Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

“ T his is good.” Alistair says.

We’re sitting at my little dining table surrounded by a rainbow of flowers. I made French toast for breakfast, and it’s really not as appetising as he’s making it out to be. I know. I ate it too. But I appreciate his praise.

“Thank you.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “At what point were you planning on stopping with the flowers?” I ask him.

“When my bank account ran dry and I couldn’t afford to buy them anymore. Then I was planning on raiding people’s gardens and making my own bouquets.”

“You rent yourself out for over three grand an hour. I hardly think your bank account is going to suffer over some flowers.” I laugh.

“I don’t rent myself out. I clock billable hours,” he corrects me.

“Same thing,” I say.

“Have you thought about going to law school?” he questions after a moment of silence. “You know you’d make a great lawyer.”

“I have thought about it. But I’m not sure I want that anymore. I used to. But I kinda like the job I had. I’m going to start searching for a new paralegal position today,” I tell him.

“You have a job, Dani. You’re not looking for another one. Besides, you’re already working at the best firm in Melbourne. Where else are you going to go?” he says with a smug smile.

“Anywhere you’re not,” I counter.

“Why? I thought we were good.” His eyebrows knit together and I can see his rising panic.

“We are. But, really, how long will it last if we work together? I think it might be better if we just keep our professional lives separate and see each other a couple of nights a week like a normal exclusive couple.”

“Or, here’s another scenario. You keep working at the firm, and we keep seeing each other every fucking night of the week. I’m not going anymore nights without you in my bed,” he says.

“Don’t you think we should slow this roll a little?” I ask.

“Slow this roll? No. I don’t.”

“Care to expand on why not?” I press.

“Because I like you. A lot. And you like me. A lot. Why would we slow the roll when we both want this?”

“Because it’s dangerous how much I like you, Alistair.”

“Don’t worry, little girl, I’ll keep you safe,” he says.

“But can you keep my heart safe?” I cast my eyes to the floor and shake my head.

“I’ll do my best,” he says. “So go and get dressed. I need to stop at my place to grab a suit before work.”

“I didn’t agree to this plan of yours yet.” My head immediately shoots up as I pin him with a glare.

“Dani, for the love of god, go and get dressed. We can argue the case more in the car if you must. But you should know I don’t lose. Ever.”

“Brown vs Davidson,” I state simply and watch his reaction.

“How the hell do you know that?” he asks, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tense.

“That first week you told me to learn all your active cases, so I did. And when I was all caught up, I started reviewing all the closed ones as well.”

He blinks at me. “If I didn’t have a nine a.m. meeting, I’d be bending you over this table and fucking you. Fuck, that’s hot. Your brain is fucking hot, Dani,” he says with hooded eyes.

“Okay, but let me jump in the shower quick.” I stand from the table, and he follows suit.

“I’ll join you.”

“Nope, if you join me, it won’t be quick.”

“I can make it quick,” he offers.

“Mmmm, tempting, but no. You can do the dishes though.” I smile sweetly at him before making my way to the bathroom.

“Are you sure this isn’t weird? Me coming back. What will people say?” I ask Alistair in the lift on the way up to our floor.

“It’s not weird. It’s a fucking miracle. And who the fuck cares what people say? I can always have them fired if anyone gives you shit. I happen to know their boss.” He smirks.

“Not funny. Do not fire anyone. I mean, what will Xavier and Nathan say?” I chew on the bed of my nails.

“They’ll be glad to see you back—trust me.” The doors open and Alistair rests his palm on my lower back, guiding me out.

I step to the side before we make it to the reception desk. Much to Alistair’s disapproval. But it’s one thing for people to know you’re fucking the boss; it’s another to put on a display for everyone to see and gossip about.

“I’m going to have Terri send you my schedule today. I need you to attend all of the client meetings,” Alistair says.

“Why?” I ask him.

“Because I need you to,” he grunts in reply.

“Okay.”

We part ways as he heads to his office and I head to mine. I make a detour to stop and see Xavier first.

“Is Xavier free?” I ask Shar.

“Yep, and thank you… for coming back. It’s been an interesting week without you,” she says.

“What do you mean?” I ask her.

“Never mind, I’m just glad you’re here. We should do lunch soon.”

“Sure, I’d like that,” I tell her, then approach Xavier’s open door and knock.

“Dani, come in,” he says.

