Stating His Case
Jade C. Jamison
Copyright
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2011 by Jade C. Jamison
Cover image © Jade C. Jamison
All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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for LCS, thanks for everything
Chapter One
Samantha T. Paulson, Attorney at Law, was trying very hard to concentrate. And, unlike most times, she was even finding it hard to act like a professional.
She wrote a couple of words on the lined yellow legal pad in front of her, trying to keep her eyes fixed on the paper just a little longer. Longer than she had been, at any rate, because she’d been maintaining eye contact for far too long: she couldn’t keep her eyes--or her mind--off the gorgeous man sitting on the other side of her desk.
Ryan Craig looked down at his hands without saying a word. Samantha looked back up from the page to ask him another question, but the words were not flowing easily. She kept getting drawn to those green eyes that smiled when he did, little--almost unnoticeable--lines forming at the corners; light brown hair cut short and a clean-shaven face except for the tiny soul patch right under his lip; three silver hoop earrings that glimmered from his left ear, and colorful tattoos that painted most of his right arm; his flamboyant appearance all but mitigated by his quiet, unassuming manner. If Samantha had been somewhere else, somewhere where he wouldn’t have been able to tell that she was checking him out, she would’ve spent more time looking at the tattoos. But, instead, she had to be content with bits and pieces…little glimpses stolen here and there. He wore a black t-shirt…it wasn’t tight, but she could tell he was well-defined underneath--his chiseled arms told her as much. God…this guy was hot.
But her view ended there, along his torso, thanks to the desk. Ryan was quiet--even shy, perhaps--and only spoke when she asked him a question. Maybe he was uncomfortable, never having needed a lawyer’s assistance before, or maybe the subject matter made him uncomfortable. Or was he intimidated by her, was she coming on way too strong…or was he just a quiet guy?
Samantha cleared her throat, trying to force herself to behave. She was acting--in her mind, at least--like a giddy schoolgirl. “Would you prefer I call you Mr. Craig or Ryan?”
He looked up at her. “Ryan’s fine.” That slight smile again. Samantha could have melted right there. She only hoped that this man had no idea of the thoughts rushing through her mind.
The funniest thing was that in ten years of business, she’d never acted like this…had never even felt this way about a client, had never even dreamed of looking at any of her male clients in this light. Maybe it was because this man named Ryan had the aura of a “bad boy.” Sure, she’d always had a soft spot for those kinds of men--and, granted, she’d only had a couple of guys like him as clients before--but, damn, the electricity sparking off this guy was intense. Maybe he was just like that, throwing off so many pheromones that all women felt instantly drawn to him…or maybe there was something there just between the two of them--maybe he felt it too.
“Okay, Ryan, please call me Samantha.” She forced her eyes back to the legal pad. Pen at the ready, she asked, “So, where is she now?” While she listened to his answer, in the back of her head she chided herself--she didn’t look her best today. What chance did she have of charming him back? Sure, her makeup was decent as was her dark brown pixie-cut hair that always fell neatly into place…but she hadn’t worn her nicest, most flattering, show-off-her-curves suit, had forgotten even to put on jewelry today, had forgotten to wear her favorite sexy perfume. She’d overslept this morning and had done the best she could in what little time she had. If she’d known this man was going to be here today, she would’ve allowed herself to be ten minutes late to put on the finishing touches. But she couldn’t change anything now. She could only hope to be her usual enchanting self.
“I’m sure she’s still in Trinidad.” Samantha nodded her head and jotted it down. Trinidad was in the Southeastern part of Colorado--over one hundred miles from where they lived in the small city (or large town, depending on how one looked at it) of Winchester.
She couldn’t help herself. It might not be relevant to his case, but she had to know. “So why did you move here?” She lied to herself that this information was important, and the rationale she gave herself was that any court documents or appearances would have to take place in the other county. She was now his lawyer and should be privy to the information, she told herself, justifying the question in her mind.
“Better job opportunities.” He paused, and she could tell he had more to say, so she remained silent. “That and I had to get away.” He stopped again, looking down at his hands once more. “She wouldn’t leave me alone. If I hadn’t left, I might’ve done something I’d regret.” He looked up again, making contact with Samantha’s blue eyes, and, for what felt like the hundredth time during this conversation, she felt almost like a voyeur. She was drinking this guy in, and he was starting to tell her personal details. She’d heard and noted everything he’d been saying, but she was pulling it in on a more personal level than she had ever done in this kind of situation. She wouldn’t need to look at her notes to remember, unlike many clients’ details. So even though an important aspect of the attorney / client relationship had just begun--maintaining a client’s confidentiality in regard to intimate details--Samantha was recording it in her mind, just like a woman would with a new guy she’d just met and had set her cap for. In essence, wasn’t that what she’d been doing?
Samantha nodded. She decided she didn’t want the dirty details, at least not of this particular angle--not now, at any rate. She’d already asked more than she needed to know. “Okay, Mr. Craig. I mean, Ryan…” She paused to get her bearings. Rarely did she call clients by their first names--using titles and last names always carried an air of professionalism and forced the relationship to be strictly business--which is why she’d always done it before…she felt it instilled confidence in her clients that she would represent them well. So why had she broken that barrier here? She knew full well why. The feminine side of her wanted to pick this guy up, just like she would have picked up a good-looking stranger in a bar. She took a deep breath, hoping to contain herself, and continued. “Why, exactly, are you contesting paternity?”
