Linda Warren - Straight from the Heart

Blair took a step toward him. “I’ll tell you why, Lucas,” she said cryptically. “It’s because you’re a cutthroat attorney like he is. You don’t care about the law or about human consequences—just the big bucks. That’s what my father admires. So congratulations, you’re in the big leagues.”

He was trying to be conciliatory, to apologize for a bad error in judgment, but her words angered him, and suddenly he’d had enough. As she started to walk past him, he grabbed her arm. “Someday, Blair, someday I’m—”

He stopped as he saw fear flash into her eyes. Was she afraid of him? That possibility took him aback. They stared at each other for a long, silent moment, and then Lucas saw the pulse in her neck beating erratically. Other feelings started to surface and all he could think about was touching it with his lips and…

Blair tried to say something, but for once, words stuck in her throat. His hand was still closed around her arm, his fingers warm and firm. She felt the heat as it rushed up her arm to various parts of her body, and she was experiencing all sorts of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. Emotions she’d only read about—and all because of a touch. How many other women had felt this way about Lucas? she wondered. She was well aware that it should be irrelevant to her, and yet the thought infuriated her.

She looked at his hand. “Let go of my arm,” she said coolly.

He saw the desperation in her eyes but didn’t relent. “I don’t think so,” he said just as coolly. “I’m not through. I’m tired of justifying my career to you—a career that I’m good at—and I’m also tired of having my apologies thrown back in my face.”

Blair didn’t answer. She couldn’t. She was too consumed with the new reactions that were tripping through her body.

When she remained silent, Lucas went on, “I’m not sure why your father invited me tonight. In hindsight, I see that I shouldn’t have accepted, but I’m sure he thought you were mature enough to handle it.”

Mature enough! The words jarred her already shaky composure and she felt like screaming. She was mature enough to handle the sexual banter between Lucas and her earlier that day. She was mature enough to handle Hector Raye’s threat on her life. She was mature enough to handle Lucas in her home. Or was she? No, she wasn’t that mature, answered a tiny voice inside her head.

Her head started to throb, and she touched her forehead to still the pain. She knew she was acting irrational, and she also knew she had to get away from him to sort through her emotions, regain her sanity.

Blair jerked her arm free, eyes blazing. “Hindsight is always twenty-twenty and I really don’t care why you’re here or why my father invited you, because I’m leaving.”

Lucas stepped in front of her. The woman just didn’t know when to quit and she certainly didn’t know how to accept an apology. “You don’t have to leave. I’m going.” He turned toward the door. “Tell your father thanks but no thanks for the job offer. Never mind, I’ll tell him on my way out.”

At the door, he looked back at her. She was rubbing her arm where he’d held her. Had he hurt her? God, she made him crazy and he was acting so out of character. The sooner he distanced himself from the Logan family, the better off he’d be.

“Are you all right?” he couldn’t help asking.

The gentleness in his voice made her answer more abruptly than she’d intended. “I don’t need your concern.”

Instant anger surged through him, and just as quickly it cooled. He was beginning to see that Blair had a spontaneous defense mechanism—her sharp tongue. It was just as Roger had said; she never let anyone get close to her. Well, she didn’t have to worry about him.

His dark eyes swept over her. “Don’t worry, Blair, you won’t get it again.” Without glancing back, he disappeared through the door.

Blair stood there trembling from so many emotions—new, alien emotions that she’d denied for a very long time. How did she deal with all of this? she asked herself as she unconsciously rubbed her arm. She didn’t know. She only knew that she was hurt and confused…and afraid. Not of Lucas but the feelings he engendered, feelings she didn’t want to experience.

Stay out of my life, Lucas Culver.

Please stay out of my life.

EVAN HOLT SAT at his desk studying the latest putter he’d purchased.

Carl Wright, his chief prosecutor, entered his office, followed by two detectives.

“Anything new?” Evan asked the lead detective, Mike Wilson.

“Logan was over at Lucas Culver’s office this afternoon and Culver had dinner with him tonight,” Mike answered.

“Dammit.” Evan slammed the putter onto his desk and got to his feet.

“What do you think that means?” Carl asked.

“He’s trying to recruit Culver—that’s the only explanation.”

“Why? He’s got his own team.”

“Sam knows we can handle Johnson, Mann and Barker, but Culver—that’s a whole different situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“Culver has a way of controlling a jury, and this case is all going to come down to the jury.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Mike said, placing a folder on his desk. “The DNA is a perfect match.”

Evan quickly leafed through the papers and a smile spread across his face. “This will be the nail in Sam Logan’s coffin, and even Culver won’t be able to save him. Logan should’ve tied up these loose ends sixteen years ago. Now I’m going to.”

“What about Blair?” Carl asked.

Evan closed the folder and sat in his chair. “Are you ready to make the arrest?” he asked Mike.

“As soon as you give me the word.”

“I want the element of surprise, so do it first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, sir,” Mike said, and left the room with the other detective.

“What about Blair?” Carl asked again.

“I hope Sam has the good sense to tell her before this breaks. If he doesn’t, I’ll let her know before it hits the press.”

“I don’t like hurting Blair,” Carl admitted.

“Well, you’d better put those feelings where I won’t see them,” Evan told him. “This case will be the hardest you’ve ever tried and you can’t let emotions sway your thinking.”

“I won’t, Evan. You know that.”

“I do, but having Blair in our office makes it difficult. She’ll have to choose between her job and her family. I guess we’ll see whether she hates defense attorneys as much as she claims.”

BLAIR HAD a restless night. So many things were crowding in on her that she couldn’t sleep. She’d apologized to everyone at the party and said she had a headache and quickly left. She could see that her father was upset with her and her mother was worried. Blake begged her to stay, but she couldn’t. She had to leave.

Raye’s threat had her running scared, and her fear was making her act irrational. She’d been rude to her family and Lucas, and she hoped an apology would suffice. If that wasn’t good enough for Lucas, she didn’t really care.

Stop it, she said to herself. Stop blaming Lucas for everything. Her father had invited him, so he had a right to be there. And she’d told her father several times that she didn’t want to work in his firm. She was happy keeping criminals behind bars. So what was the problem? Lucas, she muttered aloud. He had such an odd effect on her and she wanted—

“What? What?” she shouted into the darkness. When she didn’t get an answer, she grabbed her pillow and headed into the living room to curl up on the sofa. What did she want from Lucas? He was always so pleasant, and that irritated her. He was always smiling, and that irritated her, too. He was very good-looking and that irritated the hell out of her. No man had any business being that handsome and charming. Was that it? Was she attracted to Lucas?