And Adam, being the perceptive guy he was, picked up on that instantly. He was not amused and there may have been a pretty specific threat of physical harm. Not that I thought for one minute the guy could take me, but I respected Adam and I would never have compromised our partnership.
I had humiliated her. I knew that. I felt shitty about it but it had happened and there was nothing I could do to change the choices I had made. So, when she came to work at the firm last year, Adam’s warning still rang loudly in my ears, no matter how much I lusted after his very luscious younger sister.
But then something had changed. For a brief moment, Adam’s warning didn’t matter. But it wasn’t meant to be and that was just as well. I didn’t have time for what Lena so obviously wanted.
I wasn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, no matter how much Marlena Ducate wished I was. It was best to show her the worst of me so that she would never long for the best because that would only end in heartbreak. And probably a broken tibia or two.
Her shoulders were rigid, her back upright. She was anything but happy to see me.
My stomach tightened again.
“Congrats on the graduation,” I said finally.
Lena didn’t even glance my way. “Thanks,” she shouted over the music.
“Sorry I couldn’t make it,” I added. I had every intention of going at first. But then I had thought about it…
Lena turned to look at me as if she wished she didn’t have to. “Yeah, I heard you had prior commitments.” She pointedly looked around the crowded club. Her talent at calling me on my bullshit without saying a word was impressive.
I allowed myself to inch closer to her. Not too close or I’d end up with a knee to the junk. “Did you get my card?”
Lena nodded. “Yeah,” she replied distractedly.
Okay then…
Her deep blue eyes homed in on me suddenly and I felt trapped by them. “I also got the other gift.”
The other gift? I stood there dumbfounded and confused, the alcohol I had consumed making it difficult to think clearly.
Lena gave me an exasperated look. “The offer?”
“Right. The offer.”
When Adam had broached the subject with Rob and me about offering Lena a position at the firm, I had been hesitant. Sure, we had been talking at length about bringing on an associate or two now that our caseload had exploded. But that didn’t mean I’d jump in with both feet at the idea of hiring her. I hated to admit that the reasons were completely personal because Lena was going to be a fantastic attorney. She was one of the most brilliant people I had ever met. Her work on the Gibson case had been the reason Adam had gotten the acquittal. She would be a hell of an asset and we’d be lucky to have her.
But she hated me. And I wasn’t sure what I felt for her. Only that I loved pushing her buttons and she seemed to get off on stomping all over mine. I wasn’t sure our complicated dynamic would work in a professional environment long term.
But then I had thought about it.
Remember what I said about me and thinking?
So, the three of us had put together an offer—an incredibly generous one too. We had talked for months about bringing on an associate to help with the workload and we were finally at a point where financially we could make it work. On paper, it made sense to offer the associate position to Lena. After all, she had been working at the firm, she knew us, she knew the cases, she knew the community.
It was too bad she was such a ball breaker.
“It’s not exactly a gift. It’s not as if you’re being handed the position.” I didn’t like her insinuation. “You’re a hard worker and we like your style.” I gave her a purposefully lewd look. “You know I do.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “It’s a good thing I don’t take anything you say seriously, otherwise I’d have to start using words like harassment.” She gave me a sickeningly sweet smile. She sure knew how to take a guy out at the knees.
“So, you’re accepting our offer?” I asked her, noting how the bartender brought her drink even though she had ordered after me. I tried to get the bartender’s attention, but no luck. Must have been my lack of tits. Prick.
She had ordered two shots of tequila. I was surprised. I took her for a fruity drink girl like her friend Hannah.
I watched her knock one back and then the next, all without wincing or making a face. She drank like a pro. Then she ordered two more. Color me impressed.
“You might want to take it easy,” I said with some concern.