“Because I’m sure the baby’s not mine.”
“Is there any possibility?”
Ryan looked up from his hands again and straight into Samantha’s eyes. “Well, yeah…”
“Okay.” She jotted on the pad, then looked up. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about your relationship?”
He almost grimaced as though he felt uncomfortable talking about it. “I met Rachel a couple of years ago through a friend. I’d just gotten divorced six months earlier and really didn’t feel like dating. But she seemed nice, and…she was attractive. Two years later, we’re living together, and she’s talking marriage. But we’ve had a lot of problems--a lot of problems--and I have valid reasons to suspect the baby’s not mine.”
Samantha couldn’t help but notice that he’d said, “We’ve had a lot of problems,” indicating to her that it might not be totally over for them. She felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. If he were still involved with the woman named Rachel, what choice would she have but to cool her heels?
She needed to focus on the interview, not her out-of-control emotions. She was definitely losing it. The guy was fresh out of a relationship that followed a divorce and she still couldn’t contain herself? What was it about this guy? She sat up a little straighter. “Do you think Ms. Evans would voluntarily submit to genetic testing?”
Ryan frowned. “I really don’t know.”
Samantha set the pad and pen down and folded her hands in front of her on the desk, assuming her usual professional persona. “Well, fortunately, the law is on your side in this case. If you’d been married, you would be the presumed father no matter what the circumstances. That would make things a lot more complicated, time consuming, and costly. But in your case, we’ll want to do DNA testing to determine if you’re the child’s father. If you are, then we can also file motions for visitation, custody, that sort of thing…and she’ll probably also demand child support. If, on the other hand, you’re not the father, then you’ll know for certain, and you can break off ties completely…if that’s what you’re wanting to do.”
Ryan nodded his head. “I’ve seen this happen to other guys before--so I kept expecting her to do this herself and ask for child support; but she hasn’t, and now the baby’s already four months old. If the baby’s mine, I want to know. About how long will this all take?”
“That depends. If Ms. Evans doesn’t voluntarily agree to testing, we’ll have to present your case to the court, and they will order the tests to be done. That will drag it out, but it does happen. If she agrees, this could be over in about a month.”
Ryan again looked down at his hands, absorbing the information Samantha had given him. In those moments of silence, Samantha once more found her mind wandering back to the magnetic sexual attraction she felt for him. She was shocked at herself--she hadn’t felt this strongly attracted to anyone in years and definitely had never felt this way about a client. She’d been interested in plenty of men who’d sat at her desk, but not like this. She almost felt like she could jump across the table and just start ripping his clothes off.
Of course, she didn’t. But she wondered why she felt that way. Was it--perhaps--that he was attracted to her too and, somewhere in the intuitive parts of her mind, she sensed it? Did he feel the same way? Was there some mutual feeling between them that intensified her emotions? Could that be why she could almost literally feel his masculinity across the table…why she could almost see him take her in his arms, could almost taste his kiss, feel his warm breath against her neck?
He looked up again into Samantha’s eyes, and she almost felt guilty, as though she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Okay.” Was she just imagining the look in his eyes? Was the feeling mutual? “How do we start?”
Samantha again had to collect her thoughts, but her job was second nature to her, so it didn’t take much effort to respond by rote. “I’ll send a letter to Ms. Evans, asking for her cooperation. She and her son will have to submit to the testing.” Ryan arched his eyebrows. “Don’t worry…it’s pretty painless in this day and age. No blood draws. They gently scrape the inside of the cheek to obtain some cells. That’s all they need.”
His expression softened. “Good. No sense in hurting the baby. It’s not his fault.”
Samantha’s heart ached. Another reason to find this guy attractive--he had a sensitive side. Then she mentally forced herself to be an attorney rather than a lustful woman for a moment. She turned around, tapping a few keys on her computer and printed out a piece of paper. She swiveled back around in the chair and handed the sheet to Ryan (yes, he was still as good looking, and she still felt as drawn to him as she had before--now she knew that for certain). “This is the lab where you’ll need to go for your test. Call the number there.” She pointed to the phone number on the page. “They’ll set an appointment with you to collect your DNA. If you’d rather, I can have my assistant set the appointment for you, but it might be easier for you so you can work it around your schedule.” He nodded his head. “In the meantime, I’ll draft this letter and send it via certified mail to Ms. Evans.”
He nodded and took a deep breath. “Anything else?”
Samantha shook her head. “Not for now. I’ll be in touch when I’ve heard from Ms. Evans.” She stood and extended her hand. Ryan shook it, standing, and she felt something…that strong hand belonged on her body. Her lips curled in a slight smile. “It was nice to meet you, Ryan. Please feel free to call if you have any questions. You’ve got my card, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks. Did I give you Rachel’s address?”
