Читать книгу Straight from the Heart - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 6

BLAIR LOGAN HELD her breath as the jurors filed into the jury box. She studied their faces, trying to gauge their state of mind. Their solemn expressions told her nothing. Look at me, she begged. Let me know you’re on my side. But the jurors’ attention was focused on the judge. That wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good. She folded her hands in her lap and waited.

“Madam Foreperson, have you reached a unanimous verdict?” the judge’s voice rang out.

The foreperson stood. “Yes, we have, Your Honor,” she answered and handed a piece of paper to the bailiff. The bailiff took it to the judge, who read it quickly and handed it back.

“Will the defendant please rise,” the judge said.

Hector Raye, along with his attorney, Lucas Culver, got to their feet.

“What is your verdict, Madam Foreperson?” the judge asked.

“On the count of the indictment—murder in the first degree. We find the defendant guilty.”

Yes, yes, yes, ran jubilantly through Blair’s mind, but nothing showed on her face. She didn’t even blink at the rumble of noise and voices behind her. She was good at hiding her emotions.

“Quiet,” the judge ordered and banged his gavel. “So be it. Sentencing will be in two weeks. The jury is dismissed.” The gavel banged again.

Blair got to her feet and put papers into her briefcase with methodical movements. Outwardly she was cool and reserved, as always. Inside she was ecstatic. She had finally beaten Lucas Culver. She was determined that he wouldn’t beat her again. She felt like jumping up on the table and doing a dance of victory, but she would celebrate later.

As the guards came to escort Hector back to his cell, he suddenly jerked free and began to fight them. It didn’t take the guards long to restrain him.

“I’ll get you, bitch,” he screamed at Blair. “I’ll get you.”

Blair’s jubilance vanished in a wave of nausea and she had to take several deep breaths. She knew she had to get out of the courtroom and fast.

Lucas was taken aback at Hector’s outburst. He did his best to believe in his innocence, but he’d never liked the boy. He’d taken over the case from a colleague who had become ill. It was a bad situation, but he didn’t regret his decision to help Jim Tenney. The case was known as an open and shut, and there was very little he could do to throw doubt on Hector’s guilt. The loss didn’t sit too well with him, though. But in light of Hector’s behavior, he was thinking that maybe it wasn’t a bad verdict.

He’d looked at Blair during the disturbance, and her creamy white skin had paled. Of course, it was hard to tell with Blair, since she always wore that cool facade, but he knew Hector had gotten to her.

He picked up his briefcase and turned at the same time as Blair. They came face-to-face. She had dark hair, almost black, pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck, giving her a stern, businesslike appearance, but he was mesmerized by her eyes. They were the most gorgeous blue he’d ever seen, clear and bright like a summer sky, and they seemed to look right through him. She had made it very plain on more than one occasion that he was not on her list of favorite people.

“Congratulations, Counselor,” he said, his lips curving into a slight smile.

“That’s one criminal you won’t be putting back on the street,” she replied sharply, unmoved by his smile.

Lucas sighed. “Why do you always feel that it’s my goal to put criminals back on the street?”

“Because it’s what you do—represent vermin.”

“Have you forgotten that everyone’s entitled to a fair trial—even people like Hector Raye?”

“You live with your ethics and I’ll live with mine.” With that, she whirled around and headed for the door.

Someone was going to shake Blair Logan one of these days, and it just might be him, Lucas decided.

Blair was receiving congratulations from her assistants when Lucas emerged from the courtroom. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him hugging a blond woman. Jennifer Walker, Judge Barrett’s clerk. Lucas must be dating her, Blair thought idly. She’d heard the rumors about Lucas. He changed women the way most men changed their shirts. And the women didn’t seem to mind. Lucas was known for the affable breakups and lasting friendships with his lady friends. Well, they were welcome to him. His dark good looks and charming smile did nothing for her.

Why did he make her so angry? Because he’s an arrogant man, she told herself. And arrogant men seemed to have that effect on her.

All thought of Lucas left her as she spotted her brother, Blake, standing to one side. Being twins, they had the same dark hair and blue eyes, but they were different in so many other ways. Blake had been the wild one, always in trouble. She’d been the quiet, studious one, always striving for excellence.

She walked over to Blake and he smiled at her with an impish grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something was obviously bothering him, but she had no idea what.

“Hi.” She smiled, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Blake was six feet tall and she was only five foot four. “What are you doing here?”

