Page 64 of Take the Bait

Her jaw dropped as it dawned on her what he was talking about. That kiss in the ladies’ room. He’d come in there after her to tell her Wendall Marcos planned to pimp her out as a recruitment gift to prospective male attorneys?

And here she’d thought all this time he’d come into the restroom to take advantage of Wendall’s offer!

Cam pulled out his cell phone and flicked on the screen. “Yes or no, gentlemen? Are we going to do this? I do love a good trial.” He added gently, “I’m one text away from bringing this whole house of cards down around your ears.”

“You wouldn’t,” Whitney growled.

“Make Ms. Wellford an offer she can’t refuse,” Cam said grimly, “or I most certainly will…with pleasure.”

The senior partners conferred in whispers at the far end of the table. Cam glanced at her. “Go get ‘em, kid. The bargaining table is yours.”

Pinter’s head finally popped up from the huddle. “Name a number, Miss Wellford.”

“Two.”

Everyone looked at her in incomprehension, even Cam.

“I beg your pardon?” Pinter mumbled?

“Two of three,” she repeated. “That’s the number of female senior partners I want in control of WMP within twelve months’ time. Or else everything I’ve got goes public in a very ugly, very high-profile lawsuit that takes this place down.”

“Cash,” Marcos spluttered. “We’ll pay you. A million dollars. Two? Five? Name a number.”

“It’s not about money, gentlemen. It’s about doing the right thing. Turn this into the most female friendly law firm on the east coast, or go down in flames. I leave the decision to you.”

Every single male partner in the room could’ve caught flies in their open mouths.

Into the stunned silence, she said pleasantly, “I’ll be watching, gentlemen. Twelve months.”

She turned around in time to see a huge smile spread across Cam’s face. He said with a laugh, “Remind me never to mess with you in a negotiation, Counselor.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Counselor,” she replied, matching his smile.

“We make a hell of a team.” He held the door open behind her. A pair of security guards pulled up short as the panel opened in front of them.

“Your services will not be required, gentlemen,” Cam said pleasantly to them. “We’ll show ourselves out of the building. We have a dinner date to get to.”

He held his arm out to Dani, and she looped her fingers around the hard muscles and sexy wool. As they headed for the elevator, he asked conversationally, “Tell, me, Miss Wellford. Have you ever considered jumping over to the public sector of law?”

“Why, yes, Mr. Townsend. The thought had occurred to me to do some jumping sooner rather than later.”

He laughed warmly. “I’m serious. I’d love to work with you.”

“Really?”

“I’d be delighted to put a good word in with the D.A. for you. And after he hears—unofficially, of course—what you just pulled off here at WMP and what you demanded from them, he’ll be all over hiring you.”

Dani looked up and down the empty hallway and pushed Cam into the open doorway behind him. She shut the door to an empty conference room. “Are you serious?”

“It would put us on the same side of the aisle. I don’t know how many more conflict of interest separations I can take from you, Dani. I want to sleep with you every night and wake up beside you every morning. I want to argue politics and talk about books and movies and tough cases, and I want to have sex with you all the damned time. Hell. I want to marry you.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Dead sure.” He added, “I get that you may want to wait a while. Get to know me better. But I’ll wait for you to be sure.”

“I don’t need any longer to be sure what I want to do.” Before he could ask her what that was, she said, “I guess I’m making a phone call to the District Attorney to ask if he’s got a position open.”

“Tomorrow. You’re making the call tomorrow,” he murmured.

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