She Sins at Midnight (12 page)

With her mouth wide open like a fly catcher, Melinda blurted out, “Lila? What in the hell are you doing here?”

Bitsy chose that moment to stand up and demand, “Is this the slut?”

Will piped in, “You’re right Bits. She
is
common.”

Creigh asked Melinda, “How do you know Lila?”

Lila asked Creigh, “How do you know Melinda?”

And Melinda shouted, “This is Josh’s bitch assistant!” It was total chaos.

Lila repeated her question to Creigh, “How do you know Melinda?”

Creigh answered, “Lila, I’m her attorney. She’s suing Amalgamated and if you really are Josh Furber’s assistant, then you’ve been named in her complaint as well.”

At the same time that everyone else was talking, Melinda yelled, “I did not sleep with Jose´!”

Totally confused, Lila asked, “What are you talking about?”

That’s when Creigh stepped in, “No more talking you two. There’s a lawsuit pending so you both need to communicate through your lawyers from now on.”

Melinda commanded, “Fine. Creigh, you’re my lawyer. Tell this fat cow that she’s trying to ruin my career and I won’t stand for it! Tell her she’s a big, fat, stupid, nobody bitch!”

Lila simply couldn’t believe how quickly her new sense of well-being had vanished. After talking with Jessica, she was starting to think there might be something worth feeling good about in her life. But not two minutes later, she was standing in the middle of the dining room being screamed at by a crazed movie star. She couldn’t write something this ridiculous.

Will stood up and retaliated, “Well, I’m Lila’s attorney and she wants me to tell you that no insignificant, skinny, little whore is going to call her names and get away with it! You, young lady and I use that term loosely, have just gotten yourself a countersuit!”

The entire dining room of The North Hills Country Club got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked like they were playing that old childhood game, statue-maker. Forks were suspended in mid-air, people with mouths full of food forgot to chew. It wasn’t until a little kid let out a completely unrelated scream that everyone started to come out of their trance.

Quietly Creigh managed, “Will, I’ll give you a call tomorrow. I think we better get together and talk about this situation.”

Creigh and Melinda left the dining room and Lila took that as her cue to sit down again. She was horribly embarrassed by the outburst that had just occurred and more than anything she wanted to go straight home and hide under the covers for the rest of her life. But that would be letting Melinda win and she had no intention of doing that. So, as soon as the waitress came over, Lila ordered a hot fudge sundae and didn’t get up until she had finished every last bite. At that point, she didn’t care if she did become a size fourteen. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to see southern California again anyway.

A
s Creigh dragged Melinda out of the club, he wondered how he could have possibly landed smack in the middle of such a mess. All he wanted to do was come home, take care of his mother’s estate and spend some quality time in a peaceful and quiet world. Then Melinda showed up and ruined it all. His mind strayed to all the ways that he and Lila would have gotten to know each other, their first date, their first kiss, their first time in bed. He groaned and was a breath away from telling Melinda what she could do with her lawsuit.

Creigh didn’t open the car door for the starlet when they got back to his Mustang. Instead, he went right to the driver’s side and got in. It took Melinda several seconds to realize that she was on her own. Once she was in the passenger seat, she fumed, “How do you know Lila Montgomery?”

Creigh turned his stony gaze to her and answered, “Our parents were friends, we grew up in the same town, we belong to the same country club and I happen to think she is an exceptional woman.” Then he turned the tables and demanded, “Why do you have it in for her?”

Melinda pouted, “I told you she’s spreading vicious rumors about me all over Hollywood. She’s trying to ruin my reputation.”

Trying hard to keep his temper in check Creigh replied, “Ruin your reputation? Melinda, I’m certain you are the only one responsible for that. Lila doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who cares who, what, or when you’re screwing.”

Shocked by Creigh’s bluntness, “Melinda gasped, “I never had relations with the janitor at Amalgamated Artists, ever!”

Creigh shook his head, “Look Melinda, I’m inclined to believe you as I’m sure that it isn’t in Jose´’s power to advance your career. But why you’re persisting in this lawsuit is beyond me. The whole matter would have been yesterday’s news if you hadn’t filed this nuisance suit against Amalgamated.”

