The Law of Attraction (18 page)

If he had his way, they wouldn't leave his bed the rest of the day. Maybe not even then. If he had his way, they'd forget about the damn trial and make love well into the night. And tomorrow. And the next day…

“I have to go home and change,” she said, forcing Daniel back into unwanted reality.

He raised his head and kissed her softly. “I know. Maybe we could ask for a continuance so we can continue this for the next few hours.”

She drew a line down his jaw with a fingertip. “And what excuse should we use to avoid a contempt charge?”

“Contempt for the case.”

“You can say that again.” She patted his bottom and said, “Scoot.”

He rolled onto his back and watched her rise from the bed, giving him a great view of her incredible body. He knew the territory by heart because he'd explored every inch last night with his hands and his mouth. He could get used to seeing her this way every morning, waking up with her every morning. Going to bed with her every night. He was beginning to think he wanted that more than the D.A. position, and that wasn't anything he'd considered before. Ever.

She grabbed her sweatshirt from the floor and slipped it on. “I'm going to use your guest room to take a shower before I leave.”

He laced his hands behind his neck. “You can use my shower. I need to take one, too. We could conserve water.”

She pointed a finger at him as she backed to the door.
“We'll never get out of the shower if we take one together. Then I'd have to appear in court looking like a prune.”

“You'd make a beautiful prune.”

“And you are so full of it, Daniel Fortune,” she said as she left the room.

Daniel had to admit he was filled with her. He'd never felt this way about any woman before, had never been so consumed that he didn't give a damn about his job. He sure hadn't been so open with any woman, neither had he let down his guard enough to reveal any serious emotions. Not until last night. Not until her. He'd expected the moments to follow to be awkward, but instead they had been incredible. With her help, he'd lessened the burdens he'd carried from his past. And even though he now bore the burden of Ryan's illness, she had eased that, as well. He'd never needed anyone as much as he needed her.

All night he'd been considering how to handle the myriad feelings crowding in on him. He'd come to the conclusion that life was short and he'd waited too long to find someone like Alisha Hart. He'd also formulated a plan, even though he questioned if she would even consider it—especially after what he had to do to her in court today.

Unable to prolong the inevitable, Daniel bolted out of the bed and made fast work of his shower. While he was shaving, Alisha walked into the bathroom dressed in a knotted towel. Even with hair dripping and her face free of makeup, he could take her down on the floor mat and get inside of her right then without a second thought or concern for his responsibility to the courts.

She took the space beside him at the black marble vanity and gave him a long once-over. “Boxers. Very sexy.” She traced a fingertip down his butt. “I'm going to be thinking about these all day long.”

He lifted the razor before he cut a swath across his jaw. “If you do that again, I won't be responsible for anything I might do to delay your departure.”

She grinned at his reflection in the mirror. “Do you happen to have a spare toothbrush?”

He gestured toward the drawer to her right. “In there, a couple of freebies, compliments of my last dentist appointment.”

“Very nice.” She withdrew one, ripped open the package and grazed his arm when she reached for the toothpaste. Just that minimal contact had him ready to crawl all over her again.

Daniel attempted to concentrate on shaving, glancing at Alisha now and then, smiling when she inspected her teeth. Without asking, she took his hairbrush and ran it through her damp hair, but he didn't mind that at all. He liked her touching anything that belonged to him. He enjoyed watching her routine and he knew for certain what he wanted from her—the opportunity to see her standing beside him every morning.

He set the razor down, rubbed a towel over his jaw and tossed it aside, then circled his arms around her from behind. “You know what we need to do?”

She stopped the brush midstroke and regarded him over her shoulder. “I don't have time.”

“I didn't mean that.”

She went back to brushing her hair. “Then what did you mean?”

He drew in a quick breath. “We need to move in together.”

She stared at him over one shoulder. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I am. Very serious.”

She turned into his arms. “What made you even consider such a thing?”

“You. I want to see where this goes with us. Living together will let us know if we can get along for more than a weekend or a few nights.”

“I've never lived with anyone before.”

“Neither have I.”

“It's a huge step, Daniel. I'm not sure we're ready for that.”

“I am.” And he was.

She slicked both hands though her hair. “We need to think about this.”

“I have. All night. But you go ahead and think about it.” He pressed a kiss on her lips, then nuzzled his face in the cleft of her breasts. “Remember, I have ways to convince you.”

“How well I know.” She tugged his head up. “But at the moment you're going to have to put that on hold.”

He pushed against her. “This?”

“Yes, that.”

“Okay.” He took a reluctant step back. “For now.”

