Legally Tied (6 page)

Feeling
satisfied that her friend had gotten an eye opening education tonight, Jodi said, “Let’s go. I think you got more than an eyeful for one night!”

Chapter Seven

As Lyndsay drove over to Nick’s house again, this time with paint and drapery swatches for them to discuss, she couldn’t get the sex party and what she saw last weekend out of her mind. The fact that the whole scene got her completely aroused was a bit unnerving. She always knew up until now that she was a sexually conservative person. But the fact that she got so titillated and horny by what she witnessed suggested that perhaps there was another sexual side to her that she had never explored. Jodi’s words about Nick probably being very experienced sexually crossed her mind on many occasions since the party and she found herself fantasizing about him in a much naughtier way. So much so that she was beginning to lose her steadfast resolve to keep him at a professional arm’s distance.

Pulling up his driveway on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon
, Lyndsay tried to muster as much of a professional demeanor as she could. Grabbing her bag of swatches and samples, she got out of the car and approached the front door. Just like last time, Nick opened the door as she approached, gave her a big smile, and welcomed her in. Fortunately this time he had a little bit of furniture to sit down on because some of the pieces he had bought at Deacon’s Nest were in-stock and had been delivered. Nick had only a couple of weeks left on the lease of his condo and Lyndsay had been working tirelessly to make sure that most of his house would be finished by the time he had to move out.

Sitting down together,
Lyndsay laid all of her swatches and samples on one of the tables and presented her ideas. Nick thought she looked especially beautiful in her sleeveless yellow blouse that matched the color of her golden locks. Being that it was late spring, her skin was starting to tan and he had to hold himself back from putting his hand on her knee and sliding it up her skirt. On more than one occasion, he saw her looking at him with an expression he hadn’t seen before, but he just chocked it up to his imagination. Somehow she seemed more relaxed with him than she had before and he had to admit that he was somewhat encouraged by her new demeanor toward him. After about 90 minutes of walking around each room and deciding what paint color would go where and getting a good start selecting the window treatments, Nick was disappointed that it was time for her to go.

Unexpectedly, right before sh
e was going to say goodbye, he said, “Lyndsay, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” Looking into her gorgeous brown eyes, he took a deep breath. “Tomorrow there’s going to be a funeral service for a man I know who was recently murdered. He was a friend of my parents while I was growing up and he and his wife were always very good to me. I know it’s a bit of a somber event, but I was wondering if you would go with me. My parents unfortunately are overseas and can’t get back for the funeral and I just don’t want to go alone.”

Thrilled that she agreed to go with him, he arranged plans
to pick her up for the service at 11 a.m., took down the directions to her house and said goodbye, looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow.

The
following morning Lyndsay paced around her living room waiting for Nick to pick her up. She didn’t know whether to kiss or kill Jodi for taking her to that sex party. Up until that point, she had been doing a great job trying not to think of Nick in a carnal way. Now, that was all she could think about. As she looked out her window for the hundredth time, she finally saw Nick’s black BMW pull into her driveway. Grabbing her purse, she took a deep breath and mumbled to herself
,
“Lord, give me the strength not to jump this man in his car and embarrass both of us.”
As they drove to the funeral service, Nick unfolded the story about the Johnson brothers, the murder of Joe Lawson, and how he was the prosecuting attorney on the case. The trial was now in court and once again, the media coverage was heating up. Lyndsay had been so busy working over the past few days she hadn’t turned on the TV to see the coverage. Although he couldn’t tell her details of the trial, he did say that just yesterday he had gotten some forensic evidence back that might just put Neal Johnson behind bars for life.

Understanding
his sadness over the loss of a dear family friend, Lyndsay opened up to him about the death of her mom when she was so young.

Nick was saddened to hear that
she had lost her mom at such an early age and his heart went out to her. He knew it was difficult for her to open up to him about it and he was touched that she had. The fact that she trusted him enough to tell her story made Nick think that maybe they were getting closer and there might be a possibility of a relationship. As they pulled up to the church for the funeral service, Nick stored that thought into the back of his mind and refocused back to why they were there.

As far as funeral services go, it was lovely despite it b
eing incredibly sad. Joe Lawson’s three children were in attendance and everyone’s hearts went out to them. They had lost their mother only a short while ago and to have lost their dad so soon, especially under such tragic circumstances, had all three children in tears the whole duration of the service. When it was finally over, and she and Nick shook hands with Joe’s family and gave their condolences, Nick tucked Lyndsay’s hand under his arm and whispered, “Let’s get out of here. I know I’m ready for a drink. How about you?”

