When it comes to desire, they’re both pleading guilty

In the courtroom, criminal defense attorney Iris Sinclair is cool and confident. Yet around her new client’s guardian, she loses all composure. Atlanta club owner Nash Dupree is an infamous playboy who could compromise Iris’s heart as well as her case. For once, she feels like a curvy goddess instead of a straitlaced lawyer—even if the evidence suggests what he’s looking for is strictly short-term.

No matter what the tabloids claim, Nash has made his teenage niece his first priority, and without Iris’s help he’ll lose guardianship. What began as seduction, a sweet thrill, has turned into something more—now he wants Iris forever. But proving his intentions means winning her trust before his reputation drives away the only woman who has ever captivated him, body and soul….

“Don’t even think about saying you’re not pretty enough.” The pads of his thumbs stroked her cheeks, lulling her into a submissive trance.

The night before, she had dreamed about kissing Nash, their lips mating.

“You are one of the most desirable women I have ever laid eyes on,” he said, his head tilted and his mouth hovering over hers. “So whoever told you otherwise lied.”

Nash’s mouth covered hers, and spirals of ecstasy surged through her body. He kissed her slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. His lips caressed hers with a polished mastery, boldly taking what he wanted. Her body melted into his, and she found she no longer wanted to pull away. His tongue tasted like wine and peppermint as it explored the inner recesses of her mouth, soft, thick lips pleasing her way beyond her dream.

SHARON C. COOPER

spent ten years as a sheet metal worker. And while enjoying that unique line of work, she obtained her B.A. in business management with an emphasis in communication. Sharon is a romance-a-holic and loves anything that involves romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies or real life. She writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense, and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When Sharon is not writing or working, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a good book (a romance, of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit www.sharoncooper.net.

Legal

Seduction

Sharon C. Cooper

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

It’s not often you meet someone who will welcome a stranger into their home, especially a troubled teen. Iris Sinclair in Legal Seduction is just that type of person.

When I created Iris’s character, a stunning woman who has never considered herself beautiful thanks to an event during her childhood, I knew she had to be paired with a hero like Nash Dupree, a sexy hunk who oozes self-confidence. The chemistry between the two can only be described as hot and combustible! Nash is used to getting what he wants, and though Iris might have a soft spot for anyone in need, she’s no pushover. Nash soon realizes he has his work cut out for him!

I hope you enjoy reading Iris and Nash’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Stop by www.sharoncooper.net and find out what I’m working on these days.

Enjoy!

Sharon C. Cooper

To the other two-thirds of “Charlie’s Angels”—authors Candace Shaw and Delaney Diamond—So glad we’re on this ride together! Love you ladies!

Hugs and kisses go out to my best friend, who happens to be my awesome husband! Al, my dear, thank you for your unwavering love and your immense tolerance during my writing journey. I love you more than words could ever express!

To Yolanda Barber: Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and ALWAYS being willing to light a fire under me whenever I think about dragging my feet!

To my SUPER supportive family: I love you all. Thanks for always being in my corner!

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“Has the jury reached a verdict?”

“Yes, Your Honor, we have.”

Defense attorney Iris Sinclair stood slowly and motioned for her seventeen-year-old client to do the same. She had logged more hours in this murder case than she had in her last few cases put together, and was confident that they would win.

Still seated, her client Terrance Gibson tugged on the collar of his light blue button-down dress shirt and yanked on the striped tie, loosening it from around his neck. He took a deep breath, grabbed hold of the edge of the table and pulled himself up, knocking a file folder to the floor and sending Iris’s pen flying across the tabletop in the process.

Horrified, he glanced at Iris, his troubled eyes wide. He made a move to retrieve the folder, his chair scraping loudly against the hardwood floor before she halted him with a reassuring pat on the back. “Leave it,” she mouthed silently and smiled.

He managed a small smile back and after a deep breath, turned his attention to the jury foreman.

“We the jury, find the defendant, Terrance Gibson, not guilty of the charge of first-degree murder.”

Cheers went up around the courtroom and Terrance dropped down in his seat, his face in his hands and his shoulders shaking as he sobbed. Iris’s heart went out to him while she swiped at her own tears. It had been one of her toughest cases, but she proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that her client was not guilty. She was relieved that it was finally over and an innocent young man wouldn’t spend the rest of his life behind bars. Terrance’s only mistake the fateful night that he was arrested for murder was that he had succumbed to peer pressure and attended a house party instead of going home after a football game.

Terrance threw his arms around Iris’s neck. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done without your help.”

Iris hugged him back. “It was my pleasure.” She pulled back. “Just make sure I don’t see you back here again.”

“You won’t,” he said before he went to go join his family.

Iris gathered her belongings, preparing to leave the courthouse. Despite her best efforts, she always tried not to get emotionally involved in her cases, but it was usually inevitable. One of few defense attorneys in the Atlanta area whose defendants were mostly teenagers and good kids who ended up in bad situations, Iris’s clients often got caught up in the wrong crowd, or made one bad decision, as in Terrance’s case.

“Attorney Sinclair, we’ll never be able to thank you for all you did for Terrance through this horrible ordeal,” Mr. Gibson said to Iris when he pulled her off to the side. “We knew our son was innocent, but for you, someone who didn’t know him the way we know him, to take on his case based on Terrance’s word alone, means more to me and his mother than we could ever express.”

Iris smiled. She had connected with Terrance and his family from day one, promising to do whatever she could to prove his innocence.

“It was my pleasure, Mr. Gibson. Terrance is a good kid. When I saw and heard the pain behind every word that he said while describing that night, I sensed he was telling the truth.” If proof of innocence wasn’t available, Iris relied on her gut to decide whether or not to take on a case.

She stuck around for a few more minutes before leaving the courthouse.

Back at the offices of Thomas, Alston & Sinclair, Iris moved down the wide hallway, her heels sinking into plush carpeting as some of the associates congratulated her on her victory. Though appreciative of all of the laudatory comments, she couldn’t get to her office fast enough. A slight headache had been her companion for the past hour, and exhaustion after working long nights had finally caught up to her.

As she approached her office area, she couldn’t help but reminisce about her professional life over the past few years. It had taken nine years of hard work at the firm, and the last four as a partner, to not only make it to the top floor of the office building, but to also receive one of the prime corner offices. Amazing views of North Buckhead and the Perimeter made the accomplishment even sweeter.

She stopped at the desk of her assistant extraordinaire, Melissa Rand. Melissa smiled and held the telephone receiver between her shoulder and ear while she gathered a padded envelope and a small package from her desk. She handed Iris the items and a small stack of phone messages as she fielded questions from a caller.

“Congratulations. I’ll be in your office shortly,” Melissa mouthed silently to Iris and then jumped right back into her telephone conversation without missing a beat.

Iris nodded and walked the few steps to her office. She placed her briefcase on the floor next to her long mahogany desk and quickly scanned her phone messages. Seeing nothing urgent, she tossed them on the desk before dropping into her seat. This would be the first day in over eight months that she’d leave the office before five in the evening and she could barely contain her excitement. Court dates always wore her out and this case had taken an emotional toll on her. Now that Terrance’s trial was over, she could officially start making plans for her long-overdue vacation.

Her cell phone rang from inside her briefcase and she pulled it out of the side pocket.

“Hello.”

“Hey, sis.”

A smile lifted the corners of Iris’s lips at the sound of her younger sister’s voice. Janna Morgan was a supermodel who had become internationally known after her appearance in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

“Hey, yourself. Where are you?” Janna planned to spend her three-week vacation in Atlanta, and Iris couldn’t wait to see her.