Alisha followed him into the bedroom and dressed while he gathered his clothes. Although he knew he should drop it for the time being, he wanted to convince her that his idea had merit. “Let's talk about the pros and cons about living together,” he said as he pulled his slacks on.

She leaned a hip against the dresser and folded her arms across her middle. “Okay. Pros first.”

He took his shirt from the hanger and shrugged it on. “You'll be closer to work.”

“Then you'd want to live here?”

“Yeah.” He tucked in the shirttails and fastened his fly before sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and shoes. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“No. Who wouldn't want to live here? It beats the heck out of my place in regard to convenience. It's a lot nicer, too. The wet bar is a real perk.”

Daniel rose and draped his tie around his neck. “Glad you see it my way.” He took his jacket from the closet and turned to find her staring at nothing in particular. “We can talk about it more at lunch.”

She sent him a warning look. “We're not going to see each other at lunch. We can talk about it tonight. Hopefully the chaos will be over by this afternoon.”

And hopefully after the case was over she would still be speaking to him. “Are you ready for today?”

She frowned. “Of course. Why?”

“Just wanted to make sure.” That was all he could say without revealing his plan.

“You sound worried, Counselor. Are you afraid you're going to lose?”

“Not at all.” He would do everything in his power to get a conviction because that was his job. He hated that job at the moment. Hated that she would suffer because he'd learned to do it well.

After putting on his jacket, Daniel held out his hand to her. “Walk me to the elevator. I'll go down first, then you can leave. Unless you want me to drive you to your car.”

She pushed away from the dresser and took his hand. “I can make it by myself, the same way I got here. I'm a big girl. But it's not even six yet. Do you have to be in that early?”

“I've got a few last-minute details to attend to.” Namely prepare to interview his surprise witness.

He couldn't resist one more kiss. Or one more compliment that he hoped she would carry with her during the day. “You look beautiful this morning.”

“And you are a beautiful man.” She sniffed his neck. “You smell great, too. Now get your gorgeous butt in gear and get out of here.”

Once at the elevator, Daniel took her back into his arms. “Just remember, whatever happens today, it's not about us.”

“I know that.”

He kissed her briefly. “Good.” But as he stepped into the elevator, the one thing he needed to say, the one thing he should have said last night, spilled out of his mouth as the doors began to close. “And also remember I love you.”

D
aniel Fortune loved her? How incredible was that?

Alisha felt as if she floated from her chair when she stood. Felt as if she might not be able to get through direct examination without turning around and shouting out that the most eligible prosecutor was crazy about her.

The world looked completely different this morning. The jury looked less daunting. Judge Slagle looked spiffy, even if his wiry hair flipped up on the ends. And Daniel…well, the way he looked right now in his gray silk suit, his gorgeous hair neatly combed, his face clean shaven, defied adequate description. What she wouldn't give to be able to walk up to the table where he now sat and smack a wet kiss on that devastating mouth. That would be a poor idea, although she wondered if her admiration was obvious. Hiding her feelings for him amounted to trying to conceal a bonfire at midnight. But she had to hide them. She'd allow herself a momentary lapse
into giddiness before getting down to business. And business included words from the “naked guy” himself.

Alisha straightened her frame and forced herself back into professional mode. “The defense calls Lester Massey.”

Massey seemed to be right up there with the second coming of Elvis, judging by the oohs and aahs and squeals that rose from the fan section when Les made his way to the stage. Alisha wouldn't be surprised if someone tossed a pair of panties at him while he took the oath to tell the truth. His white teeth gleamed against his tanned face. His normally shaggy hair had been combed back to reveal the two gold earrings in one lobe that reflected the light. He cleaned up nicely, but Alisha considered him a charming chameleon. And after today, good riddance. First, she had to sell him to the jury.

Alisha readied to paint Les as supercitizen. “Mr. Massey, is it fair to say that you've always been a champion of causes?”

“Yes.”

“Could you explain?”

Les did a good job of feigning humility. “Well, it's kind of embarrassing to talk about myself.”

Oh, sure. “Could you try please?”

“Okay. I did a lot of charitable work in college. Building houses and cleaning up parks, that sort of thing. I think it's important to give back to the community. To make people aware of the importance of social issues. That sort of thing.”

He was doing much better than Alisha had expected. He seemed almost civil. “Now let's talk about the activities that brought you here today. What was your intent when you posed at the zoo?”

“I wanted to call attention to animal rights, how I think it's unfair to keep the helpless creatures locked up.”

“And at the Alamo?”

“I was trying to get people to pay attention to the importance of our past.”

“You didn't think posing partially clothed was a bit extreme?”

He presented a little-boy shrug. “Sometimes you have to be a little extreme to get people's attention.”

