Page 35 of The Sweetest Surrender

“We’ll keep it light,” Jordan said. “Perfect. Thank you.” Jordan sat the phone back on its base. “Come,” he closed the distance and reached for Selena’s hand, tightening his fingers with hers to pull Selena along. “You’ve yet to see the best room in the house.”

Affectionately, Selena slipped under his arm. They left the office and strolled down a hallway with more hardwood flooring. Picture frames sat along the tan interior wall like canvases in a museum. As they passed, Selena noticed a few familiar faces. Jordan’s brothers, sisters, and father were among some of them. Others were pictures of Jordan with businessmen; some at events where he’d been given a pro bono and public service award.

Selena’s steps paused. “How often are you assigned to a pro bono case,” she asked.

“Assigned?”

“Let me take that back, boss man.”

“It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Selena laughed. “The question is how often do you take on pro bono cases?”

“At Rose and Garnett, we’ve set a limit of twenty-five pro bono cases a year.”

Selena nodded as their steps continued down the corridor.

“Do you get a lot of requests for those type of cases?”

“Plenty.”

“Who decides which ones to take?”

“It varies on a case-by-case basis. First and foremost, we look at income. If the defendant is someone who could afford us without a problem, we reach out to them and allow them to hire us as their attorneys. If they can’t afford us, we look at the subject matter. Cases involving children get priority, then everything else. Rose and Garnet is a diverse firm. Our lawyers specialize in family law, corporate, civil rights, criminal, and entertainment law. It’s the number one reason our client list is the leading and most prominent in Chicago.

“Sounds like a one-stop shop.”

“Something like that,” he said.

They made a left and stepped into the master suite. Selena’s eyes lurched. The area was gigantic in size and looked like something out of a Better Homes and Garden magazine. Jordan released Selena’s hand as she moved slowly into the room, her feet sinking into the lavish carpet. She traveled over to the lounge area that boasted modern clean-lined furniture, another fireplace, luxury fixtures, tables, lamps and the like. Jordan flipped a switch, and instead of overhead lighting, sconces sat along the wall, illuminating the room with an iridescent glow. Selena’s mouth hung partly open as she took in the grandiosity of the room.

“Have mercy,” she said, planting her hands on her hips. She pivoted quickly on her heels. “Do you actually use this room?”

Jordan smirked. “Every day.”

Selena shook her head. “There’s no way you live here every day.”

Jordan folded his arms. “Why not?”

Selena took a finger and swiped the edges of a table. “There’s not a single speck of dust in here. Where are the shoes you left by the table, or the coffee mug sitting on the ring from this morning before you left to go to work, or the loads of paper you were going over from a case while being at home?” She paused. “I guess my real question is, where is your sign of life in this room?”

Jordan was thoughtful of Selena’s inquiry. “So, because I don’t have things sitting out of place, it looks like no one lives here?”

Selena backpedaled just a bit. “I don’t mean it should be messy, don’t get me wrong, but my goodness, there’s no sign that an actual person lives here.”

“I have a housekeeper,” he said. “She’s amazing.”

“She?”

Jordan nodded; the smirk on his face, unwavering. Selena was all for equal opportunity, but she didn’t want another female in his house. Selena didn’t care if she was sixty years old. Women didn’t stop flirting, functioning or having a sex life because they got older.

“Mmmm,” Selena said. She began to stroll again, walking through another door that opened the area even wider. A gasp left her lips, more floor to ceiling glass walls. Even the master bathroom was blocked by a glass partition. The drapery and design of the interior turned into a cozy sanctuary. The maroon and gold colors set a sexy atmosphere, and just when Selena didn’t think the room could be outdone, she spotted the showpiece. The bed.

Massive in size, Selena approached its colossal configuration. It was definitely fit for a king. Royalty even. The cherry oak wood arms stretched to the ceiling with a beautiful cherry oak headboard. Selena sank her hands into the mattress and realized she would literally have to jump just to get on top. A smile curved her lips, and she chuckled.

“The size of this thing is crazy!” Her mouth fell open. It wasn’t as if she’d never seen a king size bed before. But this was everything. There was a split-second when her mind ventured to the sexcapades they could get into on the platform. Just as she tried to shake them away, Jordan’s deep voice drawled behind her.

“You should get on top and see how it feels.”

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