Page 60 of Legal Attraction

“Fine. You’re right. I just don’t know if we’re gonna learn anything from them.”

“Oh oh, look, they’re moving to the perfect spot!” She started walking toward the group of five all huddled together with their backs to Coral and Rand. They have moved to a lower balcony, just off the dance floor.

Coral hurried to stand right above them. The music was behind them, faded. The ocean was calm. The air was still. And everything the group said was floating up to them as clear as if they were standing right next to them.

Rand pulled Coral to him in an embrace. “Steady, this is our cover. We’re out here to make out.”

She snuggled into him. “We do get to make out though, right? Some time tonight?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Stefan gripped the bar. “We are not any closer than we were four months ago. We have no proof. Nothing we can use in court.”

“But we will. Be patient.” Fannie Mae clucked. “But you’re not gonna learn anything from these two new attorneys they sent us.”

Coral frowned.

“They’re good attorneys though. They’ll do their job. And we need that too, don’t forget.” Juliet looked out at the bridge to their side.

“But we need the proof to put an end to the attacks. They aren’t going to stop, not until someone stops them. I hear there was a scare in Coral’s Island.”

Coral nearly gasped out loud which would have ruined everything.

Rand hugged her closer.

“Her father acted quickly and no one was harmed. But the people involved have ties to Othello. Goldstein must be stopped at all costs.”

Coral shook her head against Rand’s chest.

“We will keep at it. They’ll make a mistake. We’ll stop them. But now, that king’s daughter is here, out there on the dance floor, and from the looks of it, a partner from the firm is surprisingly close and most definitely trying to keep her trust. That looks like something to me. We owe it to her father to keep an eye on her.”

Coral pulled away, looking into Rand’s face in a way she hadn’t in a few days. Distrust marred the softness of her features.

He shook his head and reached for her hand but she pulled away, shaking her head. Then she hurried from the ballroom area. But he followed close behind.

They continued through the yacht, in and around people, until she was climbing down the ladder and he was following after. “Coral, please. Let’s talk.”

She kept moving until they were off the docks and moving toward his car. Only when they were right in front of it, did she turn around and with a fierceness he could only admire, blurt out, “Tell me. Tell me you are not dating me at the instruction of Goldstein.”

And then he hesitated.

The hurt in her face crumpled it. “You are?”

He held up his hands. “Coral. It is not like that. It’s not even what you’re asking. No. Come on. Get in the car. Let’s talk.”

She crossed her arms and leaned against the hood. “We can talk right here. And then I’ll decide if I want to head back in and ask to stay with Juliet or Fannie Mae.”

He breathed out a long breath as slowly as possible while he tried to collect his thoughts. “I’m going to tell you the exact truth, from the beginning. I promise.” He watched her, studied her face, tried to show her with his eyes that he was sincere.

She nodded.

“When you walked into The Palisades I was really impressed. You can ask Nico. He told me I wouldn’t have a chance with you. And I assumed he was right. But then we were together because neither of us had security detail and I wanted to step in to help you in case no one else was making sure you were safe.”

“Generous.”

“You sound sarcastic and maybe it sounds convenient, but it’s true. So you know what happened. And your response to that whole scary mess was very impressive to me. I told myself that even though you lived in the Mediterranean and we couldn’t date, I would try to find someone like you.”

“You did?”

---