Beyond Innocence (27 page)

“Desperately.” She breathed the word and Cory felt her need, her want, full-force. She held out her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Serena took in her surroundings. Cory’s room was cozier than she expected. Scattered pillows, framed photos featuring Cory with what appeared to be groups of friends and family, a stuffed Scooby Doo in a chair by the bed. She’d exhausted all her confidence with the kiss, with the not so subtle hints she was ready for more. Now she found herself stalling for time to decide if this was what she really wanted. “Scooby Doo? I bet there’s a story to tell.”

Cory’s whisper grazed her neck. “Scooby’s great. Gag gift from my brother. Kiss me.”

Serena barely digested Cory’s breathless words before they were kissing again, but this time the kiss was different. Instead of being all-consuming, it felt like a prelude, and Serena ached to see where the passion led. She pulled back. “I want more. Show me.” A simple request. She could only hope Cory respected the strength it took to ask the question.

“May I undress you?”

“How about you go first? I want to see what I’m getting into.” She was only partly kidding. She didn’t know if she could handle standing naked in front of Cory, worried whether she would pass inspection. On the other hand, she already knew Cory would be stunning. Maybe seeing Cory vulnerable would make it easier to expose herself.

“Fair enough.” Cory slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Too slowly, yet Serena forced herself to wait, to let the gathering tide of arousal sweep her up in its embrace. She licked her lips as Cory shrugged out of her shirt and tossed it on the floor.

“Messy little thing, aren’t you?” She needed the levity to maintain her composure.

Cory grinned in response. “Just anxious, I guess.”

“You took so long taking it off, I was beginning to wonder.”

“Seems every time we’ve gotten close, we’ve been interrupted. I suppose I just wanted to prolong the moment.”

“You’re killing me.”

Cory stepped close and placed a hand on the hem of Serena’s blouse, tracing a finger just underneath. “Any chance I could help you with this?”

“Please.” Serena could barely get the word out, though she was desperate for Cory to touch her. She groaned as Cory took her time, accompanying the release of each button with increasingly intense kisses against her neck, her shoulder, her chest. When Cory’s tongue dipped into her cleavage, she could wait no longer. She pulled Cory’s head up and kissed her deeply, then gasped, “Too slow. I’m going crazy.”

“Me too. Bed?”

Serena could only nod and then follow as Cory led her across the room and gently pushed her back against the pillows. She reached for Cory’s fly as Cory tugged off her pants and then watched as Cory tore out of her own trousers. Despite the frantic lead-in, once she was undressed, Cory stood frozen in place, staring down at Serena’s naked body. Serena started to panic. “Change your mind?” She didn’t even try to hide the undercurrent of nerves racing through her.

Cory shook her head. “Are you kidding? You’re gorgeous. I can’t believe you’re here with me.” She trailed her hand down Serena’s thigh. “Like this.” Cory climbed into bed and pulled Serena into her arms. “You’re sure?”

Serena was as sure as she’d ever been about anything in her life. Whatever they were to each other outside of this moment, right now, all she felt was the rush of arousal, the ache of wanting, the surge of need. Being with Cory, naked and vulnerable, was coming home. “Kiss me.”

As their kiss deepened, Serena’s confidence grew and she let her hands explore Cory’s body, her breasts, her tight abdomen. She reached lower and grazed the inside of Cory’s thigh and sighed as Cory shuddered against her.

“Ah, that feels wonderful.” Cory opened her eyes and asked again, “Are you okay? Do you feel good?”

Serena answered with another deep kiss. When they were both breathless, she pulled back. “Being with you, like this…nothing has ever felt more right. I want to please you.”

Cory reached for her hand and moved it to her breast and gently guided her to squeeze her nipple. She groaned. “Touch me like this. Your touch is wonderful.” As she teased Cory’s breast, Cory leaned over and swirled her tongue around both her nipples, murmuring, “Does that feel good? Do what feels good.” Serena arched her chest toward Cory’s hungry mouth until she felt she would explode, then she inched down and savored Cory’s nipples with her lips and tongue.

