Balancing Act (The Santa Monica Trilogy Book 3) (6 page)

Zach couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t figured Angie for a coward. Yet how else was he to interpret the fact that she’d pawned off his father’s deposition on a colleague?

He kept glancing at the door, as if hoping she’d experience a change of heart and rush in, all flustered and apologetic. But the conference room door remained closed, and Naomi Katz continued to work through a seemingly endless list of questions.

Had he mistaken the situation? He could have sworn the interest was mutual. A woman didn’t get that flustered over a simple kiss unless she was seriously attracted. Or a virgin. And there was no way in hell Angie was still a virgin. 

So what was the problem? They’d known each other for years, their social and professional circles overlapping repeatedly through family connections and the small world of L.A.’s civil courts. Frankly, it was amazing that they hadn’t gotten together long before this. He’d toyed with the idea on and off. But back when they’d first met, Angie had been too young—if not jail-bait, then certainly inexperienced enough that even at the height of his hormone-driven debauchery, he knew to keep his hands off.

After that, the timing had never been quite right. Or perhaps he’d shied away because avoidance of involvement was preferable to dealing with the fallout of a failed relationship. Facing his father’s disappointment would have been bad enough. But the possibility of running into Angie at some legal function and having to deal with wounded looks or recriminations kept him from giving in to temptation.

So what had changed? Was it their enforced proximity as a result of this case? Or the fact that she seemed to take inordinate pleasure in egging him on?

They’d locked horns before, over her sister Eva’s situation four years ago. Back then, all their negotiations had taken place in the presence of a third party—usually Zach’s dad or Angie’s sister. This time, however, they seemed to clash with increasing frequency without the restraining influence of family or other witnesses.

Was that all it took to fire his libido to the point where he was ready to throw all self-restraint out the window?

Or was there something else at play, something that had less to do with their battle of wills than with his own brewing sense of dissatisfaction?

Here he was, thirty-five years old, with a successful career, a healthy investment portfolio, a luxurious home in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and a little black book that any red-blooded male would envy.

He should be feeling on top of the world. Instead, he felt restless. Bored. Lonely. Wondering what he was missing.

Lately, the only time he didn’t feel that way was in Angie’s company. With her he felt invigorated, the anticipation and nervous energy fizzing in his veins as if he’d just downed a double dose of caffeine.

How fucked up was that?

And now she’d gone and pulled a disappearing act on him, sending some stern-faced substitute in her place.

“Mr. Stewart,” the woman said, the sudden sharpness of her tone pulling Zach from his thoughts. “How many times have you been sued for CEQA violations?”

“Objection,” Zach said. “Harassing.”

The woman frowned. “Do you recall the lawsuit filed against S&L six years ago by the Citizens’ Coalition for a Livable City?”

“Yes.”

“Here is a copy of the complaint, submitted as Exhibit E. Can you summarize, for the record, the terms of your settlement agreement with the plaintiff?”

Zach opened his mouth to object, but his dad beat him to it. “Sorry, Ms. Katz. As I’m sure you’re aware, the terms of that settlement were confidential.”

The woman continued to hammer Tom with questions until Zach finally requested a short break.

He didn’t know if it was his imagination or the harsh fluorescent lighting in the room, but his dad seemed to have aged a decade overnight. There were deep grooves around his mouth and dark bags beneath his eyes that Zach didn’t remember being there before.

Later that afternoon, after the deposition concluded and the room cleared out, Zach  followed his father to the café on the ground floor.

“Doc said you should lay off the caffeine,” he reminded Tom.

“A man’s gotta have some vices, kid. I gave up cigarettes, salt, and booze. What’s left?”

Zach swapped his decaf for Tom’s espresso. “Women?”

That earned him a small chuckle.

They found an empty corner table. Tom took a sip of coffee and grimaced. “How long do you think this travesty will last?”

Zach wished he had an answer. As far as he was concerned, it had already dragged on too long. The lawsuit was taking a toll on Tom’s health, S&L’s bottom line, and Zach’s patience. And the woman behind it, even when she wasn’t physically present, was seriously messing with Zach’s head. Not to mention his libido.

“I don’t know, Dad.” He finished off his espresso and set the cup down on the table with a decisive thud. “I think it’s time I paid Angie another visit.”

The receptionist buzzed her. “There’s a Zachary Stewart here to see you.”

