Chapter One
Every
morning, he arrived. Every morning Grace told herself she didn’t deliberately
come to work early and position herself at her assistant’s workstation just so
she could watch him stride through the hall, the track lights illuminating him
like a runway model. He—Antonio Romero, with his sleek black hair, hazel
brown eyes and buff body that no suit could disguise. Not that she was obsessed
or anything. Of course not.
And , she
thought, it’s perfectly natural that
Antonio should arrive . After all, he was an associate attorney in this law
firm, just like her. It would be odd if he didn’t come to work. His arrival
certainly didn’t constitute an event. Nevertheless, here she stood, pretending
to proofread a letter, her eyes darting to the hall with alarming frequency so
as not to miss his entrance.
“Here he comes,” Larry Carson announced,
sauntering over to the grouping of workstation pods at the center of the
office. “Hold on to your panties, ladies. We wouldn’t want them to fly off and
into his path.”
Then Antonio appeared. So sublime. His
lips, nose, hair, eyes, smile. They all played a starring role in her
fantasies.
“Romero the Romeo.” Larry’s lips curled in
a sneer.
One of the secretaries tittered behind her
hand. At Grace’s quelling glare, she coughed and turned her attention back to
her keyboard and computer screen.
“Shush it, Larry,” Grace said, turning to
her colleague.
“Why shouldn’t I tell the truth?” he
asked. “It’s sickening how you all fawn over him.”
“Jealousy doesn’t become you,” Grace
admonished. Of course nothing did become Larry, in Grace’s opinion. He could
have been attractive, but the combination of kiss-ass smarminess toward the
higher-ups and the obnoxiously condescending comments he made to everyone else
made him an ugly little troll. “Don’t take your total lack of female admirers
out on Antonio.”
“Defending your buddy?” Larry asked with a
snide arch to his brows. “Typical, Baker. But why?” Then he lifted a finger and
placed it to the side of his lips. “I know. You two are buds with benefits…if
you know what I mean.” He chuckled.
Buds, but not with any extras. She and
Antonio were strictly on a no - benefits
basis. There had been that one time… But he didn’t seem to remember it, and she
didn’t want to.
“But sex is all it will ever be, Baker.
You won’t get a commitment out of the Romeo.” He sidled up to Grace and touched
a finger to her wrist, giving it a suggestive caress. “Why don’t you try
passing your favors around to someone who would appreciate them? Someone like
me.”
Grace jerked her hand away and stepped
back. “As an associate with this firm, you should know the laws on sexual
harassment,” she said. “And if you make one more innuendo about Antonio or any
further suggestive comments to me, I’ll make a report to HR about you creating
a hostile workplace, and then where will your partnership aspirations be, eh?”
Larry glared at her, turned on his heel
and headed into his office, which, unfortunately, was right next to hers.
“Bitch,” he muttered, and then slammed the door closed behind him.
Of course, Larry seemed to be a favorite
with the senior partner. Grace would probably be the one fired if she made a
complaint. While Larry got great high-profile, second-chair placements, she was
the dumping ground for every non-paying client and stinking pustule of a case.
Antonio also scored great cases, but then he deserved success. A brilliant mind
coupled with great courtroom technique set him apart from the rest. That was
just the way of it.
When he spotted Grace, Antonio’s stride
slowed and he smiled. Grace waved hello, but then turned and rushed back into
her office. She didn’t feel up to a friendly conversation with him this morning
when the sparring with Larry had brought to the surface all the longings she
had tried so hard to suppress.
When she got to her
Every
morning, he arrived. Every morning Grace told herself she didn’t deliberately
come to work early and position herself at her assistant’s workstation just so
she could watch him stride through the hall, the track lights illuminating him
like a runway model. He—Antonio Romero, with his sleek black hair, hazel
brown eyes and buff body that no suit could disguise. Not that she was obsessed
or anything. Of course not.
And , she
thought, it’s perfectly natural that
Antonio should arrive . After all, he was an associate attorney in this law
firm, just like her. It would be odd if he didn’t come to work. His arrival
certainly didn’t constitute an event. Nevertheless, here she stood, pretending
to proofread a letter, her eyes darting to the hall with alarming frequency so
as not to miss his entrance.
“Here he comes,” Larry Carson announced,
sauntering over to the grouping of workstation pods at the center of the
office. “Hold on to your panties, ladies. We wouldn’t want them to fly off and
into his path.”
Then Antonio appeared. So sublime. His
lips, nose, hair, eyes, smile. They all played a starring role in her
fantasies.
“Romero the Romeo.” Larry’s lips curled in
a sneer.
One of the secretaries tittered behind her
hand. At Grace’s quelling glare, she coughed and turned her attention back to
her keyboard and computer screen.
“Shush it, Larry,” Grace said, turning to
her colleague.
“Why shouldn’t I tell the truth?” he
asked. “It’s sickening how you all fawn over him.”
“Jealousy doesn’t become you,” Grace
admonished. Of course nothing did become Larry, in Grace’s opinion. He could
have been attractive, but the combination of kiss-ass smarminess toward the
higher-ups and the obnoxiously condescending comments he made to everyone else
made him an ugly little troll. “Don’t take your total lack of female admirers
out on Antonio.”
“Defending your buddy?” Larry asked with a
snide arch to his brows. “Typical, Baker. But why?” Then he lifted a finger and
placed it to the side of his lips. “I know. You two are buds with benefits…if
you know what I mean.” He chuckled.
Buds, but not with any extras. She and
Antonio were strictly on a no - benefits
basis. There had been that one time… But he didn’t seem to remember it, and she
didn’t want to.
“But sex is all it will ever be, Baker.
You won’t get a commitment out of the Romeo.” He sidled up to Grace and touched
a finger to her wrist, giving it a suggestive caress. “Why don’t you try
passing your favors around to someone who would appreciate them? Someone like
me.”
Grace jerked her hand away and stepped
back. “As an associate with this firm, you should know the laws on sexual
harassment,” she said. “And if you make one more innuendo about Antonio or any
further suggestive comments to me, I’ll make a report to HR about you creating
a hostile workplace, and then where will your partnership aspirations be, eh?”
Larry glared at her, turned on his heel
and headed into his office, which, unfortunately, was right next to hers.
“Bitch,” he muttered, and then slammed the door closed behind him.
Of course, Larry seemed to be a favorite
with the senior partner. Grace would probably be the one fired if she made a
complaint. While Larry got great high-profile, second-chair placements, she was
the dumping ground for every non-paying client and stinking pustule of a case.
Antonio also scored great cases, but then he deserved success. A brilliant mind
coupled with great courtroom technique set him apart from the rest. That was
just the way of it.
When he spotted Grace, Antonio’s stride
slowed and he smiled. Grace waved hello, but then turned and rushed back into
her office. She didn’t feel up to a friendly conversation with him this morning
when the sparring with Larry had brought to the surface all the longings she
had tried so hard to suppress.
When she got to her
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