Page 9 of Already At Risk
“Wait, Cam.” Juniper snapped out of the longing look she was giving her husband to stop me. And because it was Juniper, I paused my movements and waited like she asked. Wouldn’t have done it for Julian, but I’d do it for Juni.
“I just…” Juniper pursed her lips in thought. “Youcouldhand off her case to someone else.”
Oh, I know, Juniper.I was very aware that I could do that. I’d definitelyconsidereddoing that. I’dofferedto do that. But Natalie hadn’t taken me up on it, and considering Daphne had made it clear she was counting on me to handle this case, I didn’t push it.
“So you don’t have to worry about…professional boundaries,” Juniper added, and internally, I sighed. She had no fucking idea how much I was going to struggle maintaining professional boundaries with Natalie London. No idea how I’d memorized the sound of her breathy gasps, the way they felt against my skin, how my lips felt pressed to her racing pulse, the intoxicating and heady scent of her perfume, so sweet, a touch of vanilla combined with something else I couldn’t put my finger on. I’d been ready to let her ruin me that night, ready to give her everything I owned just for a taste of her lips.
I’dstillgive her everything I owned for a taste of her lips.
So yeah, I was fucked.
Externally, I choked on a laugh and said, “Professional boundaries, Juni? I don’t know if you can really talk to me about that. What you two are doing in here when the door is closed is not something I want to know.”
I looked around their office, at Juniper’s side filled with trinkets: plants with names I couldn’t pronounce and photos in bright frames and a colorful arrangement of pens and office supplies. All very innocent-looking, like a third-grade teacher’s desk instead of a lawyer’s, except I knew half the books she had stashed up on her top shelf were the opposite of innocent, considering I borrowed them sometimes.
And then I turned to look at Julian, finding him with a ridiculous smirk, his auburn hair rumpled, and the slightest hint of red on his normally pale complexion. Was he…blushing?
Jesus Christ, what had these two just done.
“Just remember you encouraged this,” he said with a shrug and then kicked his feet up onto the corner of his desk.
He wasn’t wrong about that. I totally told him to get his head out of his ass where Juniper was involved.
“Well, it wasn’t like it was anymoreprofessional when the two of you couldn’t get through a meeting without insulting each other. Even if I now realize that was your own personal brand of flirting.”
Juniper sighed. “This isn’t about us. This is about you and Natalie London. From what Gemma tells me, she could use a nice guy like you, Cam.” Juniper poked me in the chest like that would help get her point across. “Maybe let someone else be her lawyer, and ask that intelligent, hardworking woman on a date.”
Julian just shrugged his support of the idea, but I shook my head.
“I don’t think Natalie London wants me to ask her out on a date, Juni. She just wants a guy who is going to crush her ex-husband in court. Which is something I’d personally really like to do.”
If dating Natalie wasn’t an option, I’d take being her lawyer as a close second. I really did want to help her. Based on the emails she sent me alone, her ex was clearly a narcissistic asshole, just as the Londons had described, and I already fucking hated him. Especially because I wondered ifhewas to blame for the switch in Natalie’s mood that night, the reason her confidence had morphed, and suddenly, there’d been anxiety in Natalie’s eyes when I’d pulled back to look at her. She’d seemed so sure of herself, and then it had disintegrated in front of my eyes. I didn’t like that a woman as assertive and perfect as Natalie could lose even a tiny bit of her shine because of something a man did.
Possiblydid, but still. I had my theories.
“Okay, I’m here for that, too,” Juniper conceded with a nod. Seeming happy enough with my answer, she turned back to her desk and closed the cupboard above it that housed her secret little library. Then she smoothed her polka-dotted skirt and seated herself primly in her desk chair.
Julian, on the other hand, was looking at me with scrutiny. Like he’d caught the hint of possessiveness in my statement.
Yeah, so what ifIwanted to be the one to tell Korey Abrams to fuck off in the courtroom? In legal terms, of course.
“Sounds kinda like you’d like to crush her ex outside of court, too,” Julian murmured. “Wonder why that is.”
“Because he’s an ass,” I said succinctly.
Better to keep it at that.
God, I wouldn’t mind landing a punch to his face.
“Mhm,” Julian hummed but then kicked his feet off his desk and turned back toward it. “Don’t get me wrong, Cam. I’m here for it. Just…you know. Be careful.”
His words weighed heavy. There was a lot to be careful about in our line of work. We held people’s futures in our hands, and I was well aware I needed to be levelheaded enough to be able to pull through for Natalie. I also had my own career to consider, and Julian knew how close I was to climbing up the ladder.
But I was careful. I always was. I kept my head down, worked hard, and got things done. And this would be no different.
“Always am,” I said solemnly, and Julian nodded with acknowledgment. Because he knew it was true.
“Is Collins still coming this week?” Julian asked, switching the topic of conversation now that we’d sorted through that.