Blake lived in London and he was home for a brief visit. She hadn’t expected him in the courtroom today; she assumed he’d be spending time with their parents.

He grinned again and rocked back on his heels. “I just came to watch my baby sister in the courtroom.” Having lived in London on and off for sixteen years, his voice now had an attractive English intonation that still surprised her whenever she heard it.

Adjusting her purse strap, she said, “We’re the same age, Blake. We’re both thirty-two.”

“But I’m three minutes older.”

“Big deal.”

“It is,” he said. “I’m older and male and…” His voice trailed off, and she knew exactly what was on his mind.

“Blake—”

He interrupted her. “When they told Dad he had a son, he probably thought all his prayers had been answered. Little did he know I’d be nothing like him.”

Growing up as Sam Logan’s son hadn’t been easy for Blake. In fact, it had almost been a nightmare, with Blake rebelling every chance he got. In his teens, he was uncontrollable, and their parents sent him away to boarding school in England, hoping a change of environment would help him. It was the first time Blair and Blake had been separated, but the miles hadn’t diminished the bond between them.

They’d always been close, but Blair was the stronger one, protecting and shielding her brother from their father’s wrath whenever Blake did something stupid. That happened plenty of times. Blake seemed bent on a course to upset their father and Blair was generally caught in the middle. For someone she considered mild and loving, Blake sometimes had an obstinate side she didn’t understand.

Blair glanced at him now. “I thought you’d gotten over all that.”

He shrugged offhandedly. “I have, but seeing you in the courtroom today, I couldn’t help thinking how proud Dad must be of you and how disappointed he must be in me.”

“Oh, Blake, I—”

“Evan wants to see you.” The district attorney’s secretary came up to her, cutting her off in midsentence.

“Tell him I’m on my way,” Blair answered, knowing Evan wanted to talk about the trial. For once, it was good news.

Blair quickly kissed Blake’s cheek again. “I’ve got to run. We’ll talk tonight after dinner.”

As she hurried down the corridor to the underground tunnels that connected many of Houston’s downtown buildings, Blair thought about Blake and wished he’d come home to the States to live. Maybe that would mend the rift between father and son, but she knew it was only wishful thinking. Since Blake’s rebellious youth and his decision not to go to law school, things hadn’t been the same in their family, and she didn’t think they ever would be again.

Blake worked as a journalist, but he spent a lot of his time at a school for delinquent youths in London, helping and teaching troubled teenagers. It wasn’t the future Sam wanted for Blake, but Blake was good with kids and he seemed determined to steer them away from drugs, drinking and rebellion. Blair decided not to think about her father’s reaction. She’d concentrate on spending quality time together as a family.

It was a short walk from the criminal-courts building to the district attorney’s office, a walk that gave her a chance to clear her head. She tapped on the district attorney’s door and entered when she heard Evan’s “Come in.” Evan Holt was of medium height and almost completely bald. He stood in the middle of his domain with a golf club in his hands. He was an avid golfer and had a small putting green in his office. He studied the ball in front of him, then glanced at the cup some distance away.

“I’ll be right with you, Blair,” he said, and swung the club. When the ball rolled in, he turned to Blair with a triumphant smile. “Well, you did it. You beat Culver.”

“Yes,” she answered. Evan was reputed to know everything that went on in the courthouse…sometimes even before it happened.

Evan moved around his desk and sat down. “You did a great job. Though I must say, clients like Raye aren’t usually Culver’s style. When Jim Tenney was handling the case, I figured we’d be able to put ol’ Hector away for a long time, but when Culver took over, I was worried he’d use some of his theatrics to get Raye off.” Evan picked up a pencil. “Never understood why Culver took the case at all.”

“I heard that Tenney’s an old friend, and when he had to have emergency heart surgery, Lucas stepped in to help him out.” Blair repeated the rumors, although she was reluctant to give the man that much credit.

Evan rested back in his chair. “You don’t like Culver, do you?”

Blair shrugged in a nonchalant manner. “I don’t know much about him. All I know is I don’t care for lawyers like him.”

“Your father’s a lawyer like him.”

Blair’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at, Evan?” She knew he had something else on his mind besides the Raye trial. She’d worked for Evan for six years and she was well acquainted with his tactics. He’d skirt an issue before getting to the point.

Evan leaned forward. “I was thinking about the Easton case and your father’s involvement.”

