LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER FIVE

      JUST AS HIS client was being led off to jail again, the billionaire said something ominous to Stone. “You’re playing a dangerous game here.”

      Stone automatically glanced over to the prosecution’s table. But Hillary was already gone. He turned toward the back of the court and caught just a glimpse of her bright blond hair as she slipped out into the hall. He wanted to chase after her, but members of the press, that Judge Harrison had banned from the proceedings, surrounded her now in the hall, shoving microphones in her beautiful face. And he wasn’t sure he could hide from the media how he felt about her now, how he wanted her.

      Then the doors swung shut again, and he lost sight of her and the reporters. And he was able to focus on his client again. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

      Byron Mueller tilted his head and reminded Stone, “You have a million reasons to do your best.”

      “I am...” Maybe not today in court. But last night...

      That had been his best. Well, it had felt the best. But he’d been quick and out of control. Had Hillary enjoyed it, too? She’d seemed to, but the minute it was over, she’d vowed it would never happen again. That it was a mistake.

      And given how distracted it had made him today, she was right. It had been a mistake. One that they could not repeat. Not that she would want to repeat it. She was furious with him for bringing her bra to court.

      Maybe Byron was right. Maybe he was playing a dangerous game. Stone would be lucky if she only went after him in court. And she had gone after him today. She hadn’t brought up the alibi yet, but she’d used other witnesses to paint Mueller’s short marriage as a contentious one.

      Stone had seen the concern on his client’s face. No wonder Byron uttered that warning as the guards led him from the courtroom. He didn’t want to go to prison for a crime he had not committed.

      But Stone was not going to allow that to happen. Hillary Bellows hadn’t beaten him in court yet, and she was damn well not going to beat him this time, either. And beating her again was more incentive than even the million-dollar bonus that Mueller had offered him if they won.

      Hillary could not find out about that bonus. She would think that Mueller was just trying to buy his way out of trouble. She had already convinced the judge to deny bail, because she’d argued that Mueller would use his billions to elude justice if he was allowed out before the trial.

      Despite Stone’s arguments to refute her claims, bail had been denied. But Stone didn’t count that as a win for Hillary. Judge Harrison rarely granted bail to anyone, so it was no surprise that he’d denied it to a billionaire. He wouldn’t have wanted to be accused of bias or being bribed.

      But he was actually biased against Stone’s client, and he was probably biased against Stone as well. As the judge was leaving the courtroom, he’d sent Stone a warning, too. It had been silent—just a glare as he’d walked away.

      The courtroom was almost empty now with the day over, but Stone hesitated before closing his briefcase and taking it from the defense table. Instead, he reached into the open case, pushed aside a folder and fingered the lace of Hillary’s nude bra. It was nothing like her skin, like her breasts.

      He wanted to feel her again. But that wasn’t going to happen. He doubted he’d be seeing her again anytime soon outside of court. She would probably make certain of that.

      But he had another woman he needed to see, one he’d already stood up in order to talk to Hillary the night before. He needed to meet with Allison McCann. The publicist was beautiful but she didn’t excite him like Hillary Bellows did. He’d never been attracted to her like he was to the curvy blond assistant district attorney. Of course, Allison McCann was all business.