Page 95 of Passionate Defense

Chapter 21

LANIE’S HEELS TAPPEDsteadily on the hardwood as she paced in front of her desk, rehearsing her opening statement for what seemed like the hundredth time. When she bumped into the corner of the console table for the third time, which was bound to leave bruises, she regretted not working at home. She usually practiced barefoot in the study, her feet sinking into the Persian rug in front of the stone hearth. She’d tried the bedroom, but more often than not wound up on her back with Ethan’s mouth between her legs or riding him in the chair-and-a-half in the reading nook in front of the new mirror. Although enjoyable activities, neither were productive for her client unless you counted how it cleared her head and helped her concentration afterward.

More so than a distraction, Ethan was her sounding board, her cheerleader, and sometimes played devil’s advocate. She could always count on him for honest feedback. But tonight, he was gone, and she dreaded the silence of the empty house. Before he’d left, she’d run through her opening statement while he offered his suggestions, sometimes interrupting to clarify a point but mostly nodding his approval.

The knock on her door was a welcome interruption. When she called “Come in,” Beth poked her head inside.

“Want to grab something to eat?”

“No thanks. I had a late lunch.”

“You mean that half-eaten salad in the fridge? That’s hardly what I’d call brain food. Ethan will have a cow.”

“He won’t be back until tomorrow. I’ll eat then.” She resumed pacing. “I hate when he goes out of town. I like routine. This is not routine.”

“Are you okay? You seem wired.”

“I’m on edge. I’ve been rehearsing my opening and it’s not right.”

“I’ve heard it three times. It’s perfect. You’re gonna kick ass tomorrow.”

She shook her head, frowning at her friend. “Something’s missing, but don’t worry. I’ll get it by tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’m gonna head out. Don’t stay too late. We all need you well rested and on your game tomorrow.”

She stood to leave when Lanie called a reminder. “Make sure you reset the system when you go.”

“After Ethan had a little chat with Steven, I’m not likely to forget.”

“Really? Why am I only hearing about this now? What did Steven say, or worse, what did he do?”

“Let’s just say that afterward, I discovered the benefits of the high workstation in the back office. No chair required.”

“I kind of threw you under the bus on that one. It was unintentional, I swear.”

“It’s fine, Lanie. I shouldn’t have left you here without arming the system. Besides, if I didn’t catch it for that, it would have been something else. I’m a little crazy over this case, too,” she admitted. “And my tongue seems to have a mind of its own. Steven’s spanking hand has been busy. He was complaining about his lopsided muscles in his arms and said he’d either have to switch to his left hand or start lifting weights.”

Beth made an exaggerated swatting motion then mimicked a biceps curl.

“Yeah,” Lanie muttered. “I can see how that could be a hardship on the poor man.”

“I know, right? Never mind his woman’s sore, overworked butt.”

“You misbehave on purpose, so stop complaining. Wasn’t it you who told me youaccidentally, on purposespilled coffee on Steven’s lecture notes before his big presentation last week? You were hoping he’d use the new paddle he’d bought.”

“Hey, I made sure he had copies,” Beth said with a wink. “It was worth every swat until the point where I confessed to setting him up. Then...ouch!” She rubbed her behind as she frowned. “Stay clear of Lexan. It stings like a son of a bitch.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lanie drawled. Her phone alarmed with a text message.

“That’s probably Ethan. Tell him to have a safe trip back. I’ll see you in the morning.”

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