Melinda confessed, “Oscar wanted to file, not me.”

“But this isn’t up to Oscar. This was your choice.”

Melinda confessed, “It was totally up to Oscar. If I hadn’t agreed to file he would have assumed that I was guilty and he would have left me.”

Creigh asked, “Why did you make Lila part of it?”

Melinda stuck out her lower lip and pouted, “Because she called me The Queen of Oral Pleasure.”

Dumbfounded, Creigh asked, “And she would know this how?”

Melinda snuggled closer to Creigh, “Whatever I tell you is confidential right? You can’t tell Oscar or anyone else without my permission?”

“Correct.”

She continued, “Well, about six months ago Lila walked into Josh’s office and I was, umm…you know…giving him, uh…”

Creigh interrupted, “Oral pleasure?”

“Yeah,” Melinda mumbled, “oral pleasure.”

“Were you dating Oscar at the time?”

Looking confused, Melinda answered, “Yeah, so?”

Creigh asked, “How long had you been together?”

“At the time? Maybe three months.”

Completely stymied, Creigh asked, “Not that it’s any of my business, but is there a reason you were doing this when you were already involved in another relationship?”

Melinda responded, “Josh told me that he could get me an Oscar nomination and when he actually did, I was so excited I thought I’d thank him, you know? It helps to keep your agent motivated.”

Creigh rolled his eyes, “I’ve found that when you want to thank somebody, flowers and champagne are lovely gestures.”

Melinda smiled wickedly, “Sure, those are nice, but they’re not very personal are they?” With a gleam in her eye, she scooted closer to Creigh and ran her hand up his thigh, “In fact, I’d really like to thank you for taking my case.” She let the innuendo linger in the air.

Creigh pushed Melinda’s hand away and nearly roared, “Well I may not be taking your case now that I know that Lila Montgomery is being named, so you can keep your thanks.”

“But you have to take the case! Oscar said he’d leave your firm if you don’t.”

Creigh responded, “I’ll make some calls in the morning. In the meantime, I’m going to take you back to your hotel so you can make your plans to return to L.A. tomorrow.”

Melinda asked, “Go back? I think I need to stay here so that we can work more closely together.”

“Melinda, even if I do stay on as your attorney, you and I are not going to work closely together. If I need to speak with you again, it will be by telephone.”

Melinda didn’t comment either way. If Lila was going to be in Bentley and her attorney was going to be in Bentley, then she was going to be in Bentley as well. After all, she had to keep her eye on things, didn’t she? As an extra bonus, she decided to get Creigh in the sack and show him what a real woman could do between the sheets. It would be kind of be like getting the chance to be with Julius.

After Creigh dropped her off at her hotel, Melinda crawled into bed without even taking off her makeup. She was dying to see what was happening next in her romance.

After her very unsatisfying encounter with Baron Bratwin, Isabelle decided to stroll through the gardens. She was in no hurry to return to the ball and watch Julius waltz with that dried up spinster, Vivian Ashwood. What could he be thinking? The Duke’s daughter would have no idea what to do with a man of Julius’s passionate nature.

Isabelle was lost in her own world when she heard two rough sounding masculine voices coming her way. The first declared, “I heard she was a hot piece o’ arse.”

The other man replied, “Yeah, well no hot piece o’ tail is worth gettin sacked o’er. Let’s get back to the stables.”

“You go. I’m gonna get me another look.”

Isabelle hid behind a hedge to see the men that were invading her privacy. From the sounds of them they were probably coachmen. She smiled and wondered what hot piece of tail was worth losing their positions over. When they turned the corner, Isabelle gasped. These were no coachmen but a couple of randy young stable lads. They couldn’t be a day over eighteen. Isabelle realized that she might be able to salvage her evening yet. She hurriedly ripped the fichu from her bodice, once again baring her enormous breasts and then she strolled out of the shrubs, “Looking for me boys?”

The first one whistled, “Holy shite! I ain’t never seen such a wonderful site in me whole life!”

The other one unzipped his pants and declared, “Even if you ain’t the Countess, you’re who I’m lookin fer now.”

The threesome quickly proceeded to a distant spot in the Japanese garden and Isabelle salvaged the remainder of her evening as only she could.