Nodding her head in agreement,
Lyndsay let Nick escort her out of the church to his awaiting car. Nick was right earlier when he said it would be a somber event but Lyndsay was still thrilled he had invited her and she enjoyed being with him even under those sad circumstances. As they snacked on appetizers and enjoyed some wine at a local bar not far from the funeral service, Nick lightened the serious mood by telling her all about the crazy escapades he did with his friends while he attended Harvard. Lyndsay couldn’t stop laughing at the wild things they did when they weren’t studying, and for the first time, she got to see his lighthearted, silly side. Nick regaled her with pranks he and his buddies would play on unsuspecting friends on April Fool’s Day and other crazy antics they did on Halloween. Lyndsay hadn’t laughed this hard as long as she could remember and between his gorgeous company, funny stories, and the delicious wine, there was nowhere else she’d rather be than right there. Every so often while Nick was talking, her mind would flash back to the sex party and she could feel her cheeks flush.

Not wanting to dominate the conversation, Nick asked her about her college days and
he laughed when she confessed that they were pretty subdued and not nearly as interesting as his were. When she spoke instead about her dad and how he had raised her and Carl single handedly, Nick could sense the very deep respect she had for her father. By the way she described him, he seemed like a really good man and Nick secretly hoped one day he would meet him. When Lyndsay went on to talk about her brother Carl, it was very easy for Nick to see how attached she was to him and how close they were. When Lyndsay started to tear up a bit recounting how upset she had been when he left to join the Marines, Nick very gently reached his hand up to her cheek and ever so softly wiped the tear from her face.

It was perhaps in that one gesture when
Lyndsay knew she had fallen in love with him. It was such a kindhearted gesture, yet in its simplicity it conveyed a level of emotion and feeling that was much deeper than either of them had felt before.

As they both sat looking at each other
, quietly trying to figure out what just passed between them, Nick reached out for her hands and quietly asked, “Would it be all right if I come inside when we get back to your house?”

Feeling
a wave of desire wash over her, Lyndsay squeezed his hands and nodded. Only moments later with the bill paid, Lyndsay held onto his hand as they walked out of the restaurant and made the ten minute ride to her house.

***

In the short time that Nick had known Lyndsay, he had gotten the feeling that although she probably wasn’t a virgin, he could sense a naïve vulnerability about her when it came to sex. There had been no doubt from the first day he met her that he wanted to do any number of sexy and kinky things with her but he instinctively knew he was going to have to take it slow so he wouldn’t scare her off. At this moment, standing in her living room, Nick wanted her more than any other woman before but he was going to be patient and follow her lead.

As
he reached for her hands and gently pulled her to his chest, Nick could feel her heart racing. Perhaps it was the somberness of the funeral service, the warmth of the wine, or the way she had teared up in the restaurant that made Nick want nothing more than to possess her completely. He could sense deep emotions silently passing between them and he knew neither one of them could change the course of what was to come even if they wanted to.

Without a word, Nick placed one hand under her golden cu
rls and up the back of her head as he held her other hand in his and slowly brought his lips to hers. Lyndsay had never felt lips as gentle before as Nick slowly and thoroughly massaged his lips against hers while intimately holding her one hand and caressing the back of her head with the other. With past lovers, the boys she kissed would immediately just ram their tongues in her mouth and kiss that way without ever spending time just exploring each other’s lips. For Lyndsay, kissing this way was so much more erotic and sensual and conveyed a deeper level of feeling and intimacy. As Nick gently nibbled on her lower lip from time to time, Lyndsay let out a small whimper as desire engulfed her body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she fell into his strong body, feeling both hungry for him and protected by him all at the same time. She could feel his strong arms wrapped around her waist and she knew from hearing his irregular breathing that he was as aroused as she was.