“I believe that’s in the preliminary paperwork you filled out when you first came in. Let me check, though.” She opened the thin file on her desk--Angela, the office secretary, had already typed a label and organized a few sheets of paper inside. Samantha flipped through the pages to see what information had been collected…but there was no address inside for his ex-girlfriend. “No, we don’t have it here.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later with that.”
“I can get started on the letter and add the address when you call.”
She walked him out of her office into the small lobby area. “Talk with you soon,” she said as his lips stretched into a faint smile. He nodded his head and walked out the front door. The “lobby” was really nothing more than a sofa, two chairs, two end tables, and a large, leafy plant in one corner. Their office was in the middle of a strip mall, so windows weren’t plentiful; however, the lobby had two plate glass windows on either side of the glass door. The sign “Solano and Paulson, Attorneys at Law” was not visible from the lobby; it was posted on the building well above the windows, so the view of the paved parking lot was free and clear. Samantha watched Ryan walk across the lot. His gait was steady but confident. He was tall, and she was able to tell when he’d stood next to her--well over six feet (his exact height, she couldn’t guess)--but he seemed of average height out there with nothing to gauge it by. She continued watching as he entered a black truck in the middle of the lot. The truck seemed fairly new. Quite often, she would peek at what vehicles her clients drove, assessing if they could afford the bill easily. He’d do just fine, considering his vehicle wasn’t old and beaten up. But she hadn’t been watching him for that reason today…her reasons right now were very personal--she wanted to get just one last look.
She continued watching as his truck drove off. Then she turned slowly and saw Angela sitting at the desk on the other end of the tiny lobby. Angela was a pretty African-American twenty-something woman who basically served as the right hand of Samantha and her partner Adam. Angela knew every client by name, the basics of each case, and what needed to be done. She kept the office running smoothly and made sure it was well organized, even when the partners couldn’t be trusted to do so. And she was a hell of a typist…Samantha had once thought fifty words a minute was a decent typing speed, but Angela had been clocked at well over one hundred on a good day. Samantha sometimes teased her, telling her that she could see smoke rising from the keyboard when Angela was typing. And Samantha knew Angela could multitask too…she answered the phones, set up the files, set appointments, greeted clients, kept the file room organized, and she made a great cup of coffee. And she did it all with a smile on her face and a pleasant tone in her voice. So, a year ago, when Angela had turned in her two weeks’ notice (she’d said she wanted to start a family), Samantha and Adam had given her a hefty raise and promised her as much maternity leave as she needed, as long as she stayed. They planned on hiring a temp or two during her absence, but the thought of losing Angela for good sent chills up Samantha’s spine. She knew the office would be lost without her. Yes, they could find another secretary / assistant, but Angela was so good, she had made herself impossible to replace. She made certain that Samantha and Adam never missed a court appearance, and she maintained the air of professionalism in the office by keeping them on time for appointments and making sure they were always prepared. She was like a third partner and sometimes like a mother. Samantha couldn’t envision their office without her.
At this very moment, however, Samantha wished that Angela had actually been on maternity leave. Angela had seen everything (just like she always had), and Samantha could feel her eyes on her. Now Samantha wished she could just fade into the beige carpet she was standing on. Instead, she smiled at Angela and started to walk back to her office as though nothing had happened. But Angela wasn’t going to let her off that easily.
Angela had a devilish grin on her face as she asked Samantha, “What was that all about?”
Samantha tried to put on an innocent face as she turned around. “What do you mean?”
“Girl, I wasn’t born yesterday. I saw you checking him out.” Samantha tried to look shocked but found herself smiling instead--she’d been caught, and there was no denying it now. “He is cute, isn’t he?”
Samantha shook her head. “You have no idea.”
Angela laughed. “I might be married, but I’m not blind.”
Samantha chuckled along with her. “Gotcha.” Samantha felt herself wanting to talk about what had happened. “But, you know, it’s more than that. He’s…” She found herself unable to describe what she felt.
Angela lowered her voice. “Samantha, what are you thinking? You can’t get involved with a client.”
“I know that. But I can look, can’t I?”
Angela frowned. “You definitely did your fair share of that.”
Samantha was starting to wonder why Angela was acting like a boss rather than an employee; but she realized that even though Angela was a few years younger than she was and really had no right to speak to Samantha that way considering she was Samantha’s employee, she only had her best interests at heart. Angela knew that Samantha couldn’t properly handle Ryan Craig’s case if she was involved with him. Samantha nodded and smiled. She definitely didn’t want to hand the case over to Adam, even if she did find this guy impossibly attractive. This was her case. She planned on saying nothing more; fortunately, she didn’t have to. At that moment, the women could hear Adam though the closed door of his office…his voice was raised enough that even if they had still been talking, they would have paused to hear what he was saying.
“Goddammit! That is unacceptable, and you know it!”
Samantha furrowed her eyebrows and asked Angela, “Anyone in there?”
“No.” She looked down at her phone. “He’s on line two.”
“Who’s he talking to?”
“DA. Trying to get a plea bargain on the Newman case.”
Samantha nodded as Adam’s voice drifted back into the lobby. “If that’s the best you can offer, I’ll see you in court tomorrow.”
