Phone sex? Sophia thought wildly

She had only been teasing Mitch but now she didn’t know where to begin. In the past, Mitch had always taken charge in the bedroom. “Are you naked?” she finally ventured, clutching the receiver.

“Just about. I’m wearing a pair of jeans. You?”

“Just a T-shirt,” she said. One that had belonged to Mitch but she couldn’t bear to throw out.

“What are you wearing underneath it?” he asked, his voice clearly on edge.

“Nothing.”

He groaned. “Babe, you’re killing me.”

“Good,” she said, laughing. “Take off your jeans and climb on the bed.”

“Only if you do the same.” A moment later her breathing grew deeper. “Sophia?”

“I’m there with you, straddling your hips. You’re so hard…”

“Harder than ever before,” he agreed. “And you’re so wet….”

Sophia moaned and lay back on the pillows. She heard Mitch panting on the other end of the phone. She wished she were in bed with him right now. Wished she could feel his heat surrounding her…that she was no longer alone.

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited about One Hot Weekend. Though this is my first book for the Harlequin Blaze line, I’ve written several Silhouette Desire books. I love romance and the feeling that comes with falling in love.

Mitch Hollaran is a man with a mission, and that mission is revenge. He’s spent the last ten years rebuilding his career and trying to forget the woman who betrayed him—Sophia Deltonio.

Sophia has carefully hidden her passionate nature behind a winning career as an Assistant District Attorney—until Mitch sends her a reminder of their past steamy relationship. She soon recognizes this is the opening move in a very dangerous game of forbidden desire.

I hope you enjoy reading One Hot Weekend as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Katherine Garbera

One Hot Weekend
Katherine Garbera

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For Matt, who is always my hero

Acknowledgments:

There are so many people to thank. My trail to Blaze was a long one and along the way I had a lot of helping hands—first Birgit Davis-Todd, who took some time at the beginning to talk to me about Blaze and what the line was going to be. Julie Leto, who took time on the phone with me and offered some sound advice. Tony and Lori Karayianni, who gave a nudge when I was ready to give up on Blaze. Brenda Chin, who brainstormed ideas with me. And when I finally had an idea that would work for Blaze, I wasn’t sure I could do it. Thanks especially to Eve Gaddy, who told me to stop whining and write the book!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

1

SOPHIA DELTONIO WAS at the top of her game. And everyone knew it. As she strode down the long hallway past the offices of the other assistant District Attorneys in Orange County, Florida, they all looked up and smiled at her. She’d just won a very difficult case, one she knew would impress Joan Mueller, her boss.

She paused in front of the door with the brass nameplate. Sophia Deltonio, Assistant District Attorney. If she played her cards right, it would read Deputy District Attorney in a short while. She then opened the door to her outer office.

“Hey, boss lady. Great job in court,” her secretary Alice said.

“Thanks.” She took the messages Alice handed her and entered her office. On the credenza were an assortment of balloons, flowers and a prank gift basket of condoms and crotchless panties from the other ADAs.

She’d just finished prosecuting the panty-raider, as he liked to be called. He’d stolen over one hundred thousand dollars in lacy underwear and sex aids from a local adults-only store. The things she did to keep the world safe from crime, she thought with a wry smile.

In the middle of her desk was another basket, which stopped her cold. It wasn’t exactly a basket but a small faux metal washtub. It was wrapped in cellophane and tied with a black velvet ribbon. The ribbon set off a chain reaction inside her.

A lifetime ago, she’d worn a ribbon like that around her neck every day. It’s just a coincidence. She dropped her briefcase and moved closer to her desk.

There was a card taped to the cellophane and she could see a ring of Corona beer bottles inside there. Oh, this wasn’t good.

She never drank anything but Pinot Grigio anymore. She almost didn’t want to open the card but that was foolish. It was just a card. It had no power over her.

As she studied the cream-colored envelope, a shiver of anticipation moved down her spine. Her hand shook but not from fear. A tingling awareness rippled through her.

This is so stupid. I’m thirty-two for chrissakes and in control of my life.

The handwriting wasn’t familiar to her. Of course, it wouldn’t be familiar. “Stop being ridiculous.”

Mitch Hollaran had been out of her life for a long time and he wasn’t suddenly going to show up again. She used her French-manicured nail to open the back of the envelope, and pulled out a card. Instead of the standard FTD one, the thick vellum bore the monogram of a prestigious Los Angeles law firm.

Her stomach sank. She opened the card and inside was the handwriting she recognized—bold, brash and filled with the kind of passion a girl could die from knowing.

See you in court.

There was no signature, just a scrawled M. But then she didn’t need a signature to know it was from Mitch. She sank down on one of the guest chairs and closed her eyes.

Memories of the man she once knew and of the passion they’d shared assailed her. The Corona incident had happened right before they’d broken up. Too poor to be able to afford a winter vacation, they’d stayed in their apartment near the Harvard campus where they both were studying law, with the thermostat cranked up to eighty, listening to blues music and making love for four days.

She seldom let herself think about that life. She was a different woman now. She was in line to become the Deputy D.A. in Orange County. All of Orlando knew she was a woman to be reckoned with inside the courtroom and out.

And she no longer indulged the sensual side of her personality. She’d learned the hard way that professional drive and personal passion didn’t mix inside her. They might for other women, but not for her.

She hadn’t had a lover since Robert had left her eighteen months earlier. He’d wanted marriage and Sophia hadn’t been able to commit herself to him. She hadn’t analyzed it and didn’t want to. She just knew Robert wasn’t as important as her career and never would be.

That’s probably why Mitch’s reappearance in her life was making her hot inside by dredging up memories of the most erotic time in her life.

But instead of focusing on that, she reached for the tin and pulled open the cellophane. Inside were six Coronas and a bag of limes. Next to the limes was a Stevie Ray Vaughan CD. She shivered hearing the raspy sound of Vaughan’s blues in her head and remembering Mitch’s fingers on her neck. Cool and wet with the juice of the lime, stroking down her back.

Her phone rang and she jumped. She put a hand to her neck and took a deep breath before answering the call.

“This is Deltonio.”

“Joan wants to see you in her office,” Alice said.

“Now?”

“As soon as you can make it. It involves the Spinder case.”

“Thanks, Alice. Tell her I’ll be right down.”

Sophia hung up the phone. She slipped the note and black velvet ribbon from Mitch into her briefcase. She took the Corona bucket and put it on the credenza behind the panty basket. Though hidden from view, the washtub continued to taunt her with memories.

The blues riffs of Stevie’s guitar echoed through her mind as she remembered the thrill of Mitch’s touch. This wasn’t good.

She had to focus. The Spinder case involved a Hollywood hotshot and a seventeen-year-old girl, Holly McBride. The charge against Jason Spinder was having sex with a minor. The alleged act had taken place last fall when Holly was only sixteen. Jason had been shooting his latest blockbuster—this summer’s Maximum Exposure in Orlando.

