Page 63 of Legally Mated
“Let me think about it. I don’t know what I want to do. It would be nice to make a bit more money, with the baby ontheway.”
“Let me know. I’m not jumping yet, probably the New Year, so there’snorush.”
“All right. I think about it. You want me to keep an ear open for anyone else who might beinterested?”
“Why not? There’s a couple of promising second and third years at the office that might go too. I’ll put outfeelers.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it and let you know. There’s someone waiting to see me, I gotta go.” He hung up, and Laine went back to work feeling like he was starting to get his stride backagain.
Chapter51
Garrick must have workedhis magic, because when Laine called Holland a few weeks later to ask about getting the letters of recommendation to Garrick, Holland agreed to them seeing each other. He still wouldn’t let Garrick leave the enclave, but he’d agreed that Laine could drive up on Saturdaymorning.
Laine wanted to get a look at those trust documents anyway, wondering what advantage could be drawn out of this for Garrick. He already knew that Garrick was a member of the board of the Education trust, and standing as general counsel for all the others, but there’d been a hint of something in Garrick’s voice the last time they’d talked. He hoped it was a sign of loosening rules at the enclave, a willingness to take a chance on him and Garricktogether.
So, Laine filed the proper paperwork, got his travel permit, and loaded a bag with a few overnight things into his car in hopes that Garrick would invite him to stay. He’d never seen Garrick’s apartment in the enclave, Garrick preferring to spend their nights together in Laine’s home. In the deepest, most hidden recesses of his ego, Laine sometimes worried if Garrick was embarrassed of him, like a reverse racism.Specism.
Whatever.
Well, whatever happened, he was prepared. He had chocolates and a couple of boxes of pastries as well, and a bottle of wine hidden in his overnight bag, just in case. Plus the folder with the so-long-denied letters of recommendation; one from him, one from Jack, and one, maybe not so surprisingly, from Judge Wilson, who was starting his career teaching civil law at the college thisJanuary.
Garrick didn’t pick up the phone when he called after work, but from what Laine had gathered, he was buried in everything that had built up while he was recovering from the bullet wound and dealing with thetrusts.
This could be such a good thing for thepacks.
The second box of pastries served its purpose, greasing his way through the gates and leaving the Bureau of Preternatural Creatures officers behind him with smiles on theirfaces.
His car attracted more than a few looks. It had been a while since he’d been here, since before Garrick had been shot. He parked in the usual place, around the corner from the front doors of the pack building, and took the remaining box of pastrieswithhim.
I’m here, he textedGarrick.
Come up to the eleventh floor. The big conference room, came back almost immediately. Laine rode the elevator with a warm glow of happiness filling hischest.
He knocked politely on the door when he arrived and waited with surprising anxiety. It had been June since he’d seen Garrick, and it was October now. He’d been full of confidence on the way up, but had things changedbetweenthem?
Then Garrick opened the door, glanced quickly up and down the hall, Laine assumed to check for witnesses, and grabbed Laine by the front of his hoodie. “Get in here,” he said, a hint of a growl in his voice, and pulled a grinning Laine through the door. “We’ve only got a few minutes. Eva’s polite, and discreet, but even she can only take so much time in the bathroom,” he said, tossing Laine’s carefully chosen assortment of pastries onto the table with enough force it slid right across the polished surface and landed on the floor with asolidthud.
Laine opened his mouth to protest the abuse of his gift, but anything he was going to say was swallowed by Garrick’s mouth on his and then his mind went blank, his body screaming with desire, trapped between the wall and Garrick’s heat. He pushed them forward, stumbling up against he table. Garrick laughed and hooked a hip up on top of it, his leg curling behindLaine’s.
“I forgot how good that felt,” he said, nuzzling the skin behind Laine’s ear. “Look, Eva’s going to be back soon, but she’s only got another hour or so before she has to head out to catch aplane.”
“And then what?” Laine chased Garrick’s lips, making himlaugh.
“Stop that for a second. You’re here to work.” He caught Laine’s jaw between his fingers and held him still, his eyes bright. “Will youlisten?”
“Do I get anything for it after?” Laine tried to steal another kiss, but Garrick shook his head andleanedaway.
“Nope, you don’t use how badly I want youagainstme.”
But he did allow another kiss, and Laine had to be content with that. “Okay, what did you want to talkabout?”
“How do you feel about working with the Secretary of Education on theboard?”
Carmichael? “I’d be honored,” Laine said after a long, stunned pause. “Holy shit, really? How did thathappen?”
“She heard about it through the grapevine in the Capital and asked if she could volunteer. I have the number for her office here for you, you’re supposed to call her and set up the first meeting. She says she’ll probably have to teleconference in.” He leaned in for another kiss. “I’m onittoo.”
“That’s promising,” Laine said, sliding his hands upGarrick’sback.