“I’m still in New York, but I should be in Atlanta by seven this evening. Do you want me to have the driver bring me to your office or to your penthouse?”

Janna had been expected the day before, but a last-minute scheduling conflict with a modeling shoot forced a change of plans. Iris hadn’t seen her foster sister in three months and was anxious to hang out with her and their other sibling, Macy, this evening.

Iris glanced at her watch. Three-fifteen. “I’m hoping to leave here in the next hour and plan to head straight home. Why don’t you meet me there and then we’ll drive out to Alpharetta and meet up with Macy?”

Janna sighed. “Are you sure you’re going to be there, Ms. Workaholic? The last time I ended up at your place, you didn’t show up until two o’clock in the morning, and I was left in that big ol’ apartment by myself with nothing but microwave popcorn and a diet soda. Maybe I should just head out to Macy’s crib and you get there when you can.”

“No,” Iris blurted out. She wanted Janna to stay with her and knew that if she went to Macy’s, their sister would talk Janna into staying with her for the duration of Janna’s visit. “I promise, I will be there...but make sure you have your key, just in case.”

Iris couldn’t imagine her life without her sisters. She had been shuffled from one foster home to another after her single mother was killed by a misguided teen and none of their family members had been willing to take her in. Finally, Iris ended up with Mama Adel, her foster mother, who had provided Iris with a loving home and more attention than she had ever received in her life before. Iris was fourteen at the time and had joined two other girls at the house. Janna was then five and Macy was fifteen.

“Why do I need my key if you’re going to be there?” Janna asked.

Iris laughed. “I promise I’ll be there, but since you’re staying a few days, it’s best you have your key so that you can come and go with no problems.” They talked for a few more minutes before disconnecting.

Noelle Beckett, one of the partners at Thomas, Alston & Sinclair and one of Iris’s dearest friends, breezed through Iris’s open office door. Stylish, intelligent and full of life, Noelle was a fireball, always ready to take on any challenge. She had an insurmountable amount of energy and the tenacity of a pit bull. She would zone in on what she wanted and wouldn’t give up until it was hers.

“I’m glad you’re smiling and sitting down.”

The smile dropped from Iris’s face. “Why?” She shook her head and threw up her hands in mock surrender. “No, don’t tell me. I’m sure I don’t want to know. Just keep it to yourself until I leave.” Iris stood and began stuffing files into her briefcase. Tired, hungry and long overdue for time off from work, she had no intentions of taking on any more cases until after her three-week vacation. She slung her bag over her shoulder and then grabbed her purse to leave. Noelle blocked her path.

“Too late.” Noelle flipped long blond hair over her shoulders, handed Iris a file and sat in a guest chair facing the desk. “I know you’re planning to knock off early today, but we have a situation.” Noelle tugged her short skirt toward her knees, defeating her purpose when she crossed one tanned leg over the other.

Iris groaned and dropped her bags near her desk before reclaiming her seat. “We always have a situation,” she mumbled and opened the thin file. She lifted a magazine from it and held it up. “What’s this for?”

A wicked smile curved Noelle’s ruby-red lips. “Do you know who that is on the cover?”

Iris frowned and laid the magazine on top of the open file folder, and stared into the face of one of the most famous—and beautiful—men in the country. “Nash Dupree. So?”

“Sooo, that delicious eye candy wants to hire you to take care of a legal matter.”

“Nash Dupree? The Nash Dupree?” Iris’s clients included numerous high-profile people in the Atlanta area, but none who could match the wealth or the good looks of Nash Dupree.

Noelle grinned. “Yes, the tall, dark and sexy business mogul and president of Dupree Enterprises, who has graced the covers of almost every national magazine there is, contacted us a short while ago.” Noelle twirled the pen between her fingers and swung her leg back and forth. “He wants you.”

Iris lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Noelle laughed. “He wants you to handle his niece’s case. Although―” her friend placed both feet on the floor and leaned forward in her seat, putting her elbows on the desk “―once he lays eyes on you, he will probably want more than legal counsel.”

“Oh, please.” Iris waved her friend off and scanned the information sheet that one of the assistants had most likely put together. Mr. Dupree’s fifteen-year-old niece, of whom he was the legal guardian, was arrested for drug possession.

“Don’t ‘oh, please’ me. I hate when you do that!” Noelle banged her fist against the desk. “You are one of the smartest, most accomplished and selfless women I know, and don’t get me started on how gorgeous you are! If you would give the men out here half a chance, they would be knocking each other over to get to you.”

If it wasn’t Noelle, it was one of her sisters saying the same thing. Iris in no way saw herself as gorgeous, but to let one of them tell it, she was every man’s fantasy. Sure, she wanted to find her Mr. Right, fall in love and live happily ever after, but she lived in the real world. There was no way a man as hot as Nash Dupree would give her a second look. She was too tall and not skinny enough, and her skin was too dark. From what she’d seen, he only dated rod-thin, light-skinned women who made her look like the ugly stepsister, which was how she felt most days. Growing up with two “cute” foster sisters had done nothing to help Iris’s low self-esteem.

She glanced back at the magazine cover. Nope, no one who looked half as good as Nash Dupree had ever asked her out. She set the magazine aside and folded her hands on top of the file folder.

“Let’s get back to Mr. Dupree,” Iris said. “I mentioned to you and Kyle a couple of weeks ago that I wasn’t taking on any more cases until after I return from vacation. And just glancing at this information about the Dupree kid, either of you or one of the associates could handle this with your eyes closed.”

“When I talked with Mr. Dupree, I offered my services, but he insists you’re the one he wants. Have you ever met him?”

Iris shook her head as she glanced back at the information in the file. “Never. Did someone refer him or did he say exactly why he wanted me?”

“I don’t know if anyone referred him. I just assumed he wanted the best.” Noelle smirked, but shrugged when Iris narrowed her gaze. “Face it, Iris, you are the best. You not only have heart, but you’re the only defense attorney who can connect with these teens.”

Iris cocked her head. “What is this, Stroke Iris’s Ego Day?”

Noelle stood and tugged on her tiny skirt. “It should be. You have been winning cases left and right. With the victory today, the phones will be ringing off the hook with parents who have teens in trouble, or nonprofit youth organizations vying for your volunteer services. Mercy Youth Community Center won’t be the only agency begging for your time and expertise.” She stopped at the door and turned to Iris. “Oh, and Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome will be here shortly. You might want to check your hair and freshen up your makeup.”

Yeah, whatever.

Iris glanced at her watch. It was going on four o’clock. Even if she were able to take on the case, by the time she heard Mr. Dupree out, it would be too late to go before a judge, which meant his niece might have to spend the night in juvenile detention. It also meant Iris might be late meeting with her sisters for dinner, and she would never hear the end of how she always put work before them.

“Iris,” her assistant said from the doorway before walking farther into the office. “Mr. Dupree is waiting for you in conference room B. Also, I talked with Mahone Construction this afternoon and put the information you requested inside your to-be-read file on your computer.”

“Melissa, you’re the best,” Iris said to the short, thin woman whom she couldn’t imagine her life without. Melissa had been with her for the past three years and she was Iris’s right arm, keeping her professional life organized and her personal life drama-free. She was the person who helped maintain what little sanity Iris had left. “If I’m not out of this meeting by five o’clock—”

“I’ll come a-knocking.” Melissa smiled and strolled out of the office.