Sophia ran the facts of the case through her head, pushing Mitch back into the past. She was meeting with her boss and couldn’t—wouldn’t—let a man from her past interfere with her career. Damn. She needed a date a hell of a lot more than she’d thought if one basket could whip her into a frenzy like this.

She took a tube of Bobbi Brown lipstick from her purse and carefully touched up her lips. She fluffed her shoulder-length hair, then smoothed it into place. She banished Stevie Ray Vaughan from her mind and instead focused on ACDC’s “Back In Black.” The song she always played before entering the courtroom. The raucous rock ’n’ roll never failed to pump up her blood and make her feel invincible.

She grabbed the file and notes she’d made on the Spinder case. Already the D.A.’s office had more press than normal and she wasn’t looking forward to the media circus a high-profile defendant would bring.

That explained the basket of Coronas. From the news clippings and alumni newsletters she’d scanned guiltily for news about Mitch, she knew he’d developed a reputation for winning that anyone would envy. In fact, he was fast becoming the preeminent lawyer to the stars. Mitch had to be Spinder’s lawyer.

Of course, he’d have to reenter her life now when things were finally on track. When she wasn’t scraping to make a career and she’d finally found a place where she was comfortable being alone.

Damn, after ten years it shouldn’t matter that he was coming back. Except she knew it wasn’t going to be a happy reunion. She knew that she’d done him wrong in the worst way a woman could. She knew that he hadn’t forgotten or forgiven her. The Coronas and the CD guaranteed he was coming out here for more than courtroom victory.

He was coming for revenge.

JOAN MUELLER WATCHED her protégé nervously chew on her lower lip. Sophia usually brimmed with energy—ready to take on any challenge. But there was something different about her today.

“What took you so long to get here?” Joan asked. It had been fifteen minutes since her initial call. It wasn’t the first time that Sophia had taken her time arriving so that didn’t bother her. But there was something off about Sophia today.

“I had to find the file,” Sophia said.

That made sense. Sophia was the most organized attorney she had on staff and also the busiest. “Congratulations on your win.”

“Thanks. I can safely say that prosecuting a man called the panty-raider is something I never expected to do.”

“That’s what I love about this office. We see some really different cases.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Sophia said.

“Are you ready for this afternoon?” Normally, she wouldn’t have mentioned the arraignment phase of the case but with all the press interest she wanted to make sure every detail was smooth as silk.

“Um…about that. My caseload is really heavy. I was wondering if…?”

Joan sat back in her chair. Where was Sophia going with this? Sophia needed a high-profile win to add to her already impressive résumé to make her a definite shoo-in for the Deputy position. Joan had mentored the younger woman since she’d come on staff nearly seven years ago.

“Sophia, what’s wrong? You’re the only one I considered for this case. You need the practice with the press.” She’d been grooming Sophia for the Deputy D.A. position and until this moment hadn’t had any doubts that Sophia was the right attorney for the job.

She mentally went through the other candidates. Joseph O’Neill was a possibility. He was young and hungry. But Joan had wanted to see another woman succeed her when she retired.

“You’re right,” Sophia said.

“When this case is over you can take some time off,” Joan said. Sophia hadn’t taken a vacation since starting with the D.A.’s office. She’d never wanted one before.

“I do need a vacation,” Sophia admitted.

This case was important to the District Attorney’s office because it was high-profile.

Joan remembered her fifth year in the office and the decisions she’d had to make. At that time Maurice Hanner was still asking her out. And after a brief affair she’d thought about marrying him. But in the end no man could hold a candle to the law for her.

She hoped Sophia made the same choice. But just in case, Joan decided to start keeping a closer eye on Joseph.

REVENGE WAS BEST SERVED cold, Mitch Hollaran had heard. He didn’t care what temperature it was now that the end was in sight. For ten years he’d lived by a vow he’d made as a young man of twenty-four. When he’d followed his gonads instead of his head and had his ass served to him by a black-haired witch who still haunted his dreams.

He’d like to think he was a smarter man at thirty-four but there were days when he doubted it. Today wasn’t one of them. Everything was going his way. His flight had landed early. The exotic rental car service had a black Porsche waiting for him. He’d gotten a call from his office that the package he’d ordered had been delivered to Sophia.

He’d have loved to see Sophia’s face when she’d received his calling card, letting her know he was back in town. And back in her life.

Just the thought of seeing Sophia Deltonio again was enough to make him hard. It wasn’t just that she’d put him in an untenable position with the law firm he’d hoped to work for. It was that she’d ravaged his nice, neat plans for the future.

All of the Hollaran men had married their college sweethearts. Four generations of men had set the expectation for Mitch that women met in that phase of life were the ones to make a family with. Sophia had embodied everything he’d wanted in a woman and then she’d ripped that image to shreds with one coldly calculated move.

Though he was content with his life, he wouldn’t rest until he came out of an encounter with her the winner. And to think he was going to have to thank his pain-in-the-ass client Jason Spinder for the pleasure.

Mitch had talked with Spinder on the phone before leaving L.A. The case was basically one of “he said,” “she said.” Jason claimed that Holly McBride had told him she was eighteen and that others had corroborated her story. But the fact of the matter was Jason did have sex with Holly and she was underage. It was Mitch’s job to prove to the jury that Holly had tricked Jason for her own gain, using her body to get what she wanted.

Since the moment his assistant had sent him the file on Jason and the D.A. who was prosecuting the case Mitch had thought of nothing but the woman who’d betrayed him.

He had a chance to go up against the one woman he’d lost against so long ago. And this time he intended to come out the winner.

He’d had other lovers since they parted but he’d never let one woman consume him the way he’d let Sophia that long-ago winter. He’d been young.

Hell, he’d been a damned sap. But not anymore. He knew she had to have changed as well. And he needed to see the woman she was today. To exorcise the woman she was out of his system and move on.

In his mind he always pictured her wearing the velvet ribbon choker and nothing but lime juice. He swallowed and shifted his legs. She’d been one hell of a lover and the most sensual lady he’d ever met.

Everything with her had been erotic. Even law. He shook his head. He adjusted the radio dial off the pop station to some boisterous country music. It seemed to suit Orlando. The city was big and sophisticated but still clung to its cow-town roots. He maneuvered his way through the traffic thinking about Sophia.

She possessed hidden depths that she’d reveal to no man. Or at least she’d never revealed them to him. Years ago, he’d been planting the seeds for the future with her. But she’d wanted him only for what he could give her in bed. Well, that was fine; he no longer cared about the secrets of her soul.

He’d kept track of her through the alumni newsletter and the articles she’d written for the Harvard Law Bulletin. He’d seen a picture of her about a year ago when she’d won a humanitarian award.

It had ruined the coldhearted bitch image he had of her but he knew that it was pride that had made him think of her in those terms. Because truth be told if he’d had the same information she’d had, he wasn’t too sure he wouldn’t have sent her down a false trail and then claimed the one spot in the prestigious law firm, just as she had done to him.

