Page 23 of Legal Passion
“I like...” Allison began, “...directness...”
“Not lawyers,” Stone finished for her. He could understand that. He hadn’t dated any lawyers before Hillary. Not that they were dating or anything.
They were just having sex. Or had had sex.
Mind-blowing sex. Maybe that was because they were in the same profession and understood each other so well. Or maybe it was just because she was hot as hell.
Allison McCann was not hot. She was about as cold a woman as Stone had ever met, which she confirmed when she said, “Since you’re not in a relationship with Hillary Bellows, you won’t mind us going after her in the media.”
“Going after her?” Stone asked uneasily.
“We can bring up how she is only trying this case to go after her boss’s job,” Allison suggested, “how her ambition blinds her to justice.”
Trev nodded in agreement.
Was that true? Was that why she couldn’t see that Byron Mueller was innocent? Or was that because the billionaire was starting to look damn guilty even to Stone? That was who Stone should be talking to right now. Not Allison McCann and his partner.
“I’m not so sure that’s true,” Stone said in Hillary’s defense.
“You don’t think she’s ambitious?” Allison asked.
He chuckled. “Hell, yes, she is,” he heartily admitted. “But she’s also all about justice.” She had been during every trial they’d had together, but most especially this one. Was she like Judge Harrison and just biased against billionaires? Or did she have some personal reason to not like the man?
“She’s all about winning,” Allison said. “And she does against everyone...but you.”
Stone tensed. He hadn’t realized that. He’d known she was good, but he hadn’t realized just how damn good she was.
“This case is personal to her because of you,” Allison said. “We can use that, too. Say that she must have a crush on you and because you’ve never been interested in her, she’s acting like a woman scorned—bitter and resentful.”
Stone laughed again. For many reasons.
There was nothing bitter and resentful about Hillary. And she knew exactly how interested he was in her.
“What?” Trev asked. “You’re not liking any of this?”
He shook his head.
“Why not?” Trev asked. “Why don’t you want to go after Hillary Bellows?”
He wanted to go after her—hard. He wanted to take her on her desk again. Or in his car. Or hell, maybe even on a bed. Or up against a wall.
He wanted to fill his hands with her breasts and fill her up with his—
Trev snapped his fingers again. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Stone ran a hand, that shook slightly, over his face. “I was up all night working the case,” he said. “This wasn’t the best time to have a meeting.”
“You want to cancel again?” Allison asked, her voice going all prissy.
“No.” But it was Trev who offered the assurance. “Stone needs to get some rebuttal out there. Hillary Bellows is giving interview after interview where she makes our law firm sound like a bunch of crooks—”
“And cons,” another male voice chimed in.
Stone glanced to the doorway where Simon Kramer, the managing partner, leaned against the jamb. He didn’t look any happier with him than Allison McCann did.
He groaned.
“She’s right,” Simon said. “We need to get some rebuttal out there.”
