Page 94 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 2

Her nod is full of the same confidence I recognize from the day we met. She may have apologized for ruining my shirt back then, but she wasn’t seeking forgiveness for how we did it.How is it possible she’s even more beautiful?

I say, “We’ll keep it until after the wedding. Just to be on the safe side.”

Lifting onto her toes, she kisses my chin. “Do you know how sexy being sneaky can be?”

I kiss her because I struggle to keep my lips or hands off her.She’s too gorgeous not to touch.Especially where I want to touch her repeatedly.Fuck. Don’t go there right now, Wellington.“I hope I’m about to find out.”

“Oh, you will indeed. Now go win those cases, so we can celebrate your victories.”

I dip her, holding her low enough for her to give me her trust by relaxing in my arms. I kiss her and then set her back on her feet again.

She slides her hand down my neck and then lower to my chest. Tapping over my heart, she replaces her hand with her lips. “You need to go,” she whispers. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you return to me.”

“What about you? What will you be doing today?”

Walking toward the elevator, she wiggles her ass. She has no clue how I wish I had a job that I could cancel going in altogether. Court days are not those. “I’ll be here waiting for you.” There’s lightness in her reply, a smile infiltrating her tone.

I punch the button and hold her one last time. In her bare feet, she fits right under my chin. “You have a date, Miss Bell.”

The door opens too soon for my liking today. Her arms wrap around me, and she says, “Go be awesome, Counselor.”

I kiss her forehead and step into the elevator. Just before the door closes, I give her a wink. “I always am.”

Standingacross the street from the courthouse, Ashleigh greets me with a smile. “Nice tie. Green is always good luck.”

I chuckle. “Do you know what cat pajamas are?” I raise my hand to run my fingers through my hair but stop because I don’t want it a mess for court. I detour to the back of my neck and scratch instead.

“Pajamas for cats?”

“No.” I furrow my brow. “Like as in the cat’s pajamas,” I say it slowly like Tealey did.

Ashleigh starts laughing. “Yeah, it’s like great, awesome. The bee’s knees.”

“Do bees even have knees?”

“That’s beside the point.”

“Apparently.” Why the fuck am I wasting time before court thinking about this? “Anyway, do you have the file?”

“We have thirty minutes before the hearing.” Ashleigh digs the file from her burgundy leather briefcase. I’m starting to thinkthis color and dressing for the job is a formality in the legal field. I’m going to owe Tealey another apology.

Ashleigh hands me a file, and I immediately open it to review. She says, “I secured an office for us to go over everything.”

We start walking toward the doors of the building. I know this, though. Everything in this file is here because I entered it. I know my client’s assets top to bottom, and every offshore account is accounted for. There shouldn’t be any surprises unless themissushas been hiding something.I hate surprises.“Nothing’s changed, and I’ve been going through it all in my mind for weeks now. I’m ready.”

She nods. “You’re ready.”

“Maybe we grab a coffee instead?” We walk half a block in silence before I ask, “Why do you work at the law firm?” I open the door, and we enter the coffee shop. The sound of conversation and orders being called fills the air.

While we wait in line, she replies, “I don’t just work there. I’m achieving my goal of being an executive assistant. I also believe in you, and we make a great team.”

“We do.”

After ordering our drinks, we sit at a table by the window. I shouldn’t be exhausted, but I squeeze the bridge of my nose and can’t help but ask, “Why do you believe in me? I’m a divorce lawyer, Ashleigh. You could work for any other type of attorney. I’m not changing the world. I’m not helping people in need. I’m breaking families apart and fighting to dismantle a life they built together while destroying their kids’ lives in the process.” She cocks her head to the side and stares at me like I’m out of my right mind.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Rad.”

I never used to question what I was doing. I’ve wanted to be a divorce attorney since my family was ripped apart in the middleof a courtroom. I want to make a difference for kids in the same scenario. Ensure they aren’t forgotten or used as bargaining chips—something I refuse to do. Ever.So why am I seeing my chosen path in life in a new light? “Do I?”

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