Finally releasing his lips from hers, Nick whispered in
a ragged breath, “Will you take me to your room, Lyndsay?” She was so touched by him asking her instead of just taking what he wanted and selfishly assuming she wanted the same thing. As she looked up into those deep beautiful green eyes, she could see a hint of vulnerability in them and it made her heart soften for him even more. The fact that Nick was being such a considerate lover increased Lyndsay’s libido even more. Giving him a playful wink, she took his hand in hers and slowly guided him down the hall to her bedroom. Although her bedroom usually had bright sun pouring into it all day, today was overcast and it made the dimmer shading of the room quite calming and romantic. Without thinking, Lyndsay kicked off her shoes, then stood before him and quietly began unbuttoning his shirt. As Nick watched her petite hands work the buttons loose, she felt him glide his hands through her hair as he let her take control. Her hair felt soft and smooth around her shoulders and she could see desire in his eyes as she concentrated on his shirt. With the buttons finally undone, Lyndsay ran her hands slowly up his chest to his shoulders and pushed the shirt back until it fell to the floor behind him. As her instincts took over, she placed both of her hands on his chest and gently explored every inch of him. His pecs were tight and muscular with just enough chest hair to gently pull on from time to time.

A
s she caressed his stomach, chest, and shoulders, Nick realized he was already hard as a rock and they had only just started. He was instantly overcome by how this petite little blonde had captured his heart so quickly. Just the simple caressing of his torso was enough to drive him over the edge. Allowing her free rein to continue exploring his chest at her pace, Nick watched her every move with fascination. Her expression was of a woman who had never seen a man’s body before and Nick was completely captivated. It was at that moment when Nick knew there was a deeper sexuality lying dormant in Lyndsay than perhaps even she knew. He hoped more than anything that he would be the one to open up doors to exciting and erotic places she had not yet discovered and he wanted desperately to take her sexually to places she could never have imagined. But for tonight, he was going to explore her slowly, sensually, and intimately. He was going to love her body thoroughly with sensitivity to her comfort levels. As he gently pulled her down onto the bed, the only thing on Nick’s mind was his overwhelming desire to passionately make love to her.

Chapter Eight

The courtroom was filled to the brim during the last day of the murder trial of gang leader Neal Johnson. Onlookers of the trial ranged from his brother Mike Johnson and the Johnson gang, to Joe Lawson’s family, the media
, law students, and fellow attorneys for both the prosecution and defense. Feeling pissed off that the earlier forensic evidence he was counting on to win this case ended up being bogus, Nick was sure he was going to lose the case. As he had suspected would happen, the defense had shattered the eyewitness account from Rebecca Pike. The defense had cross examined her with such force, that the once very sure Rebecca came unglued and was suddenly uncertain due to the badgering by the defense. As the proceedings were winding down and Judge Sheffield was about to excuse the jury for deliberation, John Palmer, Nick’s top investigator, slipped into the courtroom and handed Nick a piece of paper. Upon reading what was written on the sheet, Nick stood up, looked at Judge Sheffield and asked in a loud voice, “The prosecution requests a ten minute recess, Your Honor. Some new evidence has come to light which I need to review.”

Judge Sheffield slammed his gavel down and announced, “Ten minute recess. We will
convene back here at 1:45.” Wasting no time, Nick huddled with his lead detective and reviewed the new evidence. This evidence was the Hail Mary they needed and Nick knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this long time criminal was now going to be put away for life.

Mike Johnson and the Johnson gang members had snickered all the way through the trial, knowing that their leader was alw
ays careful and would once again escape being convicted. Everyone in the courtroom could see from the arrogant looks on their faces that they thought the proceedings were a big joke and that it was all just fun and games. From time to time, the boys would be heard chuckling as the defense won argument after argument and then finally shattering the eyewitness testimony. They were confident that by the end of the day, Neal would be free again and their brotherhood would resume as always. As cavalier as Neal Johnson’s younger brother Mike had been all through the proceedings, he didn’t like Nick Olson, the prosecutor, one damn bit. He was very protective of his older brother and the more Nick tried to prove Neal guilty, the more pissed off Mike got. Every time Nick went on attack against his brother, Mike wanted to just stand up and blow the guy’s head off. However, from the way things stood at the moment, the prosecution couldn’t prove a damn thing and Mike just chalked the guy up as an idiot who didn’t know his ass from his elbow.

When court resumed, the Johnson gang were all but laughing in their seats knowing that the prosecution had nothing and their
leader would be out before nightfall.

As the trial resumed, Nick Olson stood before the judge
. “I have just received new evidence against the defendant for the murder of Joe Lawson.” A quiet gasp was heard throughout the courtroom and the hairs stood up on the back of Neal’s neck.

What the fuck?
he thought. Looking over at his brother, he could see that he was worried, too.

“The prosecution may proceed,” the judge replied.

