Читать книгу Without You - Mary Baxter Lynn - Страница 14

Hallie smiled at the dapper attorney. Nathan James was dressed to kill, in his custom-made suit and expensive tie. He was medium height and slender, with sharp features and eyes that seldom missed a thing.

“Thanks for coming, Nathan,” she said, her smile broadening.

“Anything for you, my dear.”

“Save your charm.” Hallie’s lips twitched. “You know it’s lost on me.”

Nathan grabbed his chest in mock despair. “Why must you continue to break my heart?”

Hallie rolled her eyes. “Will you please behave yourself?”

Of all the attorneys in the firm, Nathan was her favorite, the one whom she respected the most. He was an excellent lawyer whose superior intelligence provided him the ability to think on his feet, which was a great asset in the courtroom.

But her liking of him went deeper. Although he wasn’t quite old enough to be her father, he treated her like the daughter he didn’t have. Happily married with three grown boys, he and his wife, Donna, had made her welcome in their home. She considered him her mentor, and was ever conscious that he genuinely liked and respected her, as well.

“I’m Nathan James. You must be Jackson Cole.” Nathan extended his hand.

The sound of the attorney’s well-modulated voice drew Hallie back to the moment at hand, and she watched the interplay between the two men. Nathan’s features had sobered and his narrowed eyes were focused on Jackson, as if sizing him up.

“Right.” Jackson responded without any real warmth, though his gaze didn’t shy away from Nathan’s piercing one.

“Before we get down to business,” Hallie said, “would either of you care for coffee?”

Both men nodded. She pressed the button on her phone and asked Pearl to accommodate them, then they all sat down. The silence had turned suddenly hostile, something she’d feared but had hoped to avoid. She quelled a sigh and was about to speak, when Jackson jumped in.

“I have to tell you right off, Nathan, that I wasn’t in favor of bringing in a second party.”

“That’s your call, of course,” Nathan responded, turning his attention to Hallie, his eyebrows raised as if to ask what she had gotten him into.

“No, it’s not his call.” Hallie’s voice was firm. “It’s my call and Jackson knows it.” She wanted to throttle her ex-fiancé, even though he looked good enough to pounce on. When she realized the path her thoughts had taken, she was surprisingly unrepentant.

Okay, so his good looks and commanding presence were a turn-on. They always had been and always would be. Seeing him again this morning brought that home. He had set off that deep sexual ache in her again, an ache she’d fought so hard to get over.

Yet a tiny part of her was glad to have him back in her life, if only for a short time. There was something about him that appeased her hunger, made her feel like a live woman and not a career robot.

Yet he’d severed her trust as casually as someone discarding a pair of worn-out sneakers.

“So do I stay or do I go?” Nathan demanded into the lengthening silence.

Hallie shot a warning glance at Jackson. “You stay.”

Pearl chose that moment to enter the room, carrying a tray filled with the coffeepot, cups and breakfast muffins. Hallie thanked her and she hurried out.

“Jackson, I’d like for you to repeat everything you told Hallie, from start to finish, followed by what you told the detective.” Without taking his gaze off Jackson, Nathan reached for a cup and filled it with coffee.

“First off, I didn’t kill Roberta Klein.” Jackson’s tone was terse.

Nathan nodded, then took a sip of his beverage. “Good. Since that’s out of the way, please continue.”

Hallie listened while Jackson repeated what had transpired with Detective Gomez. Every so often, she would inject a comment, clarifying what Jackson had said. When he finished, the room was quiet for a moment. In order to keep her eyes off Jackson, she poured a cup of coffee she didn’t want.

“Have you thought of anything else you might’ve overlooked?” Nathan asked.

Jackson shifted his gaze. “No, nothing.”

“What about Gomez?” Nathan asked, facing Hallie. “What’s your impression of him?”

“He’s both smart and smart-alecky.”

“Not surprising. But you can handle him, right?”

Hallie smiled with confidence. “With ease and pleasure.”

Nathan chuckled. “I don’t know why I even bothered to ask.” Then he said to Jackson, “Have you written any of this down?”

Jackson turned swiftly to Hallie, a question in his eyes.

Hallie answered for him. “I didn’t tell him to.”

Nathan worked his mouth. “I am. Get a notepad and write down everything you just said, in addition to your long history with the Klein woman. It’s imperative that you don’t leave anything out.”

“And equally imperative,” Hallie put in, “that you don’t show it to anyone but me or Nathan.”

“That’s right,” Nathan said. “No third party. It’s privileged, but if anyone else sees it, it becomes unprivileged.”

Although Jackson didn’t appear the least bit enthusiastic about the request, he said, “That’s a tall order, but I can handle it. As for anyone else seeing it, I get it.”

Ignoring Jackson’s obvious rebuke, Nathan went on. “So let’s talk about you personally.”

Jackson bristled. “Like, how personal?”

“Real personal,” Nathan said with a smooth smile, though his voice had no give.

Jackson whipped his eyes to Hallie. “Look, is all this necessary?”

“Absolutely. Nathan’s not making any demands that I wouldn’t make.”

“But you know me personally.”

Jackson suddenly gave her the look that melted her bones. She swallowed before saying lamely, “Lots can change in two years, Jackson.”

“Dammit, Hallie, you know better than that.”

“No, I don’t,” she shot back.