Iris gathered the file, a notepad and her favorite pen. She would hear Mr. Dupree out, but let him know that she would have to assign someone else to his case. She moved to the door, but stopped. It wasn’t every day she had the opportunity to meet someone like the sexy Nash Dupree. She doubled back to her desk and whipped out the mirrored compact from her purse, checked her makeup and freshened her lipstick. She might as well look her best when she broke the news to him.

Iris walked into the conference room, intending to greet Nash Dupree and promptly refer him to another attorney, but a deep, baritone voice halted her the moment she stepped across the threshold. She quickly glanced around the room, thinking that Barry White himself had to be there, but he wasn’t. Instead, standing on the other side of the room, talking on a cell phone, was a man whose voice made her toes curl. The deep, melodious tone was strong and intoxicating. She had always been a sucker for a man with a mysterious, sexy voice.

So this is Nash Dupree. Though his body was slightly angled toward the window, she couldn’t help but notice how his broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist and how his long legs seemed to go on forever. Tall for a woman, Iris didn’t often come in contact with men she had to look up to, literally. With one hand holding his cell phone and the other stuffed casually into his pants pocket, he appeared confident and relaxed, despite his family’s recent legal issues.

“Alright, I guess it has to be this evening. Just let me know where,” Nash said to the caller. He turned away from the window, but was looking down and hadn’t noticed her.

Iris took in his honey-brown complexion, black wavy hair cropped close to his head, and his perfect body. The magazine photos and the few times that she’d seen him on TV hadn’t done him justice. He looked every bit the powerful man that the media portrayed him to be. As for the playboy reputation he had garnered in the tabloids, she could see why women threw themselves at him. He oozed virility and wealth.

Ogling him from across the room felt unprofessional, but she couldn’t help herself. Spending most of her days in her office or in a courtroom hadn’t allowed her much opportunity to socialize, especially with someone who looked like Nash Dupree.

“Oh, wait, can you also let...” Nash started, but stopped when he looked up and spotted Iris. For a moment, all he did was hold the phone and stare at her. His gaze slowly traveled over her from the top of her head down to her three-inch navy blue pumps and then back up to her eyes. A small smile lifted the left corner of his tempting mouth and Iris’s pulse quickened at the effect that his smile had on her. “Uh, Nigel, let me call you back.”

Nash disconnected the call and placed his cell phone in an inside pocket of his suit jacket without breaking eye contact. The optimism Iris had in her ability to assign Nash Dupree to another attorney was slowly slipping away. Her breath caught as he moved smoothly across the plush room with the swagger of a self-assured, influential man who was used to getting what he wanted.

Good Lord, this brother is fine.

“Hello, sorry about that,” he said in that rich voice and extended his hand. “I’m Nash Dupree.”

Iris self-consciously ran her sweaty palm down her skirt and cleared her throat before shaking his hand. “Iris Sinclair. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

Okay, just stay cool, Iris told herself. She smiled and eased her hand out of his grip before stepping over to the conference table and setting her notepad down. Despite her professional success, she had never been very comfortable around good-looking men, especially men who openly checked her out, the way Nash was doing now. Men like him rarely looked at her the way he was doing.

“Please have a seat.” She gestured for him to sit in the high-back leather chair to her left. “I understand your niece has gotten herself into a little trouble.”

“Yes, you could say that.” Nash unbuttoned his suit jacket and waited until she was seated at the head of the table before taking his seat. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a photo, sliding it across the table to Iris. “That’s my niece, Tania Dupree. She’s an amazing young woman who is highly intelligent with musical skills that could rival Alicia Keys, and she has the stubbornness of a mule. She’s the love of my life, and the bane of my existence.”

Iris smiled. In the picture, Tania wore her hair in micro-braids that easily flowed past her shoulders. Hazel eyes, similar to Nash’s, shined with a youthful glint, and Iris would bet her paycheck that the sweet smile gracing Tania’s lips got her whatever she wanted from her uncle.

Iris handed the photo back to Nash. “She’s beautiful.” Like her uncle, she wanted to say, but kept the thought to herself.

“Thank you,” Nash said quietly, staring at the photo.

“I can tell she means a lot to you.” Iris crossed her leg and turned her body toward him. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?” The least she could do was hear him out before assigning someone else to the case.

“Mr. Dupree?”

Nash’s head snapped up and he looked at her as if he had forgotten she was in the room. He stood and rubbed his hand over his head and down the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry. I, um, it’s been a helluva day.” He chuckled and Iris nodded her understanding, realizing for the first time since leaving court that the headache she’d been battling for the past couple of days had finally departed. “Anyway, I received a call a couple of hours ago that Tania had been arrested for drug possession. She and some of her classmates had a half day of school and were heading home when they were pulled over by a cop.”

“Why were they pulled over?”

“From what I understand, the kid driving the vehicle didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign.” Nash shoved his hand into his pants pocket, taking Iris’s attention from his sexy hazel eyes down to the front of his pants. She quickly diverted her attention. What the heck is wrong with me?

“The cop probably would’ve just issued a warning,” Nash continued, “but when one of the kids started smarting off, the officer made all them get out of the car.”

Nash roamed around the plush space. “I told Tania to stop hanging out with those kids. Associating with them had already gotten her into trouble at school. A few months ago, she was apprehended by the cops when one of the little thugs she was hanging out with stole a couple of candy bars from a convenience store.”

Nash stopped and slowly turned to Iris, releasing a loud sigh. “When Tania exited the car, she swung her backpack onto her shoulder and a bag of marijuana fell to the ground. Supposedly it came from her bag. Needless to say, all the kids claim they knew nothing about it and they all were taken into custody.”

“What did Tania say when you asked about the drugs?”

Nash walked back over to the table, but didn’t reclaim his seat. “She said it wasn’t hers and had no idea how it made its way into her bag.”

Iris asked a few more questions, taking notes as he talked more about how he had transferred her to the best private school in Johns Creek, a suburb outside Atlanta. Tania had had her share of harmless trouble since arriving at the school, like putting a dead bird in one of her teachers’ desks and getting caught egging another student’s car.

“I can’t believe she’s been arrested for drug possession with the intent to sell. She’s too smart for that and has never shown any sign of drug use. I know that weed wasn’t hers.”

“So you believe her?”

“Without a doubt, but don’t get me wrong, I understand that the cops had to take her in. Having drugs in her possession doesn’t look good. The worst part is, the officers would have let her leave with me, but she was adamant about staying until she talked with a lawyer.” He let out a harsh laugh that lacked humor. “That girl became indignant with an officer because she didn’t like the way he automatically accused her. As if he didn’t have reason to doubt her damn story!”

He pounded the table with his fist and turned away. “I’m sorry,” he said when he turned back around. “This whole situation is like a bad dream.”

“I’m sure it is.” Iris could tell how much this was bothering him. “I assume they’re keeping her in detention until she goes before the judge.” That was more of a statement than a question. Georgia’s juvenile detention system didn’t care who your parents were. They didn’t tolerate unruly behavior. If a child was uncooperative, that often meant an automatic night in detention.

Nash nodded and folded his arms across his chest. “You have to understand, Attorney Sinclair—Tania is very headstrong, but she’s a good kid.”

“I don’t doubt that, Mr. Dupree.” Iris glanced at her notes and sighed. It would only take a few minutes to meet with Tania and then go before the judge and get an arraignment date set, but Iris had vowed not to take on another case until after her vacation. If she took this case, then there would be another, and yet another one after that. She would end up spending another year without taking any much-needed time off. She placed her pen on top of the notepad and leaned back in her seat, folding her hands on top of the table.

