“What should I do?” I ask, panicking.
“Stay calm. I have court this morning, but I’ll come find you later, see what I can find. The secretaries always talk,” Justine adds, with a comforting grin.
“Thanks,” I say. She picks up her briefcase and heads out, leaving me alone to face the whispers and gossip.
I force myself not to react, walking slowly to my office cubicle with the other paralegals. But I haven’t even booted up my computer when my phone rings. It’s my boss, Carter.
“Get in here, now!”
He hangs up.
Oh crap.
I get up, and head down the hallway to his office, feeling like I’m walking to my execution. With every step, my nerves grow, until by the time I reach his door, I swear my hands are shaking.
“Miss Fawes.” Carter is waiting for me, with a weird smug smile on his face. He gestures me ahead of him with mock-politeness. “After you.”
I step inside the room. Usually Carter doesn’t come in until noon, after his racket-ball game and appointment with his personal ‘masseuse.’ But it’s barely nine AM and he’s wide awake and leering at me like I’m the entertainment of the day.
This is bad. Really bad.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Carter asks, sitting back in his chair and resting his feet on the desk.
I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak. It’s something to do with Ashcroft, I’m sure, but I have no idea what.
“One of our clients has brought a serious charge against you,” Carter sneers. “Brent Ashcroft says you exerted undue influence over his father. His weak, invalid father.”
“That’s not true.” I speak firmly. “I didn’t even know he was putting me in the will.”
“Sure,” Carter sneers, clearly not believing me. “That’s why he cut off his devoted children and left his fortune to you, a young, nubile assistant he’s barely known a few months.”
“It’s not like that--” I try to interrupt, but Carter doesn’t stop.
“I don’t know what you did to get in that old man’s good graces.” His eyes slip down over my body, making my skin crawl. “I can only imagine you have a few tricks up your sleeve. It’s a shame you didn’t bring some of the same diligence to work,” he adds with a leer.
I shudder. God, he’s a pig.
“It won’t affect my job.” I try to change the subject. “I still have work to do on your cases, and they tell me it might take months, or even years to settle. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Are you serious?” Carter stares at me, then bursts out laughing. “You really think you’ve still got a job? Honey, you’re done here. Finished. Fucking a client to steal his money is a deal breaker with the partners.”
I don’t believe it. “But I didn’t sleep with him! I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear.”
“Tell that to the security guys clearing out your desk as we speak.” Carter is clearly relishing this. “You’re fired.”
“No,” I whisper, reeling.
“The Ashcroft kids will get the will thrown out of court, but you, you’ll never work in this town again. And don’t even think about law school,” Carter smirks. “I can make a call to any dean in the country, and have you blacklisted for life.”
“Please...” Tears sting the corners of my eyes, but I try my best not to cry. “You can’t do this. You don’t have proof, anything but Brent’s complaint!”
“Not just Brent,” Carter replies. “We’re reviewing all the clients you worked with. And if we find even a hint of improper behavior, you won’t just be blacklisted, we’ll sue you for breach of contract and Hudgens, Cartwright and Abrams. We’ll take everything you have, and then some.”
I freeze.
Vaughn.
He came to the firm as a client -- and wound up pinning me to the library stacks with his face between my thighs. If they find out what happened, it could ruin me.
“Anything you want to say?” Carter demands. I silently shake my head.
“Good. Now get the fuck out!”
I stumble from the office, my mind racing. Losing my job here is suddenly the least terrifying thing that’s happened today. I can see security heading my way to escort me from the building, so I grab my phone and dial.
“Vaughn? I need to see you. Now.”
7
VAUGHN
I meet her at a park downtown. She’s pacing when I arrive, nervous as hell with her hair scraped back and another of her prim work outfits hiding that luscious body.
Still, the first thing I think of is those juicy lips wrapped around my cock.