He’d returned to Los Angeles and finished his graduate work at UCLA’s Law School. Fueled by the need to prove his worth to Sophia and the firm that had not selected him, he had scored a position in a very prestigious firm in Los Angeles and had recently been named an associate of the firm.

He knew that a gentleman would let the past rest. His father had counseled him many times to let go of things. But then Peter Hollaran had married his high-school sweetheart and had gone to work in his dad’s hardware store. His dad’s life was a bit simpler than Mitch’s.

Mitch had never been able to forget past wrongs. It was one of his faults and he’d made peace with a majority of his mistakes, but not Sophia. She haunted his dreams from time to time. And he knew it was time to force her out of his system once and for all.

Everything seemed to be coming together at once. He was on his own again since he’d refused to marry his live-in lover and she’d left him. He was finally facing the one woman who had left him hanging. He was plotting the kind of revenge that made him feel a little slimy, but then betrayal was something he knew Sophia understood.

So he didn’t really feel that bad. He didn’t regret the path his life had taken. He was a successful man by anyone’s standards, but deep inside the fire that had been driving him toward success was fueled by a deep-seated need for retribution.

He downshifted the Porsche Turbo and pulled into the downtown courthouse parking lot.

Who would have thought Jason Spinder, the twenty-two-year-old action movie star, would be the one to deliver it to him? Mitch entered the courthouse and spotted Jason standing off to one side with his manager, Marcus Richardson. Both men nodded at Mitch as he entered. He went through the metal detector and joined them.

“Hollaran, I thought you weren’t going to make it,” Jason said. Jason wasn’t overly attractive by Hollywood standards. But he had charisma, according to Betsy, Mitch’s secretary.

“Of course I made it. That’s what you pay me for.”

“What’s going to happen today?” Jason asked. He didn’t look like a blockbuster action star who commanded ten million dollars a picture. Instead he looked like a young kid in over his head.

“You’re going to be arraigned.”

“Then?”

“Wait for the trial to be set.”

“Oh, God. This is such a mess. Marcus has been trying to put a positive spin on it. But I think this is going to hurt my chances for an Oscar this year.”

“Let Marcus handle the media, that’s what he does best. I’ll handle the judge and jury. You just relax.”

“I can’t, man. My career is on the line and I don’t want to be blackballed because of this.”

“This is going to be tricky, Jason. I won’t lie to you, but I don’t intend to lose this case.”

“I heard the D.A.’s office is sending their barracuda,” Jason said.

“I’m a licensed fisherman.”

Jason cracked a smile. Then the three men headed down the hall toward the courtroom where Jason was scheduled to appear. Mitch stopped at the water fountain for a drink. “I’ll catch up with you inside.”

Mitch needed a few minutes to himself to prepare to see Sophia again. Perhaps the years hadn’t been kind to her. With more than a little spite, he imagined her overweight and graying.

With that image firmly in mind, he started for the courtroom ready to meet his nemesis. The door opened as he approached it and a woman barreled out with her head down and ran straight into Mitch.

He steadied her and then looked down into eyes he’d never forgotten. They were wide and a deeper blue than the Pacific Ocean at sunset. He started to release her, then stopped.

Her hips were a remembered softness under his flexed fingers. She shifted in his embrace, then seemed to realize what she was doing and tried to push away. He kept her close.

She held herself stiffly in his arms and he liked knowing he’d thrown her off guard.

“Mitch,” she said.

Just his name, but the tone of her voice stroked over his skin like a velvet glove bringing each nerve to quivering attention. He realized suddenly that revenge did have a temperature and it had just gotten much hotter.

2

SOPHIA CLOSED HER EYES and for a minute was tempted to put her arms around Mitch. Dammit, she was over him. Way over him. She’d made her choice and she’d been happily living with it. Until now. Until she’d felt his strong arms around her once again. He wasn’t doing anything improper but she remembered every time he had.

Her stomach sank to her toes. She pumped up her internal background music. “Back in Black” was blaring inside her head louder than in a teenage metal-head’s room. She stepped away from him as soon as her feet were steady.

But not far enough. She doubted if Miami would be far enough to blunt the impact of seeing him in the flesh again. The Coronas had swirled to life memories of a different time and a different person. But she felt as though she’d successfully relegated that woman to the past until this moment.

Face-to-face with the one man she’d never really forgotten, she tried to blunt the sensations spreading throughout her body. As one of Mitch’s hands swept upward, lingering on that spot on the base of her neck, she realized he hadn’t forgotten her either.

AC/DC died an abrupt end inside her head.

Everything feminine in her sprang to attention and the sensual sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughan started playing in her mind. Her breasts felt full and heavy, her nipples tingled. His body heat shimmered between them. Damn, only an inch of space separated them. If she leaned forward she’d be pressed against the hard planes of his chest.

Each breath he took brushed across her face. He smelled of peppermint gum. The first time they’d kissed he’d been chewing peppermint. The taste had infused her mouth.

She recognized the signs of arousal in him. His pupils were dilated, his nostrils flared with his exhalation. While she appreciated the fact the awareness wasn’t all one-sided, they still had to try a case against each other. She had to be on her toes and functioning like the cool, calm Assistant D.A. she was. Not some hormone-driven woman.

When she’d been twenty-two and in the throes of her love affair with him she’d indulged her sensual side with no thought of the consequences. Now that she was in her thirties, she thought she’d banked those fires but everything about Mitch, from his dark hair to his cold gray eyes was stirring up the embers.

Shivering a little she stepped away. Mitch made her want to do something unpredictable like caress his face and kiss his full lips. Would he still taste the same? Taste him and find out, her traitorous body cried out.

But her mind had finally wakened and bellowed for her to get out of there. She’d been on her way to the bathroom for her pretrial ritual pep talk.

Focus on the job. Mitch was just like any other defense attorney, except he smelled better.

“Thanks for catching me,” she said, and walked toward the ladies’ bathroom. It was only twenty paces to the washroom. Counting the steps was part of her ritual.

She’d taken five of them when he moved. Her senses were still attuned to him. He was following her. Her first instinct was to walk faster and get away from him.

But she’d never been a coward. So instead she slowed her steps, letting her hips sway with each one. She knew he was watching her.

“Sophia?”

She glanced over her shoulder at him. He’d noticed. His gaze was on her backside. She hid her smile. The girl still had it, she thought. She was glad to know she wasn’t alone in this ill-timed attraction. “Yes.”

“This isn’t finished.”

Immediately her internal victory turned to defeat. This was a new Mitch, a stranger with a familiar face. She wasn’t sure how to deal with him. “Is that a threat, Mitch?”

He closed the gap between them. He slid one hand down her back, cupping her butt and said, “Hell, no. That’s a promise, baby. And you know I always keep my promises.”

He turned toward the courtroom. She should let him go but she didn’t like him having the last word or touching her in that blatantly masculine way. She pivoted quickly, taking his hand and pulling him down the hall into a little alcove between the courtrooms.

He raised one eyebrow at her and she scowled at him. In her mind she fixed an image of herself as a sophisticated winning attorney. But it evaporated, leaving instead a picture of herself with an open bottle of Corona.