There was not a flicker of emotion or movement on Blair’s face, even though the name Easton sent chills down her spine. She stared Evan straight in the eye. “My father was his attorney, that’s all.”

Her father was a well-known defense attorney in Houston, in Texas and beyond. As his daughter, she was expected to follow in his footsteps—as was Blake. After Blake’s defection, as her father called it, Sam Logan focused all his efforts on his daughter. He wanted her to work for his firm, but she couldn’t because she and her father had different points of view on the law. He defended criminals and it was her goal to keep them behind bars.

This caused more than a few arguments—with Sam insisting that her perspective was oversimplified. She knew her judgment and reasoning was colored by the past, but that didn’t make her wrong. It only made her more strong-minded, more—

“I heard there was a disturbance in the courtroom.” Evan’s words broke in.

“Yes.” Blair forced her thoughts back to the present. “Raye wasn’t pleased with the verdict.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She looked at him with guarded eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don’t have to be so tough, Blair. I’m well aware of what happened to you.”

“It was a long time ago, and like you said, I’m tough. I can deal with it.”

“Blair…”

She stopped him. “If that’s all, I’ve got a mound of paperwork waiting for me.”

Evan watched her for a moment, then said, “No, that’s not all. I brought Todd Easton up for a reason.”

God, she knew that. Evan never did anything without a reason. She waited, wishing that name didn’t make her feel so afraid.

“I wanted to inform you of something that’s about to break,” he said slowly. “Bonnie Davis’s family has hired a detective to find the second boy involved in her rape and murder, through new DNA testing. We’re hoping to make an arrest.”

Blair’s eyes widened. “But the police never could identify him.”

“Yeah. I was newly elected then, and I really wanted to find him. Skin from two different people was found under Bonnie’s fingernails. That really bothered me, but I never could link another boy to the murder. I always wondered why your father didn’t pursue it. It could’ve helped Easton.”

“I’m not privy to my father’s cases, and I really don’t like to talk about Todd Easton.”

“I’m sorry,” Evan said quickly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It doesn’t,” she said, and they both knew she was lying. She drew a deep breath. “But I would like to prosecute this guy when they catch him.”

Evan shook his head. “I don’t think so, Blair. You’re too closely involved.”

“Maybe,” she admitted. “But I hope you put him away for a long time.”

“I intend to.”

“I’d better go,” Blair said, backing toward the door. “I’ve got a lot to do.”

Evan stood. “Great job today.”

“Thanks.”

Blair closed the door, leaning against it as if she needed the support. Why did Evan have to mention the past? Why did he have to bring up Todd Easton? Ever since Raye’s outburst, she’d been trying to keep the memories at bay, but now they seemed to come rushing back.

She was sixteen years old and looking forward to spring break. She was going to Cancún, Mexico, with her friend and her friend’s family. Her father had just finished a difficult case. A business acquaintance of his had a son who was accused of murdering and raping a fifteen-year-old girl, Bonnie Davis. It was a certainty that Sam Logan would get the boy off, but Todd Easton was found guilty. The Easton family was very upset, especially Todd. It had been a long, hard trial and her father, mother and Blake went on a cruise to get away from the reporters and the Eastons. They wanted her to go, too, but she’d already made other plans.

Everyone had said that Sam Logan was losing his magic touch. It was one of the few cases she remembered her father ever losing; at sixteen, though, she didn’t really think about such things. She was just eager to leave on her trip. Her family had left that morning, and Blair was waiting for her ride. She’d heard a noise downstairs, grabbed her suitcase and hurried to the front door. As she reached the bottom step, she saw the housekeeper tied up. Before she could move, Todd appeared from a doorway holding a gun. His eyes had a glazed, wild look, and his face was red. He asked her where her father was. She told him he wasn’t home, that he’d gone on a cruise. Todd had laughed cruelly and said that was just as well, because he knew of a better way to get even with Sam Logan. He was leering at her and she knew what he had in mind. She dropped the suitcase and ran up the stairs—but he was faster. He caught her at the top, began to hit her with the butt of the gun… Over and over he drove the gun into her face, her stomach, her chest. Then he started to tear at her clothes. She didn’t have much strength left, but she started to fight. Her efforts stilled at the sound of sirens. Todd didn’t hear them. He was too engrossed in hurting her.

The police burst into the house. They’d been on Todd’s trail since he’d broken out of prison. Although she was floating in and out of consciousness, she heard them yell at Todd to drop the gun. The next thing she heard was gunfire and Todd fell on top of her…dead.