“Mr. Dupree, based on what you’ve told me, any one of our associates will be able to assist you and your niece. Not only will it save you money, it will—”

“I don’t give a damn about the money, Counselor!” Nash leaned on the table. His face was a glowering mask of anger, hovering only inches from hers. “I want my niece to have the best representation there is. Refusing to take the case is not an option.”

Iris bristled at his tone, the arrogance behind his words making her see red. She stood slowly, trying to contain the anger that suddenly bubbled within her. She pinned him with a level look, willing herself to remain calm. “With all due respect, Mr. Dupree, I’m not sure what you’re accustomed to, but I decide what cases I take on and I will not stand for you or anyone else telling me what I can or cannot do.”

Nash stood so close to her that she could smell his mint-scented breath against her face. His expression was unreadable, and his enticing lips were close enough to kiss. He glanced down at her mouth before he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

“But I want you.”

Chapter 2

Nash could feel the fuming heat emitting from Iris’s body. He didn’t mean to raise his voice, but after an exhausting day his patience had snapped. Looking down into the most intriguing brown eyes that he’d ever seen, he wanted nothing more than to reach out, pull the enchanting attorney into his arms and taste her tempting lips.

When she first walked into the room, he thought there was no way this Nubian goddess could be the defense attorney his niece had insisted on him hiring. He had been surprised when Tania gave him Iris Sinclair’s information, stating that she was the best. Despite the seriousness of Tania’s drug-possession charges, he couldn’t help but fantasize about all that he could do with the tall, curvy bombshell standing before him.

The old saying “the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice” had immediately come to mind. Her smooth, dark skin made him want to touch her face to see if it was as soft as it appeared.

Staring into exotic eyes that held so much fire...all that did was stoke the flames she had ignited within him when she first walked into the conference room. He couldn’t help but admire the way she was standing her ground, not even flinching at his tone despite the anger he could see brewing in her eyes. Iris glanced away and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length curly hair, pushing an unruly strand from her face before taking a drawn-out breath.

“Mr. Dupree, I’m flattered that you have chosen me to represent your niece, but right now I’m not taking on any new cases. Based on what you’ve told me, Tania sounds like a good kid. Since this is her first offense, all she’ll probably get is a hefty fine and a short probation, and she might have to endure a couple of court-ordered drug classes.” Iris gathered her notepad and pen. “She doesn’t need me. We have associates who are more than qualified to handle this type of case.”

“If I wanted just any lawyer to handle my niece’s case, I would’ve found someone else, but apparently you don’t understand, Attorney Sinclair. I don’t want just anyone. I want you.”

“We don’t always get what we want now, do we, Mr. Dupree?” she asked flatly. The look she gave him said she wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t give a damn about what he wanted.

Not accustomed to hearing the word no, Nash turned away and chuckled. He hadn’t become a successful entrepreneur by accepting no for an answer. If anything, the word made him work harder to get what he wanted.

Looking back at Iris, who was still glaring at him, her chin held high, her resolve unwavering, he could only imagine the type of respect she demanded, and received, in the courtroom. He definitely had to have her as his niece’s attorney. They were two of a kind, Iris and Tania. Both clearly had a stubborn streak, and neither was afraid to stand up to him.

Nash ran a hand down his chin. Apologizing wasn’t something that came easy for him, but if he wanted to get this stunning lawyer to reconsider, he’d better make nice and do some serious groveling. Besides, he already liked her—maybe a little too much.

“Please forgive me, Counselor,” he said and moved back to the table where she was still standing. “I was way out of line and I meant no disrespect. Just give me a chance to explain why having you on this case is so important.” He gestured to the chair she had vacated. After a brief hesitation, Iris reclaimed her seat. “When I went to pick up my niece from juvie, she refused to leave. She said that she wasn’t leaving until she spoke to a lawyer, and not just any lawyer, but you. She’s the one who gave me your information.”

Iris shook her head and as low smile tilted her lips. She glanced away before looking back at him. “Mr. Dupree, without even meeting Tania, she reminds me of myself at that age—fearless, determined and at times unyielding.”

“Yeah, I sensed that a few minutes ago when you looked like you wanted to strangle me. I recognized the look. I’ve been on the receiving end of it many of times from my niece.”

Iris sat back in her seat and chuckled. “I have to admit, I am a little curious about this niece of yours.”

“I know you don’t have to take on Tania’s case, and I respect your need to be selective in the ones that you do accept, but I hope you’ll reconsider.”

“I’ll tell you what.” She gathered her belongings and stood. “I’ll meet Tania at the detention center in the morning and hear her story. Then we can decide next steps.”

Nash buttoned his suit jacket. “That’s all I ask.”

* * *

Iris tugged on the tight-fitting, low-cut dress. Janna had brought it and insisted that Iris wear it tonight. Being out on a Thursday night was unusual, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have dinner with two of her favorite people.

She glanced around the dimly lit restaurant. Servers moved about efficiently, taking customer orders, refilling water glasses and clearing the tables, each adorned with a centerpiece of a single candle. Lately, her professional life had taken over her world. A typical evening consisted of staying late at work or spending the evening at home with Chinese food and a glass of wine while reviewing case notes.

“I can’t believe you were able to pull her away from work and get her here on time,” Iris heard Macy say. “This has to be a first.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Would you two quit? It’s not like we never get together for dinner.”

“Okay, so when was the last time we got together for dinner, all three of us?” Macy asked, looking over the top of her designer eyeglasses. A strand of long brown hair with auburn highlights fell into her face before she quickly pushed it behind her ear. Macy and Janna were on one side of the tall-backed leather booth, while Iris sat across from them.

“You finally decided to get those reading glasses. They look good.”

Macy pushed them up farther on her nose. “I know you’re trying to change the subject, but thank you. I finally broke down and bought some. Those medical charts were getting blurrier by the day. Now, getting back to my original question—”

“It’s not my fault we haven’t gotten together. Ms. World Traveler over here―” Iris nodded her head toward Janna “―is the one who hasn’t visited her big sisters in months.”

“Okay, don’t start on me. Aren’t we supposed to be celebrating?” Janna chimed in and lifted her glass. She had naturally long, wavy hair, smooth cinnamon-brown skin and big, bright eyes shaded by long eyelashes. “I want to propose a toast. To a kick-ass defense attorney who continues to prove that she’s the best there is.”

“Here, here,” Macy said, and they clinked their glasses together.

Janna’s comment caused Iris to reflect back on her conversation with Nash Dupree, who labeled her as being the best. She wondered if he had noticed her staring at him throughout the conversation earlier today. Sure, she had been listening, but there were times she had tuned out and had zoned in on his magnificent lips...and that smile. He had the most beautiful, straight teeth she had ever seen on a man, which only enhanced his crooked, cocky grin. And those intense hazel eyes that missed nothing. Add those features to his alluring deep voice, and he was irresistible. God, what she would give to go home to a man with that voice who could talk dirty to her while....

“Hel-lo,” Macy said in a singsong voice, waving her hand in front of Iris’s face. “Are you still with us?”

Iris blinked several times and reached for her glass of water. Instead of bringing it to her mouth, she wanted to lay the cold cylinder against her cheek to cool the warmth that had spread to her face.

“You were smiling pretty hard there for a minute, sis,” Janna said. “So, what, or who, were you thinking about? Inquiring minds want to know.”

Iris had never fantasized about possible clients—or their guardians—before. She’d better get a grip. Talk about unprofessional. “Nobody,” she finally said.

