Lawyer Up (4 page)

Jon instantly released his hold on Beth and stepped away from her, not liking where this was going. He turned to face Beth, wanting to stop this from going any further, but the absolute fury radiating from her kept his mouth shut.

“Once and for all…I am not a fucking whore!” Beth yelled at Sandy.

Not sparing Beth a glance, Sandy told Jon, “If you're not going to pay the rest of what she owes, then I'm done talking.” The door slammed in their faces.

It suddenly seemed very quiet in the dark hallway. Jon looked down at the grimy, bedraggled woman before him. She just stood there staring mutely at nothing, her body trembling. Then she shuddered and started to crumple. Jon reached out quickly, grasping her arms to keep her from collapsing onto the dirty carpet.

“I've got nothing!” Beth mumbled faintly. “No place to live, no clothes, no money. Apparently no job either.”

She felt cold in his arms, and Jon realized she was in shock as she continued to ramble to herself. “My whole plan to turn my life around is evaporating into thin air, like everything else in my life…and I'm filthy and so hungry!”

Jon barely heard the last whispered plea, but he could tell that it had tipped her over the edge. Beth burst into hysterical sobs while he held her upright in his strong grip. Then, unexpectedly, Jon found himself turning her toward him and gently wrapping his arms around her, offering warm consolation rather than cold restraint. He began muttering soothing words as he tried to calm her.

“There, there, it'll be all right,” he repeated over and over.

Jon wondered—dazed, himself—what could possibly have come over him to pull a virtual stranger, a woman he'd met in jail no less, into his arms. However, the way Beth mindlessly clung to him told him that she needed and welcomed his strength. Her tears touched a jaded part of him, awakening a deadened heart and making him want to offer comfort and support to a woman—this
particular
woman. He considered challenging the roommate's right to sell the stuff, but right now he just wanted to hold Beth in his arms and make her feel safe.

What
in
the
world
am
I
doing?

Even as Jon silently argued with himself about his sanity, he heard himself murmuring more consoling words. He was keenly aware of his hand on the bare skin of her lower back, the sensation sending tingles up his arm. The feel of her lush bosom pressed against his chest created inappropriate desire throughout his body. Against his will, he felt his erection surge.

He had to get some distance between them. Easing her away, he took deep breaths to slow his libido. Then he surprised them both when he said, “Come with me. I'll take you to my place. Feed you some lunch. You can clean up, and then we'll figure out what to do.”

Her face flamed with hope, but then, before his eyes, she shuttered…her demeanor altered subtly but distinctly from head to toe. She was still sniffling and looking bedraggled in the practically obscene outfit, and her boot still lacked a heel, but somehow Beth had transformed. She stood tall, shoulders back, and met his stare defiantly.

“I have nowhere else to go and no money, but I won't go with you, won't set one foot in your apartment, unless you believe me when I tell you I'm not a prostitute.”

“I…” He wanted to trust Beth, but the evidence was against her. Rapidly he reviewed the facts—she'd been arrested with whores, even her roommate thought she was one, and the Pretty Starlets Diner had never heard of her. But she had no local priors, and now that he thought about it, the young woman who'd answered the phone at the diner had been suspiciously aloof and uninterested in answering his questions.

“I…” he tried again. “I want to believe you. It's possible that I misjudged you. I don't know what to believe anymore. That's a start, isn't it?”

“Not enough.”

Beth turned away from him toward the stairs, and suddenly he didn't want to let her go. He didn't understand it, but a near panic filled him when he thought about where she would go, alone and broke. He might never see her again.

“Please! I really want to help you. Please let me.”

Beth slowed, her back still to him, and he waited. Finally she said, “Okay. I still need a lawyer, but I won't be your personal charity case. It may take a long time, but I will repay the money I owe you as well as any other court costs and stuff like that.”

“Okay, sure, but no rush.”

Then he led her gently to his car. As he drove toward his home, Jon was dumbfounded by his own behavior, ultimately concluding that he had gone completely nuts.

ALL RISE

Hours later, they sat at the kitchen table in his small, almost barren apartment in the ritzy Hollywood Towers complex. When they arrived, Beth had looked around curiously at the sparse, cheap furnishings and lack of decor, and he'd felt the need to explain that his ex-wife had taken almost everything in the divorce.

“Damn lawyers!” he had said, not quite joking.

Beth had showered and dressed, inquiring first how to firmly lock the bathroom door. Afterward, she'd expressed gratitude for the loan of his clean but too-large sweatpants and T-shirt. She had washed her clothes, such as they were, and hung them to dry.

After that, they ate the simple lunch he'd prepared and talked about what to do next. At her request, Jon agreed to drive her to the diner. One way or another, they would get some answers. Then he'd take Beth to the public housing department to see about some emergency shelter for her. They also discussed her legal defense and whether there was any point in going after her former roommate for selling her stuff.

