Lawful Lover (Eternal Bachelors Club #2) (10 page)

“He sat very close to you in that gondola.”

Sabrina braced her hands at her waist. “Not any closer than you sat to Eve. Who is your ex-girlfriend, if I may add.”

“Emphasis on the
ex
,” Daniel said and reached for her arms, making her fall forward and onto him. A moment later he had her in the position he wanted her: Sabrina straddling him.

“What is this? A way for you to change the subject so I don’t ask any questions about Eve?”

“Just asserting my prior claim,” Daniel growled.

“You must have noticed that Eve still makes eyes at you. It was hard to overlook.”

Daniel chuckled. “Look who’s jealous now.”

“I’m not jealous, I’m just making an observation.”

“An observation, huh? So what did you and Paul talk about?”

“Don’t you trust me?”

She pouted, and damn if he didn’t find that expression adorable.

“You I trust. Him—not so much. He’s one of the biggest philanderers there is. He had no shame snatching my girlfriend right from under my nose tonight.”

She threw her head back. “So you think he can snatch me away from you?”

“He tried it tonight.” Daniel slid his arms around her waist and pulled her down on him more firmly. “But I’ll make sure he won’t succeed.”

She tilted her head in a most coquettish way. “How?”

“By making you want nobody else but me.” He paused and ground his erection against her soft center. “And my cock.”

“Caveman,” she murmured softly and lowered her head to his. “But go right ahead and show me what you had in mind.”

Daniel moved his hands to her thighs and slid them underneath the silky fabric, running them along their insides until he reached their apex. No panties impeded his foraging fingers as he caressed her warm wetness. He groaned as he felt her lift herself onto her knees and gyrate against his hands.

“You wanna ride me tonight?” He glanced up at her face, searching her eyes. “Is that what you want, to impale yourself on me and ride me until you collapse?”

She bent over him, her lips capturing his for a brief moment. “Stop talking, and start making love to me, before I start asking more questions about you and Eve.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Wanting to close that subject once and for all, he used one hand to pull down his boxer briefs enough so he could free his hard-on, then he gripped Sabrina’s hips and drove her down onto him, thrusting his cock deep into her.

She gasped.

“Good enough for you?” he pressed out, trying to hold onto his control while Sabrina’s muscles clamped around him like a tight fist.

Sabrina started to move above him, alternately lifting herself onto her knees, then dropping down again. “It’s a start.”

“Just a start, huh? Is that what you’re gonna do from now on, tease me?”

“If that’s what it takes.” She gently scraped her fingernails over his chest, leaving a trail of fire wherever she touched him.

“God damn it, Sabrina, take that negligee off. I wanna see all of you.”

She gripped the fabric and pulled the garment over her head, tossing it to the foot of the bed.

Daniel’s eyes already feasted on her breasts as they bounced up and down with every movement. He reached for them, cupping the round flesh and squeezing it.

“I’m so damn lucky to have you,” he professed, then pulled her down to him. “Don’t ever leave me.” He couldn’t imagine living without her.

“Then promise me something,” she whispered against his lips.

“Anything!”

“Always love me as you love me tonight.”

Nodding, he captured her lips and put all his passion and love into the kiss, showing her with his body what was in his heart. With every stroke of his tongue and slide of his lips he poured his love into her, while his hips thrust upwards, meeting her movements halfway.

Soft moans and sighs mingled with the sound of flesh sliding against flesh and their heavy breathing, and bounced against the walls, while the mattress beneath them moaned its approval and the wood frame of the bed groaned in response.

“I love you,” he murmured and rolled them, bringing Sabrina underneath him, his cock briefly slipping from her.

He didn’t waste a second before plunging back into her and seating himself where he belonged: in her warm center with her muscles gripping him tightly and her thighs wrapping around him, her ankles crossed behind his back, so he couldn’t escape.

As his body heated and sweat ran down his torso in tiny rivulets, he gazed at her passion-covered face. When their eyes locked, he saw the same love reflected back at him that he felt for her.

“I love you, Daniel,” she whispered, her lips trembling, her eyelashes fluttering.