“Mmm-hmm. That was a heck of smile for it to be about nobody. You know you can tell us,” Macy goaded. “Besides, it’s about time you met someone who makes you smile like that.”

Iris gave Macy a “drop it” look, but then noticed the way Janna was smiling. “And you’re talking about me being happy! What’s with you grinning from ear to ear like you have a secret that you’re dying to share?”

“Oh, I spotted an old friend who just walked in,” she said, patting her hair before she whispered, “Quick, do I have anything in my teeth? He’s coming over.” She flashed a smile at Iris.

“You’re good.”

Before Iris had a chance to glance back to see whom her sister was primping for, Janna slid from the booth and stood.

“Well, hey, there, stranger,” Janna greeted a tall gentleman, whose broad shoulders and long arms swallowed her up in an embrace. His back was to Iris, but his intoxicating, woodsy scent smelled mildly familiar.

Janna stepped out of his hug, but kept her hand on one of his arms. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has.” The stranger’s deep, melodious voice was familiar and captured Iris’s full attention. “I’m surprised to see you in Atlanta. Are you doing a shoot here?” he asked Janna.

“No.” Janna grabbed his other arm, turning him toward the table. “Actually, I’m here visiting my sisters. Let me introduce you.”

Iris’s heart slammed against her rib cage when the pair of hooded hazel eyes she’d been daydreaming about zoned in on her. Nash Dupree. Of all the restaurants in Atlanta, how is it that they ended up at the same one?

“This is my sister, Dr. Macy Carter, and my other sister, attorney Iris Sinclair.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nash said to Macy, shaking her hand before turning to Iris. “It’s good to see you again, Counselor.” He grasped her hand and Iris shivered when he brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it as he gazed into her eyes.

Iris stared back at him, enraptured by his attention and forgetting that they had an audience. When Macy cleared her throat, Iris quickly pulled her hand from Nash’s and dropped it into her lap. “It’s nice seeing you again, Mr. Dupree,” she sputtered, feeling, more so than seeing, her sisters’ gazes on her.

“Nash. Please call me Nash.”

“You two know each other?” Janna asked.

“Actually, we met this afternoon,” Nash volunteered, but before he could elaborate, the maître d’ of the restaurant informed him that his party had arrived. “I’m sorry. Though I would love to spend more time with you three lovely ladies, duty calls.” He kissed Janna on the cheek, bidding her a good evening, and then his gaze met Iris’s. “I look forward to seeing you again soon,” he said before he moved away from the table.

Iris watched him strut away with a swagger that had not only her mesmerized. Every other woman he passed—whether they were with a date or not—turned and eyed him from head to toe.

She turned back to her sisters, not surprised that they were staring at her. A hint of a smile lifted the edge of Janna’s mouth.

“Well, well, well, Macy, I think someone has been holding out on us. What do you think?”

“I think you’re right and if Ms. I-Don’t-Have-Time-for-a-Man doesn’t start talking soon, I’m going to have to give her one of my famous back-in-the-day beat-downs.”

Heat rose to Iris’s face. She quickly lowered her head and cut into her T-bone steak, shoving a chunk into her mouth. “So, how’s your pasta?” she asked Macy.

“Don’t you dare try changing the subject.” Janna leaned across the table and whispered, “How do you know Nash?”

Iris sighed, knowing her sisters weren’t going to let the subject drop until they had some details. Though she hadn’t officially agreed to take on Tania’s case, she was seriously thinking about it. That, at least, gave her the excuse that she couldn’t give much detail. “He came to see me about a legal matter.”

“Well, it looks like he’s interested in changing it to a personal matter.” Macy grinned and lifted her wineglass to her lips.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” Janna asked. “He’s suave, he’s the sweetest man I know, he’s wealthy and apparently he’s interested in you. What’s the problem?”

Iris narrowed her eyes at Janna. “Even if I were interested, which I’m not, I wouldn’t consider hooking up with him, knowing that you two have a history.”

Janna frowned. “I’ve never dated Nash. We’ve done a few magazine ads, a voice-over gig together, and he was my escort for one of Victoria’s Secret Angels events, but outside of that—” she shrugged “—nothing. We’ve never kissed, unless you count a kiss on the cheek.”

Iris scrutinized her sister. Though she believed her, she couldn’t imagine Nash Dupree not being attracted to Janna. She was a supermodel, for God’s sake. Men had always clamored for her attention, even when they were kids. Because of their nine-year age difference, Iris could remember how different her little sister’s high-school social life had been from hers. Then, Iris couldn’t pay a popular guy to give her the time of day, whereas Janna had actually complained about all the attention she received.

“Iris, he’s not the playboy the media make him out to be. Sure, he’s been seen with various women—”

“Not just any women,” Iris interrupted, “but famous, ridiculously gorgeous women.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. The same as it doesn’t mean anything when the paparazzi snap pictures of me and my dates or escorts. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s business, and I’m sure that’s the case with Nash. He could have dated a few, but it likely wasn’t serious. He has to be in the public’s eye to promote his nightclubs and all of his other business ventures, including his new clothing line. Iris, he’s nothing like how the media paint him.”

“How do you know?” Iris asked. If Janna hadn’t ever gone out with him, how could she be sure he wasn’t a playboy who tossed women aside like old newspapers?

“I know. Though we never dated, when we worked together, conversation came easy for us. So I know him. We’re friends. Now, don’t get me wrong, he loves women, but he’s not the type to lead women on or to be seriously involved with more than one at a time.”

“Face it. You have no excuse not to go out with him,” Macy chimed in.

“He hasn’t asked me out,” Iris said, more to herself than her sisters. If Nash’s playboy reputation, despite Janna’s reassurances, wasn’t enough to make Iris steer clear of him, the fact that she might represent his niece was all the more reason to slow her roll and this line of thinking.

Nash Dupree was as popular as a rock star, and he captured female attention wherever he went. Why was she even entertaining these thoughts? She shook her head. What is wrong with me? He would never be interested in someone like me.

* * *

Nash Dupree glanced across the semicrowded restaurant at Iris. He had a clear view of the table where she and her sisters were dining. He and Nigel Montgomery, chief operating officer of Dupree Enterprises and Nash’s best friend, were at a trendy restaurant in Midtown Atlanta to hear an internationally known jazz group perform. Nigel had insisted on his hearing them before the group left to go on a two-month European tour promoting its latest CD. The COO wanted the group to play at the grand opening of Platinum Pieces–Buckhead, Nash’s fourth jazz club, which was scheduled to open in four months. This location would also include a fine-dining restaurant. It was his second club in Atlanta, adding to a total of four; the other two were located in L.A.

Nash stole another glimpse at Iris while Nigel took a phone call. She must have felt his gaze on her because she glanced over at him. He grinned and a shy smile graced her lovely lips before she quickly looked away. What were the chances he’d get to see her twice in one day? And if he thought she was fine back at her office, tonight she was absolutely stunning. He could tell by the number of men who had stopped at the sisters’ table that apparently he wasn’t the only one who had taken notice. Granted, some of them had stopped to talk with Janna, but Iris, wearing a low-cut dress showing off her long, graceful neck and tempting breasts, was receiving her share of attention. She didn’t come across as a woman who would be caught in a tight-fitting garment, but he’d be damned if she didn’t have the perfect assets to fill it.

“She’s a beauty,” Nigel said, following Nash’s line of vision when Iris stood and walked across the restaurant toward the restrooms. “Do you know her? You’ve been staring at her for the past ten minutes. Why don’t you do what you usually do and go over and ask her out?”

“I would if she wasn’t possibly going to be Tania’s lawyer.”