When Jon told Beth that trying to get her things back would probably not be successful, her face fell. He watched her wrestle with her emotions—from anger to misery and finally spunky determination. He was impressed. No matter what had brought this woman to such a low point, he could see that she wouldn't give up easily. Her grit transformed his apathy about the pro bono task into a desire to help Beth overcome her problems.

At the same time, Jon fought his inappropriate, growing attraction to her. His loneliness must be what was making this woman so captivating, he surmised. But she looked adorable in his way-too-big clothes. With her hair clean—falling in wavy, blond curls around her face—and no makeup, Jon could almost believe that she really was just a small-town Southern girl with hopes of stardom. Earlier, while she was arguing with her ex-roommate, he'd been completely surprised to hear Beth speaking with a Southern accent when she got upset. The soft drawl was pleasant sounding, exotic, even erotic. He could imagine her purring in bed in a come-hither drawl.

Jon realized there was a lot he didn't know about Beth. Suddenly she ceased to be just a case and became a person with a past, with problems he knew nothing about, and probably with hopes for a better future. That made Jon question whether he was being fair to her.

Then his cell rang and he went to the bedroom to answer it. After twenty minutes he returned and reported, “Beth, unfortunately I have to do some urgent work on another case. I can work from home, but I'm sorry, the trip to the diner will have to wait until tomorrow.”

He ignored his inner guilt when he saw her disappointment, reminding himself he'd already done more for her personally than for any other client in his entire career. At least his mentor was happy that Jon had taken on a charity case, not even commenting on the ad hoc nature of the “project.” He turned to go back to the bedroom.

“Okay then,” she replied, hesitation in her voice. “Umm…as soon as my clothes are dry, I'll head out, and maybe we can meet at the diner tomorrow.”

Jon suddenly realized that she had no place to go, no family in the area or boyfriend, as he'd learned at lunch. He turned back to her. “Beth…do you have anywhere you can go for the night?”

She shook her head no. “It's okay. You've done so much.” That look of determination was back. “I'll figure something out.”

He stepped closer, looking down at her. “Why don't you stay here just for the night? We'll go to public housing tomorrow.”

“That's okay. I've imposed enough.”

“No, seriously. It's no big deal. You'll be doing me a favor. Otherwise I'll worry and not be able to get my work done this afternoon.”

“Umm…I don't really know you, and I don't like taking more charity.”

“I can understand that—we're practically strangers—but if it will put your mind at ease, both the jail and my firm know that you were released into my care and that I'm your attorney. As I mentioned before, my professional standing and reputation as an ethical, principled lawyer are my most important commodities.”

“Well…” Her expressive face revealed that she was weighing everything. “Even the guards knew about your reputation…that you worked at some important lawyer's office.”

“And they all know you left the jail with me, but if you're uncomfortable…maybe I could find a hotel for you for the night.” He knew she had next to no money. “Hmm. I could even pay for it.”

“No! I can't take any more from you. My debts are big enough already. Here will be fine, and thank you for your generosity.”

“Okay. You can have the bedroom.”

“No, the couch will be fine. I won't take your bed away from you. Now why don't you get started on that urgent work you mentioned, and I'll clean up from lunch.”

He left Beth in the kitchen and settled at his desk in the bedroom to concentrate on writing a complex brief. At one point, Jon had a minor panic attack. A stranger, a suspect in a crime, was hanging out unsupervised in his apartment! He opened the door to put his mind at ease and found that she was on the couch watching television. The rest of the afternoon passed with Jon making conference calls and working on his laptop.

Later, when some delicious aromas wafted into the bedroom, Jon went out to see what was happening. He was surprised to find Beth busy in the kitchen making dinner.

Seeing him there, she said, “I hope you don't mind that I helped myself to your kitchen. I thought I'd surprise you with supper. A little thank-you for all your help.”

It had been a very long time since a woman had cooked for him or done anything special just to please him. Unexpected delight flashed through him, making him feel buoyant, as if that boulder on his shoulder had shrunk just a little. “No, I don't mind at all. I had no idea how hungry I was until those delectable smells hit me.”

“It will be ready soon.” Jon went back to work some more.

When Beth called, “Supper is served,” Jon joined her at his small kitchen table. He relished the simple but tasty meal she'd created from canned foods and pasta scrounged from his mostly empty pantry, taking pleasure in the food and the company.

“This is good,” he murmured, mouth full of pasta. “Thank you for making dinner.”

“It was nothing, really, after all you've done for me. Anyway, I was hungry too.”

“I'm impressed by what you managed to whip up with practically no food in the place.”

Beth smiled shyly at his praise. “Really, it's nothing.”

As if drawn to him, she leaned closer, and her luminous eyes caught Jon's again, locking them both in that odd visceral connection he'd felt before. Neither said anything, just stared, and for a brief moment, Jon felt as if Beth was as unsettled as he was.