Without further ado, Nick handed a piece of paper to the judge and the defense attorney and began to explain that although there were no fingerprints in Joe Lawson’s home proving that Neal had been inside, footprints were found leading to and away from Joe’s back door. When the crime lab analyzed the size of Joe’s boots in his closet, the footprints outside were clearly two sizes bigger than Joe’s. Taking dirt samples from Joe’s back yard, they analyzed the dirt while getting and obtaining a search warrant to search Neal Johnson’s house. Because Neal was in jail being held on bond, the investigative team entered his trailer home and found a pair of muddy work boots in the foyer. After ascertaining that Neal’s boots were the same size 12 as the boot prints on Joe’s property, they took the boots back to the lab for a dirt analysis. After doing test after test, the forensic team showed that the prints in Joe’s back yard leading to and from his door were definitely made from Neal Johnson’s boots. They also tested the dirt on the driver’s side floor of Neal’s van and got the same results.

At this point, the gallery was riveted and you could hear a pin drop in the co
urtroom. The arrogant, over confident attitudes and cynical expressions that Neal, Mike, and the Johnson boys had throughout the trial was suddenly starting to slip away as they watched the unexpected turn of events. As the defense attorney stood up, objecting that the evidence wasn’t enough to prove that Neal Johnson was ever in the house, Nick placed the final nail in Neal’s coffin. Walking up to the judge’s bench, Nick handed him another piece of paper and then as he started to speak, he handed a copy of that same sheet to the defense attorney.

Walking slowly over to the jury as the judge and defense attorney read what was in front of them, Nick explained, “Upon getting the evidence that proved Neal Johnson had been outside of Mr. Lawson’s home
, we then had our team go back into the house, and instead of looking for fingerprints, we were able to pull up foot prints from the kitchen floor and living room carpeting. As you can see from these photos, the foot imprints were made by size 12 boots, and the debris that was left from these boots match the dirt in the back yard.” The moment Nick landed that last bit of information, everyone in the courtroom started talking at once.

“
Order, order,” Judge Sheffield yelled while slamming his gavel down. “I am going to clear this courtroom if I don’t get order right now.” Upon hearing this fool proof evidence, the defense attorney’s shoulders slumped, knowing he had lost the case and the Johnson gang looked stricken. They couldn’t believe how the trial had turned against them so quickly. Moments later the jury was sent off for deliberation and the defense attorney knew they wouldn’t be out long.

While
Nick waited for the jury to come back, he decided to give Lyndsay a quick call at the store. When she answered, he smiled at the sound of her voice.

“How is the trial going?” she asked with great interest. Nick loved how she really l
iked hearing about his work and the cases he was working on. Although there were times when he couldn’t divulge certain details, for the most part he could give her the basic outline.

“The jury is out now. My investigator gave me everything I needed to put Neal Johnson away, but he gave it to me by the skin of our teeth!
I’m pretty sure we’re going to win this one. It’s been a long time coming trying to put the leader of the Johnson gang away, but I think the legal system has finally prevailed.” Seeing his assistant waving at him, Nick said, “I’ve gotta run. The jury is back in. I’ll pick you up tonight at 7 o’clock, okay?”

Wishing him luck,
Lyndsay hung up and turned on the small TV in her office so she could see what was going to transpire on the news. This had been another one of those high profile cases and the media had been camped out in front of the courtroom for the entire two weeks.

Once again, Nick found himself standing with his hands clasped together
, perspiring, as the judge asked, “In the matter of the case against Mr. Neal Johnson in the murder of Mr. Joseph Lawson, what say you?”

Every single one of the Johnson boys
’ eyes were riveted on the foreman and they looked scared for their leader.

As Nick glanced over at
Jim Stettler, his managing partner, he saw Jim give him an unobtrusive thumbs up and a confident nod.

Stepping forward, the foreman
said in a loud voice, “We, the jury, find Neal Johnson guilty of murder in the first degree.”

Immediately the courtroom started buzzing
. At that point Judge Sheffield announced, “I’d like to thank the jury for their service. Sentencing will be in this courtroom one week from today at 2 p.m.”

Once again, congratulations were given to Nick by his legal team and Joe’s family members. As the court officers put Neal in handcuffs and
the people in the courtroom started to disband, no one noticed the murderous look that Mike Johnson had on his face as he watched Nick Olson accept his congratulations. If there was anything Mike Johnson knew, it was that no one was going to get away with putting his brother in jail and that asshole attorney was going to pay dearly for it.

***

Two days prior to the trial being over, Jodi had stuck her head in Lyndsay’s office and said, “I have a field trip to take you on. Interested?”

