“I wouldn’t have given you this case if I thought you couldn’t handle it.”
His words should be reassuring, but they only remind me of how much I have riding on this.
“What if I’m not ready? What if—“
“Then we keep working,” he interrupts.
The warmth of his words hits me, but the fear runs deeper. “I don’t have much time left. I feel like I’m in over my head.” I say, hating the vulnerability that seeps into my voice.
“You think every attorney who’s ever tried a case for the first time didn’t feel that way?”
I know he’s right, but I don’t care. All I can feel is my own nerves.
“This isn’t just any case, James. This is a massive fucking case and my first time as first chair. If I lose, I don’t just lose. I look incompetent. And so do you for assigning this to me.” I rub my temples, wishing the pressure would disappear. “Why did you trust me with this? Why are you so sure I’m not going to screw everything up?”
“I’ll entertain you questioning your own capabilities, but I will not entertain you questioning my judgment,” he says, his voice firm and patient.
There’s a spark of challenge in his eyes, and it lights something inside me.
“And if I don’t stop questioning you?” I ask, daring him.
“Then I’m going to have to give you an attitude adjustment,” he replies, his voice lowering.
He watches me, waiting for my response, and I know exactly what he’s suggesting. The heat between us is undeniable, but so is the tension. It’s electric. Dangerous.
“Well, I regret to inform you, but your judgement seems pretty questionable right now,” I say, giving him a look that tells him I want him.
He turns his chair to face me, his eyes darkening. “Get on your knees.”
I slide out of my chair and kneel on the floor, looking up at him.
I reach for his belt, unbuckling it and then unbuttoning his slacks. He untucks his shirt and starts unbuttoning. By the time I have him unzipped, his shirt is off.
Before I can pull him out of his boxers, he grips my chin and leans forward, bringing his face down to mine and spits in my mouth.
“I’d love to see you try to question me with your mouth full.”
I swallow, lick my lips, and give him a coy smile.
“Brat,” he says, rolling his eyes and leaning back into his chair.
I pull him out, thick and hot in my hand, and glance up. He’s watching me with a look that can only be described as dangerous.
I run my tongue from base to tip, savoring the salt and heat, and he rewards me with a hiss of breath. I take him into my mouth, just the head, slow and teasing.
He groans, the sound guttural, and it vibrates through me, emboldening me. I take him deeper, sliding my lips down his length until he hits the back of my throat, the feeling forcing my eyes closed.
His fingers curl into my hair, tangling at the base of my skull and tilting my head up slightly.
“Eyes on me,” he says, voice barely above a growl.
I look at him, letting him see the want in my eyes.
Saliva slicks my lips as I work him, slow at first, then faster, like I’m trying to wring approval from him with every stroke.
“That’s it, Avery. Just like that.” His words are a low rumble.
I suck him harder, letting my lips form a tight seal as I bob my head. I take him deeper, wanting to push myself, wanting to hear him break. His hand tightens at the back of my head, and he pulls me off of him.