I walk in and stand in front of his desk. “I just wanted to apologise for quitting, and I know Alistair says it’s okay for me to come back, but I totally understand if you and Nathan don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“We never wanted you to leave in the first place. And, honestly, that idiot needed a wake-up call. You gave him that. As far as I’m concerned, you spent the last week nursing your sick grandmother, who’s now made a full recovery and is running the show at community bingo. Welcome back, Dani,” Xavier says with a lopsided grin.

I smile in return. “Um… thank you.”

I make my way to Nathan’s office next. His door’s shut and the windows are fogged over. Just as I’m about to knock, I hear moaning.

“Okay, guess I’ll come back later,” I mutter to myself.

Once I’m seated at my desk for the day, I fire up my computer and open my inbox. And there, at the top, is an email from Terri with Alistair’s schedule. I write down all the times and names, and glance at the clock. I have an hour before his first meeting, so I open his case notes and start briefing myself on the client. If I have to sit through these meetings, I want to be as prepared as I can be. I’m reading through his notes when there’s a knock at the door and my head pops up.

“You ready?” Alistair asks me.

“To see the great Alistair Warner in action? Always,” I tell him.

“Great, let’s do this.”

I pick up my iPad and phone and follow Alistair into the conference room. He’s had a million meetings over the past few months, and I’ve never sat in any of them. I’m not sure why that’s changed now—although I have a feeling it has to do with what happened with Mrs Dalmore. He’s afraid of a repeat incident.

I’ll have to ask him about it later, seeing as his first client is already waiting. A young, thirty-something blonde lady, with model-like features and bright-red lips that light up into a smile when she sees Alistair. “Mr Warner, good morning. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” she purrs—yes, purrs .

“No worries. Mrs Gold, this is my associate, Miss Hutchinson,” he greets her.

“Oh, hello, dear,” she says dismissively.

“Hi.” I walk around to the other side of the table and take a seat. Alistair claims the chair beside me.

“What did you need to discuss that was so urgent?” he asks her.

“It’s the property in Perth. I don’t want to give it to the bastard anymore,” she says while staring at her perfectly manicured nails.

“We’ve already agreed on the settlement terms, Mrs Gold. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Because, as we speak, Mr Gold is in Perth. In my damn house, fucking his twenty-year-old girlfriend. He can’t have it,” she says, her tone suggesting she isn’t open to negotiations.

“You do remember that the reason for the desolation of your marriage was infidelity, on both your parts,” Alistair reminds her matter-of-factly.

“I’m aware of the reason my marriage didn’t work. And it’s because the piece-of-shit didn’t know how to fuck,” she says, and my eyes bulge out of my head in shock. “You’re young. Don’t ever marry someone who can’t give you multiple orgasms,” Mrs Gold says to me.

“I’ll, ah, keep that in mind. Maybe tell my current boyfriend he better up his game if he plans on keeping me.” I smirk. As soon as Ms Gold leaves the conference room twenty minutes later, I turn to Alistair. “Are all of your clients like that?” I ask him.

“No, thank god,” he says, spinning my chair around to face him. His hands land on my thighs.

“What are you doing?” I ask him.

“Upping my game, because I plan on keeping you around for a very long time, little girl,” he says, hooking his fingers under my panties.

“What? No. Alistair, the door is wide open,” I hiss at him.

“So you better be quick then. Before the next client walks through.” He shrugs while thrusting two fingers into my wet pussy.

“Oh god. I can’t. No. Not here. I was joking. You do not need to up your game. You know that,” I tell him.

“I know, but it could be fun to try all the same. You have exactly two minutes to make yourself come on my fingers, Dani.” His fingers thrust into me harder. His thumb circles around my clit.

“Oh shit.” I clamp my mouth shut. My hips start moving as I continue to ride his hand, my nails digging into the armrests of the chair.

“That’s it, good girl. Ride my fingers. Make yourself feel good, Dani. Give it to me,” he grunts, increasing his pace.

I come, silently. My legs squeeze together, trapping his hand as the aftershocks run through me. As I’m coming down, Alistair pulls his fingers free, sucks them into his mouth, and licks them clean.

“I need to bring you to meetings more often.” He winks right before Terri knocks on the door. I turn so she can’t see my face. Does she know that the boss just finger-fucked me in the conference room with the door open?

“Sir, Mr Matthews is here,” she says.

“Give me five minutes, then send him in,” Alistair tells her.

Yeah, I’m going to need more than five minutes to recover from that. But I keep that thought to myself.