Page 23 of Contention

His gaze is chilly, left hand casually resting on the wheel. “You’re right. Besides, you have that sad waif look about you right now, especially with those glasses. Not really compelling ‘lady of the night’ material. The comment was in bad taste.”

“What’s wrong with my glasses?!”

His mouth twists, his head tilting to the side slightly. “Nothing. You just look lost, is all.”

Trying to look down her nose at him imperiously, Kara grouses, “I’m not lost, but you need toget lost, like yesterday. Shoo, troll.” She flaps her free hand at him.

“What are you doing out here? I just saw you a few minutes ago in the garage.”

“Not that it’sanyof your business, but my car won’t start,” she utters, feeling her neck heat as she scans the street again, looking for an unoccupied cab. “No big fucking deal. You’ve gloated and laughed at my misfortune; isn’t that enough for one day? Or do you thrive on the misery of others? Is that a thing for you?”

There’s no options in the street. The cars are nearly bumper to bumper, snailing by. Kara mentally curses herself, because she knows better than this. Never get a cab during rush hour. It’s a battlefield.

“Do you want a ride?”

The hand she has in the air falls an inch, surprised.

Is he joking? He must be. Another laugh at her expense. “Are you mad?” Kara says in disbelief as her hand comes back to her side, useless. “Do you remember the last time we were in a motorized vehicle together? I may be hungover, but I’m not an idiot.”

He groans, running his hand over his face in a manner that bespeaks his aggravation with her. “Text Derrick and tell him you’re getting a ride home from me. Since you’re probably sleeping with the guy, I’m sure he’ll give me a thrashing if anything befalls you during a car ride.”

He’s absolutely foul. Not even his offers of help come without a verbal insult.

Furious, she snaps, “I told you already! I’m not sleeping-!” She lowers her voice then, realizing how that would sound to the bustling people walking on the sidewalk. “I’m not sleeping with him. I told you already; he’s happily married!”

Calais is fiddling with his stereo, dismissive of her reply. “Yeah, I’m still not convinced about you not sleeping your way to the top. You were terrible in court today, absolutely terrible. 10/10 would not recommend hiring you, sweetpea.”

The barb stings and Kara already feels awful about her showing today. He’s not wrong; if that performance gets around, she’ll not be high on the list for anyone to hire. “Everyone has their off days. I’m just having an off week, thanks to a certain asshole on a power trip.”

His face hardens. “Get in the car,” he drawls finally, an edge creeping into his tone.

She’s not standing here listening to this anymore. Kara turns to storm back to the building looming behind her, hissing, “The hell I will.”

Then, the sky above rumbles with thunder.

Oh, lord. Not again. Please, not tonight,Kara thinks in dismay, glancing upward in dread.

The first drop hits her glasses, splattering outward like broken glass. Then, the sky opens up and unloads. Not the kind of rain that can sort of soak a person after ten minutes of exposure. Nope. Not this.

This godforsaken deluge…

Kara can’t stop the shiver that runs up her spine, the chill so immediate. Her coat isn’t thick and it isn’t water proof. Hunching over her work tote, she mentally prays her documents are shielded from the assault of water pouring from the heavens.

No way she gets a cab in the middle of rush hour in a downpour; she’s had no luck already. She shifts to look behind her, back at the court building. She’ll have to wait it out. She lives too far to walk.

Calais must see her intent, because he leans over and pushes open the car door for her. “You want to walk in this downpour? Don’t be ridiculous.” He shouts it over the din of the rain. “I’m not letting a young girl sit out in this. Stop being stubborn, Kara.”

Her nerves are set aflame with…something. Kara looks at him sharply, confusion marring her features. He knows her name? Of course he does. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out. Still, hearing him say it makes her insides twist.

Steeling herself for her next action, Kara sneers mockingly, “What a gentleman.”

Inelegantly, she dives into the passenger seat, out of the pouring rain. He sits back immediately, giving her space to get comfortable. Awkwardly, Kara holds her large tote on her lap, wrapping her arms around it as if it will protect her from him.

The interior of the car smells like his cologne and the weight of it presses down on her, surrounding her. She huddles against the car door, leaning away from him the best she can. If Calais finds her actions amusing, he doesn’t comment.

He pulls out into traffic slowly. “Where am I going,” he asks finally, staring through the front window, flicking his wipers on.

Kara tells him an intersection about a block away from her building. No way she’s having him drop her off at home. She may be in his car, which is risky enough, but she doesn’t trust him a wit. He’s a predator and nothing is going to let her forget that.

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