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Iris cocked her head. “What is this, Stroke Iris’s Ego Day?”
Noelle stood and tugged on her tiny skirt. “It should be. You have been winning cases left and right. With the victory today, the phones will be ringing off the hook with parents who have teens in trouble, or nonprofit youth organizations vying for your volunteer services. Mercy Youth Community Center won’t be the only agency begging for your time and expertise.” She stopped at the door and turned to Iris. “Oh, and Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome will be here shortly. You might want to check your hair and freshen up your makeup.”
Yeah, whatever.
Iris glanced at her watch. It was going on four o’clock. Even if she were able to take on the case, by the time she heard Mr. Dupree out, it would be too late to go before a judge, which meant his niece might have to spend the night in juvenile detention. It also meant Iris might be late meeting with her sisters for dinner, and she would never hear the end of how she always put work before them.
“Iris,” her assistant said from the doorway before walking farther into the office. “Mr. Dupree is waiting for you in conference room B. Also, I talked with Mahone Construction this afternoon and put the information you requested inside your to-be-read file on your computer.”
“Melissa, you’re the best,” Iris said to the short, thin woman whom she couldn’t imagine her life without. Melissa had been with her for the past three years and she was Iris’s right arm, keeping her professional life organized and her personal life drama-free. She was the person who helped maintain what little sanity Iris had left. “If I’m not out of this meeting by five o’clock—”
“I’ll come a-knocking.” Melissa smiled and strolled out of the office.
Iris gathered the file, a notepad and her favorite pen. She would hear Mr. Dupree out, but let him know that she would have to assign someone else to his case. She moved to the door, but stopped. It wasn’t every day she had the opportunity to meet someone like the sexy Nash Dupree. She doubled back to her desk and whipped out the mirrored compact from her purse, checked her makeup and freshened her lipstick. She might as well look her best when she broke the news to him.
Iris walked into the conference room, intending to greet Nash Dupree and promptly refer him to another attorney, but a deep, baritone voice halted her the moment she stepped across the threshold. She quickly glanced around the room, thinking that Barry White himself had to be there, but he wasn’t. Instead, standing on the other side of the room, talking on a cell phone, was a man whose voice made her toes curl. The deep, melodious tone was strong and intoxicating. She had always been a sucker for a man with a mysterious, sexy voice.
So this is Nash Dupree. Though his body was slightly angled toward the window, she couldn’t help but notice how his broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist and how his long legs seemed to go on forever. Tall for a woman, Iris didn’t often come in contact with men she had to look up to, literally. With one hand holding his cell phone and the other stuffed casually into his pants pocket, he appeared confident and relaxed, despite his family’s recent legal issues.
“Alright, I guess it has to be this evening. Just let me know where,” Nash said to the caller. He turned away from the window, but was looking down and hadn’t noticed her.
Iris took in his honey-brown complexion, black wavy hair cropped close to his head, and his perfect body. The magazine photos and the few times that she’d seen him on TV hadn’t done him justice. He looked every bit the powerful man that the media portrayed him to be. As for the playboy reputation he had garnered in the tabloids, she could see why women threw themselves at him. He oozed virility and wealth.
Ogling him from across the room felt unprofessional, but she couldn’t help herself. Spending most of her days in her office or in a courtroom hadn’t allowed her much opportunity to socialize, especially with someone who looked like Nash Dupree.
“Oh, wait, can you also let...” Nash started, but stopped when he looked up and spotted Iris. For a moment, all he did was hold the phone and stare at her. His gaze slowly traveled over her from the top of her head down to her three-inch navy blue pumps and then back up to her eyes. A small smile lifted the left corner of his tempting mouth and Iris’s pulse quickened at the effect that his smile had on her. “Uh, Nigel, let me call you back.”
Nash disconnected the call and placed his cell phone in an inside pocket of his suit jacket without breaking eye contact. The optimism Iris had in her ability to assign Nash Dupree to another attorney was slowly slipping away. Her breath caught as he moved smoothly across the plush room with the swagger of a self-assured, influential man who was used to getting what he wanted.
Good Lord, this brother is fine.
“Hello, sorry about that,” he said in that rich voice and extended his hand. “I’m Nash Dupree.”
Iris self-consciously ran her sweaty palm down her skirt and cleared her throat before shaking his hand. “Iris Sinclair. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
Okay, just stay cool, Iris told herself. She smiled and eased her hand out of his grip before stepping over to the conference table and setting her notepad down. Despite her professional success, she had never been very comfortable around good-looking men, especially men who openly checked her out, the way Nash was doing now. Men like him rarely looked at her the way he was doing.
“Please have a seat.” She gestured for him to sit in the high-back leather chair to her left. “I understand your niece has gotten herself into a little trouble.”
“Yes, you could say that.” Nash unbuttoned his suit jacket and waited until she was seated at the head of the table before taking his seat. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a photo, sliding it across the table to Iris. “That’s my niece, Tania Dupree. She’s an amazing young woman who is highly intelligent with musical skills that could rival Alicia Keys, and she has the stubbornness of a mule. She’s the love of my life, and the bane of my existence.”
