Crystal's Dilemma (2 page)

“Where are you from, Tommy? Where did you grow up?” She needed to know more before she offered him a job.

“I grew up near Indianapolis. I have to admit I haven’t actually held a job. My parents are pretty well off and they paid for my education.” He shrugged. “I’ll confess that I’m a spoiled brat, but I think a career in law is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m focused on it and in love with the process. I’m twenty-eight years old and it’s time to start my life.”

Twenty-eight. Almost ten years her junior. She toyed with the glass, turning it on the table. Pursing her lips, she considered him. She had seen him at the trial every day, sitting in the back of the courtroom. It was hard not to notice a man with so much charisma. When she would glance at him as she worked her magic in the courtroom, he had always seemed focused on the testimony and all parts of the trial. Maybe she should give him a chance. Justice Cane had given her one, despite her edgy looks and wild spiked hair. Justice and Morgan had asked her to come in with them as a partner in the firm not long after she had passed the bar, giving her immediate status as an attorney. It was time to pay it forward. And she would have some eye candy to boot.

“Okay, Tommy. I’m going to give you a shot. I’m in need of a new assistant right now and if you’re okay with that, we’ll see how we get along. There are some stipulations though. Working for Cane, Moss and White isn’t easy and we have certain requirements of our staff. Are you willing to go through the hiring process?” She raised one eyebrow, knowing he was going to jump on the offer. But he didn’t know the whole deal…yet.

“Are you serious?” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “I’m most definitely willing!” He threw his head back and laughed. When his eyes met hers again, they were filled with mirth. “When do you want me to start?”

Crystal laughed at his eagerness. “Whoa, hold on.” She pulled her hand out of his grasp. She didn’t want to cross a line with him. If he wanted to keep touching her, she was fine with it, but she wasn’t going to open herself up to a sexual harassment suit without getting some papers signed by him first. “Today is Thursday. If you can be in my office at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, we’ll go over the paperwork. Then we’ll talk about when you can start.”

His brows drew together in a frown. “Paperwork? Like a nondisclosure statement?”

She smiled at him. “Something like that.”

His smile returned to his lips. “No problem. I’ll be there bright and early.” He waved his hand in the air, signaling the bartender to bring another round. Turning back to her, his smile was even wider. “Let’s have one more drink. To celebrate.”

Crystal drew in a deep breath. One more drink? Sure. The thing she really wanted to do with him was tie him to her bed. Shaking her head, she thrust those thoughts out of her mind. “One more then I’ll have to get going. I’ve got some files to go over tonight.”

The bartender slid two drinks across the table. Tommy raised his glass. “To us and a long relationship.”

Crystal felt a little shiver race down her spine. She picked up her glass and touched the rim of it to his. “Back at you.” Then she raised the glass to her lips.

Crystal had dreamed about Tommy all night. Hot, steamy dreams that caused her to awake amid damp sheets and an ache deep inside. She had it bad for this guy, and that might not be good for business. But she had made him an offer and she was going to stand behind it. What came of it, well, she’d have to wait and see.

The elevator doors swished open and she walked out into the main lobby of Cane, Moss and White. “Good morning, Rhonda.”

Rhonda looked up from her desk. “Good morning, Crystal. You have someone waiting in your office.”

Crystal stopped in front of Rhonda’s desk and shifted her briefcase to her left hand. “Really? I’m assuming it’s a nice-looking young man, am I right?” She reached for her mail in her personal bin on the corner of Rhonda’s desk.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. Very nice looking I might add.” Rhonda smiled up at her.

Crystal smiled back, tucking her mail under her arm. “You know, you’re looking pretty happy these days. I’ve heard you’ve found someone. Jack, is it?”

At her mention of the company driver, Jack, Rhonda lit up. “We do have something special, Jack and I.” Rhonda touched her hair lightly.

“That’s good. Glad to hear it. Life is too short, you know?” Crystal winked at Rhonda and turned toward her office.

She opened her office door and breezed in. “Hello, Mr. Rain. How are you this morning?” She moved behind her desk and placed her briefcase on the credenza behind it before she turned to look at him.

He was sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk. Dressed in black slacks and white shirt, his gold tie set off the flecks in his brown eyes. He stood, offering her his hand. “Good morning, Miss White.”

She looked at his hand and waved one of her own. “We don’t stand on protocol here, Mr. Rain. You don’t need to shake my hand every time you see me. We’re a bit more informal than that.” She pulled out her chair and took a seat behind her desk. “Please, sit.”

He took his seat again, looking a little uncomfortable. “I’ll have to get used to not shaking hands. It was the way I was brought up.” He laced his fingers together and held them in his lap.

Crystal shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” She opened one of her desk drawers and pulled out a folder, placing it on the blotter in front of her. She laid her hands on top of it and met his gaze. “Are you ready to get started?”

He smiled, the light coming back into his eyes. “Just tell me what you’d like me to do.”

That was a loaded statement. She flipped the edge of the file folder. “I’m going to give you the Cane, Moss and White employment speech. If you have any questions, feel free to stop me.”

“Okay. I’m ready.” He crossed one leg, propping it on the opposite one.

Crystal thought he looked pretty comfortable. That was good. She didn’t want him to feel out of sorts with her. “First, let me say I’d like you to see me not as your boss, but as an associate. Can you do that?”

He nodded. “I’ll try, but you’re so impressive, it’s going to be hard not to idolize you.”

Crystal grinned. “Oh, believe me, I love it when someone thinks of me as their idol.” She laughed.

“Consider it done.”

She opened the folder in front of her. “We’re going to get along just fine, Mr. Rain.”

