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It seemed I was wrong about a lot of things lately.
“Judge Gladstone should have recused himself,” I stated.
Adam nodded. “File a judicial complaint then.”
“And have a local judge gunning for me? No thank you.” I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands on my stomach. “I just need to be more prepared next time. That’s what I get for thinking it would be easy.”
“Robert Jenkins not prepared? Now I really have seen everything,” Adam scoffed, taking our dialogue as an invitation to sit down in the chair opposite me.
“Even the best have their off days,” I remarked dryly.
The sound of distinct female laughter filtered through the open doorway. “What’s all that?” I asked.
Adam shrugged. “Jeremy and Lena are in with a client. They’ve had the conference door closed for over an hour. I didn’t see who it was when they came in.”
I felt a tingling of warning but pushed it aside. “How are things going with your prep for the Miller trial? That’s scheduled for when again?”
“It would help if John Miller wasn’t such a fuck up. His character profile isn’t ideal. But I’ll pretty him up like a pig at the fair,” Adam laughed.
“I’m sure you will. Don’t forget I’m still ahead though. You’ve got a long way to go before you catch up with my win record,” I reminded him.
“Rub it in, why don’t ya?” Adam joked. “So, we’re good right?”
I looked at my partner in confusion. “Why would we not be?”
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk since you came over for dinner. And you seemed a bit out of sorts after Sky left. You two seemed to have some kind of beef. You should have told me there was something between you two. I would have been a bit more considerate throwing you guys together like that.” He paused. “So, did you guys have a thing going on? Because Skylar is one of my closest friends and you’re one of my closest friends. I feel like I should have been in the know if there was.”
I opened my mouth to answer him when Jeremy waltzed in. “Hey, you two. Hope I’m not interrupting. I have someone I’d like you two to meet. Though, Jenkins is an old friend from what I’ve just learned.”
Adam and I shared a look. Something dark and worrisome unfurled in my gut. I could hear Lena talking to someone in the hallway. Then more laughter. Suddenly a woman entered the room and I almost blacked out.
My hands went cold. My face grew hot. I felt clammy all over.
What the absolute fuck was she doing here?
“Adam, I’d like to introduce you to our number one client, Tiffany Hardwell. You can thank Ms. Hardwell for that down payment on your new holiday home,” Jeremy introduced with his trademark grin.
Adam got to his feet and held his hand out for the gorgeous older woman to shake. I hadn’t looked at her face yet. I was still in a state of frozen shock behind my desk.
“It is so nice to meet you finally, Ms. Hardwell. I had no idea you were coming into town today otherwise the firm would have taken you for lunch,” Adam was saying. Lena, Jeremy, and Adam were all smiling, making small talk, having no idea they were speaking to the woman who could blow my whole life apart.
What the hell was I going to do?
I tried to swallow but my throat was bone dry.
“Hi, Robbie.”
Her voice hadn’t changed. If anything, it had gotten sexier. This was a woman who wielded everything in her arsenal with fatal accuracy. My body reacted to that voice as if by rote. She had conditioned it to.
I realized I hadn’t responded, nor had I looked up at her yet. I also realized the other people in the room, my partners, and friends, were looking at me with concern, not understanding what was wrong with me.
To them, I may be boring, but I wasn’t rude.
Slowly I got to my feet, my eyes carefully making their way to her face. Our eyes met and I felt instantly cold from the inside out. Any momentary desire I had felt was gone as fast as it had appeared. This wasn’t a woman I wanted in any way, shape, or form.
She had aged, but well. She was still one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, and she knew it. She tossed her long hair back behind her shoulders and pushed her ample breasts out. She expected me to take her in. She longed for it. She’d never get anything from me again.
“Hi, Tiffany,” I said, my voice cool and unwelcoming.
Jeremy cleared his throat and came to my rescue for once. “Ms. Hardwell here came by to sign the closing paperwork on the Carmichael place. She’s moving in this weekend, is that right?” he asked her.
