Mercy(White Collared Part 1)(12)

“Why would it bother me? He’s hot. If you and he—”

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m dating Tom.” Good old reliable Tom.

“Right. Tom.” Hannah gave Kate another one of her deadly smiles. “Where is Tom tonight?”

“Probably getting off work.” By now he’d have gotten home and was probably eating a bowl of Wheaties and soy milk before taking a shower to get ready for bed. She wasn’t in the mood for him tonight. Kate gave Hannah her own version of a manipulative smile and pivoted her chair toward her friend. “I’ll call him later, but I wanted some time with you. We haven’t had a chance to hang out since we started our internships. What’s new with you? Are you dating anyone?”

“Um . . .” Hannah blushed. Actually blushed. Kate had never seen her friend get flustered over a man.

“You are! Tell me about him.”

“Well, he’s really sexy,” Hannah said, looking down at her lap. She waited a beat and then lifted her head, her usual confidence expressed on her flawless face. “And he’s an amazing fuck.”

“Hannah!”

David and Logan stopped their own conversation. Poor David blushed bright red, obviously having thought he and Hannah had something brewing and discovering he thought wrong. The men got up, David mumbling that they were going to get another drink, and they left the women alone to discuss Hannah’s love life.

“What?” Hannah shrugged with a devilish grin. “He likes to experiment. His girlfriend is a dud in the sack.”

“His girlfriend? You’re dating someone who’s got a girlfriend?”

Since meeting Hannah in first-year property class, they’d been study group partners and close friends, spending many Friday nights at the bar playing darts and drinking away the stresses of the week. Several of those evenings ended with Hannah going home with some random guy she’d met that evening. She had a frank openness about sexuality and made no apologies for it, which Kate admired. While she’d worried about Hannah’s safety, her friend had never regretted going home with any of the men. But Kate was concerned that dating a taken man would end in heartbreak for Hannah.

“Big deal.” Hannah’s smile tightened.

Kate clutched her friend’s hand. “It is a big deal. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Please. Sex is sex. It has nothing to do with emotions. We both know where we stand, and neither one of us has made any promises. I think he gets off on pulling one over his girlfriend.” Hannah removed her hand from Kate’s grip and pointed her index finger. “And I get off when he does this trick with his finger in my—”

“Do not finish that sentence.”

“Are you disappointed in me?”

Logan and David returned to the table with a pitcher of beer and a couple of giggling college-aged brunettes. The men scrambled to find a couple of extra chairs while Hannah and Kate continued their conversation.

“No. I mean, I don’t condone it, but you’re not the one in a committed relationship,” Kate said, trying to believe her own argument. “He’s the one cheating, and, frankly, if it wasn’t with you, I’m sure it would be someone else. No offense.”

“No offense taken. But to tell you the truth, he’s been loyal to her in the past. He says I’m too good to pass up. Does wonders for my self-esteem.”

Kate had always believed Hannah had excellent self-esteem. It was Kate who felt as if she didn’t belong in the white-collar world.

“Well, then I’m glad you’re happy. If something changes and you’re upset, you can always count on me to be there for you. I wouldn’t have gotten through law school without you by my side.”

A shadow fell on the table and a deep, familiar voice from behind her said, “Didn’t I tell you to go home?”





Chapter Six

KATE LOOKED OVER her shoulder at her boss, who was still dressed in the same gorgeous black Armani suit and silver tie he’d been wearing an hour ago. She had assumed he would go home for the evening. What was he doing here?

“Nick.” She rose from her chair and faced her scowling boss. Shit. Kate had angered him by coming to the bar rather than going home like he’d ordered. “I thought I’d—”

He put up his hand to stop her from talking. “I don’t care what you thought. I made rules for you to follow, rules that I expect you to obey if you’re going to work as second chair on Jaxon’s case. Apparently, you can’t be trusted. Maybe Hannah would—”

“No, sir,” she said a bit too forcefully. “You can count on me. I’ll go home now.”