A
fter another restless night sleep, Creigh rolled out of bed to face the day. By nine o’clock he had showered, dressed and was on his way to see Will Montgomery. Hopefully the two of them could work together to resolve this situation with Melinda. Creigh knew that Will’s reputation as a litigator was one of the best and he would much rather work with the man than against him.

Creigh knocked on the Montgomery’s front door to no avail. By the second rap, he finally heard a voice call out, “Hang on, I’m coming!”

After a few moments of fumbling, the same voice asked, “Did you forget something?” Then the door swung open and Creigh was greeted by a sight that made his mouth go dry. Lila was standing in front of him wearing nothing more than a skimpy little robe, which if he wasn’t mistaken appeared to be damp. The wet fabric clung to her generous curves and rendered him incapable of coherent thought. Seeing Lila in her current state made him feel as awkward and aroused as a teenager. Trying to steer his thoughts away from what she might or might not be wearing under her negligee, he finally managed to utter, “Hello.”

Lila stared at Creigh before slamming the door in his face. She barely slept the night before because she was tortured by images of him with a million different women. She didn’t know why she should care at all except for the fact she had lusted after this man since she was in high school. She even made him the model for the hero in her first romance novel! And how does he repay her? By being as common and typical as every other man in Hollywood.

Before the door could slam, Creigh stuck his foot out to keep it open and inquired, “What did you do that for?”

Astounded, Lila replied, “Why wouldn’t I?”

Creigh answered, “Lila, what did I do?”

She screeched, “What did you do? You represent that Jezebel, Melinda Forrester, that’s what!” With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off toward the kitchen.

Following after her, Creigh tried to explain, “Listen Lila, I’m not representing her because I want to. Believe me. If I had a choice in the matter, I’d pawn her off on someone else, but I don’t have a choice, so I’m stuck with her.”

Lila went to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. She was bound and determined to ignore Creigh even though his presence filled the entire room. He was wreaking havoc with every nerve ending in her body. Never in her life had she been so infuriated and so turned on at the same time. She wanted to throw herself at him and rip his clothes off.

Creigh was irritated by Lila’s childish behavior. How could she think for a minute this was a plan of his choosing? So he asked, “Are you going to respond?”

Pretending he wasn’t two feet away, Lila poured herself a glass of juice and then returned the carton to the refrigerator. She slammed the door with such determination that the belt of her robe got caught. Consequently, as she spun around to walk back to the counter, the sash pulled free of its loops and she wound up facing Creigh with her cover-up wide open. Being that she had just gotten out of the shower that meant she was stark naked underneath.

Creigh feasted on the sight of Lila’s curvaceous form. Her breasts were magnificently high and firm and so gloriously full! Her waist was tiny and her hips were rounded and womanly. Mesmerized by the bounty before him, Creigh took a step forward, then another until all he had to do was reach out and touch her. Incapable of rational thought, he uttered, “My god, Lila…” just before his hands slid inside her robe. He held on to her waist only long enough to pull her closer.

As though hypnotized, Lila allowed Creigh to pull her into his arms. As he did, her robe opened further. The feel of his hard masculine form against her sensitive flesh left her gasping for more. Lila groaned as his mouth descended on hers in a ravenous branding. The kiss was beyond anything that she had ever experienced. It was an all encompassing sensual assault that left every part of her body aware of the man claiming her. For a brief moment she thought if her first love, George, had kissed like this, she would have been married with twelve kids by now.

Creigh moved his hands from Lila’s waist to her bottom in order to pull her closer still. Then he slid them up her back and around her neck. While holding her close, he let his right hand drift around and cup her breast. Oh god, he was going to explode if he didn’t have her soon. Creigh pushed Lila backwards until he had her up against the counter. With one quick motion he lifted her up until she was sitting on the ledge, leaving her magnificent breasts right at eye level. Creigh leaned between Lila’s open legs and licked the tip of her nipple just as the phone rang.

Creigh jumped back as though he had tripped an invisible burglar alarm. When he finally came out of his haze and realized that Lila’s breasts weren’t actually wired for trespassers, he shook his head and uttered “What have you done to me?”