Touch Me (You & Me 2)

Gabriel burst into laughter. “Well, I will tell you this. I never want to go up against her in court. She’s fierce and definitely the one I would want.”

“Good to know. I’ll give her office a call and see if she’s taking new clients.”

“Use my name—she’ll take you. Or hang up. Actually, it could go either way,” he muttered.

Ben burst into laughter. “Thanks. Take care and I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“As long as it isn’t from behind prison glass,” he warned.

“I make no guarantees,” Ben said and hung up.

He walked out to Rachel’s desk and handed her the name of the attorney.

“What’s this?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’d like you to call and see if you can get her on retainer for me.”

“A lawyer? You’re unhappy with the legal team?” she asked, a question on her face.

He looked around the office, making sure no one was listening. “She would be working for me personally, not the company.”

“Ben,” she said, dragging out his name.

“Rachel, please,” he said, in a low voice. “Not now.”

She looked at the name and nodded her head. “Fine, but please, don’t tell me anything. I need plausible deniability.”

He rolled his eyes and headed back into his office. Why did everyone assume he was going to commit a crime?

Chapter Eighteen

Katherine

THE NERVES IN KATHERINE’S belly were nerves of excitement, not actual fear or apprehension. She was looking forward to a night out with Ben and his friends. It was a little strange to be getting ready for a date. Despite her anxiousness to see Ben, she couldn’t help but think back to the last time she’d agreed to hang out with his friends. The bruise on her face had faded and the one on her ribs was turning an ugly yellow, but it was all still fresh in her mind.

Unlike last time, she felt safe with Ben. She didn’t feel quite as vulnerable. Tim seemed to have vanished, which she hoped meant he would stay gone for a while. She didn’t want to leave her life behind. She liked it in San Francisco and felt like it was the city for her. She’d made friends and had really gotten into the way of life here.

In the mirror, she could see the packed suitcase sitting by the door. No matter how comfortable she felt, that feeling of always having one foot out the door was never too far away. She stepped back, turned to look at her butt in the jeans and grinned. They were a little tighter tha

n she normally wore, but with her new outlook on life, she wanted to dress a little sexier.

Her top was a pretty pink sweater that would have looked great with her blonde hair, but she wasn’t quite ready to go back to her natural color. The brown made her feel a little more anonymous, even though Tim had already seen her with the darker color. Maybe she could go black or red she mused.

She smeared on a red lipstick that was a little bolder than usual, fluffed her hair and declared her face done. Next, she dug out the black bootie heels that were a little dressy, but she’d been dying to wear them with the skinny jeans for too long to resist.

She heard the doorbell and rushed out to answer the door. Without thinking, she pulled it open.

“Damn, you’re gorgeous,” Ben said, with a sexy grin.

She giggled. “Thank you. You’re pretty handsome yourself.”

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yep, let me grab my purse,” she said, pulling it from the hook near the door before walking out, making sure the door was securely locked before walking away.

He held her hand as they walked down the stairs. It had been a while since she’d worn heels, so she had a death grip on the handrail. She had the sudden realization that maybe the heels weren’t such a great idea after all.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.