with a barrister’s wig covering her silky blond hair, she still looked beautiful—flawless creamy skin, her full-lipped sensuous mouth painted a glossy red, a fine aristocratic nose breathing fire while her big grey eyes smoked with angry frustration.
‘Where have you been?’ she demanded.
Not at her beck and call any more.
He raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘Out. Is your client ready to settle?’
‘She’s ready to deal.’
‘The only deal on the table is what I nominated from the beginning.’
‘She won’t come at that.’
‘Then I’ll see you both in court.’
Harriet reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his robe, halting him. ‘This is blackmail, Mitch.’
‘No. It’s exposure.’
Which was what Gary Chappel deserved, too.
Though it probably wouldn’t work out that way.
Better to hold the sword over his head if the aim was to keep everyone free of trouble.
‘You’re painting this black and white, not accepting any greys. And there are greys,’ Harriet insisted vehemently.
‘Then prove it to the jury.’
‘You know damned well you’ve got their sympathy.’
‘I wonder why.’
With that mocking retort he pulled his robe free of her grasp and headed into the courtroom, prepared to fight on but suspecting he wouldn’t have to. That little contretemps had sounded like a last-ditch effort to get him to bend a little, win something for her client, which, of course, would be a face-saving exercise for Harriet. Total defeat didn’t sit well with her. Never would. Greys suited her better.
No sooner was everyone settled in the courtroom than Harriet made the request to approach the bench. In very short order, Mitch was informed that Harriet’s client had conceded and full settlement was agreed upon. The case was over, bar the paperwork.
Normally Mitch would have felt enormously gratified by this result but he found himself impatient with having to tie up all the ends, deal with the media, and see his client off with the courtesy due to her. This fight had been won. Gary Chappel was now in the antagonist’s corner and Mitch’s mind was already occupied with the fight ahead.
Kathryn Ledger was no more than a name and a voice to him. He thought of her only as a source, bringing him the ammunition he’d use to attack. That she was also a woman held no relevance at all until he entered his private office and came face-to-face with her.
CHAPTER TWO
IT WAS like a bolt of electric energy charging into the room. Kathryn felt as though she’d been zapped off the chair she’d been sitting on, her body lifting onto her feet, straightening up, instinctively meeting the force of the man head on, while staring at him in wide-eyed shock.
This was Mitch Tyler?
A barrister?
She’d always thought of barristers as rather lofty and effete academics in fusty wigs, full of their own self-importance. Yet here she was, faced with a dynamic entity who literally bristled with masculinity, so much so her knees felt weak. And her heart was fluttering.
Tall, dark and handsome, but not like Ric Donato. Not like Ric at all. Any woman would call her boss drop-dead gorgeous, but this man didn’t come out of any romantic mould. Power was the only word that came to Kathryn’s dazed mind. He had a strong square jaw, very firmly delineated mouth, a sharp triangular shaped nose, straight black brows, and beneath them, stunning blue eyes that burned straight into Kathryn’s like twin lasers, totally transfixing her.
She stared at him and he stared right back at her. Kathryn couldn’t gather wits enough to say a word. The mutual stare went on so long, she began to wonder if he doubted her identity, though surely his clerk would have told him she was waiting in here where he’d told her to wait.
Mitch was thinking Ric must be mad. He had this woman right under his nose and he ran off with someone else?
She was like Tinkerbell…magic…a pixie face with those wonderful green eyes and the gamine hairstyle, like a flyaway cap of burnished copper, a lovely pouty mouth that was made for kissing, an hourglass figure poured into a curve-hugging green suit, the skirt delectably short enough to show off long, shapely legs…how could Ric be immune to such gut-tugging femininity? Mitch was struggling to remember this was a professional visit.
‘Mr Tyler…?’
Her voice sounded husky, uncertain…and incredibly sexy.
‘Mitch,’ he said forcefully, deciding Kathryn Ledger was not his client and he didn’t have to keep a professional distance. She was here on Ric’s behalf. And Lara Chappel’s. He propelled himself forward, offering his hand. ‘Good to meet you, Kathryn.’ Lovely name. Rolled off his tongue as though he’d been saying it for centuries.
‘Mitch,’ she repeated, looking at him wonderingly as her hand slipped into his.
The top of her head only came up to his chin so her face was tilted up. There were sparkly gold specks around the rim of her green irises like an explosion of fireworks. Her mouth was still slightly parted from having spoken his name and Mitch had to fight the urge to bend down and taste it. Her hand was soft, dainty, and he hung onto it because it was the only touch he could sensibly allow himself at this point. They’d barely met.
‘No trouble coming here?’ he asked, pushing his mind to get back on track—the whole purpose of her presence in his office.
‘No. Thank you for the escorts.’ A swift little smile. ‘They certainly made me feel safe.’
‘Good!’ He smiled back, feeling a wild joy in having protected this woman. And he’d go on protecting her, whatever it took. ‘You’ve brought the photo?’
‘Yes. In my bag.’
She nodded to a many-zippered beige handbag resting by the chair she’d been sitting on. Mitch reluctantly released her hand, freeing her to get the critical photo for him. Losing the physical link made him realise how possessive he was feeling toward Kathryn Ledger—amazingly so. He couldn’t recall any other woman ever having such an impact on him.
He watched her lift the bag onto his desk as he mentally examined the primitive instincts she stirred. Control was second nature to him. Only once in his life had he completely lost it, wanting to beat Jenny’s rapist to a pulp, and he might well have done so if he hadn’t been forcibly restrained.
Control the anger and channel the energy into more effective strategies, Patrick had advised. But this…what he was feeling now with Kathryn Ledger…was completely outside Mitch’s experience and he couldn’t find any control mechanisms for it. His entire body seemed to be buzzing with excitement.
Her left hand moved to open a zipper on the bag. It was like a punch in the heart, seeing the ring on her third finger. A ring with a flashy solitaire diamond. An engagement ring!
She was taken.
Another man had already claimed her as his.
Anger smashed through the shock. It wasn’t right. It couldn’t be right. He’d fight to…
No!
Mitch shook his head clear of the crazy surge of testosterone, enforcing reason. Kathryn Ledger had willingly given herself to someone else. Someone she obviously wanted to marry. Her choice was made. And, of course, Ric had respected it. She wasn’t available to him any more than she was available to Mitch.
Checkmate!
He had to back off.
Never mind that it felt wrong.
She had come to him for help.