Chapter 14

"You didn't needto stop by."

Marcus Stanton appeared both confused and annoyed by my presence. Sitting behind his enormous, ornate desk, he feigned a smile to appease his most valuable client. Underneath that, me showing up usually meant throwing his schedule into disarray. Luckily for him, I remained standing so that he knew it'd be a brief encounter.

"I wanted to check on the proceedings with the Beacon."

It wasn't my usual entering and demanding he and the entirety of his firm move onto a new business venture. I made him uneasy. He was an incredibly talented lawyer and for what I paid him, he should be. Knowing I could put him on the defense gave me a twisted sense of pleasure.

I let the question linger in the air as I took a whiff of the coffee in my hand. Espresso with a hint of chocolate. Not my usual fare, but I took my chances guessing the order.

"Everything is going as expected. We'll have the proposal finished ahead of schedule."

"Any updates on Midnight Alley?" I didn't need to ask. The two owners had partnered with Scarlet Drozdov to ward off my lapdogs. I still wanted to watch him squirm as he prepared to deliver bad news.

"We're attempting to bring the owners back to the table."

"So," I raised an eyebrow, "still no good news?"

He shook his head.

"So be it. I'll see myself out."

Turning, I headed from Stanton's office. I'm sure he'd scratch his head for the next hour, trying to suss out the real reason for gracing his office with my presence. I fixed my suit, flattening the back and checking the cufflinks as I balanced the coffee cup. Stanton might be the senior partner, but I was more concerned with their pro bono attorney.

I stood in Won-Ho's doorway as he flipped through the contents of a beige folder. He didn't look up, engrossed in legal documents. I could have knocked and interrupted, but I enjoyed the show. His hand covered the lower half of his face as he cocked his head to the side. Reaching for another stack of folders, he paused.

"Can I help?—"

He froze as he glanced up from his desk. The top few buttons of his shirt had been undone, and he had loosened his tie. Won-Ho had all the signs of an all-nighter. I didn't ask for permission as I entered his office and set the cup of coffee on his desk.

"I thought you might need this."

"Yes." He didn't ask about its content as he drank like a man dying of thirst. I remained standing as he chugged.

"Rough day?"

He took a deep breath as he finished swallowing. Wiping the white foam from his face, he let his head hang back. He rubbed the side of his neck. "Day? Night? What day of the week is it?"

I gestured to one of the two chairs, and he nodded. I took a seat. Unlike Stanton's office, these were little more than folding chairs. I'd have to make a comment that the firm better supported its team. While it might not be high-profile work, Won-Ho's dedication to pro bono cases provided a tax write-off and, more importantly, maintained the firm's public image. Nobody cared about a firm serving large companies. The media, however, loved a lawyer defending a little old lady.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Not calling."

I'd have said it didn't bother me, but my unscheduled visit said otherwise. I opened my mouth, but paused. What did I say? Did I ask why he left after a romp in the sack? Did I mention I checked my phone more than usual to see if he texted? There was a fine line between being interested and being, as Clint put it, thirsty.

"Can't admit you missed me?" he asked.

"Contingent on your admission."

"Somebody missed his calling as a lawyer."

"I leave that in the hands of people with a conscience."

"I meant to call."

"But?"

"I'm sorry for teleporting away. Awkward to say the least."

He didn't quiet his voice as he mentioned his powers. Did Stanton know his identity? Or did he not care? I assumed that at his age, his need for discretion had waned.

"I'm sorry you felt the need." He cocked his head to the side. "I didn't want to push you to?—"

"If I recall, I was the one who pushed you." He gave a slight wiggle of the eyebrow. "Your patience is appreciated. Surely, it's killing you."

"I plead the fifth."

I flashed a smile. If I thought about it, I'd have to hide the tent in my pants. It might not have gone as I originally imagined, but it didn't make it any less thrilling. My desire to have him spend the night, was a surprise to me. I tried not to dwell on the thought, or I might find there were actual emotions.

"What has you losing sleep?" He didn't flinch, locking eyes with me. "I meant your case."

"Oh." His cheeks darkened as the blush set in. He could punch through walls and stand up to the most ruthless judges, but I made him blush. "There's a slumlord in Southland."

"They're a dime a dozen."

"This one has made the building just shy of uninhabitable. From the degrading plumbing to the faulty electric, its residents are living in squalor. But…"

"He's operating within the law?"

Won-Ho nodded. "The apartments have been rent-controlled for two decades."

"He wants them out so he can raise the rent."

Won-Ho let out an exasperated sigh. "He's either looking to raise the rent or demolish the building and sell it to a developer. I've spent the last few days speaking with the residents and taking their statements. The guy is despicable, but I can't find an actual broken law."

"Health code violations? Building code?"

"That's my next angle. I have a call into the city. But we both know how that goes."

"He's already paid off the city. They've gotten their cut. You'll find a lot of shrugs and closed doors."

"How do you know?"

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on his desk. "It's what I would do in that situation. Most likely, this isn't his first rodeo."

Won-Ho's hand slid across the desk, getting close to my fingertips. "I'll have to knock loudly." It became a test of wills as I waited him out. I could hear Clint calling me thirsty. I held my ground.

"I could make a few calls. The code enforcer owes me a favor."

"Of course he does." It was neither a request nor a refusal. We reached a stalemate. Did Won-Ho dangle bait in front of me, hoping I'd bite? He might be persuasive, but I had been playing this game for years.

I stood and buttoned my jacket. His face remained neutral, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. It hit like a punch to the gut, far harder than a fist. I couldn't take satisfaction in my victory. "Is it forward to ask for another date?"

"We've passed the forty-eight-hour rule."

Damn rule book. "It seems we have. In that case, Won-Ho, I'd like to see you again. Maybe for something not so rigorous."

He chuckled. "That's disappointing."

Wait, I meant superpowered battles. If he wanted a rigorous go in the bedroom, I'd gladly work up a sweat. I was about to say something when he pointed and smirked. The lawyer had gotten the best of me.

"I'll say yes just to see that face again."

"I believe they call this entrapment?"

"Take the victory, Damien."

Hearing him say my name sent me back to my bedroom. I made no effort to hide my erection. I wanted Won-Ho to know that I found him alluring. It wasn't every man who quite got a rise out of me.

He held up the coffee cup. "And thank you. You're?—"

"Sweet? A gentleman?"

"Not an asshole."

I laughed. "In my book, they're synonymous. You're welcome."

I turned and headed out. Our conversation had reached the point where I feared it turning into school children batting their eyelashes. I wanted to leave with my dignity intact. I quietly patted myself on the back for the coffee. It wasn't a dozen roses or a Rolex, but it had done the trick. I looked forward to the next time I could exchange witticisms with him.

But…

Perhaps it was time to take a risk and shake Won-Ho from his comfort zone? If it was within my power to mend the wound standing between us, I'd find a way. Was I so determined to bed Won-Ho that I'd move heaven and earth? Or was this a newfound altruism? I brushed the thought from my mind. I feared if I dwelled on the subject, I'd find a growing plague of softness.

I slowed as I approached the elevator. I caught Stanton's eye from a corner office. The moment he spotted me, his back straightened. My lingering presence put him on high alert. I waved. Yes, watching his confusion brought me joy.

It almost made up for the… ick… good deed I had in mind for Won-Ho.