Page 50 of Take the Bait

Cam stared, stunned.

Finally, he exclaimed, “I’ve never heard of anyone asking for a bad defense. What in the hell is he playing at?”

“I don’t think it’s a game,” she replied glumly. “I think he means exactly what he said. He wants me to do a terrible job of defending him. Mind you, he doesn’t want me to mess up and get the case dismissed or mis-tried, so it has to be tried again.”

“So he wants you to do your job, but badly, so he won’t be exonerated of the charges against him?”

“Correct.”

“Why?” Cam demanded.

“I wish I knew. My best guess is he wants to go to jail and pull hard time.”

“Have you asked him why?”

“More times than I count and in every way I can possibly phrase the question. He flatly refuses to answer.”

Cam shook his head. This made no sense. Nobody asked their lawyer to lose, and absolutely nobody wanted to go to jail. Aloud, he said, “The prison doc told me he finds Koronov sane and reasonable.”

“So do I. It’s the darnedest thing.”

They stared at each other in silence, he in confusion and she in frustration.

Finally, he broke the tension pervading the car, saying, “You know what you need?”

“Do tell.”

“Sex. Lots and lots of gnarly sex.”

“Yeah. About that,” she said soberly. “You know we can’t do this again, right? Tonight was a one-time good deal. It’s got to remain our secret, never to be revealed to anyone else in the whole world.”

He opened his mouth to argue hotly against her, but she cut him off regretfully with, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it a conflict of interest for the defense and prosecution attorneys to sleep with each other in the middle of an active case?”

She might as well have punched him in the stomach. All the air whooshed out of his lungs and he struggled to draw his next breath.

She was right, of course.

And he knew it. He’d known it all along.

But he’d so lost himself in the enjoyment of sparring with her over dinner, so relished her wit and humor, been so mesmerized by how sexy she was that he couldn’t think straight.

He’d been so caught up in the chemistry between them, it hadn’t even crossed his mind once tonight that there was a problem with the two of them making passionate love together in the privacy of his home. A big problem.

It was a shocking lapse of judgment on his part. He’d never done anything like this before. Ever. But the idea of losing her felt like someone had reached into his chest and was ripping his heart out.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a pained second.

Took a deep breath.

Opened his eyes and said ruefully, “Your client did specifically tell you to make a mess of this case. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to have done so.”

“There is that,” she replied wryly.

“In fact, it may have been your obligation to sleep with me.”

She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes, which remained bleak and haunted.

“You’re right.” His composure was surprisingly rough around the edges as he continued, “Tonight can’t happen again. At least not until Alex’s case is finished.”

---