Looking at Jodi quizzically,
Lyndsay asked simply, “Where to?”

Shaking her finger at
Lyndsay like she was a naughty girl for asking, Jodi said, “It’s a surprise. Wanna go after we get done with work? It should only be an hour or so and I think you will enjoy it.”

Not par
ticularly trusting Jodi, Lyndsay asked suspiciously, “Not another sex party, is it?”

Laughing heartily
, Jodi replied, “Well, if you want to, I’m game. But I had something else in mind tonight.” Not having any plans herself that night, Lyndsay was intrigued as to what Jodi was up to, so she agreed. Two hours later they were in Jodi’s car eating fast food burgers and fries while they drove into the West end of downtown Providence. Fully absorbed in the delicious food, the nice ride, and good company, Lyndsay forgot she was being taken on a secret mission and filled Jodi in with all of the details of Nick’s trial and the first night they had made love.

As Jodi pulled the c
ar up to the sidewalk and parked on Broad Street, Lyndsay looked at the shop signs that lined that block and her mouth fell open when she saw the sign that read “EVERY GIRLS DREAM…Intimates for women and men.”

Looking at Jodi in horror,
Lyndsay asked, “Are you taking me there?”

Laughing yet once again at her friend’s somewhat prudish reaction, Jodi answered, “You’re damn right. We’re going to get you fixed up for
everything you’ll need to seduce Mr. Hottie Pants!” As Jodi hopped out of the car, Lyndsay sat frozen to the seat. She had never been to this kind of lingerie store and she was a bit nervous. Not wasting any time, Jodi opened up her door, reached for her hand, and said, “Grab your bag, we’re going shopping!” Jodi couldn’t have been more amused by the look on Lyndsay’s face but continuing with her drill sergeant tone of voice, she said, “Come on, girl. I don’t have all day. Let’s get in there and get you all sexed up for Mr. Hottie.”

Following Jodi reluctantly,
Lyndsay sucked it up and tried to keep an open mind. As they entered the store, it was immediately apparent that Jodi knew the store by heart, so she just followed her around like a lost kitten.

When they got to the lingerie section, Jodi spoke and
Lyndsay just listened. “Okay, Lyndsay, what do you have for sexy lingerie at home?”

“N
othing.”

“Great
,” Jodi continued. “That means we have an empty canvas which I’m going to start painting for you.” As Jodi rifled through the corsets and garters, to more subdued slinky soft outfits, she explained that Lyndsay had to have both. “When you want to really get him wild, let’s get a couple of these corset outfits, some fishnet one piece outfits, and this leather top and bottom outfit. With some of these we’ll get some matching stockings. But it’s imperative that you wear these outfits with sexy high heels. We’ll get to shoes in a minute.” As the girls picked the naughty outfits that they thought would look sexy on Lyndsay’s petite frame, they then moved on to silky soft lingerie that was sexy enough to seduce in, but comfortable enough to sleep in after the fact.

As Jod
i whipped through the racks, Lyndsay’s mind was spinning. She had never dressed up in sexy things for her past boyfriends, and although she was feeling a bit embarrassed buying these items, she also liked the wanton feeling that was rushing though her as she thought about actually wearing them for Nick. With the lingerie choices completed, Jodi took her over to the section of sex toys.

Instantly
Lyndsay’s face turned beet red as she looked at the floggers, nipple clamps, bondage tape, handcuffs, and the various other items. Looking at Jodi with a desperate expression on her face, all she could say was, “Really?”

With a comforting voice
, Jodi explained, “You don’t need to buy any of these now because my guess is Mr. Hottie Pants already has a lot of this. I just want to show you what each of these are for and how people use them so you’re not shocked if Nick pulls one out of his drawer. Once you experiment a bit with him, you will have a better idea what you like and the two of you can come back together. It’s a lot of fun to look over this stuff with your lover and he can also explain what some of these items are used for. After moving away from the section of adult toys, Jodi breezed Lyndsay through the section of vibrators, dildos, men’s underwear, and finally they landed in the shoe department. Seeing the perfect shoes for Lyndsay’s purchases, Jodi picked two pair which Lyndsay also liked and they were set.

As the
saleswoman rang up her purchases, Lyndsay looked at some bottles of lubricant that were on the counter. Seeing Lyndsay’s interest, Jodi grabbed a water based bottle of lubricant that she herself liked and placed it for the cashier to ring up.