Why was she not surprised? It was too much to expect that Zach would silently accept her decision to step aside. Especially if Naomi was right, and his sudden sexual interest in her was motivated by a desire to compromise her fiduciary duty to her client.

Too bad. Because buried beneath a thick layer of cynicism, there was still a tiny part of her that believed in moonlit kisses and fairy dust.

“Send him in,” she said.

The door opened, and he strode into the office as if he owned it.

“Zach.” She rose, keeping her desk as a buffer between them. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He subjected her to the same slow, thorough scrutiny she had given him that first day, when he’d burst into her office on a wave of outrage over the lawsuit.

“You look well,” he said at length.

He’d come here to exchange niceties? Okay, she’d play along. “Thank you. So do you.”

“I thought maybe you’d come down with something. A cold or flu.”

Ah, so that was his game: he was giving her an out. How generous. And unexpected. But she couldn’t hide behind a fake respiratory bug forever. And she hated lying.

“More like an attack of conscience,” she said.

“Really. And your conscience didn’t bother you when you pawned off today’s deposition on an underling?”

“Naomi isn’t an underling. She’s a founding partner of this firm.”

“That still doesn’t explain why
you
weren’t there.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Unlike some people, I know how to recognize a conflict of interest.”

His eyes narrowed. “So you’re giving up.”

“No. I’m simply stepping aside so my partner can take over the case.”

“Because of what happened last week.”

She gritted her teeth. “Because of what
almost
happened last week.”

“Are you angry because I kissed you?” He stepped around the desk. “Or because I stopped?”

She wanted to smack him. “Naomi’s married.
Happily
married.”

“And your point is?”

“You won’t be able to seduce her into compromising the case.”

The words halted his advance. “You think this is about the case?”

She lowered her arms and took a step back. “Isn’t it?”

“You have a pretty low opinion of me, don’t you?” He started moving again, a hunter stalking his prey. “And of yourself, for that matter, if you think I would fake interest in you just to win a case.”

“We’ve known each other for thirteen years, Zach, and this is the first time you’ve ever even given me a second look.”

“Not true.”

She backed up, straight into the low filing cabinet that ran perpendicular to her desk. “What, are you going to rewrite history now?”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Angel, and you know it.” He boxed her in against the hard wooden surface behind her. “Of course I’m attracted to you. And whether you want to admit it or not, you’re attracted to me.”

His hand found her hip, scorching her skin through the lightweight wool of her skirt. Panic mixed with desire sent her pulse skittering. She pressed her palm against his chest and shoved. “Stop it. This is neither the time nor the place.”

He didn’t budge. “Then you tell me what is. Name it, I’ll be there.”

His eyes bored into hers, the blue all but swallowed by dark pupil. She blinked, breaking the connection. Someone had to put on the brakes. “Zach, listen to me. If there’s something worth pursuing here, it’ll keep. At least until after this case gets resolved.”

He leaned down, lips grazing her ear. “You know lawsuits can drag on for years.”

She shivered. “True. But do you really want this one to?”

“No.” His breath whispered along the column of her throat, to the pulse-point beating frantically just above her clavicle. “Do you?”

She felt her eyelids droop. “No.”

“So what do we do?” The hand at her hip tightened, pulling her closer, until he was right there, pressing against her, hard and unmistakable even through multiple layers of clothing.

Her fingers, caught between them, slid up his chest to his shoulder, digging into the muscles that tightened beneath her touch.

He groaned and buried his free hand in her hair, tugging until she arched back and gave him greater access. His lips traced a slow path up her neck, sending ripples of heat to her core.

“Zach,” she breathed.

His teeth nipped the sensitive skin just beneath her ear.

“Oh, God.” Desire shuddered through her. How long had it been since she’d felt like this? Months? Years? Surely whatever they’d been arguing about could wait…

He released her hip, skimming his hand over her ass and down the back of her thigh, lifting her leg as far as the pencil skirt would allow.

He cursed and pulled back slightly to assess the material getting in his way.

That momentary pause was enough to bring Angie to her senses. Or at least dampen the flames sufficiently to allow her to push Zach away. He clearly wasn’t expecting the move. That was probably the only reason it worked. He stumbled back a step, and she slipped out of his grasp, past the executive chair that he’d rolled aside earlier, and around to the other side of the desk.

“Don’t even think it,” she warned, when he made a move to follow.

“Angel…”

“No.” She backed up toward the door. “I mean it. Don’t come any closer.”