Cory’s hand moved down her body until she reached her sex and she began caressing, coaxing her to levels of fervor she hadn’t known she could attain. Her first orgasm was a quick, shattering blast of wonder. She rose from the bed, taking Cory with her as the powerful waves of arousal coursed through her. Cory held her close, whispering unintelligible comforts in her ear until finally she lay spent in Cory’s arms.

Her dreams had not prepared her for the onslaught of feeling. She’d spent a lifetime confining what she wanted, what she craved, to what was safe, or what she thought was safe, denying the risk of her desires. But right now, even in the throes of ecstasy, she’d never felt more safe, more loved. She’d vowed she would never suppress her desires again. And she desired Cory most of all.

Cory sat in front of Paul’s desk, tapping her foot as he read the writ she’d prepared the night before. She wanted him to give his stamp of approval, but beyond that, she wanted to get the brief filed so she could take a few hours off. Take Serena to lunch. With or without food.

Serena had dropped her at the clinic pre-dawn, her desire to be circumspect about their relationship only slightly stronger than the urge to stay in bed. Naked, sated, and warm.

“Get in your car and drive back home. We can go back to bed.”

Serena’s face flushed as she delivered the invitation, and Cory almost gave in. It was still early, but she knew if they went back to bed, she wouldn’t return to the clinic that day. She hadn’t wanted to leave that morning, and a repeat performance would only weaken her resolve to work at all today. She remembered the other night, when she’d left work undone to be with Serena. She’d hate herself if she didn’t put responsibilities before play. And as much as Serena seemed to want her now, she’d feel the same way.

“I’d love to, I really would. But I need to put the finishing touches on the brief, show it to Paul, and get it filed today.” She softened her pull back with a deep kiss that left them both panting. She shook her head to gain perspective. “See what happens when I’m with you? I lose my head.”

“I’ll come in with you. Help you work.”

“Oh, no you don’t. I won’t get a thing done. You go. Get some sleep. I’ll call you when I’m done and we’ll go to lunch.”

“I don’t think the Budget Suites does room service.” Serena’s wicked smile signaled food was the last thing she wanted for lunch.

Cory leaned in and kissed her again, savoring the touch since it would need to last for the next few hours. “We’ll figure something out. I’ll hurry.”

Cory spent the next few hours working, her mind divided between remembering the pleasure of Serena and worry about the plight of her brother. She was lost in thought when Paul cleared his throat.

“Your arguments are well-articulated, your writing is top-notch. You’re sure you haven’t done any appellate work before?”

“What? Uh, no, not a lick. I’m good on my feet, but brief writing is not my favorite way to get my point across.”

“Maybe it should be. You have a gift for it.”

Cory wasn’t sure how to respond. “So you think it’s ready to file?”

“I do.” He handed her the sheaf of papers. “Just change the signature line and it’s ready to go.”

Cory was confused. “I’m sorry?”

“I figured you’d want me to sign as lead counsel. The judge will expect whoever files the writ to argue at the hearing. The judge will probably want to review the record before setting a hearing. Even if we’re lucky and get a quick hearing, I doubt Greg will be back in time. I’ll handle the arguments. You can bring me up to speed on anything you think I need to know.”

Of course. It would be awkward if her name were on an appellate brief for a death row defendant after she was back at the Dallas DA’s office, working as a prosecutor. Still, the prospect of handing over her work, walking away from Eric’s fate, left her numb.

“Cory, are you okay?”

She looked at Paul, hearing his words, but not really processing his question. “What?”

“I asked if you’re okay?”

She needed to pull herself together. “I’m fine. Just tired I guess.”

His stare told her he thought there was something more to her distraction. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day? Rest, relax. I’ve got some candidates coming in later this week, possibly to fill in for Greg on an interim basis. You can help me bring them up to speed.”

“How is Greg?”

“He’s itching to come back, but his doctor was clear about his need to take time off. And I have to agree. Even in the short time you’ve been here, you’ve come to realize what a stressful job this is.”

Was working on death penalty appeals more stressful than prosecution? She hadn’t given the comparative stress level much thought. It was different, that was for sure. As a prosecutor, she’d been convinced she was defending the rights of the downtrodden, society’s victims, but she’d worked on the side of a different kind of downtrodden over the past two months, and she had to admit, many of the clinic’s clients were also victims. Just not the popular kind. Did that make the work more stressful? Maybe, but righting wrongs was fulfilling, no matter what the circumstance.