“What do you want from me?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“That doesn’t sound like you. You always know what you want.”

“I learned not to share my desires with just anyone, baby.”

His words hurt. They were justified but still she hadn’t expected them to. “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

“I don’t know, are you?”

She couldn’t answer him. She wanted to say yes. But she knew she wouldn’t be the woman she was today if she’d acted differently ten years ago. She regretted hurting him. But at the time she hadn’t seen any other way. Mitch had always made her feel things too intensely.

The false trail she’d sent him on had been designed to give her the upper hand and it had. Because Mitch had spent time researching her lead—giving her the real advantage in the tough race they’d both been running.

She did know that other than that one time she’d never lied to him. And she hadn’t lied since. Not even social white lies. She been burned by that incident, and moving on had left her a different woman. “I’m not sure.”

In his eyes she thought she saw a bit of the compassionate young man he’d once been. The man who’d always understood her drive to succeed and be the best. “I know.”

“Can we come to some kind of truce?” she said at last.

“No,” he replied, quickly.

She nodded. “I’m not asking you to give up your feelings of resentment toward me. I’m just asking for a temporary hold.”

“I’m listening.”

“I don’t have it all worked out yet. Can we talk about this in my office after we’re done in court?”

“Okay. We can share the beer I sent you.”

“Oh, did you send me something?” she asked, patting his ass and walking away from him.

“You know I did, baby,” he growled as he walked past her into the courtroom.

She watched him go, wondering what it was going to take to satisfy Mitch and the rekindled desire burning in the center of her body. She tried to tell herself he was just another attorney as she stepped into the courtroom but those words rang hollow. No other attorney had ever made her pulse race the way Mitch did.

MITCH LOOSENED HIS TIE and stepped out into the Orlando summer day. It was still hot as hell. He’d talked to the press on the steps of the courthouse. Jason’s movie career was hanging in the balance, and he and Marcus both agreed the less their client said the better.

Mitch rolled his shoulders and took his sunglasses from his pocket. Sophia had developed into a hell of a sophisticated woman since he’d last seen her. He wouldn’t have expected the girl who’d worn poet shirts and jeans to ever be comfortable in a designer suit.

He got in the Porsche and drove to the D.A.’s office. He knew he wanted his pound of flesh from the moment he’d stepped on the plane in L.A. His cold-blooded plan for revenge was going to take some careful handling. He’d conveniently forgotten a few important details about her.

The softer things. Despite the fact that she’d sent him on a false trail so she could get the only remaining internship with an important law firm, Sophia had always been very soft.

And when he’d held her in his arms earlier, he’d realized she still was. That softness didn’t matter. She was a grown woman and she’d started a very dangerous game with him a lifetime ago.

His phone rang. “Hollaran.”

“Mitch, buddy, I got a problem.”

Devlin Chase. He closed his eyes and groaned. Devlin was one of his oldest friends. They’d grown up together in the same middle-class Growing Pains-style family. Only Dev’s parents had gotten a divorce and Dev had never stopped rebelling.

“I’m in Florida. Can this be done over the phone?”

There was a loud sigh. “No.”

He heard sounds he hoped weren’t familiar. “Are you in jail?”

“Uh…yes.”

“What’s the charge?”

“Drug possession.”

Devlin had checked himself into detox about nine months ago when he’d met a pretty horse trainer who had a zero-tolerance policy for drug users. And Mitch had watched his friend struggle every day but they’d met for drinks a few weeks ago and Devlin had seemed okay. Better than okay, actually more like he finally had gotten his life on track. “I thought you’d cleaned up.”

“Shit happens, man.”

“Shit only happens to those who let it happen.”

“We can’t all be the golden boy.” Dev was angry. But he had been for the last fifteen years.

“Is that what this is all about?” Mitch asked.

“Hell, no. It’s never been about you.”

“Hold on. I’m driving.”

Mitch pulled onto the shoulder. Dev’s timing as usual sucked. He wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on manipulating Sophia while worrying about his friend.

Revenge would have to wait. Taking care of his friend was more important. But maybe that was the problem. Mitch was always bailing Dev out. Maybe it was time for some tough love. But Mitch didn’t know if he could leave Dev in a cell. Even if that were the best thing for him.

“Give me the details. I’ll handle what I can from here. I’m going to have to get someone from my office over there.”

He turned off the car and rolled down his window. It was a hot day, reminding Mitch of the summer before junior high school when he and Dev had ruled the neighborhood. They’d been an unstoppable team that year. College had changed them. Mitch had learned that looks and charm weren’t enough to make it in the world, but Dev had never made that adjustment.

Taking a notepad he started asking questions. Dev answered them all with the same honesty he’d always had toward his addiction. “I don’t think detox is going to work this time.”

“You broke your probation.”

“Am I going to jail this time?”

“Let me see what I can do. I’ll have to call the judge and get bail set. Do you have anyone who can post it?”

“No.”

“What about Julie?” Dev was a professional horse breeder and had been working for the last six months with Julie Cavanaugh. And spending most of his nights at her home.

“Don’t send Julie.”

“Why not?” Mitch wished he were in L.A. so he could check out Dev himself. He didn’t know Julie, other than through Dev’s stories. But if the woman was half as crazy about Dev as Dev was about her, then she’d want to know.

“She doesn’t know I’m an addict.”

“Why the hell not?”

“She’s kind of classy.”

“So?”

“She thinks I’m one of the good guys, man. I don’t want her to know I’m not.”

Mitch sighed. He, more than anyone else, understood how a woman could mess with a guy’s head. “I’ll do my best.”

He glanced at his watch. He couldn’t drive and make the kind of calls he needed to make to take care of Dev’s problems.

He called Sophia’s office. Her secretary answered on the third ring and put him through.

“Deltonio.” Sophia’s voice had been hard and very confident in the courtroom. In her office though she sounded like the woman he remembered—sweet, tender and very ladylike. He warned himself not to get drawn into the same trap he had before.

“Hey, babe, its Mitch.”

“Mitch, it’s the twenty-first century. Most women don’t like to be called babe.”

“That’s not what they tell me,” he said.

She sighed and he heard her office chair creak. What was her office like? His corner office in L.A. overlooked the city, and on a smog-free day you could see all the way to the mountains. Did she still have that Monet print of Argenteuil?

“Where are you?”

“In my car. Listen, something’s come up in L.A. Can we meet for drinks instead?”

“I don’t know,” she hedged.

“You’re the one who wanted to meet.” He thought he heard the Stevie Ray Vaughan playing in the background. He hadn’t had a chance to ask her about the gift. Really ask her about it and watch her reactions when she talked about the CD and Coronas. His plan, which was rough, had been to simply torment her with pImages** from their past. Unfortunately that was backfiring on him. The pImages** that he knew would ignite passion within her were having the same result on him.

He heard her shuffling something in the background. “Fine. Where are you staying?”

“At the Westin Grand Bohemian Hotel.”