She woke up in a hospital. She had a concussion, a cracked skull, broken jaw, a fractured arm and several broken ribs. Her parents and Blake immediately flew home from their cruise. It was weeks before she was able to leave the hospital and by then she was scared of her own shadow, of everything around her. Her mother wanted her to see a psychiatrist, but she refused. She could handle it by herself, she’d insisted. But the trip back to health was long and arduous, and at times she didn’t want to go on. She forced herself to face life and not give up. She’d refused to let Todd Easton destroy her emotionally. And she made it. Yes, she’d made it. She had gotten her degree and was practicing law, putting criminals like Todd Easton away.

She knew that sometimes she went overboard, like today with Lucas. Lucas had a way of getting to her with his handsome face and devil-may-care smile. He was a lot like her father, same charisma, same magnetism. Maybe that was why she resented him and his representation of criminals. But today…today she’d finally triumphed over Lucas. Yes! She’d beaten him and his fancy tricks in the courtroom. And that felt good—really good.

Pushing away from the wall, she headed for her office. She wasn’t going to think about the past, her father or anything that would ruin her mood. She wanted to enjoy this moment. She entered her office, kicked off her heels and slipped out of her navy-blue suit jacket. She undid the first three buttons on her white silk blouse. Next she took the pins out of her hair and shook it free to her shoulders.

To alleviate the tension, she started to dance, something she loved to do—ever since she was a child and had taken ballet lessons. It always lifted her spirits. She whirled gracefully around the room singing, “I won. I won. Whoa-oh-oh. And it feels so-o-o-o good. So-o-o-o good. Oh, oh, oh, yeah.”

LUCAS HURRIED out of the courthouse. He had just enough time to stop by his office before his date with Jennifer. He’d been dating her for a month and she wanted to make dinner for him tonight. That bespoke an intimacy he wasn’t ready for. He didn’t know if he ever would be. His brother, Jacob, had been after him to settle down. After all, he was now forty-two, but he just could never take that final step. When he got married, he wanted a strong, passionate marriage like his brother’s. But the odds of that happening were getting slimmer and slimmer. He was too much like his father, he’d concluded, and he knew the feelings he had about his father were the reason he was still single.

His father had been a policeman who worked long hours—or so they’d believed until they discovered he’d been spending a lot of those hours with other women. The secret came to light when his mistress shot him with his own gun after he decided to end the affair. The news devastated his mother, and she died one week later from a massive heart attack. He’d been only fifteen years old, but he’d never forgotten the hurt, pain and disillusionment in his mother’s eyes. He was never going to hurt a woman like that—never. Until he found a woman he could stay faithful to, he planned to remain single.

For some reason he thought of Blair Logan. She was different from the other women he’d met—mainly because she hated his guts. But she’d enjoyed beating him today. Blair would never let her emotions show, but it was no secret that she’d been gunning for him for a long time. He was sure this victory was a big deal for her. That should annoy the hell out of him, but it didn’t. In his younger days, he would have been angry at the loss. Younger days! Good Lord, now he was thinking in terms of younger days. What the hell was wrong with him?

Lately he’d been feeling a restlessness, a dissatisfaction with everything in his life, and he found himself questioning everything he’d ever done. He was displeased with both his personal and his professional life. He’d worked for Harris and Harris for the past fifteen years and he’d never had any complaints until now. Clive and George Harris were brothers, and now their sons were also attorneys who’d joined the firm. Lucas knew that in the near future he’d probably be working for them and he didn’t like that. He was the reason quite a few clients chose Harris and Harris, and everyone knew it. Lucas’s salary was raised every year in appreciation, but now he wanted more. He wanted his name on the door. He wanted everything that came with his years of experience and he wasn’t willing to settle for less.

Then again, he’d made enough money and invested it wisely. He could retire and move to Austin to be near Jacob and the family. Hell! He shook his head in frustration. He’d spent all his adult life practicing law and he had no intention of giving it up so easily. The restlessness was getting to him, that was all; so was losing this case. He should have never taken it in the first place. Clive and George had advised against it, but he couldn’t let Jim down. Jacob had taught him always to stand by your friends and he had, and he refused to have regrets about that. He just wished he’d felt more confident of Hector’s innocence. That restlessness again. Good thing he’d scheduled a vacation. He needed one to make some decisions about his life.