“And lastly the river-taxi incident. What were you trying to prove with that?”

He took on a serious expression. “People forget what the holidays are supposed to be about. Everyone gets caught up in the shopping stuff, so I figured I'd try to convince everyone to slow down and just have fun.”

Oh, brother. Alisha resisted rolling her eyes. “That particular night, did you expose yourself?”

“Only my legs and chest.” He puffed out said chest. “I never whipped it out for anyone to see.”

Alisha would swear she heard a collective sigh. “
It
as in your genitals?”

“Yeah. Those.”

“Do you have any tattoos there?”

He looked totally pained by the prospect. “No, ma'am. I did have a pair of maracas.” A chorus of laughter rang out. “I mean, I was holding a pair of maracas that night. I accidentally dropped them in the river.”

“Could you describe these maracas and explain where you were holding them?”

“They were blue, with flowers and vines painted on the bulb part. I was holding them upside down, kind of between my legs, shaking them.”

When the chuckles died down, Alisha turned and spoke directly to the jurors. “Mr. Massey, the night you were on the river, do you recall seeing Mrs. O'Reilly when you exited the taxi and entered the walkway?”

He shook his head. “No, ma'am. I didn't see her and I didn't push her. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, and I still miss her a lot. I'd never hurt an old lady.”

Not too bad, Alisha decided, except for the “old lady”
part. “One more question, Mr. Massey. When you decided to conduct this performance, did you intend to offend or harm anyone?”

“No, ma'am,” he said adamantly. “If I'd known anyone was going to get hurt, I would've never done it.”

Alisha felt more than satisfied by Les's testimony, and she didn't want to push her luck. “No further questions.”

When she started back to the table, Daniel passed by her on the way to the stand. She caught a good whiff of his scent and thought she might possibly swoon. Instead she took her seat next to Joe and braced for Daniel's cross-examination. She seriously doubted he could do much to salvage his case, but she knew he would try.

He approached the stand slowly, keeping his distance. “I want to clarify one thing, Mr. Massey. Your only intent in regard to these escapades came from a deep-seated sense of social awareness?”

“Yes, sir. That's right.”

“And you have no other reason for it whatsoever?”

“No, sir. I just want people to be more aware.”

More aware of Les Massey, Alisha thought wryly.

“A couple of final questions, Mr. Massey,” Daniel said. “Did you go to college and get a degree?”

“I couldn't finish. I didn't have enough money.”

“What was your major?”

“Uh, I didn't really decide before I had to leave.”

“Are you currently employed?”

He looked appropriately dejected. “No. I've worked some odd jobs to get by. But times are tough for everyone.”

Poor, poor Les. If he were any more pitiful, Alisha would have to pass out the tissues to the girls.

Daniel walked back behind the table. “No more questions.”

Slagle gave his attention to Alisha, and she assumed she probably looked as shocked as he did. That wasn't much of a cross, but she realized Daniel probably couldn't add any
thing more. Grilling Mr. Charmer could possibly alienate the jury, and maybe that's why the prosecutor hadn't gone for the jugular. Or maybe he sensed defeat. At least he hadn't used anything she'd given him to any real degree, although she suspected he'd been heading in that direction. But Les had held him off with the whole poor-pitiful-me act. Massey had definitely proven he could act up a storm.

“Any other witnesses, Ms. Hart?” Slagle asked.

“The defense rests, Your Honor.”

Slagle waved a wiry hand at Les. “You can step down, Mr. Massey.”

Daniel remained standing beside the table. “I'd like to request a fifteen-minute recess before we continue, Your Honor.”

Slagle checked his watch. “Okeydoke. Fifteen minutes, then we can start to wrap this up.”

“You've done it, Hart,” Joe said to Alisha as they stood. “No way is the jury going to convict.”

Alisha was cautiously optimistic. Experience had taught her anything could happen. “Let's not make any assumptions yet. The prosecutor still has closing arguments. Which reminds me, I need to polish mine a bit. I'm going to find a quiet place and do that very thing. You know the routine. If Les wants to take a trip to the boys' room, accompany him and the guard. Make sure he doesn't pose for the press.”

Joe grinned. “Is that with or without his pants down?”

Alisha smirked. “Both.”

Although unwise, Alisha couldn't resist searching out Daniel, if only to catch a quick glimpse. But he'd disappeared without her noticing. Oh, well. She planned to get more than a good look at him tonight. And if luck prevailed, closing arguments would go quickly, and then the jury could begin deliberations. Hopefully the verdict would be returned by day's end, then she could put Les Massey behind her, figuratively speaking. Win or lose, it really didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was Daniel and being with him
without this case intruding on their relationship. And more important, she realized now that she could trust him. And she did, with all her heart.