“I’ll meet you in the Bösendorfer Lounge. What time?” She was all business now.

“In about an hour or so.”

“Good, well, ’bye.”

“Sophia?” he asked, pitching his voice lower. He watched for a break in traffic and pulled back onto the highway.

“Yeah.”

“Have you been listening to ‘Shake For Me’?” he asked.

The music in the background was abruptly silenced. And he knew she had been. “Why would I be?”

“I thought I heard it in the background,” he said. That song had been playing when he’d picked her up for their first date. The music had marked a number of firsts for them. They’d blared it from the speakers when they’d moved in together. And it had played in the background when Sophia had done that striptease for him that had made him ravenous for her.

Even now when he heard it on the radio the song had the power to make him hard with the pImages** of Sophia’s full curves gyrating around him.

“I…I’m not that woman anymore, Mitch.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. We’ll talk later. I’ve got to go.”

She hung up and he drove to his hotel. He didn’t like the way Sophia had sounded before she hung up the phone. He’d always been a protector. That’s why he’d chosen law as a profession. He knew weak people made stupid choices and they deserved competent representation.

He was justified in his revenge but hadn’t expected tearing her carefully ordered world apart to affect him.

SOPHIA TOOK the opportunity to meet with Joan and reassure her boss that she had everything under control. She knew that she had not been at her best in their meeting earlier this afternoon. Being in court though had reminded her of the importance of her career. And she wasn’t going to let Mitch Hollaran derail that.

She set up appointments to speak to Holly McBride and the two girls who’d been in the bar with her when she met Jason Spinder. The alleged sexual act had taken place at a party thrown for the cast and crew of the production. Sophia wanted to interview as many people involved with the case as she could.

But not tonight. Tonight she had to meet with Mitch. Meet with him, talk to him and hopefully put the past to rest so they could both move on. She had to be in court at nine the next morning. Normally she’d be home preparing for the next day. Instead she was in the lobby bar about to meet the one man who was shaking up her life. As much as she resented the time away from work, she had to figure out what Mitch wanted and deal with that.

She took a seat in the piano bar and ordered a glass of wine. She checked her watch. He was already ten minutes late. She’d give him another five and then she was leaving.

She needed to reach some sort of truce with Mitch. If it were only their shared past she’d be able to deal with it. She saw her last lover, Robert, fairly frequently. He was a lower circuit court judge. And they’d become friends of a sort.

But Mitch wasn’t a friend. Even if things had ended well between them she knew they’d never be friends because just looking at him made everything womanly in her stand at attention.

The waitress brought her drink. She’d better control this attraction before it destroyed her. If only there were a way to get Mitch out of her system once and for all. The way they’d parted hadn’t been satisfying for either of them, and she wondered if this time they both could achieve at least some kind of closure.

“Hey, babe,” Mitch said, as he approached her table.

She should have ordered soda water. She needed all of her faculties about her when dealing with Mitch. It wasn’t just that he was the embodiment of everything she found sexy in a man. It was that he knew it. His smile said as much and she shivered in reaction.

He still wore the Armani suit he’d had on in court. His tie was neatly tied and he looked as if he’d stepped from the pages of GQ. It would have been nice if time had been cruel to him, maybe thinned his hair, given him a beer belly, but if anything he was leaner and harder now than he had been in college.

In comparison she felt unkempt. The air-conditioning in her Mazda was on the fritz and she’d sweated buckets the entire way over. She’d touched up her makeup and hair but she’d been in her suit all day and she wished she was at home wearing a sundress and drinking iced tea on her patio instead of sitting in the crowded lobby of the Westin hotel.

“Mitch,” she said, standing to greet him.

He waved her back into her seat and sat down next to her on the padded bench seat instead of in the wing back chair she’d hoped he would take. The cocktail table was close and the lounge made the most of their space, so Mitch was right next to her.

Barely five inches of space separated them. She was painfully aware of her personal space and how close he was to invading it.

He signaled the waitress. “What are you drinking?”

“White wine.”

He raised one eyebrow and ordered a Dos Equis. He settled back against the seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked tired and not at all threatening right now. He didn’t seem inclined to talk so she got to the matter at hand.

No matter how vulnerable Mitch Hollaran might seem, his opening move told her he was here for blood. Yet he did look as though he needed a friend. She wasn’t going to ask him what was wrong. She took a sip of her wine.

His beer arrived and he drained half the bottle in one long pull. He stretched his arm along the back of the couch behind her head. His hand rested on her shoulder. He toyed with a strand of her hair.

“Please don’t.”

“Why not? You used to like it.”

She knew she’d been right not to let her guard down around him. “We’re not lovers any more.”

“That’s right. We aren’t.”

She was surrounded by him. The spicy scent of his cologne, the heat of his body, the weight of his arm. She closed her eyes, but that only intensified her other senses. She opened them and looked straight at the man who was back in her life, and not just because of work.

“What do you want from me, Mitch?” she asked. The sooner she figured it out, the sooner she could escape to her home and rebuild the defenses he’d so easily ripped through.

He tilted her face toward his and the intensity in his eyes set every nerve in her body on fire. Perhaps she should just take him upstairs and have sex with him. Let him be in control of her body, and assuage the ache that was growing as she sat here.

“Everything you have to give,” he said.

She clenched her thighs together. She wanted him. Wanted those big hot hands on her naked body. She wanted to take the Coronas and limes up to his room, put on Stevie Ray and make love to him all night long.

“Why?” she asked.

“Why not?”

“Are we playing a schoolyard game?”

“We’re both a little too old for that.”

“Then why the word fencing?”

“Honestly, Sophia, you make me feel fourteen again.”

“I don’t mean to.”

“You can’t control it. And neither can I. That’s why I sent you the basket.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m here for more than my client, babe.”

He leaned back, drained the rest of his beer. Drawing the tip of one finger down the side of her face, he said, “I’m here to exorcise you from my dreams.”

3

MITCH SIGNALED the waitress to bring another beer. Leaning back against the padded seat he observed Sophia. It had taken a lot to fluster her and even now he wasn’t quite sure he’d actually done it. Only her tight grip on the stem of her wineglass and the flush on her cheeks gave her true emotions away.

“Wow, I didn’t see that coming,” she said.

“What did you expect?” he asked.

“I don’t know, maybe that you wanted to express some anger.”

“Express some anger? If I get pissed off I’m not going to invite you for a drink to ‘express myself.’”

“This is the first time we’ve been alone since college,” she said.

“Did that basket lead you to believe I was angry?”

“Not exactly.”

He wanted to crack her shell of confidence and lay waste to her dreams the same way she’d shattered his illusions ten years ago. He reached into his pocket and touched the black velvet ribbon he’d kept since they’d parted. The one she’d used to wear at her neck with a little heart pendant he’d given her.

Around them people milled, some going in to dinner, some leaving, and he wished he’d chosen a less public place for this meeting. A place where he could pull her into his arms and see her reaction. Every instinct he possessed insisted he reinstate the physical bond between them, and bind her to him with the pleasures of the flesh.