Nigel’s eyes grew large. “That’s the defense attorney? Hold up. That tall, curvy, celestial being is the one who might be representing Tania?” Nash chuckled at his friend’s facial expression. “Hell, she doesn’t look like any attorney I’ve ever seen.”

“How you gon’ be ogling a woman as married as you are?” Nash tasted the martini that he hadn’t touched. “What would Dawn say?”

Nigel and Dawn were the poster couple for happily ever after. Married for ten years, the two were always stealing kisses, holding hands or sharing naughty looks. At times it was almost nauseating to witness their public displays of affection, but on the other hand, it was nice to see two people so very much in love.

Nigel took a swig of his beer. “I might be married, but I’m not dead. There’s no harm in looking. Besides, the woman is kind of hard to miss. Actually they all are,” he said, referring to Iris and her sisters. “And isn’t that Janna Morgan, the supermodel, at their table?”

“Yep, they’re all sisters. The other one is a doctor.” Nash looked over again just as Iris returned to the table. He still couldn’t get over how good she looked in the skintight red dress. She definitely didn’t look like a defense attorney tonight.

Nash turned his attention back to Nigel. “So when is this group going to perform? Today has been a crazy long day and this mess with Tania has made it even longer.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I think your day is about to get worse. Don’t look now, but your ex, the not-so-lovely Eve Vanlough, just walked in.”

Nash glanced over his shoulder and groaned. If he didn’t know any better, he would think she was following him. They broke up over two months ago and lately Eve surfaced at the most inopportune times, claiming her sudden appearances were a coincidence. He didn’t believe in coincidences. It was time to nip this nonsense in the bud once and for all.

Eve stopped at their table. “Well, funny meeting you—”

“Cut the crap,” Nash growled and stood. He gently grabbed her by the elbow, pulled her out of the main dining room and didn’t stop until they were in the atrium. “I don’t know what the hell you’re up to, but I suggest you back off. If I go to one more place and you show up, I’m getting a restraining order.”

“Oh, Nash, sweetie, aren’t you being overly dramatic?” she said in that whiny tone that always grated on his nerves. She moved in closer, straightening his tie before running her hands down his chest. “I can’t help that we like the same restaurants. I’m here meeting a friend and I just happened to see you and your shadow in there.” She nodded toward the table where Nash had left Nigel. “I figured the least I could do is go over and say hello. Besides, I’ve missed you.”

He grabbed hold of both of her hands and backed her into the corner, away from the entrance. “Eve, when are you going to stop playing these games? This is one of many reasons why we’re not together. You don’t know when to back off.”

Her heavily made-up face screwed up in anger and she jerked out of his grasp. “If you break up with me, you’re going to be sorry!”

“Excuse me?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m the last person you want to threaten, and for the record, we broke up months ago. Apparently you haven’t grasped that fact yet.”

She glared at him as if her little five-foot-six self could intimidate him. That lasted a whole five seconds before she changed her tune.

“I’m sorry.” She pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed at her invisible tears. “This breakup has been really hard on me. I thought we had something special, that we would one day get married.”

Nash relaxed his shoulders and sighed. She had to know her tears no longer affected him, but maybe if he tried a different approach she’d finally get the message.

“Listen, Eve, I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you knew going in that I wasn’t interested in anything serious. I was up-front with you from the beginning. I’m not looking to get married to you or anyone else.”

Thanks to his college sweetheart, Nash had promised himself years ago that he would never allow a woman full access to his heart again. He and Audrey had dated their first year at UCLA, and talked about getting married upon graduation. During their last year of college, Audrey dumped him for the school’s star quarterback, whose family came from old money. She told Nash she wanted to marry rich, instead of marrying someone who had the potential of being rich.

He would never forget how she took his love and his heart and stomped the hell out of them. The only thing good that came out of the experience was that it spurred him to work his butt off to become a successful multimillionaire.

“Nash, honey, I know you said you weren’t interested in marriage, but I thought...”

He placed his hand against Eve’s cheek, suddenly feeling sorry for her. She leaned into his touch, shutting her eyes and then reopening them as she met his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Eve. I hate things turned out the way they did, but I can’t do this anymore.” He dropped his arm and turned to walk back into the restaurant, but flinched when a camera flash blinded him.

“Mr. Dupree...Mr. Dupree...Mr. Playboy Dupree. Is this your latest victim who you’re kicking to the curb?”

Damn. Nash ducked his head, put his arm up to block any additional photos and hurried back into the restaurant. This was the second time in the past couple of weeks that he’d been bombarded by some paparazzo mentioning him being a playboy. Now that he thought about it, Eve had been there then, too.

* * *

Hours later, Nash sat in the office at Platinum Pieces–Midtown, his first Atlanta nightclub. To get his mind off women, he was catching up on paperwork. He sifted through documents and reviewed report after report from his business managers, hoping to make a dent in the pile.

“Okay, boss, all the patrons are out and everything is locked up,” the club’s manager said from the doorway. “We’re going to head out. You coming?”

Nash glanced at his watch, noting the late hour, and then glanced at the short stack of file folders on his desk. “Nah, I have about an hour of work left. You guys go ahead and I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

His manager hesitated. Tall and burly, he looked more like a wrestler than a club manager. “I can stick around for another hour. Just holler when you’re ready to leave.”

Since one of the female servers had been mugged late one night when leaving the club, Nash had instituted a policy: no one, regardless of gender or age, left the building alone after closing time. While spending most of his days and evenings at the new location, he’d temporarily forgotten the rule. Nash wasn’t too concerned about his safety. The club, located in Midtown Atlanta, had good exterior lighting. Growing up in Compton, California, he had learned at an early age how to take care of himself, but he didn’t want to be the one to start breaking rules.

“Actually, give me fifteen minutes to wrap things up.”

Nash should have been done with his paperwork hours ago, but his mind kept drifting to Tania—and Iris. This couldn’t have been a worse time for Tania to get into trouble, not that there ever was a good time. Nash was swamped with getting the new club and restaurant open, and the last thing he needed was to be worrying about her at juvenile detention. And then there was her lawyer. Iris. Even her name was sexy. How was a man to concentrate when visions of her took up so much space in his mind?

Always a sucker for a beautiful woman, he couldn’t help but wonder about the alluring defense attorney. Meeting her earlier at her office and then seeing her again at the restaurant was like experiencing two different women. One minute he was dealing with a reserved attorney and the next, a voluptuous babe.

That’s how Nash envisioned the lovely Iris Sinclair—a stuffy professional by day, fighting for her young clients, and a sex goddess at night, taming her man with her lasso of truth before wearing his ass out. Oh, yeah. Nash grinned at the thought. He leaned back in his seat, swiveling his chair back and forth, enjoying the mental visual until his cell phone rang.

Unknown caller. He started to let the call go to voice mail, but thought better of it, in light of Tania’s being in detention.

“Hello.” He adjusted the single-lightbulb desk lamp away from his face.

“Hi, Nash.”

Nash dropped his shoulders and let his head fall back against the leather headrest of the office chair. Why me?

“Eve, why are you calling? Especially this time of night?” What was it going to take to get her to move on?

“I couldn’t sleep and knew you were probably up working. I was thinking that maybe you could stop by and put me to sleep like you used to.”

“Eve, the days of me stopping by your place, for any reason, are over. You have to figure out a way to move on. I have.”

“How can you say that, Nash? We dated for eight months and now you’re saying it meant nothing to you.”