“Tommy.”

She looked up. “Touché. My bad. I told you not to be formal and here I am, being just that. Call me Crystal.”

“Crystal. Easy. You sparkle.” His eyes flashed.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She lowered her gaze to the papers in front of her, doing her best not to blush in front of this young man. It had been years since someone had made her face heat beneath their gaze, and she was sure Tommy could do just that. Clearing her throat, she got back to the business at hand. She pulled a sheaf of papers from the folder and slid it across the desk toward him. “This is our standard nondisclosure contract. I want you to read along as we go, and if there’s anything you want more information about, let me know and we’ll discuss it.”

He leaned forward and pulled the papers into his lap. Flipping through them, he cocked his head. “If it’s standard, I shouldn’t have any questions.”

“Oh, it’s common enough, except for a few pertinent clauses.” She watched him while he looked through the paperwork. Narrowing her eyes, she was very interested in his reaction when he came to a certain clause.

Suddenly, his hand stilled holding the paper very still and looking at the final page. “What is this?”

And there it was. His brows were drawn together, his lips pressed into a fine line. “Are you on the last page?” she asked, knowing full well he was.

He looked up and met her gaze. “Yes. The clause about ‘Bonding Camp’. I know it’s a practice used by a lot of companies to cement relationships between their staff, but I’ve never heard of a law firm employing it. Do all of your prospective associates go through it?”

She nodded. “Most, yes. Unless they have some religious beliefs that won’t allow it. Some don’t attend bonding camp immediately upon employment but that is what we prefer.” She closed the file and rested her hands on top of it, wondering which way he was going to go with this. “If we hire someone on as an associate, we like them to attend so that we can see how they will get on with others of the staff. Especially the people we hire to be closet to us. Like you will be with me as my assistant.”

“I see.” He let the sheaf of papers fall closed and laid them on his lap. “Tell me about bonding camp.”

“First, let me ask you a question. Are you married or involved in a relationship?” It was a very personal question, but one she needed the answer to before he attended bonding camp.

“Actually, I’m single and not in a relationship at this time. Does that make a difference?”

She shook her head. “Not for your employment, no. It’s just something we like to know before offering you attendance at bonding camp.” She clasped her hands together, parking them on top of the file yet again. “You see, our bonding camp entails some very personal connections.”

“Such as?” One corner of his mouth rose in a half-grin.

“We feel that if you expose yourself to us at bonding camp, allowing us to see beneath your skin, it will create a bond between us that will serve us well inside and outside of the courtroom. If we know all of your personal preferences, your wants and desires, we can work together as one, instead of a lot of people trying to communicate who have nothing in common. Am I making sense?” Why was she having such a difficult time explaining exactly what bonding camp entailed? It had to be because she had felt such an instant attraction to him and for her, that wasn’t normal. She loved men, but her usual choice for a sexual partner was of the female gender. This time, she would definitely make an exception.

Tommy crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, his gaze turning smoky. “Are you telling me the firm is interested in my sexual preferences?”

Crystal let out a breath. “Well, yes. There’s nothing that bonds people together like becoming intimate. There are no strings attached relationship-wise. We do require that you be tested for anything communicable. You see, this is what makes us such a formidable force in the courtroom. Our staff is close knit, very close knit. We know each other’s likes and dislikes, each other’s dreams basically.”

“Okay, but what happens when two people become more attached than just working together? Is that allowed?”

“It’s allowed. There’s nothing in our contract that states you can’t become more than an associate with anyone at the firm.” She rose from her chair and moved around to the front of the desk, perching on the edge of it. “Tommy, no one will ask you to do anything you don’t want to do. We just prefer we get to know each other on a deeper level. As you have probably learned, our firm is very strong in the courtroom. Bonding camp is the reason why.”

Tommy looked down at the papers in his lap, tapping them with one long finger. “So, you’re telling me if I become intimate with you, it will form a bond between us that will allow us to work together better?”

“Basically.” She watched him closely. He was taking his time considering her proposition. Would he go for it?

He looked up. “If I attend this bonding camp, who else will be there?”

“I don’t know at this point. If you agree, I will get in touch with other members of the staff to see who is available.” She moved back around the desk to her chair, giving him some space. “It’s not only me you need to get to know. It’s the other partners also, including our staff at the compound.” She sat down and crossed her legs. She hadn’t felt this tense since her first time at bonding camp. What was it about him that made her nervous?

“The other partners.” He reached up and rubbed his chin. “Compound, you say?”

She nodded. “Our firm owns some acreage in upstate. We maintain a compound there, sort of a getaway for all of the staff at Cane, Moss and White. It’s where we can let our hair down and relax. If you sign on with us, you’ll also have use of it.”

He nodded, seeming pleased. “You mentioned the others…I’ve got to know…will I have to have male to male contact?” He lowered his hand and gripped the arm of his chair.

It was easy to tell he didn’t swing that way. “Not if you don’t want to. But, during our bonding, there will be others involved. Other men. Will that be a problem?”

He shook his head. “Not as long as I’m not required to have a ‘relationship’ with another man.” He raised his fingers and made quotation marks in the air at the word
relationship
.

Crystal smiled. “I get you. No, that won’t be a requirement, although if you ever feel inclined, it’s a possibility.”

“Well, I’ll just get this out in the open right now. I like women.”

“Good to know.” She swallowed, hoping he took her up on this. She wanted to get closer to him. Maybe even bring some of those dreams she had about him into reality. “We do practice ménage scenarios. There may be multiple men involved, but you won’t have to have any contact with them you don’t want to.”

He nodded. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve experienced a ménage.”