More than the plans he’d made in the dark were driving him now. The fevered dreams that had haunted him had a chance of becoming reality. He’d been searching for the white-hot passion he’d found in her arms since he’d left her.

Revenge, he reminded himself. But that was no longer his only motivation. The tyrant in his pants was awake now and didn’t care that Sophia had betrayed him in the past.

“What did you mean exorcise? In bed?” she asked, tipping her head to the side. One long strand of her thick hair brushed against his hand. Her perfume, a light floral scent, beckoned him closer. He wanted to bury his face in her hair. And then feel it against his naked chest.

Her composure was still shaken but he realized she was slowly pulling it back around her like a cloak. She made him feel too big in the small space. She seemed so ladylike and gentle that for a moment, he couldn’t remember why they were in the bar instead of in his room.

Her nails were pretty and manicured. She tapped one of them on the table. He realized then that simply shocking her wasn’t going to be enough to knock her off her guard.

“I don’t remember us ever confining ourselves to a bed.”

Her lips parted and her eyes widened. He wondered how she’d changed over the years. Her breasts looked a little smaller; he wanted to cup them and find out how much smaller they were. Would her nipples still tighten and nuzzle into his palm, begging for more caresses? She’d always had an extra five pounds that she wanted to lose but the woman before him was slim and very…dainty.

“What makes you think I still want you?”

But he knew she did. He’d seen her reaction in the hallway of the courtroom when he’d stroked the back of her neck. That spot was Sophia’s sweetest one. One touch there and she’d turn into a bundle of nerves. Gooseflesh would spread down her body, her nipples would darken and tighten, and she’d get all creamy between her legs. He dropped his hand from the back of the padded bench to her shoulder and she quivered.

“Don’t you?” he asked, stroking the side of her neck with his thumb, making broad circles on her skin, coming closer and closer to that one spot. She inhaled sharply and he decided to toy with her a little more.

He wrapped that long strand of hair around his forefinger. Her hair was a remembered luxury, thick and soft. He ran his hand through that one strand, toying with it. She shuddered and her pupils dilated.

“Stop,” she said huskily.

He swallowed. She was soft everywhere. Such a contrast to the hard-as-nails woman he’d seen in court this afternoon. She’d removed her suit jacket and wore only a thin silk shirt. The blouse didn’t cling tightly to her breasts but he remembered the shape of her. And he knew he had to have her again.

“I can’t. I have to get you out of my system.”

She trembled at his words, her mouth parting on a sigh. And he leaned closer to her, brushing her lips with his. Just a light butterfly kiss that promised so much more. She leaned forward as he pulled back.

He licked her bottom lip. Damn, she tasted good. He shifted his grip on her strand of hair until he was instead cupping the back of her head. He didn’t want to see her response. Thinking was now beyond him as he ceded control to his instincts.

As he tasted her mouth with long strokes of his tongue, she shifted on the bench, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. Damn, he wished he’d shed his jacket in his room.

She slipped her hands under the lapels of his jacket as he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. Her long fingers stroked over his muscles until she found his nipples. She stroked her finger around and around. His cock jumped at the thought of that same caress all over his body.

Thrusting his tongue deeper into her mouth, he moved his hands through her hair. He tasted her as deeply as he could, not stopping until he knew that he’d do something lewd and get them both arrested if he didn’t.

He pulled back. Her lips were full and swollen. Her eyes were closed and her nails dug into his pecs. Oh, yeah, they still had it.

That made everything so much easier, yet at the same time more complicated. Because the woman he’d just kissed the socks off of, awakened the man deep inside him that he’d struggled to bury beneath short-term affairs and one-night stands.

She blinked a couple of times and then pushed his hand from her hair.

“What do you want from me?” she asked.

“I already told you.”

“Are you only doing this because of the past?”

He looked into those wide blue eyes, and saw the future and the past converge. And knew that he had to decide how important his revenge on Sophia was.

“I’m not sure anymore.”

SOPHIA DIDN’T TOUCH the rest of her wine. She needed a cold glass of water…splashed on her face and overheated body. She’d settle for getting out of the bar fast. Anything to clear her head and shake off the languid feelings he’d evoked.

What she really wanted to do was take his hand and lead him to an empty elevator. Once inside she wanted to hit the emergency close button and finish what that kiss had started while they were secluded and alone. She wanted to make him come so hard that he forgot all his plans about her. Because she saw beyond his arousal to the cold calculation.

But that would be really stupid. Despite her present predicament, Sophia was rarely a victim to her own whims. But her body argued that Mitch was a known quantity and dallying with him wouldn’t be stupid and her heart agreed.

Her mind…her mind said if she was going to listen to those two she needed a plan to protect herself. Only a fool would start anything with a man she had once betrayed without planning for the fallout. Because no matter what Mitch felt physically for her, sooner or later the hormones were going to ebb, and he was going to start thinking again and remembering.

“Do you want to talk about the past?” she asked. She kept repeating herself but she was still in a haze of arousal from his kiss.

Ultimately that was why she’d sabotaged Mitch years ago. He’d held a power over her that she doubted he had even known he had. But she’d known. She’d felt it every time they were together and more sharply when they were apart.

Not a day went by that she didn’t relive their last moments together and wish she’d been a different woman. One who could have blended both her professional and personal lives and not sacrifice either one.

“Do you?” he asked in that cocky way of his that made her want to smack him.

“Only if it will make you go away,” she said. Which was honest. But she hoped he wouldn’t go away. Until that basket of beer had landed on her desk she hadn’t realized she’d been substituting court wins for real excitement.

He laughed. “Babe, I’m not going anywhere.”

Big surprise. This was her penance and semigood Catholic girl that she was, she’d do it. “I was afraid of that.”

“Fear can be a good thing.”

Their lovemaking had always had an aura of danger around it. Mitch was very dominant and had used that to master her completely. She hadn’t minded it in the bedroom, but outside she’d found herself getting lost in the image of what Mitch saw instead of who she really was. “Maybe from where you’re sitting.”

“The view’s very delicious from my seat,” he said, eyeing her breasts.

She glanced down and saw that her nipples were plainly visible beneath her silk shirt and lacy bra. Her first impulse was to cross her arms over her chest and hide from him. But hiding wouldn’t do any good, so she just thrust back her shoulders and let him look his fill.

“Are you here to ruin my career?” she asked, while he was distracted.

“Babe, don’t give yourself too much influence over my actions. I’m here for my client.”

That cut her, which wasn’t surprising since she’d never really gotten over Mitch. There had been no natural end to their affair. Only that abrupt ending that she’d forced on them. “Why did you send me Corona and Stevie Ray, then?”

“I thought we covered that?” He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched in the too-tight space. Was he a workaholic like her? She hoped not. She hoped he had a balanced life. And she’d always wished that he’d started the family he’d wanted with a nice girl.

“Exorcism?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

She thought about what Mitch wanted from her. She was tired of staying home by herself and though self-pleasure worked as a temporary ease, she needed a man. Not just any man but Mitch Hollaran. She needed to find the bridge between the passionate woman she’d once been and the cold one she’d become.