“Hey, Culver,” a voice called.

Lucas turned and saw Roger Collins, an old friend of his brother’s, coming toward him. Roger was in his forties, a police detective who’d worked a lot of cases during his career—some Lucas had been involved with.

They shook hands. “How you doing, Lucas?”

“Fine.” Lucas smiled.

“How’s Jacob?”

“In love and happy.”

“If anyone deserves happiness, it’s Jacob,” Roger said solemnly.

“I’ll second that.”

“How many kids does he have now?”

“Five,” Lucas said. “They had another girl a few months back.”

“That’s great…just great.”

“Yeah.”

Roger changed the subject. “Well, I heard Blair stuck it to you today.”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Lucas responded mildly.

“You just hate to lose.”

“Yes, it’s one of those annoying flaws of mine.”

“I also heard Raye wasn’t pleased with the verdict.” Roger looked at him carefully.

“No, he wasn’t. He caused an ugly scene.”

“Is Blair okay?”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Evidently you haven’t heard what happened to her some years back.”

“I don’t guess I have.”

“It was sixteen years ago, so you were probably away at law school.” Roger went on to tell him about Blair and the attack by Todd Easton.

“You know, I vaguely remember reading something about that incident—mainly because it was Sam Logan’s daughter. Hell, I knew she was Sam’s daughter, but I never connected it to the attack.”

“She’s had a rough time. I hope this hasn’t upset her.”

Lucas grinned. “Sounds like you’re pretty fond of Blair.”

Roger grinned back. “You could say that, but Blair doesn’t let anyone get too close to her. I keep trying, though. Think I’ll check on her.” He glanced at his watch. “Damn, I have to be in court in five minutes. I’ll catch her later. I’ve got to run. Tell Jacob I said hi.” With that, he dashed into the courthouse.

Lucas stared after him with a puzzled expression. He now understood Blair Logan a little better. No wonder she was so cold and detached. He’d never dreamed she’d had this kind of trauma in her past and was a little surprised he hadn’t heard anything about it before. He hoped Raye hadn’t caused her any more stress. Still, it was none of his business, he told himself, walking resolutely toward his vehicle.

He threw his briefcase into his Ford Expedition and got into the driver’s seat. But he didn’t start the engine. He kept thinking about Blair. Maybe he should reassure her that Hector was just talk and she had nothing to worry about. No, he told himself again. She wouldn’t thank him for his concern.

Concern? Was he concerned for Blair? Yes, he was, he had to admit. He’d always thought Blair was strong enough to handle anything. Could he be wrong? Could her strength only be a facade to hide her fear and pain?

Without a second thought, he climbed out of the car and headed to the district attorney’s office. He had to tell her that Hector wasn’t a threat to her.

And Blair Logan was going to eat him alive.

IT DIDN’T TAKE Lucas long to find Blair’s office. The door was open a crack. He pushed it a fraction to see if she was inside. He stared in disbelief. Blair, a Blair he’d never seen before, was dancing around the room singing under her breath. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders, her eyes sparkled and her face was enraptured. God, she was beautiful. So feminine, so enticing…

She held her arms out and her hips swayed gracefully. She’d had ballet lessons, he decided. It showed in every seductive line of her body.

“It feels so-o-o-o good. Oh, oh, oh, yeah,” she sang. She whirled around and came to a complete stop when she saw Lucas.

“OhmyGod,” she murmured. She quickly gathered her hair and twisted it into a knot. She reached for a large clasp that lay on her desk and fastened it to her hair, but several strands lingered around her face.

She inhaled deeply and demanded, “What are you doing here?”

She’d immediately collected her wits, her cool businesswoman demeanor back in place, but Lucas didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were on the opening of her blouse. Several buttons had come undone and her lacy bra was showing. Blair wore lacy things. He’d never have figured that.

“Your blouse is open,” he told her, and her cheeks turned a delicate pink.

She nervously buttoned her blouse to the top.

She was mortified that he’d seen her doing a victory dance, and she was desperately striving for some measure of respectability. But she feared she’d lost every ounce of that. Oh God, how had she let this happen? And of all men…Lucas Culver.

“If you’re through leering,” she said coolly. “You can tell me why you’re here.”

Lucas realized he had a silly grin on his face, but for the life of him he couldn’t stop smiling. “You know,” he replied, “it went right out of my head.”

“Then you can leave.”