On some level, she would miss the work at the clinic, but she could do one last meaningful act. “Hey, Paul, you mind if I file the writ? After you’ve signed it?”

“You don’t need to drive all the way out there. We can have one of the interns run it to the court.”

“I’d like to do it myself.” Symbolic though it was, filing the brief she’d poured her heart into would be the one last thing she could do for Eric, for Serena. “I’d like to be able to tell Serena I personally delivered a copy of the writ to the judge.”

He didn’t ask her motivation, but he did study her for a long moment. She didn’t know what she would say if he asked why it was so important for her to do this for Serena. A variety of thoughts flashed through her mind—because I care about her, because I’d do anything for her, but one idea shone more brightly than any of the others. Because I’m falling in love with her.

“Sure, you can file the writ.”

Paul’s words barely scratched the surface of her trance. She took the packet from him and drove to the Rinson County courthouse, as if on autopilot, desperately trying to process her feelings. The realization she might be falling in love with Serena consumed her. She couldn’t be falling in love. As Paul had just reminded her, she would be back at the DA’s office soon, and Serena had her own life, back in Florida. Eric’s case was the only thing connecting them, and except for the clerical act of filing the stack of paper, her involvement was over. Ostensibly, nothing could hold them together, but she couldn’t deny the powerful pull of something more than physical attraction, affection. Could it really be love?

Whatever it was, she felt emboldened. She filed the writ with the clerk and hand-delivered a copy to Rick Smith. Then she asked him to approach the judge with her to discuss a possible hearing date, and she surprised both him and herself by taking the opportunity to take another stab at her motion for discovery.

Judge Fowler took a moment to glance through the brief before putting Rick on the spot. “Looks like we have grounds for a hearing, Mr. Smith. I’m sure you don’t have any objections to opening your file at this point.”

“Well, actually, Your Honor, I’ll need to talk to my supervisor about our current policies.”

“We’ll be happy to adjourn for a moment if you’d like to take care of that now. Let him know that if you can’t come to an agreed discovery order, I plan to enter an order of my own today.” A hint of a smile played on the judge’s face, and Cory enjoyed watching Rick squirm. It was his file, his call. She knew it, and apparently, the judge did too.

“Thank you, Judge. I think we can agree. I’ll need some time to gather the files and do any necessary redactions.” He cleared his throat as the judge fixed him with a stare, and then added, “We can probably have most of it ready later today.”

Cory chimed in. “That’s fine with us.” She paused for a moment, but then decided she should make her role clear. “Judge, Paul Guthrie, will be handling the case from here on out. I’ll let him know about our agreement and he’ll contact Mr. Smith directly to make arrangements to review the file.”

“I haven’t seen Paul in a while. I’ll look forward to seeing him in my court. Thanks, Ms. Lance. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

Cory left the courthouse with mixed feelings. A sense of accomplishment with the developments in the case mixed with confusion about what to do next. She needed to see Serena, but she didn’t have a clue what she would say, what she would do when she did. She picked up the phone to call, but it rang before she could punch the numbers. She recognized the incoming number. Not Serena, but still someone she needed to deal with if she had any hope of figuring out her life. And she wanted—she needed—to figure out her life. She answered the call.

*

“Paul, have you seen Cory?”

Serena had waited in her motel room as long as she could, but it was almost noon and she’d driven to the clinic to surprise Cory. After making love the night before, the few hours away had seemed like forever. She poked her head in Cory’s makeshift office, but she wasn’t there. As much as she didn’t want to be obvious about seeking her out, she finally gave in and knocked on Paul’s door.

“Hi, Serena. She was here, but she left about…” He paused to glance at his watch. “About nine this morning. She finished up the writ on Eric’s case and took it to Rinson County to file it. In fact, I have a copy for you, somewhere around here.”

As Paul searched through his desk, Serena did a rough mental calculation. The trip to Rinson, took about forty-five minutes. Seemed like Cory should’ve been back way before now. She considered calling her, but if Cory was in court, she didn’t want to risk interrupting. Maybe she’d see if she could do some filing while she waited for Cory to return. Paul’s voice cut into her thoughts.