“I’m not saying that at all. Eve, you knew going in that I didn’t want anything serious.” Nash felt like a broken record. They’d had the same conversation for the past few weeks and he didn’t know what else to say to make her understand.

“I know what you said, but we had something special. You can’t tell me that the sex wasn’t good.”

Nash would admit it had been good at first. She was an attractive, sexy woman who had a wild, adventurous side. It was everything else about her that he couldn’t deal with. Her jealousy and accusing him of seeing other women was a huge turn-off. Until she came along, he hadn’t dated exclusively since Audrey. Two months into dating her and he remembered why. She constantly complained about him not spending enough time with her and she showed up at his place of business demanding his attention. That was enough to drive a sane man crazy. The last straw had been when she talked about them getting married and alluded to sending Tania to a boarding school. Now that’s never going to happen.

“Eve, you and I are over. Besides, if I remember correctly, we only were dating for four months, and eighty percent of that time was me dealing with your childish behavior and your insecurities.”

“I can change,” she said, her high-pitched whine grating on his nerves.

Even if she could, he wasn’t interested. He wasn’t looking for anything serious with any woman, especially someone like Eve.

“You might be able to change, but I’ve moved on, and I suggest you do the same.”

A beat passed before she spoke. “If you think you can use me until you’ve had enough and then kick me to the curb, you have another think coming. We’re not over until I say we’re over,” she screamed.

Nash cursed under his breath. “Eve.” When she didn’t respond, he called out to her again before he realized she had hung up. Damn. Please don’t tell me I have a psycho on my hands.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Tania Dupree sauntered into the small meeting room at the detention center. She wore a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of worn, fitted jeans, looking as if this was just another ordinary day. She hugged her uncle and then moved around him to get to Iris.

“Hi, Attorney Sinclair. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for coming.”

Iris shook her hand, pleased with Tania’s manners and assuredness. This young lady oozed poise and self-confidence, so unlike Iris when she was that age. Tall and thin, Tania, like most teenagers, suffered from a mild case of acne over her caramel complexion. She had an easygoing demeanor, but her hazel eyes assessed everything and took it in.

“I didn’t think you would come,” Tania said, “but I knew that if anyone could convince you, it would be my uncle.” She glanced at Nash, giving him a crooked grin.

Iris didn’t bother telling her that, though her uncle’s persistence played a small part, it was mainly Iris’s curiosity about Tania, and just maybe, her desire to see Nash again that was the deciding factor.

Iris gestured for her to have a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Tania, why don’t you explain to me why you were willing to spend the night in detention when you didn’t have to, and why you insisted on seeing me.”

“I’d like to hire you.”

Iris was a little taken aback by her take-charge attitude, and stole a glance at Nash, who didn’t appear surprised at all.

“Someone is trying to frame me. I have never done drugs and have no interest in starting now. And I definitely had no intent of selling or delivering marijuana like the officer accused. I know the State of Georgia has a low tolerance for people who have anything to do with drugs, and the penalties for possession of more than an ounce is a felony and can get you one to ten years. The amount of weed on me was less than an ounce, but it wasn’t mine and I need your help in proving it.”

Iris sat back, stunned but impressed. She glanced at Nash, who just shook his head and shrugged.

“That’s why I need you as my lawyer. I saw you on the talk show Atlanta Right Now a few months ago. You had a cool, dark gray pinstriped suit on, with a pair of fly gray shoes that had a strap around the ankle. I was like...” She stopped and shook her head. “Anyway, you mentioned that most of your clients are my age and I got the feeling that you really cared about them.”

“You’re right.” Iris smiled, amused by the young woman’s recap of her attire and pleased with her insight. “I care very much about my clients and do everything I can to prove their innocence.”

“Cool,” Tania said and grinned.

Iris pulled a file out of her briefcase and laid it on the table. “Since I’ll be representing you...” She let the rest of her statement hang out there for a moment, and didn’t miss the pleased look on Nash’s face. “Let’s talk about what you can expect when we go before the judge. Based on what you and your uncle told me, I assume you’re pleading not guilty.”

Tania nodded.

“Though you had a run-in with the law a few months ago, and caused all types of drama here yesterday—” Iris raised an eyebrow at Tania “―I think the judge will go easy on you.”

“Why won’t this go to trial? I want to prove that someone planted those drugs on me.”

Iris studied her for a moment. “Tania, do you know where the drugs came from? Do you know who might have planted them on you?”

Tania hesitated. “No, but I want to find out. I plan to start my own investigation into the matter once I’m out of here.”

“Hold up,” Nash said in that deep voice that made Iris want him to never stop talking. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but don’t think about doing something crazy. I don’t want you confronting anyone, or worse, accusing someone. You’re in enough trouble as it is, and I’m not planning on going through this nonsense again. If you end up in jail, I’m going to insist they keep you.”

Iris explained the best-and worst-case scenarios to prepare Tania and Nash before they faced the judge. “The police officer you gave a hard time to yesterday referred the case to juvenile court. When we go in for the arraignment hearing, you’ll enter a plea agreement and the judge will probably place you on probation, recommend some type of counseling or have you perform community service. I will inform the judge that this is your first offense and request that the charges be dropped. Since they found less than an ounce of marijuana on you, this is considered a misdemeanor. Hopefully you’ll receive no more than probation and possibly a small fine.”

“I know twenty percent of the cases referred are usually dismissed or handled informally. What if this case has to go through formal proceedings? Will you still represent me if it goes to trial?”

Again, Iris just stared at her young client. “Are they teaching law in high school these days?”

A shy smile reached Tania’s lips. “Nah, I read a lot about women in law and I plan to be a defense attorney like you someday.”

Iris’s heart melted. “Wow, I don’t know what to say.”

“If you keep getting into trouble, you can forget it,” Nash said to Tania. “How are you going to get into law school if you’re sitting in a jail cell somewhere?”

Tania tilted her head. “Uncle Nash, I said I was sorry. This won’t happen again, so you don’t have to keep using the jail threat.”

An officer opened the door and stuck his head in. “Attorney Sinclair, the judge is ready to meet with you and your client.”

“Thank you,” Iris said and gathered her notes, placing them in her briefcase. She looked at Tania. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“After you.” Iris directed Tania to the door.

“Do you see what I have to go through?” Nash mumbled close to Iris’s ear, causing goose bumps to skitter down her back. She wondered what it would be like to wake up to that deep, hypnotic voice every morning. Her steps faltered when she tried to shake her wayward thoughts free.

“You okay?” Nash asked, placing his hand on her elbow to help steady her.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She discreetly moved her arm out of his grasp and walked beside Tania. Nash followed close behind. She couldn’t wait for this hearing to be over so that she could get away from the likes of Nash Dupree, and the lustful thoughts that plagued her mind whenever he was around.

* * *

Nash watched Iris in action. She looked stylish yet professional in a black pinstriped skirt suit with a white button-down blouse opened at the neck and pearls. From his vantage point, a bench right behind her and Tania, the skirt accentuated her shapely derriere, making it almost impossible for him to pay attention. After ending his relationship with Eve a few months ago, he had vowed to stay clear of women and focus on his businesses, but Iris made that hard to do. She intrigued him and he wanted to get to know the sexy vixen who hid behind business suits and seemed to have a shy side about her.

“Excuse me, Your Honor?” he heard Iris say, her voice suddenly strained. Nash sat up straighter, wondering what he had missed.

“I said I think it’s in the best interest of this child if she’s removed from her uncle’s home until after the review hearing,” the judge said.

“Now, wait a minute!” Nash sprang from his seat. “There is no way in hell I’m letting you or anyone else take her from me.”

