Page 10 of Dial L for Lawyer
"Don’t worry about it. We'll discuss payment after the meeting tomorrow."
"Caleb, I can't ask you to?—"
"You're not asking. I'm offering." He walks me to the door. "Nine AM tomorrow. We'll prep for Friday."
"I'll be here."
CHAPTER 4
Caleb
"Tell me she actually showed up."
Bennett's voice fills my ear before I even say hello. I'm still staring at the door Serena just fled through—fled, because that's what she does now, apparently. Runs from me like I'm contagious. My office still holds her. That vanilla perfume that's been haunting me for six months, the lingering sweetness of snickerdoodles from her skin, the barely-there warmth in the leather chair where she sat.
Where she sat and crossed those legs in that black skirt suit, the fabric pulling taut across her thighs. Where she leaned forward and I caught a glimpse of her black lace camisole. Where she bit her lower lip—that same spot she bit when we were dancing, when I whispered something filthy in her ear just to watch her react.
Christ. I'm half-hard just from the ghost of her.
"She showed," I confirm, my voice rougher than intended. I glance at the folder she brought, everything meticulously organized in her careful handwriting. Even seeing her pen strokes makes my chest tight. Those controlled letters, nothinglike the woman who spent a whole night laughing in my arms six months ago.
"And?"
"And she looked..."
Like every fantasy that's kept me awake. Like she'd rather be anywhere else. Like she wanted to climb into my lap and disappear at the same time. The way her pulse fluttered at her throat when I got too close. The way her breath caught when I we made eye contact. The way her pupils dilated when I mentioned tomorrow.
"Professional."
Bennett snorts. "Sure she did. That's why you sound like someone hit you with a baseball bat."
He's not wrong. My entire body feels like it's been through a prize fight—tense, aching, ready to snap. Twenty minutes in my office and she's undone six months of convincing myself I was just fine without her. Lies.
"What's your take on all this?" I ask, forcing myself to focus on why she was here. Not on the way she kept touching her collarbone when she was nervous. "You were there after she got the news, right? What's your read?"
"It's bad, Caleb. Radiance played this perfectly. The timing, the evidence trail—someone orchestrated this from the inside."
I lean back and close my eyes, but it's a mistake. I can still see her across from me. The way she perched on the edge of her seat like she might bolt, the way that camisole gaped when she leaned forward to show me the paperwork, revealing just enough black lace to scramble my brain. The way she shifted, causing her skirt to ride up another inch, and I had to grip my pen to keep from reaching over and?—
Fuck. I adjust myself under the desk, grateful Bennett can't see me.
"She didn't do it," I say, the words coming out more growl than statement.
"I know that. You know that. But Luminous has her access logs all over the leaked files."
"Someone used her credentials." The possessive anger that's been simmering since yesterday burns hotter. "Someone she trusted."
"That's what I'm thinking too." There's a pause. "Logan could help with this."
Bennett's tech specialist. Our most awkward friend. The human blacklight who finds every hidden stain. "Not yet. Let me get through Friday's meeting first. David is Luminous's in-house counsel, and while he can't break privilege, he'll at least give us a clear indication of what we're dealing with."
"You sure you can handle this?" Bennett's voice carries an edge of concern. "Given your... history."
I pick up my pen, spinning it between my fingers. "There's no history that matters. She made that clear six months ago."
"Be honest here, Caleb. You ask if she's coming every time we go out as a group and then proceed to pounce on every sliver of information about her."
The truth of it stings, so I don't bother to respond. He's right. I've been pathetic—parsing every mention of her name, analyzing every photo she's tagged in, checking her LinkedIn with a fake account like some kind of stalker. "She came to me for legal help. That's all this is."