Iris smiled. In the picture, Tania wore her hair in micro-braids that easily flowed past her shoulders. Hazel eyes, similar to Nash’s, shined with a youthful glint, and Iris would bet her paycheck that the sweet smile gracing Tania’s lips got her whatever she wanted from her uncle.
Iris handed the photo back to Nash. “She’s beautiful.” Like her uncle, she wanted to say, but kept the thought to herself.
“Thank you,” Nash said quietly, staring at the photo.
“I can tell she means a lot to you.” Iris crossed her leg and turned her body toward him. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?” The least she could do was hear him out before assigning someone else to the case.
“Mr. Dupree?”
Nash’s head snapped up and he looked at her as if he had forgotten she was in the room. He stood and rubbed his hand over his head and down the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry. I, um, it’s been a helluva day.” He chuckled and Iris nodded her understanding, realizing for the first time since leaving court that the headache she’d been battling for the past couple of days had finally departed. “Anyway, I received a call a couple of hours ago that Tania had been arrested for drug possession. She and some of her classmates had a half day of school and were heading home when they were pulled over by a cop.”
“Why were they pulled over?”
“From what I understand, the kid driving the vehicle didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign.” Nash shoved his hand into his pants pocket, taking Iris’s attention from his sexy hazel eyes down to the front of his pants. She quickly diverted her attention. What the heck is wrong with me?
“The cop probably would’ve just issued a warning,” Nash continued, “but when one of the kids started smarting off, the officer made all them get out of the car.”
Nash roamed around the plush space. “I told Tania to stop hanging out with those kids. Associating with them had already gotten her into trouble at school. A few months ago, she was apprehended by the cops when one of the little thugs she was hanging out with stole a couple of candy bars from a convenience store.”
Nash stopped and slowly turned to Iris, releasing a loud sigh. “When Tania exited the car, she swung her backpack onto her shoulder and a bag of marijuana fell to the ground. Supposedly it came from her bag. Needless to say, all the kids claim they knew nothing about it and they all were taken into custody.”
“What did Tania say when you asked about the drugs?”
Nash walked back over to the table, but didn’t reclaim his seat. “She said it wasn’t hers and had no idea how it made its way into her bag.”
Iris asked a few more questions, taking notes as he talked more about how he had transferred her to the best private school in Johns Creek, a suburb outside Atlanta. Tania had had her share of harmless trouble since arriving at the school, like putting a dead bird in one of her teachers’ desks and getting caught egging another student’s car.
“I can’t believe she’s been arrested for drug possession with the intent to sell. She’s too smart for that and has never shown any sign of drug use. I know that weed wasn’t hers.”
“So you believe her?”
“Without a doubt, but don’t get me wrong, I understand that the cops had to take her in. Having drugs in her possession doesn’t look good. The worst part is, the officers would have let her leave with me, but she was adamant about staying until she talked with a lawyer.” He let out a harsh laugh that lacked humor. “That girl became indignant with an officer because she didn’t like the way he automatically accused her. As if he didn’t have reason to doubt her damn story!”
He pounded the table with his fist and turned away. “I’m sorry,” he said when he turned back around. “This whole situation is like a bad dream.”
“I’m sure it is.” Iris could tell how much this was bothering him. “I assume they’re keeping her in detention until she goes before the judge.” That was more of a statement than a question. Georgia’s juvenile detention system didn’t care who your parents were. They didn’t tolerate unruly behavior. If a child was uncooperative, that often meant an automatic night in detention.
Nash nodded and folded his arms across his chest. “You have to understand, Attorney Sinclair—Tania is very headstrong, but she’s a good kid.”
“I don’t doubt that, Mr. Dupree.” Iris glanced at her notes and sighed. It would only take a few minutes to meet with Tania and then go before the judge and get an arraignment date set, but Iris had vowed not to take on another case until after her vacation. If she took this case, then there would be another, and yet another one after that. She would end up spending another year without taking any much-needed time off. She placed her pen on top of the notepad and leaned back in her seat, folding her hands on top of the table.
“Mr. Dupree, based on what you’ve told me, any one of our associates will be able to assist you and your niece. Not only will it save you money, it will—”
“I don’t give a damn about the money, Counselor!” Nash leaned on the table. His face was a glowering mask of anger, hovering only inches from hers. “I want my niece to have the best representation there is. Refusing to take the case is not an option.”
Iris bristled at his tone, the arrogance behind his words making her see red. She stood slowly, trying to contain the anger that suddenly bubbled within her. She pinned him with a level look, willing herself to remain calm. “With all due respect, Mr. Dupree, I’m not sure what you’re accustomed to, but I decide what cases I take on and I will not stand for you or anyone else telling me what I can or cannot do.”
Nash stood so close to her that she could smell his mint-scented breath against her face. His expression was unreadable, and his enticing lips were close enough to kiss. He glanced down at her mouth before he lifted his eyes to meet hers.
“But I want you.”
Chapter 2
Nash could feel the fuming heat emitting from Iris’s body. He didn’t mean to raise his voice, but after an exhausting day his patience had snapped. Looking down into the most intriguing brown eyes that he’d ever seen, he wanted nothing more than to reach out, pull the enchanting attorney into his arms and taste her tempting lips.