Angela’s lips curled into a slight smile. “He hung up on her,” she said as the little red light on the phone extinguished. “I’d say he’s just a little angry.” Her dark brown eyes twinkled at Samantha, her cheeks rounded in a smile.
Adam stormed out of his office door to the front desk. His jaw was clenched. His voice was lower but still held some tension. To Angela he said, “Prep the Newman file. We’ll be choosing a jury tomorrow.” He turned to walk back to his office and hesitated, looking at both women. “What’s going on?”
Again, Samantha resumed the innocent look. She shook her head, feigning ignorance.
Angela wasn’t letting her off the hook, though. “Samantha’s client just left.”
Adam looked confused. “And?”
Angela’s large smile returned, her white teeth gleaming. “And he is quite hunky.”
Adam shook his head. “Hunky, huh?” His light brown eyes moved from Angela to Samantha. “What? Did he ask you out on a date?”
Samantha almost felt like she was being questioned by her father. “No!” She sighed, starting to feel a little irritated. “That would be inappropriate. But just as Angela said earlier, I’m not blind.”
Adam smiled and shook his head. “Well, I just got off the phone with Braden. She’s not budging on the Newman case.”
“No plea bargain?”
Adam scoffed. “A lame one.” He paused, running his hand through his black hair. “Shit. I hate going to court.”
Angela opened a large black book on her desk. “Need me to clear the rest of this week’s schedule?”
He sighed. “Yeah, I guess you better.” He looked at Samantha again. “Would you be able to cover me this week if you need to?”
“Always got your back, partner.”
He smiled, finally a little calmer. “I know you do.” They had done it for each other for ten years now. They made a good team--Samantha sometimes had to remind herself of that on those occasions when she was tempted to jump ship and work for a large firm. She and Adam had met in law school, both fiercely independent. They knew, being new lawyers, that opening their own office would be hard if not stupid, but they didn’t like the idea of putting in one hundred hours a week just trying to impress someone else; they didn’t want to have to bow to anyone else’s idea of what was right. So when Adam had inherited a small sum from his grandmother during their last year in law school, he’d sunk the money into the business and asked his best friend Samantha to be his partner. They had been young and idealistic, ready to change the world. Time had changed that some, however, as the first three years had been difficult. Their clientele was small, and they couldn’t afford any office help. They wound up putting in the same hours that they would have for a big firm, simply because there were only two of them there. Today their office was still in the same building they’d started in, but finally, five years ago, they’d remodeled because they could at last afford to. As their reputations grew, so did the business. And they began to prosper. After the first three hard years, they were able to afford an assistant, and Angela had proven herself to be worth more than her weight in gold. She hadn’t been the first, though. Their first assistant had been a disaster, and both Adam and Samantha breathed a sigh of relief when she quit because she’d said it was too “stressful” to work for such “demanding” people.
But Adam and Samantha’s history was much more than just their partnership. After being good friends their last two years in school and during the first two years of their partnership, they had become lovers. In the early days, they had simply had no time--or energy, for that matter--to pursue relationships. One night, though, they’d been working late on a particularly difficult case together, trying to decide a strategy for court, a case Adam had been handling. Samantha had given him an idea that he’d said was “absolutely brilliant.” He’d been smiling at her, weariness beginning to show in his eyes…but the fatigued look had slowly changed, the smile had slowly faded…and just as she could register what that new look was in his eyes, he was leaning all the way across the small table in the “conference room” in the back of the building, and his lips were pressing hard on hers. She didn’t even question her response. She’d leaned back into his kiss, and before she knew it, they were ripping each other’s clothes off and pushing the papers aside to make love on the table. To this day, she still remembered his hairy chest, his firm, toned body, the cute little dimples in his ass. He was normally clean shaven, but that night, she remembered, he’d had some stubble that kept scratching her chin and cheeks, and it hadn’t bothered her a bit. But he’d been a great lover…and they hadn’t realized it until then, but all the unleashed passion and feelings they’d had for one another rose to the surface. And they stayed together for the next two and a half years until Adam had finally ended it, telling Samantha that their relationship interfered with their work. She’d been hurt, more deeply than she would have imagined--Adam had been her best friend for so long, and when he’d wanted to end the relationship, it had felt as though a part of her life was being ripped away. It took a while, but she got over it. Their friendship was strained for quite some time, but Samantha tried to be an adult about it. The worst part was when, several months later, Adam started seeing someone else. So Samantha decided to try to get over it and dated a few men as well. But none were satisfying…none were Adam. Over the last year, she’d decided she didn’t need a man, and she dated once in a while, but she didn’t search for a relationship. Most men just didn’t interest her. The truth was that--deep in her heart--she still had feelings for Adam, and maybe part of her still hoped that they could pick up where they’d left off. But today, for the first time in seven years--since she and Adam had first made love--she’d met someone…Ryan…and Adam hadn’t entered her thoughts once. She hadn’t mentally compared Ryan to Adam like she had with every other man she’d dated or slept with since they’d broken up. She hadn’t wondered what Adam would think of him; she didn’t care. Samantha felt a small smile creep on her face with that realization. She was finally over him.