“You’re killing me here.”

“You know the issues, Zach.” She fumbled blindly for the doorknob. Her fingers found the heavy brass handle and she felt a surge of relief tinged with just a hint of disappointment.

He took a deep breath. “It might be better if you spelled them out, Angel.”

“Like…now?”

That brought a wry smile to his lips. “I think we could both use a break to clear our heads. And you know what they say about things done in haste.”

“Yes.” She hesitated. “You want me to draft a settlement proposal?”

“That would be good.”

“I’ll still need my client’s approval.”

“Whatever it takes, Angel.” He approached her slowly. “Just do it. We can always work through the details later.”

“No guarantees,” she said. “But I’ll try.”

With each step, she could feel her body tensing up, like a violin string getting pulled tauter with every twist of the tuning peg.

She tugged open the door and stepped back, giving him plenty of room to pass by.

He paused in front of her. “I’ll request a voluntary settlement conference with the judge. A couple weeks, okay?”

She nodded.

Before she could even think to protest, he leaned in and brushed her lips with a soft kiss. And then he was gone.

In a daze, she closed the door and slumped against it.

What had she just agreed to?

“You sure you don’t want one?” Angie said. “Last chance.”

Naomi shook her head and watched Angie devour a double-chocolate cupcake with caramel sea salt frosting. “How can you eat like that and not get fat?”

Angie licked a dollop of frosting from her finger. “Just lucky, I guess. Plus I run every morning, do Pilates twice a week, and hike on weekends.”

Naomi sighed. “I remember those days. Before kids.”

“Hey, anytime you want to trade…”

“Really? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Angie MacDowell?”

“What are you talking about? I love kids.” When her friend’s brows shot up, Angie tossed a balled-up napkin at her. “Seriously. I’ve babysat for you and Cheryl, right? And I’m a great auntie. Ask any of my nieces or nephews, they’ll tell you.”

“That’s because you bribe them. Don’t deny it. Kids are lousy at keeping secrets. And just so you know: pizza and ice cream are
not
breakfast foods.”

“Oops.” Angie grinned. “Would it help if I told you it was only that one time?”

“Oh, please. You can’t even say that with a straight face.”

“You’re no fun.”

Naomi got up to clear the remains of their lunch from the table. “Let’s get back to work, shall we? We can have this conversation again
after
you become a parent.”

Though the tone was light, the words still stung. Angie tried to shrug them off as she dumped empty takeout containers in the trash.

Sure, she herself had often commented that she was happy to be the fun auntie. She got to spend time with the kids without having to take ultimate responsibility for their well-being, or giving up her own independence. The best of both worlds.

And there was no question she enjoyed the freedom that came with being a young, single professional. She liked the fact that she could come and go at will, without having to be accountable to anyone for her time. Other than her clients, of course.

But that didn’t mean she wanted to be single and unencumbered forever.

Just for now. Just until she’d gotten a certain arrogant, sexier-than-sin attorney out of her system.

Then she could get back to her real life: working, enjoying her family, and maybe even looking for a man who was interested in settling down and making babies.

“About this plan you have…”

Angie started, then relaxed when she realized that Naomi was talking about the settlement proposal they’d been discussing before lunch.

“What about it?”

“It seems…I don’t know…a little tame.”

“Tame,” Angie repeated, as if she’d never heard the concept. “How do you mean, tame?”

Naomi thumbed through the pages, then stopped to read a particular clause out loud.

When she finished and looked up, waiting for a response, Angie frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. It’s quite restrained,” Naomi said. “But—correct me if I’m wrong—I thought you were determined to squeeze as much as you could out of S&L.”

Angie skimmed through the list of conditions she’d drafted. “You think I’m going too easy on them?”

“Not necessarily. You’re still asking for some hefty concessions. But you could have asked for more.”

“I want to settle this, Naomi. Not drag it out in perpetuity.”

“Honey, at the rate you’re going, it’ll be the shortest lawsuit in the history of man.”

“If you’re worried about the bottom line…”

Naomi snorted. “Considering we’re just three years out of the starting gate, I think we’re doing pretty well.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“No problem. As long as this—” she tapped the draft proposal “—isn’t your sexual frustration talking.”

“My
what
?”

“Oh, was that too blunt?”

“I am not sexually frustrated.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“I think this is a reasonable compromise for everyone, including Mrs. Callahan.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Fine. Then let’s set up a meeting and see what the client says.”