“No,” she said. No compromise in her tone.
He hated having to put it on the line to her, but she left him no choice. Deep down, he knew he was helping her far more than she would understand until much later. “I’m not coming back to stay, and I’m not coming back without you being here. You really don’t have a lot of options.”
“I can’t do it,” she stated with a hint of desperation in her voice. “My job is waiting for me in Washington.”
His voice was firm and unmoving. “You have to, Lindsey.”
She balled her hands up at her sides as she pushed to her feet, and glared at him, desperation in her voice. “Why are you doing this?”
It was hard pushing her, knowing she hated him at this very moment. But he knew it was for the best. “You asked for my help. I’m offering it.”
“Help?” she demanded. “You call this help?” She glared. “I have a job to get back to. I asked you to take back your old responsibilities, minus me. This,” she waved around the room, “is yours, not mine. Take it back.”
He kept his expression blank. She spoke like the firm was a material item to simply give or take. It was so much more complex. “I can’t do that,” he said softly.
Her hands flattened on the desk, her voice a low, angry promise. “I’m not staying. You can have this damn place. There is no use mentoring me because I’m not staying. Mentor someone else.” Her voice softened. “Please.”
Their eyes locked. There was a long, tense silence. “You and I both know Edward wouldn’t allow me to take the firm without you.”
“I’ll convince him.”
“I’ve got a news flash for you, Lindsey. I’m walking away from consulting work to do this. My being here is no small request. I am not the enemy.” He paused, and then added, “I’m a friend.”
Her lips pursed. “Yeah, right. Friend?” She crossed her arms in front of her body, and turned her face away from him. “I don’t think so.”
Mark pushed to his feet and covered the distance between them as she backed up against the credenza. He stopped directly in front of her, intentionally not giving her room to escape. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. She didn’t move. He didn’t move. They were so close that their legs almost touched.
He could smell the soft scent of her perfume. He could taste the torment eating at her. And he could feel the connection between them . . . and damn, it was hard to push her, when he just wanted to comfort. But he had no choice. “Do we have a deal, Lindsey?” he asked in a quiet, steady voice.
She closed her eyes. “What choice do I have?”
He grabbed her chin gently in his fingers, making her eyes dart open. “You have a choice. I can walk out of the door and never see you again.” He paused to give her a minute to digest his words. Part of him wanted her to tell him to do just that. He was in uncharted territory. The very fact that he was here, unable to fight the urge to help her, was enough to make him want to cut and run. Another part of him knew he couldn’t leave without seeing this through. “It’s your choice Lindsey. Do I stay, or do I go?”
She swallowed. “Can I have some time to consider?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “What do you think?”
She sighed. “I figured as much.” She diverted her eyes for a second and then looked back up. “Stay.”
He smiled and released her chin. “So be it, then.” He looked at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have to go see a client.” He sighed and returned his gaze to her face. His hand went to her cheek, his fingers caressing her perfect skin. He heard her intake of breath with satisfaction. She was not unaffected by his touch.
Fighting the urge to see just how far he could push, he forced himself to take a step backwards. He turned and started walking towards the door. He turned to face her before leaving. “Line up a partners meeting for Wednesday at five-thirty.” He wanted a plan to get close to her, to force her to start dealing with the past and the future. “I’d like to meet with you at five today to review how we will split things up.”
Taking orders from him was eating her up. He bit back a smile as she nodded and gave him a terse acceptance. “One last thing,” he added. “I want you to first chair the Williams case.” She started to protest, but he raised a staying hand. “It’s non-negotiable, Lindsey.”
And then he turned and left her there, staring after him, and no doubt cursing his very existence.
* * * * *
In silence, they sat side by side at the conference table in Mark’s office. He seemed to have slipped back into his old environment with comfort.
Lindsey watched as he tugged at the top button of his shirt and loosened his tie as if he couldn’t stand it a second longer. Inwardly, she moaned, pulling her bottom lip into her teeth. The man was simply gorgeous. And smart. It was a damnable combination that seemed to wreck havoc on her desire to hate him.
Studying him, she noted the tightness of his jaw, now covered with light stubble. His hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it, perhaps from frustration. Somehow that only served to enhance his appeal. It also made her wonder what he’d found on his first day back to Paxton.
“So,” she said stretching out the word. “Have you had time to make any assessments today?”
He leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. The look on his face said he didn’t want to tell her what was on his mind. He hesitated, and then, “The books are a wreck, and I still don’t know what Edward thought he was proving by choosing some of these cases.”
She shook her head and swallowed. “What exactly is the problem?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
A muscle in his jaw jumped. “Over the last few years, Edward started taking on cases for people who had zero financial means. It has gotten worse, not better, since I have been gone.”
Her eyes went to the space above his shoulder as she thought out loud. “I noticed the oddity of the cases.” Then, refocusing on Mark, “I was hoping you could offer some insight. Daddy was always about money.”
“He took on a new philosophy this past year. Work for free is what it basically boils down to.” The pure frustration in his voice was enough to set her on edge. He started rolling up his sleeves. Like he needed to get ready for some serious work. “Let’s set the subject of the books aside for now. Tonight we need to focus on the Williams case. He happens to be one of the few clients who actually can pay his bills.”
A puzzled expression filled her face. “Yes, he does, which is odd considering the rest of the caseload.”
He agreed. “Right. A professor at NYU who comes from a wealthy family.”
“I can’t figure out how he fits in with the other cases.” She frowned. “If I understood the logic of the case choices, I might feel a little better.”
Mark seemed to want to say something—she could see it in his eyes—but then he withdrew, as if he had talked himself out of whatever it was. She frowned, wondering what he was thinking and not saying.
“I reviewed the file today and nothing has been done,” he said. “We don’t have a choice but to file for a continuance.”
Even a quick glimpse at the file had told her as much.
“I already have the papers being drafted.”
He didn’t acknowledge her words. Instead, he gave her a level stare and cleared his throat. “I’ve changed my mind. I want you to second chair.”
“Wow,” she said putting on the brakes. “Why the sudden change of heart?” She felt the pinch of indignation. “You think I can’t handle it now?”
Surprise filled his face. “I thought you would be happy.”
She waved off his words. “That’s not the point.” She jabbed her pen against the pad of paper in front of her as her agitation grew. “There’s something you’re not saying, and I don’t like it. Not one bit. Are you afraid I’ll collapse during trial or something ridiculous like that?” She didn’t give him time to respond. “I won’t, you know.”