“Have a seat, Mr. Dupree, before I have you removed from these proceedings,” the judge said in the same monotone voice.

“No! I can’t have a seat when you’re talking about taking my—”

“You’ve been warned, Mr. Dupree. Please have a seat.”

Panic rioted within Nash like a volcano on the verge of erupting. There was no way he could sit back and let them take Tania from him. She was his everything. He yanked on his designer tie, loosening it while the room seemed to close in around him and his breath solidified in his throat. What in the hell had happened? This arraignment hearing was supposed to be just a formality.

When Tania was born, his twin brother and his sister-in-law chose him to be Tania’s godfather, asking him to be her caretaker if anything should ever happen to them. He would never forget the way his heart swelled when he’d first laid eyes on her. The miracle of life overwhelmed him and he knew at that moment there was nothing he wouldn’t do for that little girl. But when he’d agreed to be her godfather, he had no idea six years later her parents would be killed during a tsunami in Japan.

It’d been nine years and his chest still tightened whenever he thought about his brother. Not only had he lost his twin, who was also his best friend, but he had to try and explain to a little six-year-old why her parents were never coming back. Now this judge was threatening to take the one constant in his life and the only family he had left away from him? They might as well lock him up now because there was no way he’d sit by and watch them take her, especially not without a fight.

“Your Honor,” Iris chimed in. “With all due respect, I don’t think it’s a good idea to remove my client from her home. She’s a good kid and I have gotten to know both her and her uncle and I can see that Mr. Dupree loves this young lady more than anything. He’s given her a good home and the best edu—”

“I don’t doubt Mr. Dupree loves her, Counselor, but I don’t see where he’s giving her the type of attention she apparently needs,” the judge explained, as if Nash weren’t sitting there. The more Nash heard, the angrier he became. “It’s clear that Tania is an intelligent young lady, but the trouble she’s been getting into lately tells me that something is missing in her life, and I think that something is attention and order.”

The three of them listened as the judge gave Tania a stern lecture about her past social behavior, as well as his concern about this last incident and the direction she was heading. When he was done with Tania, he started in on Nash. He commented on the type of lifestyle Nash lived and how he paraded around with numerous women.

“Over the next three months, I want both Mr. Dupree and this young lady to go through counseling—first individually, and then as a family. We’ll schedule the first review hearing for six weeks. Once I get reports back from the therapist, as well as the assigned probationary officer, I’ll decide if further disciplinary actions are needed.”

“Your Honor.” Iris took a long breath before continuing. “Where are you proposing Tania stay during this time?”

“She can stay with a dependable relative, or we can contact Family Services.”

“No!” Iris, Nash and Tania said in unison.

“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” Iris spoke up, and wrapped her arm around Tania’s shoulder when Tania started to cry. “As a person who has personally lived in one foster home after another, I don’t think placing Tania in a foster home is in her best interest. Mr. Dupree is all the family she has and they are good together.”

“Well, what would you suggest we do with her, Attorney Sinclair?”

Iris bit her bottom lip and glanced at Tania, then back at Nash before returning her attention to the judge. “She can stay with me.”

A tense silence filled the small room. Shock wasn’t a strong enough word to express what Nash felt at Iris’s proposed solution. He had seen how quickly she and his niece bonded before going into court, but he couldn’t believe what she was volunteering to do. There was no way he could object because at the moment he had no other ideas. Even if he had, one more outburst might very well land him in jail.

“This is an unusual request, Counselor.” The judge ran his hands over his thinning gray hair, then removed his eyeglasses. He gnawed on the temple tip in deep thought, looking from Iris to Tania and stealing a glance at Nash. “But...I’ll allow it. Actually, I think you might be good for this young lady.”

* * *

What was I thinking, agreeing to become Tania’s temporary guardian? Iris thought after the judge dismissed the court, placing her cell phone back into her briefcase. No, she knew exactly what she was thinking. She didn’t want to see Tania go from foster home to foster home the way she had after her mother was killed. At fourteen, Iris had been angry at the world. Though academically smart, she wanted nothing to do with school and had skipped a large chunk of her freshman year of high school. Thank God she had finally ended up with Mama Adel, her last foster mother and the one woman who made a difference in Iris’s life.

Iris released a shaky breath and planned her next move. She made a quick call to her office and talked with Noelle. The judge had agreed that it was probably best that another attorney from Iris’s firm oversee Tania’s case going forward and, after hearing what happened, Noelle gladly agreed to take over.

Iris glanced at Nash and Tania, huddled together at the end of the courthouse hall. She didn’t have a clue how to care for a child, especially a fifteen-year-old girl, who, according to her uncle, was a borderline genius. All Iris knew was that she couldn’t let Tania end up in foster care.

“Thank you,” Nash said to Iris when she approached him and Tania. Nash had his arms around Tania and Iris couldn’t tell who was comforting whom. This couldn’t be easy for either of them. According to Nash, he had had custody of Tania since she was six years old and he was all she had.

A strong desire to be wrapped within Nash’s arms herself came over Iris and it took all she had to maintain some distance. What the heck was wrong with her? Each time she looked at him, her stomach did somersaults and she couldn’t understand—why him? She was about to take on one of the biggest challenges she had ever faced, and here she was fantasizing about being in his strong arms. It didn’t help that she was seeing a softer, more compassionate side of him that she hadn’t seen the day before.

“Tania, sweetheart, have a seat over there.” Nash pointed toward a bench ten feet away. “I want to talk with Attorney Sinclair for a moment,” he said, kissing the top of Tania’s head before releasing her.

“Thanks for doing this,” Tania said and wrapped her skinny arms around Iris’s waist.

Iris hugged her back, getting emotional at the gratitude she felt with Tania’s simple gesture. “It’s my pleasure.”

When Tania stepped away, Nash moved closer and Iris inhaled the fresh Irish Spring soap scent that clung to him, making her want to move closer to get a better whiff. God, he smells good.

“You shocked me in there,” he said quietly and released a ragged breath.

Taller than most women and the average guy, Iris wasn’t used to being near a man who towered over her, but she loved how feminine it made her feel. She looked up and into Nash’s eyes. She saw something in him that was much different from the man she’d met yesterday, who had been confident, in control and, at one point, downright arrogant. Now, with haggard eyes, he looked like a man who had weathered a serious storm and who couldn’t seem to find the words to express what he was feeling.

“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you,” he said. “Had they taken my baby and put her in foster ca...” He rubbed his forehead, emotion flitting across his face before he cleared his throat and continued. “I probably would be in jail right now. You have no idea what you did for us in there and I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“I’m glad I could help.” Iris fidgeted under the heart-rending tenderness in his eyes. She still couldn’t believe she had agreed to be Tania’s guardian, but right now, seeing how grateful Nash was, she was glad she had volunteered. “The next few months are going to be interesting. I don’t have a clue as to how to take care of a teenager, especially one who is as sharp as Tania.”

Nash chuckled and it was the first time in the past couple of hours that she’d seen some semblance of the powerful man from the day before. “Well, according to the judge, I’m not the person to ask.” A moment later, he turned serious. “I have to tell you, I wanted to strangle that guy. He clearly has bought into all that crap the media have everyone believing. The judge didn’t know a damn thing about me and as far as I’m concerned, he based his decisions today on misinformation. I’m not the self-centered, skirt-chasing playboy the media make me out to be. That guy has no clue about the number of nights I have sat up with Tania when she was sick, or how I never missed a piano recital, a parent–teacher conference or her basketball games.”

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