” 

             
Jack caught her arm as she turned to leave and laughed, “Mr. Bly
is
your one o’clock appointment. We thought we’d bring him by to see you in action. We wanted him to know how good you are at what you do, that you’re much more than the young woman he might remember. We didn’t tell you about him as a client because, let’s face it, you hate being remembered as…” His voice drifted off.

             
“Fine,” she said and she knew she sounded a little unnerved, but she was just enough of a Southern belle to be gracious. “Bertrand at Mr. A’s,” she said curtly, “I’ll meet you all there.” She turned and was gone before any of them could stop her.

***

              The men were already seated at a window table with a glorious view of downtown San Diego and glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. Waiters scurried to set up a champagne cooler and placed small plates of bread and steamed crab claws by each place setting.

             
“What took you so long?” Billy asked. Pulling out a chair for her as they all stood up. He seated her next to Bly and it unsettled her, she didn’t want to be that close to him.

             
“Shouldn’t I sit across from my client?” she asked, “so we can size each other up, see if we’ll be a good fit?”

             
As the words left her mouth she saw Alexander Bly’s eyes sparkle and she knew her flaming cheeks were giving her away again.
Damn
, she thought and wondered why all this heat was rising in her now. She’d had to pull her car over in a quiet neighborhood on her way to the restaurant and slip her panties off, they were so damn wet. When she’d touched her clit it was practically vibrating with need and she’d leaned her head against the steering wheel and pictured his face. She’d climaxed almost immediately.

             
She was shocked at the quickness and power of it. She sat there panting, unable to raise her head for a few minutes.
God, what was wrong with her?
  It was true, she hadn’t had sex in what felt like forever, she’d had a ‘
friend with benefits’
for a while, but she’d ended it some months before. She was twenty seven and had only had slept with two men in her life. Jorgen had been the first and she’d actually married him. The other was what she liked to think of as her
‘favorite mistake.’

             
A waiter brought champagne, Veuve Cliquot, her favorite, and they toasted her victory.

             
Billy raised his glass a second time and said, “And that Charlotte can give Bly International exactly what they need.”

             
“I’m certain she will,” Bly said calmly and they all touched their glasses together. 

             
Jack and Billy were studying their menus, she didn’t need to, she knew the menu by heart.

             
Bly didn’t look at his menu either, he looked at her and she saw what she’d seen in his eyes years back. Lust, plain and simple, sexual need.

             
“So you’re dating our future governor?” he asked, out of the blue, and quickly drained his champagne glass.

             
“Witt? No, we attend events together. He hasn’t decided to run for governor yet.”

             
“So you’re not dating him but he tells you his political plans? How about his personal hopes and dreams?” His voice had an edge to it, as if he were annoyed. 

             
She didn’t answer, just sipped her champagne and stared out the window at the blue of the ocean in the distance.

             
The waiter appeared and Bly said, “You haven’t looked at the menu.”

             
She ordered the prawns, then looked at Bly and said, “I don’t need to, I always know what I want.”

             
“At least you think you do,” he said, looking into her eyes, holding her gaze in his. He handed the menu to the waiter without looking up and ordered the trout with asparagus.

             
Jack and Billy were busy ordering, unaware of the tension between the two.

             
“Where are you meeting him tonight?” He refilled his glass and sounded more than irritated.

             
“The Mayor’s Gala at the museum in Balboa Park,” she said, twisting her long hair into a make-do chignon. She pinned her hair absent-mindedly and wanted to add,
not that it’s any of your business
.