Jackson laughed. He covered his mouth withhis hand because Park looked offended, but he said, “I’m sorry, but that’s funny.”
“I’ll laugh when I win the election.”
Jackson shrugged into his jacket and retied his tie. “Do I look hopelessly disheveled?”
Park took a step back and assessed Jackson. “Your hair...hang on, let me get a comb.”
Park was still naked when he disappeared into the bathroom, but when he emerged, he hadon a monogrammed cotton robe—of course—and carried a comb. He told Jackson to hold still and then went about combing his hair back into place. And suddenly, it was ten years before, and Park was grooming Jackson before Jackson left for his first day at the DA’s office. At the time, Park had combed Jackson’s hair into the neat part he preferred, said, “I love you,” and kissed Jackson’s nose. Nowhe only combed Jackson’s hair.
“You need a new lawyer,” Jackson said.
Park stepped back. “What?”
“I can’t be your lawyer anymore. I’m...compromised.”
Park’s brow knit together. “Are you the missish heroine in a Jane Austen novel?”
“You know what I mean. You were already making it hard for me to think straight, but now that we’ve...crossed this line, it would be unethical forme to continue to represent you.”
Park pressed his lips together and looked into the distance for a moment. He tilted his head. “But I don’t want another lawyer.”
Jackson didn’t want to have this argument, but he had two choices here: professional distance, which was basically impossible, or getting Park other counsel. “I’ll ask Reed to step in. I trust him, and I—”
“I don’t want anotherlawyer.” Park’s tone was assertive. “I want you.”
“But—”
“I have a lot of experience keeping my affairs secret.”
Picturing Park with other men nauseated Jackson. “That’s not even the issue. I mean, it is, because if we get caught, my career is in jeopardy. But more than that, I’m too distracted by you. If you get arrested, I can’t adequately prepare a defense. I’m too emotionally investedand it’s keeping me from thinking straight.”
Park let out a breath. He nodded slowly. “All right. I don’t mean to put you in a compromising position. But as of right now, there’s nothing to defend. I haven’t been arrested. If that happens, Reed will be my lawyer. Until then, it’s still you.”
“I don’t like that much, either.”
“It’s you or no one, Jack. I trust you. I don’t know Reed.”
Jackson sighed as he backed toward the door. He really needed to get out of here. “No one” was a terrible option, and Jackson couldn’t just leave Park hanging, so even though it killed the part of him that thought legal ethics sacrosanct, he decided to stay.
“There is not a single thing that has happened in the last two hours that is not a terrible decision.” Now that they were out of bed,Jackson was angry at Park for this glimpse of what they’d had and what Park had taken away. He tried to file his feelings away into their proper boxes, but he struggled, which was all the more reason to give this case to Reed. If only he could.
“You’ll stay on?”
“Only because I don’t think you have much legal liability here. But if Gavin changes his mind or some other incriminating evidencesurfaces, Reed takes over.”
“Okay.”
Jackson glanced at himself in the hallway mirror. Presentable. “I better get going. Am I going to have to worry about Dee and Dum?”
“You’ve never met two men who are better at discretion.”
Jackson couldn’t help but think about all the affairs the two bodyguards must have witnessed. That made his chest ache, so he reached for the door.
“WillI see you tomorrow?” Park asked.
“Not sure. I don’t know how long the court appearance will take, and then I have a lot of work on my other cases I’ve been ignoring. But call me if you need me. And if I hear anything from the police or if Reed or one of my paralegals unearths something else, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay. I appreciate it, Jack.”