Chapter Two
Samantha sat at the computer in her office, struggling to form words in the letter. She was still grinning off and on as she allowed her mind to wander back to her fascination with Ryan and the awareness that her relationship with Adam was finally over--not just in the real world, but, after all this time, in her mind as well.
She now faced the fact that on this Monday afternoon her week had just become busier. With Adam wrapped up in his court case, she would have to carry the burden here in the office until the Newman trial was over. It might be done in three days; it could be two weeks. Again, she was grateful to have Angela there to help. Because even when Adam would be physically present in the office, he’d still be working on the case. She’d have to handle any problems that arose, meet with any of his other clients who had questions, take care of anything that Angela couldn’t handle. Fortunately, Angela was also a paralegal and could do a lot of the minor annoying things that Samantha simply didn’t have time for.
Unfortunately, Angela wouldn’t be able to clear Samantha’s mind like she had Adam’s calendar. And, feeling stubborn, Samantha had decided that she would type the letter to Ms. Rachel Evans herself, a task Angela could have done in her sleep. Samantha had not typed a letter like this in a long time, at least not since Angela had been hired--since the partnership’s more-than-capable assistant had accepted a job with the two lawyers, Samantha had drafted her letters by recording them into a tiny tape recorder; then Angela would take the tape, insert it in her Dictaphone, and minutes later the letter would be back on Samantha’s desk for review and signature. But Samantha wanted to type this one herself. It gave her more time to focus on Ryan’s case, not just brushing it aside as she did with all of her cases so that she could move on to the next problem. This late spring morning, she wanted to spend as much time as possible on Ryan’s case. If Angela found out (and eventually she would), Samantha would hear about it, that much she knew. This was pre-law stuff, easy stuff, stuff a lawyer shouldn’t waste her otherwise-billable time with. Truly, all she needed to do was tell Angela to type the letter--she wouldn’t have even needed to dictate the actual words for a letter this basic. She would have only needed to tell her to send a letter asking this woman to submit herself and the child for the testing. Simple. But Samantha didn’t want to work on another case right now. She was going to indulge herself here…she wanted to give herself a few more minutes to think about that captivating man she’d had at her desk less than half an hour ago. She still felt flushed and titillated by his visit…she couldn’t stop--didn’t want to stop--thinking about the way his hand had held hers before he’d left. His hand was strong, firm, and somewhat rough. Just from that feeling, she could tell he didn’t work an office job--and that excited her, just as a man speaking with a foreign accent captivated other women.
Curious, she picked up his file again. She glanced through the pages and found the name of his employer. A2Z Contractors. So he worked in construction. That explained the hands, the firm, muscular body, the lightly tanned skin, the fairly decent paycheck. She smiled to herself again…she didn’t think she’d ever dated anyone who’d worked in construction before. Maybe one of her one-night stands, but no one she’d spent enough time with to get to know. She just didn’t meet many people like that in her line of work. She knew Adam had represented a construction company once in a civil suit, but that was probably the most contact she’d had with people in that field. She found it exciting…again, the “dangerous, wrong side of the tracks” feeling she’d had earlier. It only added to her anticipation.
So she sat at the computer, typing a word here and there, but found herself getting too distracted. Maybe she should give the letter to Angela. But, no, she wasn’t going to.
After a while, she’d finally finished a decent draft and decided to get something to drink before going back over it. She walked out of her office and saw that Angela was on the phone. She went behind the desk and file area to the back of the building where there was a small conference area and, behind it, a break room area consisting of a coffee pot, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and a small table with one chair. There was also a phone and a laptop in case anyone wanted to work while eating, but they rarely touched it--they usually took their food to their desks or ate during their morning meeting in the conference area. More often than not, however, they ate out or had food delivered to the office…that they usually ate at their desks. Angela was the only exception. She never ate at her desk because it didn’t look professional--and that was Angela’s rule, not the partners, although they agreed with her. Angela stressed professionalism more than they did, and they respected her eye for their reputations. Perhaps that’s why Samantha hadn’t been too offended when Angela had chided her for lusting over her client earlier. But when Angela needed a break, Samantha or Adam would keep an eye and ear out for clients walking in or would pick up the phone from their offices. It had worked well for years, and they didn’t plan to change it.
Samantha peeked in the refrigerator in the little break room and found only one of her favorite sodas--Diet Dr. Pepper--left. They’d have to restock--she made a mental note to let Angela know, as Angela controlled “inventory” as well…usually that meant calling the supply store and having various forms delivered; with the kitchen, it meant Angela would get a long lunch break and go shopping with the business checkbook.
Angela was off the phone when Samantha came back through, and she mentioned the exhausted beverage supply to her on her way back to her desk. In her office, she sat at the computer again and started looking over the letter, changing a word here and there, sipping on her soda. After a few minutes, Angela peeked in, a little pink piece of paper in her hands. “Mr. Craig called earlier…he said you needed this address.” She handed the paper to Samantha and--without even trying--saw the letter on the computer monitor behind her. “What are you doing?” she asked out of curiosity.
