Legally Bound by Blue Saffire Page A

having to address Bobby’s talk of working for her pratice.
    “Ready and waiting, though Bobby taught me. He may be a better teacher for you,” Nathan said with a mischievous grin.
    “Paige, I would love to teach you to surf,” Bobby said with a bright smile.
    “On second thought, it will be two weeks before I can get to my hair dresser I don’t think I want to start my vacation off in the water,” Paige grumbled.
    The rest of dinner went pretty much the same way. One moment everyone was laughing and having a good time, but as soon as someone tried to get Paige to acknowledge the fact that Bobby was at the table she would deflect the conversation to something or someone else.
    Bobby sat picking at his food watching her laugh and enjoying the company of everyone but him. He felt it should have been him she was so comfortable with. Halfway through the meal Bobby had enough he placed his napkin in his plate and stood from the table.
    “I’m going for a walk. Text me when you guys are ready,” Bobby pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed his credit card to Camille without say another word.
    Camille watched him leave then turned to Paige. “What is your problem, Paige? He is trying and you are totally blowing this,” Camille hissed.
    “Let it go Cam,” Paige huffed.
    “No Paige, you don’t see what you are doing. Someone needs to call you on your shit,” Camille snapped.
    “Call me on my shit, Camille? Really? You know me better than anyone, you know I don’t let anyone get close enough to hurt me and I have done a wonderful job this far,” Paige said in a low hiss.
    “No one has ever had the power to break me, but that man, him, he is the one man that has the power to completely shatter and annihilate me. Not just my career Cam but my heart. That man scares me to death because I know he can rip me to shreds and who’s going to put me back together Cam, you,” she pointed to Camille then looked at Nathan with tears in her eyes.
    “You? Because if he hurts me someone is going to have to put the pieces back together for me, because I don’t have it in me to come back from him. He has the power to ruin me.”
    Paige’s chest was heaving by the time she finished her words. She hated to admit a weakness, but Bobby Mairettie was hers. She knew he was the first time he kissed her in his office.
    She knew the moment he asked her, ‘ What would you like me to call you ’. Somehow she had let him into more than her body. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but if she didn’t stop him now he would hurt her and she couldn’t bare the pain that she knew it would cause her.
    “Wow baby sis,” Camille murmured. “Every man is not Eric.”
    “No Cam, they’re not, but I never really loved Eric. That was silly schoolgirl feelings gone bad,” Paige stopped talking. She was revealing way too much.
    Paige looked at Nathan and he just stared at her with compassion in his eyes. He nodded his head at his own thoughts and sat back in his chair. They were all silent for a moment no one returning to their food.
    “Paige, I understand what you are saying,” Nathan started. “I respect your need to protect yourself. But I know Bobby. He would never take advantage of the power of your love for him, but I want you to understand this. You hold the same power over him. He hasn’t been the same since the night he went to that club to see you.
    “He may hide it well but he barely sleeps and as you can see he doesn’t eat,” Nathan gestured to Bobby untouched plate. “He was a mess after that night with you at the club but he really lost it after your ex showed up at his office. He might have the power to ruin you Paige, but you are ruining him.
    “He was ready to end our friendship because he thought I was pursuing you. You have no idea how truly close Bobby and I are. We know things about each other that we wish we could unlearn and things that we were the only ones to help the other through.
    “We don’t fight,