Nathan raised his hand, the look on his face an annoyed one that Hallie dreaded. The criminal attorney was losing patience, and she didn’t blame him. Jackson could be the kindest and most considerate person on earth, only to turn cold and withdrawn in a heartbeat if something didn’t suit him. Obviously this interview was not suiting him.

Too bad. Jackson had gotten himself in this mess. Consequently, he didn’t have any choice but to cooperate.

“All right,” Jackson said, his features cast in granite, “take your best shot. Both of you.”

Again ignoring his festering temper, Nathan asked, “How are your finances?”

“Solid.”

“That’s a plus. Are you involved with a woman?”

For a long moment, a poisonous tension fell over the room. No one said a word. Hallie felt her breath catch in anticipation of Jackson’s answer. His only physical response was to narrow his eyes and hold his features and posture in check. Still, Hallie sensed his temper had gone up yet another notch.

“No,” he finally said in a more terse tone, a muscle jerking in his jaw.

Hallie kept her face averted while giving in to the unwanted feeling of relief that filtered through her.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jackson demanded, his eyes hooded.

“Look,” Nathan said, “I’m not the heavy here, despite what you think. Gomez is going to dig a whole lot deeper than we are. Count on that. So you might as well get used to having your privacy invaded.”

“He’s right,” Hallie said in a soft tone. “Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

Jackson lunged out of his chair, then peered down at Hallie. “How ’bout if I take a lie detector test? Won’t that prove I didn’t do it?”

“Nope,” Nathan said. “It won’t hold up in court.”

“But surely it would count for something.” Jackson’s tone was low and harsh. “At least shake Gomez enough to look at someone else.”

“We don’t know that he doesn’t have other suspects,” Hallie pointed out. “But until I’m convinced you’re no longer his numero uno, I’m going to proceed as if you are.”

Jackson muttered a curse, while Nathan looked at his watch and stood.

“I’m due at another meeting.” He turned his attention to Hallie. “Let me know when and if I can be of more help. But for now, I have every confidence you can handle it.”

Hallie gave him a lame smile. “Thanks, Nathan. We’ll talk later.”

Once he was gone, silence permeated the room. Both Jackson and Hallie seemed reluctant to break it, even though Hallie felt the attraction crackle between them like strong bolts of lightning.

“Hallie.” The gruffness in his voice brought her eyes back to his.

“Don’t, Jackson.”

“Don’t what?”

“You know.” A tremor that she couldn’t control shook her voice.

“Suppose you tell me, anyway.”

She raised her head defiantly, determined to nip this conversation in the bud. “Okay, don’t look at me like that.”

“And how am I looking at you?”

His question didn’t even warrant a response. He damn well knew the answer.

Weak-kneed, Hallie leaned against the desk. This was a dangerous game they were playing, especially if she was going to represent him effectively against a murder charge. Yet the heady feeling his smoldering gaze and husky voice incited in her seemed worth the risk. For the moment.

Then, thankfully, her sanity returned, and she forced strength into her voice. “Stop it, Jackson. Your seduction tactics won’t work.”

He shrugged, then said, “Can’t blame a fellow for trying.”

“You don’t mean that,” she snapped, again disconcerted by his effect on her.

“Oh, but I do,” he said, after a calculated pause. “It never occurred to me that I’d ever lose you, Hallie.”

“Well, you did,” she countered flatly, turning and making her way behind her desk, determined to create distance between them. If she’d known he still had the power to turn her world upside down, she wouldn’t have let him persuade her to help him.

But nothing was carved in stone, she reminded herself, feeling her heart rate recede. “Back off, Jackson. If not…” She let her words trail off, but she knew he got the message.

Although his features tightened, he changed the subject. “So where do we go from here?” He added hurriedly, “Concerning the case.”

Hallie relaxed, feeling on safe ground for the first time since she’d seen him. “The ball’s in Gomez’s court.”

“Do you think he’ll bug me?”

“He’ll try, but whatever you do, don’t take the bait.”

“I don’t want him around me.”

“I can’t promise you anything. However, if he becomes too much of a nuisance, there are ways of dealing with him.”

“I wish you could make this all go away, Hallie.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t.” Her tone was low and sober.

“I probably shouldn’t have involved you.”

“No, you probably shouldn’t have, but you did. And I probably should’ve sent you out the door, but I didn’t.”

He smiled. “I owe you, big time.”

She returned his smile, and it felt good. “Believe me, you’ll pay.”

“Through the pocketbook, right?”

“Right.”

“If it keeps me out of court, it’ll be worth it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute, then he asked, “How about dinner tonight?” He paused. “For old time’s sake.”

She stiffened, and he raised his hands in an innocent gesture. “I promise, no hanky-panky. I just don’t want to be alone.”

“You’re never alone. You’re surrounded by people at Elan.”

“It’s not the same—” He cleared his throat. “But if you’d feel more comfortable, we could dine at the club.”

“Jackson—”

“Please.”

She had hesitated, trying to decide what to do, when her cell phone rang. Without looking at him, she reached for it. Darcy’s name was registered in the caller ID box, and she answered immediately.

“I’m glad to hear from you.”

Silence.

“Darcy, are you there?” The dial tone buzzed in her ear. Frowning she pushed the off button and met Jackson’s inquisitive eyes.

“What was that all about?”

“I wish I knew.”

“You seem upset. Is Darcy all right?”

“I don’t know that, either. Nothing there has changed in two years.” Hallie tried to keep the fear and frustration out of her voice, but she knew she’d failed.

“All the more reason to have dinner with me.”