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“Okay, that’s sounds great, Marcus. I’ll see you then.”
When Olivia hung up, he immediately called Garrett’s number and got voicemail. Once he finished leaving a message to come by anytime, he buzzed Janise.
“Yes?”
“I need you to get me a can of Red Bull please. I’m just not with it today. You think that’ll help?”
“I think what’d help is if you left those women alone,” Janise joked.
A look of horror overcame his face. How could Janise possibly know? Her statement made Marcus realize that although wonderful, the time he spent with Panthea was wrong. She was still, after all, a married woman.
“Ah, boss?” Janise called out to him.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“I didn’t
mean anything by it. I was just having a little fun at your expense. I didn’t mean to cross the line,” she said.
“You know I don’t bruise easily. I was actually reading something,” he lied.
The truth was her comment was like a jab straight to the heart. Marcus knew nothing good could come from his involvement with a client who was accused of murder and who was a married woman. Both aspects of this woman who intrigued him so much were completely out of line, and he knew better. But it was like she had put roots on him or something, he literally couldn’t get enough of her, nor did he want to. And she seemed just as addicted to him. That only made his reckless behavior that much more difficult to abandon.
Marcus eased back in his leather chair and closed his eyes. He thought about the image of Panthea sleeping peacefully as if she didn’t have a care in the world tugged at his heart while he watched over her. He remembered wanting nothing more at that very moment than to make sure he did whatever was necessary to protect her.
The morning before when her eyes snapped open and she focused in on him. Panthea wasn’t certain just how long he’d been watching her, but she could feel his gaze, and she liked it. She enjoyed everything about the idea. Panthea enjoyed everything about Marcus.
She grinned up at him, and he noticed the sparkle that seemed lived in her eyes when he looked at her.
“Hey, how long you been sitting there staring at me?” she asked.
“I could stay like this all day. You’re so beautiful, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, you’re an all around beautiful woman.”
Panthea giggled like a schoolgirl with her first crush. His words warmed her heart and made her find the self-worth that she had questioned after learning of her husband’s betrayal. “You’re so good to me. I love you, Marcus. I love you,” she sang.
Marcus sat stunned for a few minutes. Had she really professed her love for him? Whatever it took to be with her, whatever it took to let her know he was so proud to have her love, and he’d do everything he could to cherish it. When he reached down to kiss her, she moved her head.
“Hey what’s up with that? You just messed up a Kodak moment,” he joked.
“Look, I love you and all, but I need to go gargle with mouthwash or something. I just woke up,” she stressed.
“Baby; that just adds to your flavor,” Marcus teased as he made another failed attempt to kiss Panthea.
This time she was able to get away, and when she did, she got up from the bed and made a dash for the bathroom.
They spent the remainder of the morning ravishing each other. But Marcus wouldn’t have the chance to relive those fabulous hours, because before he could reach out and touch her silky skin, his daydream was shattered.
“Garrett is here,” Janise’s voice told him over the speaker.
He knew the interruption was needed. It was actually necessary because had it not happened, he’d stay suspended in that dream.
“What’s going on, man?” Garrett asked.
“Just lagging a bit today. Nothing to worry about though,” Marcus assured as Garrett took a seat.
Garrett filled him in on what he had learned about the case authorities and what they were building against Panthea. “I’m telling you, Marcus, their whole case is based on circumstantial evidence. They arrested her because they figured she was their most likely suspect. I mean think about it,” he started counting down on his fingers. “Here’s this lonely, ignored, married broad, who learns her husband’s got something else on the side that’s got his interest.”
Marcus tried to hide his flinch when he listened to Garrett reduce Panthea to such insulting adjectives.
