I tensed and looked away from him. “Emery, don’t do this.”
“Tell me you don’t want to fuck with me. Tell me you don’t remember how I gave you your first orgasm. How I had that lil’ pussy crying a river in my mouth. Tell me you don’t want to feel that again, and I may consider leaving you to be miserable with that cornball ass nigga.”
I didn’t speak as thoughts of the boy who had taken my virginity ran through my mind. He was so skilled in his performance that I had to tell my best friend, Carmen, about what he’d done for me. While I reminisced, I could still feel the way his skillful tongue sent shock waves through my body.
He stood from his chair and walked up to me. He lifted my chin for me to give him my attention. Out of nowhere, my eyes began to water.
“Don’t make me come for you, Yummy, because you know I will.” He planted a soft kiss on my forehead, then disappeared just as quickly as he’d come.
I couldn’t do this with Emery. I loved Liam, and I refused to hurt him. Even though he was right about him not catering to me as he should, I still couldn’t see myself hurting him. He may not have been available 60 percent of the time, but when we were together, I loved our moments.
I picked up my cloth napkin and dabbed the corners of my eyes. Even knowing what I knew about Emery, I couldn’t help the attraction I still had for him after all these years. It was why I was standing firm when I decided not to go back to his house.
It was for the best.
The two tapson my door had me looking up from the case files of my recent client to see my boss standing in the doorway.
“Grand rising,” she greeted.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. Are you busy?”
“Just looking over the Rawlings case.”
“Got a second?”
“Sure.”
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. I was kind of nervous about what she needed to speak with me about. I was sure it had something to do with my removing myself from the Aldana case.
“DA Collins informed me that you dropped off the Aldana case. Care to tell me why?”
I took a deep breath and looked at her. “I know the defendants.” Her eyebrows hiked as she pursed her lips.
“Oh . . . You have an emotional attachment to them?”
“I considered them family at one point, so yes, I guess you can say that.” I knew why she asked, and in all honesty, I could still defend Emil and Ellis. They weren’t the ones I was deeply, emotionally attached to. It was their brother/cousin with whom I had soul ties. I didn’t want to put myself in a predicament to fall back in love with Emery Aldana.
Being around him brought on feelings that I wasn’t strong enough to ignore. When he showed up atLaBella’slast night, it was taking everything in me not to relent to his request. I couldn’t fall back in love with Emery when I was in love with Liam.
“That’s understandable. However, there is no one other than you two that I feel would win this case for them. If you’re not emotionally tied to either of them, or it won’t affect this case, I need you to reconsider. You’re one of my best, and we aim to please our clients.”
I sighed and reluctantly nodded. I knew what winning this case would mean for our team and me; I just had to woman up and stand my ground during the process. I’d only attend court and take phone calls. The less I saw of them, the better.
“It won’t affect me doing my job. I’ll meet with DA Collins this afternoon to go over the details for court on Monday.”
Salah smiled at me and headed back toward the door. “I appreciate you, Clark. This may be your time for a promotion.” She winked and walked back out of the door. She was laying it on thick. She knew I had applied multiple times to be a senior partner. If we won this case, I was sure I would get that promotion.
Shit.
I officially hated Salah for dangling that steak in my face like that. Shaking from my daze, I reopened the file and continued my task on defending a woman who was accused of attempted murder.
My phone chimed, and I picked it up to see a text message across my screen. Thinking it was Liam, I hurriedly opened my phone since I hadn’t talked to him since last night when I got home from the restaurant. To my surprise, it was an unknown number.
734.566.0011: Dinner is at seven. Don’t be late.
I shook my head and blocked the number before placing it back on my desk. I knew it was no one other than Emery.
