Linda Warren - Straight from the Heart

“Really, Lucas, sometimes…” Her voice trailed away as she left the room.

Lucas got to his feet and fastened a button on his dark gray suit. What a day, he thought. Sam’s daughter had just beaten him in court and he’d seen that same daughter in a state of undress. What next?

Sam Logan entered the office. He was solidly built, about five foot ten and weighed maybe one hundred and eighty pounds, Lucas surmised. He had dark hair, almost black, that was beginning to turn gray, and blunt masculine features. Nothing out of the ordinary, but there was something about Sam Logan that drew one’s attention. An unmistakable aura of power and strength…

Lucas stayed behind his desk instead of joining him at the door. He felt as if he could now meet Sam Logan on equal ground.

Sam walked over, and they shook hands. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice,” he said, and sat in one of the leather wingback chairs. He was dressed in a tailored navy-blue suit, a pinstriped shirt and navy tie—impeccable in dress and manner.

Lucas glanced at his watch as he took his seat. “I have a few minutes between appointments,” he answered. “What can I do for you?”

Sam placed his fingers together in a thoughtful gesture. “I know we’ve never met, but I’ve watched your career over the years. You’ve become a great lawyer and I admire your work.”

Praise was the last thing he’d expected from Sam Logan, and he had to resist the urge to shift uncomfortably in his chair. But Sam wasn’t going to make him feel like a bumbling lawyer without any experience. A smile touched his face. “I find that ironic since your daughter just beat me in court.”

Sam dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. “Any A.D.A. could have won that case.”

For some reason, Lucas didn’t like the way that sounded. Sam Logan made it seem as if he didn’t have any confidence in Blair. “Don’t underestimate your daughter,” he said more sharply than he’d intended.

Sam raised a dark eyebrow. “I don’t,” he answered. “Blair’s getting very good in a courtroom, but you and I both know that your heart wasn’t in the Raye case.”

Was that obvious to everyone? Lucas wondered. Was he losing his edge?

“However, I don’t want to talk about that case,” Sam said. “I want to talk about the future.”

That caught Lucas’s interest. What the hell did his future have to do with Sam Logan?

“You see, I’m thinking about retiring,” Sam went on, studying the end of his fingertips. “My associates, Derek Johnson, Frank Mann and Theo Barker, are also getting on in years. I have other attorneys, but they’re not measuring up. I need new blood, someone who can control a courtroom and maintain the prestige that is synonymous with my firm.” He raised his eyes to Lucas. “You’re the best I’ve seen in a long time. I’d like you to consider working for my company.”

“You’re offering me a job?” Lucas asked with deceptive calm; he knew there had to be more to this than a job offer. But what?

Sam nodded. “Yes, you can come in as a senior partner with a salary commensurate with that status.”

Few things in life shocked Lucas, but this one threw him right into orbit. Logan and Associates offering a senior partnership to a new attorney was unheard of. Like the old saying went—it had to be earned. Sam Logan had the best defense team in the state and no one entered that prized sanctum without paying some dues. So what was Sam Logan up to?

Lucas met his gaze. “How will your top guns feel about this?” It was well known that Sam called his best attorneys “top guns.”

Sam suppressed a smile. “You’ve heard about that?”

“Hasn’t everyone?” Lucas quipped. “And I’m not too eager to get involved with office politics.”

“I am head of Logan and Associates and I make all hiring decisions. Anyone who has a problem with that can leave.” Sam spoke quietly but with force, and Lucas didn’t miss the fire in his voice.

Before he could respond, Sam continued. “To be honest with you, my top guns, including me, have begun to lose some firepower. We need someone younger—someone like you.”

Lucas didn’t blink. There were more than forty attorneys in Sam’s office and some of them were very good. “I’m happy with my job at Harris and Harris.”

“I’ve checked into your job status,” Sam returned. “You’ve gone as far as you can go here. Even though you bring in most of the money, Clive and George are not going to promote you over their sons.”

“You seem to know a lot about me.”

Sam stood up. “I do my homework. You deserve prestige and everything that comes with it. Logan and Associates can give you that.”

Lucas also stood, thinking this day had turned pretty darn interesting. A job offer from Sam Logan… It didn’t make sense, and he still wasn’t buying a word out of Sam’s mouth. There was something else going on; Lucas knew it.

Sensing Lucas’s hesitation, Sam reached inside his jacket and pulled out a card and gold pen. “My wife’s giving a dinner party tonight for our son, who’s home from London. Some of my business associates will be there. Why don’t you come and meet them? Maybe it’ll put your mind at rest.” He scribbled something on the back of the card. “This is my address. Dinner’s at eight.”

Lucas took the card and stared at the prestigious River Oaks address. A dinner party? Oh yeah, this was more than interesting. It was getting bizarre. He wondered if Blair would be there and how she’d react to him sitting down to dinner with her family. She’d probably throw knives and forks at him. Oh yes, this was bizarre.

“I know you’re having doubts,” Sam said. “But I don’t make offers lightly. Give this some serious thought. It could only help your career.”

Lucas’s dark eyes caught his. “Why are you so concerned about my career?”

“I’m not,” Sam admitted frankly. “I’m concerned about my firm and its future. The bottom line is numbers, and I believe you have the talent to bring in big numbers.”

Now they were getting somewhere. It all came down to money. Was that what all this was about? Lucas didn’t think so, but for the moment he had to go with what Sam was telling him.

“Think about it,” Sam added. “Come to the party, meet the team and then make your decision.”

Lucas fingered the card. “I have other plans.”

“Break them.”

“It isn’t that easy.”

“Yes, it is, Lucas,” Sam said. “If you want to play with my team, you’d better straighten out your priorities.”

“I don’t like being pressured,” Lucas said tersely.

Sam ignored the warning. “If you want to play in the big leagues, get used to the pressure.”

Lucas was about to tell him what he could do with his job offer, when Sam walked to the door.

“Think about it, that’s all I ask,” Sam said. “Dinner’s at eight.”

FROWNING, Lucas sat staring into space. Sam Logan was manipulating him—but why? Why would a man he’d admired for years suddenly turn up at his office, offering him the job of a lifetime? All he knew was that Sam’s offer had made him very curious. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else until he figured out what was behind this generous deal.

Could it have something to do with Blair? No, he didn’t think so.

Joan walked in with a piece of paper in her hand. “Well, well, well,” she said smugly. “A job offer from Sam Logan. Are you feeling very pleased with yourself?”

Lucas glanced up. “Are you psychic? Or were you listening at the door?”

She smiled. “A little of both.”

“There’s some ulterior motive here, and I’m going to find out what.”