Then in a breathy whisper, she added, “I wish there was more I could do for you.”

Unbidden, Jon remembered the deputy's suggestion of other ways she could repay him, and the hard-on he had fought all day came roaring back. Jon forced his eyes away, breaking the link. He was grateful the table hid his bulging pants as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair, unable to halt the images in his mind of the two of them writhing on the bed.

“How about those LA Lakers?” he suddenly mumbled, the incongruous comment sounding odd and hoarse even to his ears.

Clearly baffled, Beth murmured something noncommittal and began clearing the table. Jon felt her eyes on him often as he finished the remains on his plate. She insisted on doing the dishes so that Jon could get more work done, but instead he took a long, very cold shower in a useless attempt to get his libido under control.

Later, he again offered to sleep on the sofa, but Beth insisted she was fine, assuring him that she'd really be more comfortable there than in his bedroom. She took the proffered sheets and extra pillow and made herself a nest on the couch, now seeming completely immune to the intimate aura surrounding them.

Lying in his bed, Jon wished for sleep but instead fought yet another erection. His long dry spell had to be the reason he was so wildly aroused by someone who was practically a stranger. Women at his firm had made overtures once his divorce had become final. Maybe it was time he start dating again, he concluded. He needed to get over Val's treachery, because it was definitely time to move on if his uncontrollable response to Beth was any indication.

He could hear her in the other room, rustling on the couch and making several trips to the bathroom. Was the sofa lumpy or uncomfortable? As the hours passed, he wondered if she might like some company, maybe to chat for a while. A couple times Jon almost went out to her, once making it as far as the door, his hand on the knob. The only thing that stopped him was the possibility that her anxious sleeplessness was caused by the same edgy longing that bothered him.

He knew it would be a mistake—moral and ethical—to allow anything sexual to happen between them. It was probably only wishful thinking on his part. She was probably uncomfortable sleeping in a stranger's home. Even so, the possibility that she might feel even a little of the itchy arousal plaguing him was enough to jump-start his throbbing dick again. The night was becoming unendurable as he lay in bed listening for faint sounds from the other room. Even long after it became apparent from the quiet that Beth had fallen asleep, he listened, attuned to her presence.

Finally, Jon could stand it no longer. As if an invisible cord pulled him, he got out of bed and went to the living room to see her. Beth was sleeping soundly in his large T-shirt and sweats, but the twisted pile of bedding, mostly on the floor, was evidence of her struggle to get there. Moonlight shone through the window, casting a glow across her pretty face and glossy hair fanned out on the pillow. Jon just stood there watching Beth, drinking in the sight. Her full breasts rose and fell with each shallow breath. She looked peaceful and so beautiful that it took his breath away.

He wanted to stay longer, but he felt like a voyeur watching her like this. Reluctantly, he started to turn away. Then Beth moaned softly and shifted the position of her hand. As she rolled sideways, her arm pushed the loose T-shirt upward, revealing his sweatpants slung low on her hips. Unable to stop himself, Jon leaned closer, taking in the swath of pale, exposed skin on her midriff. His eyes drifted along her waist and across her shapely hip to the upper edges of her round buttocks.

He barely managed to stifle a groan as his mind suddenly conjured up a vision of her stripped naked and spread beneath him. His already thrumming erection juddered excruciatingly, as if the mere idea was enough to make him come. He stood stock still, not even breathing, but inside he was a molten volcano waiting to explode. Unaware, he had moved his hand to cup himself, and he began to gently massage his aching dick through his briefs. It felt so good thinking of them together. He was becoming desperate for more, his lust overwhelming.

Sweat broke out on his body as Jon slowly backed away, shut the door tightly, and returned to his bed.
I
shouldn't do this!
He fought with his conscience, but it was a losing battle. This one time, Jon ignored it and allowed himself to imagine Beth naked, her glorious breasts free for him to suckle, the rest of her curvy body eager for his touch and his tongue. Discarding his briefs, Jon let his hands roam over his body while he imagined fucking her every which way.

The desire coalesced into sixty-nine—him hungrily licking her juices while she sucked the full length of his shaft into her mouth. Moaning audibly now, the idea so exciting and alluring, Jon used his hand to furiously stroke his rock-hard dick. Pumping faster and faster, he imagined the taste and the feel of her as his groin tightened into a brilliant, zinging ache. With a loud grunt, he exploded in ecstasy.

As his breathing returned to normal, he wondered if real-life sex with Beth would surpass his imagination. He sensed that it would, but Beth was his client. Ethics demanded that he keep his hands off her. Soon she would be gone from his life, and he hoped that the mere memory of her presence here wouldn't haunt his nights.

At last, finally released from the crushing grip of lust, Jon fell into a restful sleep.