“I’m typing the letter that needs that address,” Samantha tried to say matter-of-factly, taking the paper from Angela’s hands.
If Angela had been anyone else, she would have felt wounded, believing Samantha didn’t trust her to write the letter. But Angela, a detective at heart, knew better. “So you’re doing my job now, are you?”
Samantha tried to act haughty but fell short. Why could she perform so well in front of a crowded courtroom, managing to keep a jury’s attention and emotions, but not be able to fool Angela in the slightest? “I have to prepare for your maternity leave, you know.”
A puff of air escaped Angela’s lips as she smiled. “I’m not even pregnant yet, Samantha.”
She felt winded, and she could think of nothing else to say. No easy excuses came to mind. Angela said, “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” The right side of her mouth curled as she added, “But no more, okay? If I’m your right-hand girl, let me know it.”
Samantha smiled. “Fine. Just this once.”
Angela left without another word, grin still plastered on her face. Samantha could feel the warmth on her cheeks…she’d been caught again. She’d been sloppy today. Staring at Ryan, then Angela knowing exactly what she was thinking. She needed to get a good night’s rest tonight. She was definitely not at the top of her game.
She finished the letter after adding the address. She was a little sad that she hadn’t gotten to talk to Ryan when he called, hear his voice one more time, but Angela was right--that’s what they paid her for. If Angela sent every single call through for trivial little matters, Samantha and Adam would never get any actual work done. So, for that, Samantha was grateful. Her feminine side was smarting a little, though, especially since Angela did know Samantha had a crush on her client.
She signed the letter and walked out to the desk area to copy it; she placed the original in an envelope with a sticky note attached to the front, letting Angela know it had to go out certified, then dropped it in the mail basket where Angela would take care of the rest. She placed one copy in another envelope addressed to Ryan and took the other copy to her office.
Once in her office, she finally closed the cover of the file folder after placing the other copy inside. She made a notation on her calendar. She’d given Rachel Evans thirty days to respond. Until Rachel contacted them--or her time was up--Samantha really had no business with the file on her desk anymore. Feeling an odd kind of remorse, she placed the folder in her filing basket--at the end of the day, she would file it in with her pending cases and would be done with it until a response or time itself would make her pick it up again.
And although she got back to business and focused on her other work and the problems at hand, she still found herself thinking about Ryan Craig…how he looked, how he’d acted, how his hand had felt in her own. As the days passed, not a single day went by that she didn’t think of him several times. But as more time drifted by, she began to feel a little foolish…surely she had imagined that feeling of magnetic attraction, that sense that she was being drawn to him. Certainly, she knew, he hadn’t felt any of the things that had been going on in her head. For some reason, he had been just a crush, albeit an intense one…just as she had realized that day that she was finally over Adam. After so many years of pining over him and wishing she had him back, she was free. Her mind and heart had finally released the memory. Ryan Craig just so happened to be the man around to pull her out of her lovesick stupor. He couldn’t have been the catalyst but merely the messenger. That had to be it. She was glad. She could finally go on with her life. She knew now that she would be able to date someone without constantly comparing the poor man to the unreachable standards of Adam. Ryan had just come into her life at the right time. A good many of her male clients were uptight, suit-wearing office types, so when the very masculine, extremely attractive Ryan had walked into her office that day, her mind had gone wild.
As a result, when Ryan came into the office about three weeks later, imagine her shock when she realized she had been kidding herself not the first time but the second. There was something there, something that mesmerized her senses, something that seemed to stop time while he was near.
It was the second week in June when he returned to the office, asking Angela if he could speak with Samantha for a few minutes. Angela normally would have screened him, asking what he needed and--as she usually succeeded in taking care of whatever it was a client needed without disturbing her employers--sent him on his way, awaiting further contact from his attorney when it was warranted. Out of character, however, Angela asked him to wait a moment and rapped with light knuckles on Samantha’s door. She walked in, her shoes barely making a whisper on the plush carpet. Samantha was doing some research on her computer and turned around when she heard Angela enter.
“Yeah?”
“Samantha, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s Ryan Craig…wanted to inquire about his case.” Angela smiled. “Did you want to see him, or do you want me to take care of this?”
“No, I’ll see him. Just give me a minute, okay?” Angela left, closing the door with a gentle click as she walked out. Samantha made a mental note to do something extra nice for Angela sometime this week; Angela had given her grief over her crush, but she had ultimately allowed Samantha to indulge herself. Even though Samantha didn’t believe she would find Ryan as potent as she had before, it didn’t stop her from grabbing the small tube of lipstick from her purse and walking over to the mirror on the wall, touching up here and there and smoothing out her hair before going out to the lobby.
He was sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby, flipping through a magazine. “Ryan, would you like to step in my office?”
He stood and followed her, and she felt it again--that inexplicable strong pull to this man. Today she did look great, she knew. Her makeup and hair were smart, and she wore a red power suit with a skirt that hugged her ass and three-inch black high heels that showed off the curvature of her calves. Thank God. She felt confident, at least in the way she looked, as she motioned to the chair across her desk and sat in her own. “What can I do for you?”
