“I’ll never wait for another jury without you again.”
I smile and rise to my feet.
Not bothering to zip up his pants, he swivels his chair and positions me on the edge of his desk.
“My turn,” he says, licking his lips.
I shake my head. “No, that was my gift to you.”
He hoists me up on the desk, directing one leg to the armrest on one side of him and the other to the armrest on the opposite side. His head slides up under the fabric of my dress. “Your panties are already soaked,” he observes, and I laugh.
“Wouldn’t you be hard if roles were reversed?”
“Baby, I’m already hard again.”
I giggle leaning back on my elbows.
He slides one finger up the inside of my thigh and I open my legs wider. Just as he slides it underneath my panties, a buzzing sound shakes the desk underneath me.
“Please tell me that’s a vibrator?”
“Afraid not, babe.” He sits up and grabs his phone. “Warner,” he answers, holding his hand out to help me up. “Be right there.”
He stands, tucks himself completely in, zips, buttons, and buckles himself back into the GQ man I’m used to seeing.
“Relax,” I say, pressing my lips to his.
He smiles, but I know he’s worried.
“They came back in record time, which means they were sure about their decision. Let’s hope I did my job well enough.” He pushes a hand through his hair and blows out a long breath. “Listen.” He helps me off the desk and I slip on my heels. “You’re to leave this office and go downstairs. Talk on your phone or pretend you are. When you see me walking down the hall, you are to ignore me. Act like you have no idea who I am.”
“Why?” I smooth the front of my skirt to try to work out a wrinkle that’s formed from our shenanigans.
“Because no one else needs to know who you are.”
“Okay,” I say offended, but whatever. I ignored the fact that he told me not to wait for him after closing arguments and that his assistant would let me into his office. Now I can’t even walk downstairs with him?
“It’s for your own safety.” He kisses my forehead. “I put away bad people. People who have friends who might want revenge. I’d feel better if no one outside of this office knew you were my girlfriend.”
I smack a smile on my face like I’m not freaked out.
“Afterward, just head back to your office and I’ll call you when things calm down.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks.” He winks. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He puts me at ease as I leave his office, his secretary’s knowing eyes on me.
I head to the elevator bank, go down and I’m about to call Chelsea when I walk toward the courtroom, but I tuck my phone back in my purse finding Pete leaning against the wall.
“What are you doing here?”
He smirks. “I wanted to see our boy. See if he wins. It’s a big case.”
“I thought you were headed back to Los Angeles?”
“I decided to stay the week. Jade can’t stop talking about this carnival thing on Saturday. She invited me over to your house for cake tomorrow since it’s her actual birthday.”
“That’s not part of the deal.”
“What deal?”
“You need to okay these things with me.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“You always were cute when you were mad.” He laughs at me.
The press lingers around the doors probably waiting for Reed or the defender to make a statement about which way they expect things to go.
“I’m not joking this time, Pete.”
“Neither am I. I disappoint her enough with not being around. One more week isn’t going to kill you.” He tucks his phone into his pants pocket.
“Aren’t you itching with not being in a suit at a courthouse?” I ask.
“No, but I forgot how much I love Chicago.”
The heels of the press descend down the hallway. Reporters with microphones out and cameras already zoomed in.
Reed exits the elevator and you’d never guess he just received a blow job upstairs. His briefcase is in his hands, his lips straight, expression intense as he nods a few times at the people yelling out questions to him. He answers a few but never slows his pace on the way to the courtroom.
He passes by me, a fleeting glance in my direction and I question if he even saw me. If it wasn’t for the quick scowl I saw cross his face I’d say no.
“Your boy isn’t happy.” Pete pushes himself off the wall to follow the group in.
“Why do you say that?” I rush to keep up with him.
“You really are piss-poor at reading non-verbal clues.” He shakes his head like this is a disappointment to him.
“What did I miss?” I ask while I push past the heavy courtroom doors.
“His hand tightened on his briefcase. His eyes stayed on yours a beat longer than they should have. His one look to me had the threat of physical harm in it.”
“You got all that in the split second he walked by us?”
He laughs and stands outside one of the rows, motioning for me to go in first. Following behind, he sits next to me, thigh to thigh.
“He told you not to act like you knew him?” Pete whispers.
“It’s none of your business.” I wish Pete would stop asking questions about Reed and me.
“Good boy. Glad to know that all his bullshit about being on the good side of things, didn’t make him naive.”
“Okay, you can stop talking now.” I roll my eyes.
“If he’s going to be a permanent fixture in your life, I have to make sure he can protect you both.”
“I can protect us. Me. I’ve done a good job of it for the last seven years.”
His hand pats my knee and I slide it over, so it drops off. “Relax, you’re drawing attention to yourself.”
I scowl in his direction just as the judge enters the courtroom. Everyone stands, Reed glancing over his shoulder to spot Pete and me. There’s no recognition or emotion in his gaze.
“You may be seated,” the judge says and we all sit down.
“Your boy is threatened by me. Funny. You divorced me,” Pete continues to talk even though I ignore him.
The head juror hands a piece of paper to the sheriff who hands it to the judge. She reads it and my focus is on Reed. He’s sitting straight, his arms resting on the table, waiting for the verdict. The defendant stands.
“Here’s the big moment,” Pete whispers and I elbow him in the ribcage.
“We the jury find the defendant…guilty.”
The juror continues talking but I watch as the tension leaves Reed’s shoulders. He glances to his partner who helped him, and they share a satisfied look.
A few people on the defendant’s side cry out and the judge bangs his gavel to get everyone under control. The defendant’s head falls into his hands as he weeps. It’s all very dramatic and it isn’t until a woman on the other side tries to jump the separation to stop them from taking the defendant away that I understand why Reed was so adamant about not letting anyone here know we’re together.
Once it’s all said and done, Pete and I stand.