Alisha pushed her way through the loitering press outside the courtroom, skirting their questions while a bailiff stepped up and held them back, allowing her to disappear into a back hallway.

When she found an empty conference room, she collapsed into an unforgiving wooden chair and took out her notes. For the most part, she usually winged it during closing, but she liked to make sure she had all her points in order. Fortunately she'd been blessed with a good memory to counteract the bladder and molar problems. She laughed at that thought. Laughed from the sheer joy of knowing that Daniel loved her. Unless he'd been lying. Of course not. He wouldn't just spout out something that important for the heck of it. He had no reason to lie.

Alisha's time was limited, therefore she could not keep recalling those moments. Work took precedence over very pretty words. But before she could review her notes, the door opened on her dream man. At the moment he looked every bit the iceman.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Obviously this isn't where I'm supposed to be having my meeting.”

“Obviously not. Unless someone's hiding under the table.” She bent down and took a quick look before straightening again. “I don't see anyone, so that means we're alone.” And maybe he might take the hint and give her a quick kiss.

It seemed that hadn't even occurred to Daniel when he said, “They're probably in the next room down. I need to find them.”

“Daniel,” Alisha called before he could leave. “About this morning…”

He looked totally impassive as he stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. “We can't discuss that now.”

Alisha tapped her pencil on the pad, concerned that he
seemed so aloof. “I know, but I just wanted to say I feel the same.”

He still looked detached and not at all affected by her declaration. He also didn't respond, leaving her to question whether she'd misunderstood him that morning. Or perhaps he'd changed his mind.

As Daniel turned to go, he stopped short of opening the door but kept his back to her. “Remember, whatever happens this afternoon, I have a job to do.”

Alisha gathered he had one heck of a closing statement planned. But then, so did she. Still, a queasy feeling settled in her tummy, and she chalked it up to hunger pangs. After all, she hadn't had any breakfast. Yes, that was it. It had to be it. The trial was basically over, and she believed she'd scored more points than Daniel. Maybe that was the problem. He didn't like losing, even if he'd never been all that enthused with this case from the beginning.

Well, if he did lose, she'd come up with a few wicked ways that would ensure his forgiveness.

 

Daniel hoped Alisha would forgive him for what he was about to do. Regardless, he had to do it and he could only hope she understood that.

After Slagle seated himself on the throne, Daniel remained standing and said, “The state calls Carol Novak to the stand.”

A moment of silence passed, then Alisha said, “Approach, Your Honor,” with more poise than he'd expected.

“Come on up, Counselors,” the judge said.

Daniel didn't dare look at her as he walked to the bench. He'd let her have her say before he went on the attack.

“Your Honor,” Alisha began, “I have no record of this Carol Novak on the witness list presented to me during discovery.”

“We were unaware of her role in impacting the state's case until she came forward,” Daniel said.

“But—”

Slagle put up a hand to silence Alisha. “Ms. Hart, the state is within its rights to refute evidence through rebuttal. You'll get your turn in cross. Besides, we could use a little something to liven up this case before lunch. Otherwise I might be tempted to take a nap.”

Only then did Daniel risk a glance at Alisha. She didn't look as though she appreciated Slagle's attempts at humor. In fact, she looked royally pissed. And after this was over, he imagined she'd be out for blood. His blood.

Slagle shooed them away. “Now step back and let's get going. Bring in the witness, bailiff.”

Daniel walked back to the table and picked up his notes. He'd had little time to interview Ms. Novak, although she seemed like a solid witness. But then, so had Mrs. O'Reilly. She could end up doing more harm than good. Not if he could help it. Not if he could ignore Alisha's current glare and keep his mind centered on his duty.

Following Slagle's instructions to the jury regarding the rebuttal process, Carol Novak strode to the stand and took the oath. Dressed in a tailored black suit, with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, she looked the part of corporate executive, which she was. Wearing an expression that could wither a professional wrestler, she looked the part of a jilted lover, which she had been.

Daniel decided to remain in place to avoid Alisha's glare. Less diversion that way, and he needed all the concentration he could get. “Ms. Novak, could you please state your occupation and city of residence for the record?”

“I'm vice president of finance for a computer corporation based in New Orleans.”

Les definitely had something going for him that didn't meet the eye in order to land an intelligent and attractive woman like Carol Novak, and Daniel doubted it involved his IQ. “Do you know the defendant, Lester Massey?”

She fidgeted with the hem of her blazer, the only sign of
nervousness. “Yes, I know him quite well. We were lovers for two years.”

“Did you live together?”

“Yes, we did. Unfortunately.”