He looked at her and answered with a quiet voice. “I’m sorry to bother you, but since it’s been a few weeks, I thought I’d ask how my case is going.”
“We’re waiting for a response, and we haven’t heard anything yet.” She stood and retrieved his file from the drawer against the wall. She pulled out the copy of the letter she had mailed and handed it to him. “This is what we sent to her. In about a week, if I haven’t heard from her, we’ll file a motion with the courts that will compel her to have the testing done. It’s all very standard.”
He looked it over and gave it back to her. “Yeah--you already sent me a copy of this.” He paused. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you haven’t heard from her.” He paused. “Are you sure she got the letter?”
Samantha pulled the green receipt out of the file that had Rachel Evans’ signature on it. “She signed for it seven days after we mailed it. She’s already had plenty of time to contact us.”
“That’s her writing.” He frowned. “I guess she’s going to make this difficult.”
Samantha felt some sympathy for him. “A lot of people do, Ryan. If they didn’t, I would be out of business.”
He smiled that slight smile of his. “I guess you’re right.”
“Did you have your testing done?”
“The next day after work.”
“Good. Don’t worry--it’ll happen. It just takes longer this way. And, who knows? She might change her mind at the last minute.”
He frowned. “At this point, I doubt it. I just hoped it would happen faster. I guess I hoped she would be more adult about this.” He paused. “If I’m this kid’s dad, I need to be involved in his life, you know?”
“Yes, I do. Rest assured, I won’t let any grass grow under my feet, so to speak. As soon as she misses the allotted time, I will file the motion with the court.”
“How long does that take?”
“Well, after the motion is filed, we have someone serve her with the paperwork. She can get an attorney if she wants, but then she has to have the testing done. She has no choice in the matter at that point. Then we await the results.”
“How long does that take?”
“A week, maybe two. Not long at all.”
“Well, if I turn out to be the baby’s father, can I see him right after that?”
Samantha sucked in a deep breath of air. “It may not be that simple. If she allows you to, definitely. But if she’s in a fighting mood, we’ll have to go through more battles. I hope she’ll cooperate once she’s served with the paperwork. It’s in the best interests of the child, after all.”
His voice low, he said, “It’s not in her best interests.”
“It will be if you are the child’s father…she can get child support, for starters.”
He shook his head. “That’s not the way she works.”
“I guess you would be the best judge of that.” She paused. “Do you have any other questions?”
“Uh…no. Thanks for your time, Ms. Paulson.”
“Please call me Samantha. We’re on a first-name basis, remember?”
He smiled. “Okay, Samantha.” She loved the sound of her name on his tongue. She felt it all again…damn, she wanted this man in her bed. She found it a little easier to control herself this time, however, and for that she was grateful.
They both stood as she said, “I’ll call you as soon as we know something, one way or another.”
“Okay. Thanks for your time.”
She followed him to her office door but forced herself to stay there as he walked back through the lobby. He said a quiet “thanks” to Angela as he left. Angela looked at Samantha knowingly, and Samantha smiled at her. She was not going to watch him walk through the parking lot again…at least, not from the lobby. She could see him just fine from the window in her office. She sat at her desk, propped her chin on her hand, her elbow on the desk, and did watch. She sighed, watching his truck pull out of the lot. This wasn’t just a crush…she still felt the same way she had on day one. She felt an overwhelming craving for this man, a burning desire, not just a curiosity or a need to flirt a little. She wanted him bad.
Ordinarily, she would bill a client for taking her time away from other work, especially if it was something Angela could handle. She didn’t plan to bill Ryan, however, because she had chosen to talk with him. Angela could have and would have easily managed the matter.
The next few days trickled by, and Samantha once again let herself dream about him off and on. It was an impossible situation, though, and she knew it. She couldn’t, in good conscience, try to seduce this man. He was her client; ethically, it was out of the question. But she could fantasize about it, anyway…she could imagine just what she would wear, what she would say, how he would succumb, how he would touch her. But even if the ethics weren’t questionable, Samantha actually even doubted that he felt the same way about her. There had been no signals from him, no signs of interest. It was all just in her mind.
That was okay, she supposed, reminding herself that Adam’s memory was now only that--a memory. Not a yearning anymore. That was what she needed to focus on, what she needed to be glad about.
But she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t stop thinking about Ryan Craig, no matter how hard she tried.
Chapter Three
The day finally came, and there had been no response from Rachel Evans. No letter, no phone call, nothing from another attorney. Ordinarily, Samantha would have had Angela type up the motion and take it--along with other documents pertaining to other cases--to the court as she did every afternoon. But, just like everything else involving Ryan Craig, nothing was ordinary.
And she once more found herself doing something she wouldn’t normally do for other clients--she called Ryan herself to let him know what was happening. When she didn’t reach him at his home phone number, she called his cell. He picked up after several rings. “Is this Ryan?” she asked.
“Speaking.”
“Hi. This is Samantha Paulson. I just wanted to give you an update.”
“Great.”
“As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, we didn’t get a response from the letter. So, as we speak, my assistant is preparing the paperwork for the court. We’ll have to file the motion in Las Animas County, and then we’ll contact a process server in her county and have the paperwork served on her.”