Her words robbed him of the last thread of his control and pushed him over the edge. Without warning, he came, flooding her tight channel with his seed. Yet he kept going, continued driving into her until he felt her sheath convulse around him as she climaxed.

Only then did he stop his movements and brace himself over her, resting his weight on his knees and elbows.

Tenderly, he brushed his lips over hers, nipping at her bottom lip, then swiping his tongue over it.

“Sabrina… ” But he couldn’t say anything else.

Making love to her had rendered him speechless. Would it always be that way between them?

11

Sabrina felt the high she’d experienced from visiting Daniel’s parents fading quickly once they were back in New York. They’d finished all the cannoli within a couple of days, and Daniel was working long hours again, trying to finalize an important deal.

Sabrina occupied her time as best she could: by exploring the city on her own, by going shopping, and by trying out new recipes to surprise Daniel with nice dinners at home. Many times her efforts went to waste, because Daniel didn’t return home till late and had already eaten a bite at his desk in the office.

She’d sent out job applications and researched what she needed to do to become eligible to practice law in New York state. Since New York didn’t have a reciprocity agreement with the State of California, she would have to go through the pains of sitting the New York bar exam before she would be able to practice law in this state.

Now she sat in bed, pillows propped behind her back, and diligently studied New York case law. When she heard the door to the apartment open, she glanced at the clock. It was a little past eleven o’clock. She hadn’t even noticed how late it had gotten.

Daniel entered the bedroom, looking exhausted. “I didn’t expect you to still be up,” he greeted her as he sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his shoes.

“You’re not the only one who can pull a late night,” she answered evenly, trying not to let her disappointment that he’d missed dinner again show. She’d made lasagna and tried her hand at tiramisu from a recipe Daniel’s mother had emailed her a few days earlier.

Daniel sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are,” she said, lifting the book off her lap and placing it on the bedside table. “It seems to be getting later every night.”

“I wish I could change it, but this deal is important.” He continued undressing until he was wearing only his boxers.

When he walked into the bathroom, she sighed. Maybe after this deal was closed, he would have more time for her again. She just had to be patient.

When, a few minutes later, Daniel climbed into bed and laid his head on the pillow, she turned off the light and snuggled up to him.

“I have a job interview tomorrow.”

Daniel moved, pulling her closer. “Really? Oh, baby, that’s great news!” He kissed her. “Who is the interview with?”

“Yellin, Vogel, and Winslow.”

“That’s a great firm.”

“I know,” Sabrina said excitedly, draping her arm across his stomach and hugging him. “I was shocked when I got the phone call today.”

“Wonderful. I’m sure you’ll knock ‘em dead! They’d be stupid not to hire you.” He kissed her forehead. “How’s the studying for the bar exam coming along?”

“It’s not easy. I thought all this studying was behind me, but I guess I’m just having to start from scratch.”

“You can do it,” he encouraged her.

“You sure?”

“You’re good at what you do. You know that yourself. You don’t need me to tell you that.” His arm slid around her waist, pulling her against him. “God, I missed you. If I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn, I’d make love to you all night.”

“It doesn’t have to last all night,” Sabrina answered.

“You’re a very wicked woman, tempting me like that. But you know as well as I do that once I start, I won’t be able to stop. Because, you, my love, are the most exciting woman I’ve ever been with.”

He slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her tenderly.

***

Dressed in a conservative navy blue suit, Sabrina left the apartment and hailed a cab, giving the driver directions to the law firm. Then she sat back and mentally practiced what she would say during the interview.

The law offices of Yellin, Vogel, and Winslow were located in midtown Manhattan in a large office tower.

After signing in with the security desk, Sabrina took a deep breath and stepped into the elevator to ride up to the 20th floor. She was greeted by a secretary who looked like she was fresh out of high school.

“Hello,” the woman beamed. “How may I help you?”

“I have an interview with the partners this morning. I’m Sabrina Palmer.”

The secretary looked at her monitor, then nodded. “Yes, they’re expecting you. This way please.”