“I’ve got a deal for you, Mitch,” she said. She thought of that tub of Coronas in the car and the bag of limes and how years ago she’d always let him set the tone of their encounters. It hit her that she needed to find something of herself she’d lost. Something that her recent affairs had lacked. Something she suspected she’d given away when she’d betrayed Mitch.

“What kind of deal?” he asked. The waitress brought his second beer and he took a swallow.

“One weekend of love slavery.”

There was a sparkle in his eye that told her he liked her plan. It had been a long time since she’d had this kind of fun—this kind of sexual excitement in her life.

“Who gets to be the master?” he asked. His hand fell on the back of her neck and she prayed he wouldn’t move it. She was still aroused from that one kiss. One damned kiss and her panties were damp and she was ready to lie down for him.

“Me,” she said. She needed to be the master. She needed to control him and use him as her sex toy for a weekend. Then maybe she’d reclaim what she’d lost and be able to move on.

“I don’t think so,” he said, caressing the side of her neck.

Of course he didn’t. Mitch had never been malleable. Why would he suddenly start now? “What do you propose?”

“That we let our prowess decide.”

His caressing finger was distracting and she decided two could play at that game. She dropped her hand to his thigh, kneading the firm muscle under the taut fabric of his pants. “Meaning?”

“Whoever wins in court is the master. Whoever loses the slave.”

A vibration started in the center of her body and spread outward. “Will that satisfy you?”

IT WOULD TAKE MORE than a weekend to satisfy him, but his plans for vengeance might be quenched, or at least assuaged. He wanted her to feel the way he had. He didn’t care if that was right or fair. And a weekend with Sophia was a good start.

“Counselor, you’ve got a deal.”

First thing tomorrow morning he was going to be all over Florida case records like a rash. He’d have to have Deke and a couple of assistants come out from L.A. to help. But he was going to put together an airtight case. Not just to save Spinder’s ass but to win this side wager.

He needed to have Sophia under his control. He even knew the first thing he’d make her do. Take off that damned suit and put on the velvet ribbon.

She fished her valet claim check from her purse and left some bills on the table. “Good. Well, I guess I’ll get going, then.”

He grabbed her hand to keep her from standing. He wasn’t ready to go up to his room and deal with Dev’s troubles. That was all that awaited him tonight, worry for a friend that he didn’t know how to rescue from himself.

He did have a strategy meeting with Marcus, Jason’s publicist. But that wasn’t until later. He wanted to spend more time with Sophia, which he didn’t examine too closely. “What’s the hurry?”

“I’ve got work to do.” She watched him with those wide blue eyes of hers, guarding her words.

“You work too much.”

“How do you know?”

“You’ve got circles under your eyes,” he said, tracing the fine purple shadows. Her skin was porcelain smooth and softer than the down pillows on his bed. He hadn’t taken the time to notice earlier.

“You sure know the way to a girl’s heart.”

Her heart. Damned if he was going after that again. He’d learned the hard way that Sophia’s heart was kept under lock and key and only a masochist would even try to get at it. And as kinky as he liked his sex, he’d never liked physical pleasure and emotional pain together. “I’m not interested in your heart.”

She blanched and looked down at her purse. “No, you aren’t.”

What a bastard he could be. “Don’t try to make me feel bad about that. I wanted your heart once upon a time.”

She sighed and tilted her head to the side. Her careful gaze moved over his face and he knew she wasn’t seeing him but the younger man he’d been. “But I was afraid to give it to you.”

“Was it fear that stopped you? Funny, I thought it was greed.” As arousal was dying down in his veins, anger was rising. Why were they talking about the past? It might be what brought them together tonight, but beyond that he didn’t want to delve into it.

“Greed? Is that what you’ve thought of me all these years?”

“Babe, I respect you too much to tell you what I really thought of you.”

“I don’t blame you. I never should have lied to you,” she said.

She’d never been a woman to try to manipulate a man and he’d trusted that sweet innocent face and of course that sexy body that he knew as well as his own.

“Why did you?” he asked before he could think better of it.

She twisted the valet claim check in her hands. He watched her try to find the words to answer him.

“I was losing myself, Mitch.”

Never in a million years would he comprehend what she’d just said. She’d been in the top five at Harvard Law. Her mentor was one of the most powerful women in the law community and had in the intervening years become a Supreme Court Judge. Sophia had been a woman on the cusp of becoming very capable and powerful in her own right. For her to say she had feared losing herself sounded like a cop-out to him.

“I don’t understand.”

“You can’t. You’ve always known who you were. Even when life shakes you up, you land on your feet.”

She was the second person to say as much in less than three hours. He didn’t like the sound of it. Sure he had a plan and nothing was going to stop him from achieving his goals. That didn’t mean that life was any easier for him than it was for others.

“You had some pretty strong supporters at Harvard. And I’ve stumbled plenty of times.”

“You look like you made it back to your feet.”

“Of course I did. And I didn’t have to shove anyone out of my way to do it.” He had to get out of here before he did something really foolish like let her see how badly that had affected him.

He stood, tossed some bills on the table. “See you around, babe.”

He walked out of the bar without a backward glance. The lobby was opulent and crowded. Mitch blended in with the businessmen returning from a day of meetings heading toward the elevator.

“Mitch?”

He stopped, but didn’t turn around. He was still angry. More than angry—he was pissed and he’d never been one of those people who could be polite when he was mad. He knew he’d say something he’d regret especially if he turned around.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Maybe we should call the bet off.”

He pivoted and walked over to her. “Babe, there’s no way in hell we’re calling that wager off. You’re going to be mine for a weekend and when I leave you’re going to miss me for a long, long time.”

The elevator car arrived and he walked away from the woman who’d given him the greatest joy in life, and the sharpest pain.

4

SOPHIA’S FIRST INSTINCT was to run away but she knew better than to start giving ground. So she did the only thing she could think of and went on the offensive. Mitch Hollaran wasn’t going to make her doubt herself or the course she’d put them both on. And if she knew one thing about the woman she’d become it was that the scared emotional woman deep inside wasn’t going to start having any say in any decision now.

She pivoted on her heel, intent on reaching her car and tormenting her old lover on the phone. He knew what buttons to push to make her respond and she knew likewise. This time with Mitch she wasn’t a girl discovering fire in a man’s arms for the first time. This time she was a woman in full control of her life and her body. She wasn’t taking the passive role with any man.

She bumped into a man and paused to apologize. But found herself face-to-face with one of her coworkers, Joseph O’Neill. O’Neill had recently joined the office, moving to Orlando from Miami where he’d had an impressive record of wins. They were lucky to have him on their staff. Sophia had hired him and liked the fact that Joseph, though a family man, worked as hard as any other attorney in the office.

“O’Neill, sorry about that.”

Joseph wasn’t particularly tall but he was well built and he had thick mane of midnight-black hair that he kept closely trimmed. He was of Hispanic descent on his mother’s side and looked like a young Andy Garcia.

