Deadly Illusions(48)

“Have you considered that, if you asked, I might have done it myself just to make you feel better?”

James searched Mandy’s blue eyes, discomfort roiling in his stomach. “Would you have?”

“Yes.”

James rubbed his forehead tiredly. “Well, now I’m really sorry.”

Mandy was still shaking her head when she squeezed around the corner of the desk and slipped into his lap. James wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “I’m still mad at you,” Mandy said.

“I’m a little mad at myself,” James admitted. “I knew it was wrong when I was doing it. I just couldn’t stop myself from doing it. I really am sorry.”

“You can’t do it again,” Mandy cautioned. “That’s not the way a relationship works.”

“I know.”

Mandy blew out a sigh, letting the tension in her shoulders go, and then brushed a kiss against the side of his face. “I love you.”

James kissed her neck.

“You need to stop pissing me off, though.”

James gave her another small kiss. “I’ll give it my best shot.”

Mandy leaned back, resting her back against his chest. After a few minutes, James broke the silence. “Can I ask you something?”

“Knock yourself out.”

“Why are you so worried about Finn and Emma?” Mandy moved to climb off James’ lap, even though he fought her escape. “Can’t you tell me from here?”

“I think I better show you,” Mandy said.

James reluctantly loosened his grip, watching as Mandy grabbed her purse from the chair she’d thrown it into when she came storming into the office earlier.

“I was in my office for a half hour before the judge came in,” Mandy explained. “I … um … I pulled Lance Pritchard’s file so I could look it over.”

James knit his eyebrows together. “Why?”

“I thought the witness list might come in handy,” Mandy replied.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea,” James said, reaching out his hand to grab the file. “What did you find?”

Mandy moved back around to his side of the desk, perching on the lip of the hard wood instead of his lap. “It’s not good.”

James glanced up at her briefly and then opened the file. Mandy watched as he flipped through the pages, holding her breath when he focused on the document that had thrown her for a loop. “Oh, God.”

“Yeah.”

“She didn’t tell you about this?”

“It’s not really any of my business,” Mandy said. “She barely knows me.”

“Well, she needs to tell Finn,” James said. “This is … .”

“It’s horrible,” Mandy said. “It’s her story to tell, though, not ours.”

“I know … but … .”

“We can’t tell him,” Mandy said. “We have to let her tell him.”

James grabbed Mandy’s hand, needing the intimate contact. He rubbed the inside of her wrist with his thumb thoughtfully. “Do you think she’ll tell him?”

Mandy shrugged. “If it was me, I don’t know if I could.”

James’ brown eyes filled with sorrow. “If it was me, I don’t know if this is something I could deal with.”

“You’re not Finn,” Mandy reminded him.

“This is going to crush him,” James said.

“It’s going to crush them both.”



WHEN Finn led Emma back into Mandy’s apartment, she was surprised to see how he’d spent his afternoon. The small unit was lit with candles from one end to the other, dinner was spread out on the table, and soft music was playing in the background.

“How did you do this?” Emma asked, amazement filling her heart and unbidden tears rushing to her eyes.

“Actually, Grady and Sophie finished it up for me,” Finn said, puffing out his chest. “They snuck out right before we got here.”

Emma glanced around the apartment, fighting the lump in her throat. No one had ever done anything this thoughtful, this romantic, for her before. “I don’t know what to say.”

Finn smiled, holding out his hand. “Don’t say anything. Just dance with me.”

Emma was unsure. She was getting in deeper and deeper with each kiss, with each whispered word, with each touch. His face was so earnest, though, worry lining the edges of his eyes as he waited for her to shoot him down, that Emma couldn’t hurt him that way.

She held out her hand, letting him draw her into his arms so they could sway to the music slowly. His hands were tight around her waist, and she locked her fingers behind his neck as she pressed herself as close to him as she could manage. They’re bodies melded together like one.