Sabrina followed the woman down the hallway and into a conference room that was stocked with coffee, tea, bottled water, and assorted pastries and donuts.

“Help yourself to anything you’d like. They’ll be with you shortly.” Then she left, closing the door softly behind her.

Sabrina was too nervous to eat anything, but she took a bottle of water and moistened her parched throat with it. She didn’t have to wait long, until the door opened and three people entered: two men and one woman.

Sabrina had done her research and knew that Vogel was a woman, the only full partner in the firm. That fact had made her very excited about the prospect of getting a job with this firm. It was refreshing to know that at Yellin, Vogel, and Winslow, women were viewed as equals.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Palmer. I’m Mr. Yellin. These are my associates Mrs. Vogel and Mr. Winslow.”

Sabrina stood and shook each of their hands in turn. “Nice to meet you.”

She gave them a vibrant, confident smile.

“Please, let’s sit.” Mr. Yellin pulled out a chair across the table from where Sabrina sat.

“So, Ms. Palmer, your résumé is very impressive,” Mrs. Vogel said. “It states that your last firm was Brand, Freeman & Merriweather, correct?”

“Yes, Mrs. Vogel,” Sabrina replied.

“That’s one of the top firms in San Francisco. Tell us a bit about what you did there,” Mr. Winslow said.

Under no circumstances could Sabrina tell them that she’d been relegated to menial jobs there, because her supervising attorney was a horny slime ball. Thankfully, she’d practiced a response to this question.

“I worked closely with the senior partners on several large and very lucrative business accounts. My specialty is mergers and acquisitions.”

The three partners nodded their heads in unison, reminding Sabrina of a bunch of bobble heads lined up on a car dashboard. She refrained from smiling at the mental image.

“And why did you leave the firm?” Mr. Yellin asked.

Sabrina took a deep breath. She knew this question was coming and it was one she’d struggled with. Telling them she’d been fired would reflect poorly on her, even though Mr. Merriweather had offered her the job back after finding out that Hannigan had fired her essentially because she wouldn’t spread her legs for him.

Telling them she’d left to move here to be with her boyfriend would make her look like a woman who chased the man she was dating across the country.

“Well,” Sabrina began, “the potential to move up within the firm was almost non-existent. I felt as though my skills were being under-utilized and I knew it was time to move on.” None of what she’d said was a lie.

“Yes, we’ve spoken to Mr. Merriweather,” Mrs. Vogel said, looking directly at Sabrina as if she’d caught her in a lie.

Sabrina fought to keep her expression calm and didn’t allow any of the apprehension to show on her face. It was perfectly normal for a potential employer to call previous employers for a reference. She only hoped her previous employer had been kind and not revealed too much about the real circumstances of her leaving.

“He was very impressed with your abilities as a lawyer and was sad to lose you. He mentioned that he offered you a substantial promotion if you would consider staying,” Mrs. Vogel said, fishing for more information.

Sabrina felt herself relax by a fraction. “Yes, that’s correct, but for personal reasons, I decided to follow through with my decision to move to New York.”

“Personal reasons?” Mrs. Vogel asked.

Sabrina swallowed. It appeared there was no way around this now. “Yes, a relationship. A long distance relationship I’ve been having for quite a while,” she lied, “developed into something more serious, and it was time to take the next step.”

The female partner nodded. “Good. It’s refreshing to see somebody taking a risk.”

Surprised at her response, Sabrina smiled. “Yes, some relationships are worth taking a risk.”

The three of them smiled at her, and then Mr. Yellin said, “Excellent. Excellent. As you know, this firm focuses primarily on acquisitions. Are you familiar with the laws of New York that pertain to this?”

“Yes, sir.” Sabrina nodded. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been brushing up on New York law and getting ready to sit the bar exam so that I can be licensed here.”

“Did you apply for the bar exam in time? The deadline was in April if you want to sit the July exam.”

“Uhm.” Sabrina shifted nervously. She knew she’d missed the deadline, but had hoped to sit the exam in February, since she hadn’t counted on getting an interview this quickly and figured it would take several months anyway, before she’d start with the interview process.