Cathleen Galitz – Tall, Dark...And Framed? (страница 3)

Painful past experience had taught her to trust her gut feelings.

She had been relieved when Sebastian had finally released that all-too-masculine grip. At thirty, she wasn’t so naive that she didn’t recognize her reaction for what it was—lust, in its most primitive and dangerous form. Fearing the same kind of machismo that had initially attracted her to her ex-husband, Susan reminded herself that finding the right man was a matter of choice better left to a level head than to fickle hormones.

It was unfortunate that Sebastian’s half brother, Dorian Brady, wasn’t more her type. He impressed her as being far less edgy than his sibling. Though strikingly similar in appearance to his brother, Dorian’s appeal was subtler, Susan decided. He was smaller in stature, but his eyes were nearly the same astonishing shade of silver as Sebastian’s. However, for some unfathomable reason, his gaze did not immediately hold her an unwilling captive the way Sebastian’s did. There was a swaggering seductiveness in Sebastian’s demeanor that contrasted sharply with his brother’s more understated nature.

That her body didn’t react in such openly traitorous ways to Dorian was definitely part of his charm to the wary Susan. Once burned… She cut off the thought and concentrated on the legal matter at hand.

Having received an abbreviated version from Dorian of how he had only a short time ago come to locate his long-lost family, Susan wasn’t quite sure exactly how his relationship with Sebastian stood. Other than the fact that Dorian seemed to hold no malice toward his half brother, who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. By his own account, Dorian—who had been abandoned by Sebastian’s philandering father and put up for adoption by his brokenhearted mother—could barely afford plastic cutlery while growing up. That he had paid Susan’s retainer out of his own pocket, insisting on providing legal representation for his mulish kin, spoke volumes about him. Such loyalty was rare even among siblings raised together from birth. Susan could only assume that being new in town, Dorian knew nothing of her recent string of bad luck.

Losing two close court cases in a row had done more than simply damage her self-esteem. The lack of clients beating down her door was mute testimony of her own dwindling faith in her skills as an attorney. Her once-upon-a-time dream of giving the little guy a voice in the legal system—the same dream that had kept her going throughout law school—was now strained by the necessity of simply supporting herself.

Hadn’t Joe warned her that she didn’t stand a chance of making it on her own? He’d predicted that without his money and influence, she would fold like a house of cards….

Gritting her teeth at the memory of her ex-husband’s parting shot, Susan bolstered her flagging confidence with the desire to prove him wrong. Believing that success would ultimately prove the sweetest revenge, she smiled confidently at the intimidating Mr. Wescott and offered him a cup of coffee. He declined with nothing more than a terse shake of his head.

Trying to calm this man down was like convincing a wild animal to step willingly into a cage.

With her.

Armed with nothing but bravado and determination, Susan assessed her options. Though female intuition warned her to stay far, far away from Sebastian Wescott, she desperately needed just such an incredible opportunity. A high-profile case like this could well be her ticket to a recovery that would be as much emotional as financial for her. No matter how much working with this man might stir a prickly feminine responsiveness that was best left sleeping, it certainly beat chasing ambulances—which was where she feared she was headed if business didn’t pick up soon.

In fact, if things didn’t pick up, Susan feared she might have to lay off her secretary, Ann Worthe. A single mother who had just left an abusive marriage herself, Ann would be as devastated as Susan by such an unfortunate turn of events. Not only wouldn’t she be able to continue the night classes she was taking in hopes of becoming a paralegal, Ann would have trouble feeding her three young children without the help of food stamps—something the proud young mother had vowed never to do. Aside from the heart-wrenching personal aspects of laying off a woman she considered a friend, Susan knew such a move would mark the end of her own hard-fought dreams and aspirations. There was simply no way she could do her job as a lawyer and manage the office at the same time.

Landing the case of such a prominent citizen as Sebastian Wescott would certainly bolster her standing in the legal community. Lately she had been feeling like the local pariah among the elite of Royal, many of whom were aligned with her influential ex-husband and appeared to relish her past few defeats in the courtroom. The thought of seeing those good old Texas boys, some of whom openly believed the law was best left to men alone, turn pea green with envy was enough to straighten her spine.

Now was not the time to let silly girlish palpitations interfere with good sense. Just because her mind kept wandering to thoughts of how Sebastian might look naked in her bed didn’t mean anything would ever come of such outlandish fantasies. Aside from the fact that Sebastian Wescott could have any woman he wanted, the realization that he was accused of murder should have been more than enough to cool her blood. But it continued to course through her veins in hot, pounding spurts of female awareness.

Nonetheless, by the time Sebastian stopped pacing and took his seat again, Susan had made up her mind. If by some miracle, she could actually convince this millionaire oil baron that she was the best lawyer for the job, she would represent him as if more than just his life was on the line.

In a manner of speaking, hers was, too.

“Now that you’re sitting down, let me assure you that I am more than capable and willing to take your case on and I will focus 110% of my time and energy on your behalf.”

Sebastian was caught off guard by the haunting feminine quality of the voice that entreated him to remain calm. What was it about that particular inflection that wound its way around every nerve ending in his body and made him ache with an unfamiliar longing?

Searching for the answer to that particular question in a pair of mesmerizing hazel eyes was not a wise choice, he decided. Blue? Gray? Green? He could no more get a fix on their exact shade than a chameleon could remain satisfied with any one hue. It was his opinion that lawyers with winsome eyes should be permanently disbarred on the basis of unfair practices.

Had Susan Wysocki somehow hypnotized him into actually considering adding her to his already substantial legal team? Not that it really mattered, Sebastian told himself. After all, what was one more attorney’s salary to a self-made millionaire?

From the looks of her worn office chair, Susan Wysocki could certainly use the money. Why that mattered to Sebastian was not something he chose to reflect upon for long. He was used to trusting his gut instincts. That for some inexplicable reason he was drawn to this woman was impetus enough for him to set aside his reservations and actually consider hiring her.

Up until now he’d had no reason to keep any criminal lawyers on staff, his need being more in the way of corporate and business strategists. They would be of little use in a courtroom, but he respected their collective opinion nonetheless. Besides, Seb believed that this case would never actually go to trial.

“Mr. Wescott?” Susan repeated, attempting to bring his focus back to what was becoming a distinctly one-sided conversation.

With a start, Sebastian realized that Susan was staring at him as if considering whether to dial 911. He didn’t think it prudent to explain that he had been focusing on how the sunlight spilling in through the window cast a halo about her hair. Which was a most extraordinary color. Not a brash store-bought yellow, it was a true blond.

Whiplash blond, his father would have called it.

Like wild, dark honey.

Sebastian wondered if it felt as silky as it looked. This lady didn’t seem the type to fix those long, soft curls with half a can of hairspray every day to achieve the “big hair” that Texan women made famous. Having endured the coquettish advances of countless such polished vixens, he was struck by the fact that Susan Wysocki seemed singularly unaware of her natural beauty. He wondered if she even considered what an asset her looks would be in the courtroom.

“Are you all right, Mr. Wescott?” she asked, genuine concern etching worry lines upon her countenance.

“Call me Seb,” he said, shaking his head to rid it of the cobwebs. “My friends do.”

“I’d like that,” Susan replied, keenly aware that her pulse had pole-vaulted at the sound of the shortened, softer name and the glib invitation into his elite circle of friends.

Her response couldn’t have been more genuine. As long as they could maintain a friendly relationship, Susan was fairly certain there would be no problem representing this man. As a friend, Sebastian Wescott was bound to be a powerful and affluent ally. As a lover, she suspected he would be as dangerous to a woman’s heart as an arrow dipped in poison. As an enemy, he was probably deadly.