His grin broadened. “You really enjoyed beating me today, didn’t you?”

He had guessed why she was making a fool of herself. Of course he would! How did she get out of this?

“A victory is always a…pleasure,” she answered, and the words sounded phony even to her own ears.

Lucas stepped closer, although the desk was between them. “If I’d known it would make you so effervescent, I’d have let you beat me a long time ago.”

“You didn’t let me anything,” she flared. “I beat you fair and square.”

Lucas held up his hands. “Okay, I concede.”

They stared at each other and Blair felt his dark eyes touching her in a way she usually hated when other men did it. But Lucas was making her feel warm and bubbly…and angry.

“What do you want, Lucas?” she asked abruptly. “And stop staring at me like that. I don’t like it.”

“It’s hard not to,” he said wickedly. “Especially after seeing…so much.”

“Get out of my office,” she said, her confidence beginning to shred.

Her words had no effect on him. “Don’t be so rigid, Blair. I’m only teasing you.”

She decided to take another approach. “I’m not used to being teased, so can we just forget about this?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t think so.”

“Okay,” she snapped. “Have your fun, but you’d better enjoy it because you’ll never, ever get another glimpse—”

“Of you being human,” he finished for her.

She bit her lip, not knowing what else to say, wishing he’d do the decent thing and leave.

He saw her nervousness and relented. “Okay, Blair, I’ll forget about it.”

“Fine,” she said ungraciously.

“I only came by to reassure you that you had nothing to worry about from Raye. He just has a big mouth.”

She glanced apprehensively at him. Surely he didn’t know. It had happened so long ago and ever since, her family and friends had been very protective of her feelings. The attack wasn’t a topic for idle conversation. She didn’t want anyone’s pity. “Why do you think I’d be worried?”

He watched her for a moment and he could see she didn’t want him to know about the past. So he gave in to her wishes. “He was my client and I feel responsible for his behavior.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. This she could handle. “You don’t have to be. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can, but I had to make the effort.”

“Well, you wasted your time.” That came out wrong, but she couldn’t take it back.

His eyes gleamed. “Believe me, I didn’t waste my time.”

“You said you were going to forget it,” she reminded him.

“Forget was the wrong word,” he said with a devilish grin.

“You’re very good with words. So don’t tell me that.”

“I promise no one will hear about your secret passion from me, but I can’t wipe it from my memory. I have a feeling I’ll remember it late at night when—”

She cut him off. “Goodbye, Lucas, and next time you plan on coming into my office, would you please have the decency to knock?”

She had to get rid of him. The tension was so thick she had trouble breathing. It was sexual tension and Lucas was very good at creating it. She hated his easy flirting, which created a fear deep inside her. Over the years she had forced herself to date, to come to grips with her terror, but it hadn’t worked. Men in any kind of sexual context—the very thought of sex—stirred a revulsion in her that she couldn’t control. She was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

With his hand on the doorknob, he said, “You have a thing about intimacy, don’t you, Blair? I was only going to say late at night when I feel…” He stopped, then added, “Hell, you were right. I did have something risqué in mind.”

Lucas grinned all the way down the hall. Roger was the wrong man for Blair. She needed someone to unlock all those emotions she had hidden away. Someone with passion and ardor. He suddenly stopped walking. He was thinking about himself. No, he was already involved with Jennifer. He didn’t need…but he enjoyed sparring with Blair—maybe too much, maybe not enough. She made his blood rush, kept him on his toes. “No,” he muttered aloud. “No way.” It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fooled himself about a woman.

AS THE DOOR CLOSED on Lucas, Blair picked up a paperweight and threw it. It bounced off the wall and landed on the carpet with a thud. Arrogant bastard, she thought, and immediately checked the door to made sure it was locked. She leaned against it and sank to the floor, drawing her knees up to her chin. How was she going to live this down? Lucas had seen her in a state she’d never allowed any man to see. And the way he’d gazed at her—as though she was an attractive woman he liked looking at. She could still feel those dark eyes heating her skin, her blood. Oh, no. Don’t even think it.

She gulped in some air and did the only thing she could. She started to laugh. After a moment, she sobered, wiping tears from her eyes. Despite the turmoil of this day, she could still laugh. That was good. Maybe Lucas was good for her. No, no, no, she told herself. She wasn’t going to be like every other woman in the courthouse—bowled over by his charm. She intended to avoid Lucas Culver. Like the plague.