“So what exactly is involved in this paperwork?”
“We’ll be serving a summons. Then she’ll be compelled to come to court. At the hearing, I will request the judge to order her and the child to have genetic testing done.”
“When will the hearing be?”
“We don’t know yet. Once we file the paperwork with the court and a case is assigned, the court also sets the hearing date.” She paused. “You won’t have to be present if you don’t want to. I will be representing you.”
“Can I come if I want?”
“Of course. But…if you feel it would be too uncomfortable, or you can’t get out of work or whatever, you don’t have to. That’s quite a long drive for a standard hearing.” She smiled to herself--finally, for a change, she was advising this client the way a real lawyer would and not from some weird emotional place--how easy it would have been for her to suggest that he come with her, sitting next to her in her car, her skirt sliding up her thigh. Then again, did she not want him there for fear that he would see his ex? She frowned--she didn’t know. Her emotions were clouding her judgment.
“Thanks. I guess I’ll let you know.”
“Any questions?”
“No. Just let me know when you find out something, okay?”
She hung up the phone after prolonging the conversation as long as possible, not even consciously aware that she’d been doing it. It had been nice talking to him, though…his voice sounded deeper on the phone than in person (or had she just forgotten already?), and she’d felt like she’d been sitting on pins and needles the whole time…
And he was at the front of her mind again. If she’d been an obsessive type, she would be stalking this man…or seeking serious therapy. Instead, she just stalked him in her thoughts, and that was therapy enough.
Samantha, again avoiding the usual, took the afternoon off the next day to personally deliver the documents to the courthouse in Trinidad. When Angela started to ask why Samantha didn’t use a courier (as she had always done in the past), she instead smiled and asked if Samantha was planning to go shopping when she was done. Samantha smiled and asked, “How did you know?” But she had no such intentions. Trinidad was not the kind of place that drew shoppers, but she could pretend. She just felt very possessive of Ryan and his case. It was a nice drive, though, and one she hadn’t made in ages. But it didn’t do anything to clear her mind of Mr. Craig.
And the days flew by again. But this time, Rachel Evans had been served with paperwork and had been ordered to attend a hearing at the end of the month.
Samantha had always been thankful for lots of work to do, particularly having many cases to handle…at the rate the court system worked, the next Ice Age was sure to come before resolving any issues. She knew that if she were only handling one or two cases, the time would seem to drag out (which it did), and she knew the slowness of the process was why clients like Ryan would come in or call frequently, wondering if anything was happening with the case. But Ryan didn’t come in again as he had at first. Samantha had called him after Rachel had been served and let him know that now it was just time to wait.
One afternoon, Angela rang into her office. “Samantha, there’s an attorney from Las Animas County on line one. It’s regarding the Craig case.”
“Got it.” She cleared the cobwebs from her brain, set aside the case in front of her, took a deep breath, and answered the phone. “Samantha Paulson.”
“Hi, Ms. Paulson. Mason Hammond. I represent Rachel Evans. She was served last week.”
Samantha nodded, a gesture she knew he couldn’t see--it was just habit. “Yes. What can I do for you, Mr. Hammond?”
“We’d like to do this out of court. Ms. Evans agrees to submit to the genetic testing if we can avoid a hearing.”
“Of course. We have no problem with that. When will she have the testing done?”
“We can do it next week.”
They spent the next several minutes arranging the details. Samantha hung up, excited to deliver the news to Ryan. She’d been waiting for the perfect excuse, and this event happened to be it. She called Ryan’s cell phone.
When he answered, she began talking. “This is Samantha Paulson. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. I’m working, but I have a little bit.”
“I wanted to let you know we won’t have to go to court--for now, at any rate. Ms. Evans has agreed to have the testing done. I just spoke with her attorney, and she’ll be having the testing done next week.”
“That’s great. Thanks.”
Samantha grew a little bold. “I’d like to take you out to celebrate.”
There was a long pause on the line. Oh, no. Not only had she overstepped her boundaries, she’d made him feel uncomfortable. She bit her lip, mentally chiding herself until he answered, “What do you have in mind?” She forced her breathing to slow down again even though her heart was thudding against her chest, and her courage bubbled back to the surface.
“Maybe a drink?”
“Sure. Around 7:00 okay?”
She smiled. “Great.” They agreed to meet at Suds, a small bar downtown. Samantha was beside herself with anticipation. She decided she just might even leave work early today. She wanted to look as good as possible.
She had a hard time concentrating (typical whenever the situation involved Mr. Ryan Craig), but she did manage to get through some of her work. Just as she was starting to put files away, Adam tapped on her open door and came in. She looked up. “What’s up?”
“Not much. Just wondered if I could have your input on one of my cases. I need a woman’s point of view.”
Just two months ago, Samantha would have welcomed this sort of attention from Adam. Now, though, she just wanted to leave the office. She had planned on spending extra time getting ready for her meeting tonight, and Adam’s visit was only cutting into that time. “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
Adam’s eyebrows furrowed as he leaned against her door. He looked disappointed. “I guess so. I just wanted to finish this up before I leave today.”