“No problem, Deltonio. I should know to get out of your way when I see you coming.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Had she become too ruthless at work? And could a district attorney ever be too ruthless? “Having drinks with friends?”

“Not tonight. I’m meeting with Mueller. Want to join us?”

Sophia knew she had work to do…on her cases and with Mitch. But saying no to meeting with their boss wasn’t something she could do. Her career plans were the most important in her life. “Sure.”

Sophia reentered the Bösendorfer Lounge and wondered if Joan and O’Neill had been there while she’d had her drink with Mitch. She’d been totally focused on him and wouldn’t have noticed if the Governor of Florida had sat down next to her.

“Look who I ran into in the lobby,” O’Neill said.

“Good evening, Sophia.”

Joan was seated at the very table she and Mitch had sat at earlier. Joan was sitting in the same spot that Sophia had been in. O’Neill pulled up a chair, leaving Sophia Mitch’s former spot.

“Joan. I was meeting with one of the attorneys on the Spinder case.”

She knew it was impossible but she could still smell Mitch’s aftershave. She closed her eyes for a second and inhaled deeply. Shivers raced through her and when she opened them she found Joan staring at her. The feeling that everything was spinning out of control hovered on the edge of her conscious.

“Good. Did you get the names of the other attorneys who’ll be on the case?”

Was it her imagination or did O’Neill have too many teeth? If he smiled at her again she was going to be tempted to toss something at him. Sophia suddenly realized what this little meeting was about. And it wasn’t the Spinder case though that was part of it. Joan was trolling around for another D.A. to move into the deputy slot if Sophia lost her edge.

No. Dammit, she hadn’t discussed anything related to the case. “Of course.”

“Joseph, will you go get us a couple of drinks. I’ll have a White Zin and Sophia, Pinot Grigio?”

Sophia nodded. Joseph didn’t look too happy at being sent for drinks, but Sophia recognized this meeting and this moment for what it was. Usually Sophia envied her boss, the poise that she had and the life that she’d carved for herself, but sitting in this lounge at ten o’clock at night she realized that Joan lived for the law.

Did she ever get lonely? Had she ever made a sexy wager with an ex-lover? Probably not. Mueller was a single-minded woman when it came to her career, and she was everything Sophia had ever wanted to be.

Did she still want that? Of course she did. Sophia made up her mind to focus on her career. She hadn’t really stopped focusing on it, she reminded herself. She’d only let Mitch Hollaran distract her for a millisecond and look what had happened. She vowed it wouldn’t happen again.

“I’ve asked Joseph to move some of his caseload and assist you with this one,” Joan said.

Sophia straightened up and banished Mitch Hollaran from her senses. “That’s not necessary, Joan. I can handle this.”

“Are you sure?” Joan asked.

Sophia bit her lip. “Of course I am. I’ve already scheduled an interview with Holly McBride and her family.”

“Hollaran is a big gun and you were making noises this afternoon about not wanting the case.”

“Well, I don’t need help. I’ve got the case locked up. The trial’s not for two months.”

Joan leaned back in the seat and studied her. Sophia struggled not to squirm under the scrutiny.

“Something’s off about you, Sophia.”

“Nothing is off. I’m just tired.”

“A vacation will fix that,” Joan said, after a few minutes of silence had passed.

“Yes, it will.”

“Sophia, I’ve always seen a lot of myself in you.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be. I’ve made some tough choices, and I regret some of them.”

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

“Only make sure you’ll be happy living for the job. It’s kind of lonely here and not everyone would be happy with it.”

“Joan, you know me, I live for work.”

“Actually, Deltonio, I’m not sure you know yourself,” Joan said.

Joseph returned with the drinks before Sophia could comment. The conversation settled around the panty-raider case she’d won this afternoon, but Sophia didn’t feel like celebrating. She knew that the next two months were going to be hard. Harder than she’d thought they’d be because Joan was right. She didn’t know herself anymore. And that was never a good place to be.

MITCH HAD SPENT the last few hours on the phone trying to help Dev out. The best he could do was get Dev assigned to a very strict detox program that came with a twenty-four-hour-a-day counselor when you were released. The judge had promised if Dev used again he’d be in jail for a long time. Dev had muttered his thanks, but Mitch knew something still wasn’t right with his friend.

He’d had a meeting with Marcus, Spinder’s manager, to discuss strategy. The plan he and Marcus had come up with was for Jason to appear untouched by the trial. Jason would play the media with his usual finesse. Marcus booked Spinder on several talk shows over the weekend, and an officer of the court would accompany Jason on his out-of-town gigs, ensuring he didn’t skip bail.

Mitch had a list of people to interview, mostly cast and crew members who’d been at the bar that night with Jason. At least one of the other guys had been out with Holly before.

In fact, Mitch thought, as he reentered his own room and prepared to relax for the evening, everything was going well. Still, he was too wired to sleep. He paced over to the window. Glancing out at the Orlando skyline he saw his own reflection in the glass.

Mitch wished he really were the man he saw in the glass. The reflection looked successful. And if he could stop at success Mitch wouldn’t have any problems.

But there was no escaping the demons pushing him forward, nor the knowledge that revenge wasn’t the solution he was searching for and that even leaving Sophia in the same state he’d been in years ago wasn’t going to turn his life around.

He cursed and turned on his heel. Maybe he’d go to the weight room and work off some of this tension that lingered from his meeting with Sophia.

He wished he hadn’t let his anger get the better of him with Sophia. If he’d kept his mouth shut he probably would have been able to coax her up to his suite for the kind of reunion they’d both wanted.

But a few hours in the sack weren’t going to give him the kind of satisfaction he wanted. He needed to take Sophia’s well-ordered world and make it into chaos. He cursed again and decided against working out. He went to the minibar and pulled out a Heineken. Twisting off the cap, he took a long draw from the bottle.

He turned off the lights and moved his chair in front of the window. Propping his feet on the sill, he watched the lights for a while and tried to ignore the pImages** in his head. Tried to tune out Stevie Ray Vaughan’s electric guitar riffs and the woman who was swaying to the music wearing nothing but a sexy smile.

But the image wouldn’t leave and he leaned back and let Sophia seduce him here in the privacy of his room where only he would know about it. His cock twitched, tension spread throughout his body and he knew he should have left the room earlier, rather than staying here with the memories.

But this was part of his nightly routine ever since learning he’d be coming to Orlando and facing the woman who’d changed him. He’d been living with memories of everything he’d done with her. He’d been mostly focusing on the sex and the ending because if he remembered how good it had been between them he might start wanting something else. Something he knew better than to want because it wasn’t real.

The only real things were cases fought in a court of law, and old friendships. And he and Sophia weren’t old friends. They were ex-lovers with bad blood between them.

Remember that, old man, he reminded himself. Tilting back the bottle he drained it. He thought about having another one but wasn’t planning on getting drunk tonight when he had so much work to do tomorrow. So he focused on planning his next move on Sophia.

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