When she first walked into the room, he thought there was no way this Nubian goddess could be the defense attorney his niece had insisted on him hiring. He had been surprised when Tania gave him Iris Sinclair’s information, stating that she was the best. Despite the seriousness of Tania’s drug-possession charges, he couldn’t help but fantasize about all that he could do with the tall, curvy bombshell standing before him.
The old saying “the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice” had immediately come to mind. Her smooth, dark skin made him want to touch her face to see if it was as soft as it appeared.
Staring into exotic eyes that held so much fire...all that did was stoke the flames she had ignited within him when she first walked into the conference room. He couldn’t help but admire the way she was standing her ground, not even flinching at his tone despite the anger he could see brewing in her eyes. Iris glanced away and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length curly hair, pushing an unruly strand from her face before taking a drawn-out breath.
“Mr. Dupree, I’m flattered that you have chosen me to represent your niece, but right now I’m not taking on any new cases. Based on what you’ve told me, Tania sounds like a good kid. Since this is her first offense, all she’ll probably get is a hefty fine and a short probation, and she might have to endure a couple of court-ordered drug classes.” Iris gathered her notepad and pen. “She doesn’t need me. We have associates who are more than qualified to handle this type of case.”
“If I wanted just any lawyer to handle my niece’s case, I would’ve found someone else, but apparently you don’t understand, Attorney Sinclair. I don’t want just anyone. I want you.”
“We don’t always get what we want now, do we, Mr. Dupree?” she asked flatly. The look she gave him said she wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t give a damn about what he wanted.
Not accustomed to hearing the word no, Nash turned away and chuckled. He hadn’t become a successful entrepreneur by accepting no for an answer. If anything, the word made him work harder to get what he wanted.
Looking back at Iris, who was still glaring at him, her chin held high, her resolve unwavering, he could only imagine the type of respect she demanded, and received, in the courtroom. He definitely had to have her as his niece’s attorney. They were two of a kind, Iris and Tania. Both clearly had a stubborn streak, and neither was afraid to stand up to him.
Nash ran a hand down his chin. Apologizing wasn’t something that came easy for him, but if he wanted to get this stunning lawyer to reconsider, he’d better make nice and do some serious groveling. Besides, he already liked her—maybe a little too much.
“Please forgive me, Counselor,” he said and moved back to the table where she was still standing. “I was way out of line and I meant no disrespect. Just give me a chance to explain why having you on this case is so important.” He gestured to the chair she had vacated. After a brief hesitation, Iris reclaimed her seat. “When I went to pick up my niece from juvie, she refused to leave. She said that she wasn’t leaving until she spoke to a lawyer, and not just any lawyer, but you. She’s the one who gave me your information.”
Iris shook her head and as low smile tilted her lips. She glanced away before looking back at him. “Mr. Dupree, without even meeting Tania, she reminds me of myself at that age—fearless, determined and at times unyielding.”
“Yeah, I sensed that a few minutes ago when you looked like you wanted to strangle me. I recognized the look. I’ve been on the receiving end of it many of times from my niece.”
Iris sat back in her seat and chuckled. “I have to admit, I am a little curious about this niece of yours.”
“I know you don’t have to take on Tania’s case, and I respect your need to be selective in the ones that you do accept, but I hope you’ll reconsider.”
“I’ll tell you what.” She gathered her belongings and stood. “I’ll meet Tania at the detention center in the morning and hear her story. Then we can decide next steps.”
Nash buttoned his suit jacket. “That’s all I ask.”
* * *
Iris tugged on the tight-fitting, low-cut dress. Janna had brought it and insisted that Iris wear it tonight. Being out on a Thursday night was unusual, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have dinner with two of her favorite people.
She glanced around the dimly lit restaurant. Servers moved about efficiently, taking customer orders, refilling water glasses and clearing the tables, each adorned with a centerpiece of a single candle. Lately, her professional life had taken over her world. A typical evening consisted of staying late at work or spending the evening at home with Chinese food and a glass of wine while reviewing case notes.
“I can’t believe you were able to pull her away from work and get her here on time,” Iris heard Macy say. “This has to be a first.”
Iris rolled her eyes. “Would you two quit? It’s not like we never get together for dinner.”
“Okay, so when was the last time we got together for dinner, all three of us?” Macy asked, looking over the top of her designer eyeglasses. A strand of long brown hair with auburn highlights fell into her face before she quickly pushed it behind her ear. Macy and Janna were on one side of the tall-backed leather booth, while Iris sat across from them.
“You finally decided to get those reading glasses. They look good.”
Macy pushed them up farther on her nose. “I know you’re trying to change the subject, but thank you. I finally broke down and bought some. Those medical charts were getting blurrier by the day. Now, getting back to my original question—”
“It’s not my fault we haven’t gotten together. Ms. World Traveler over here―” Iris nodded her head toward Janna “―is the one who hasn’t visited her big sisters in months.”
“Okay, don’t start on me. Aren’t we supposed to be celebrating?” Janna chimed in and lifted her glass. She had naturally long, wavy hair, smooth cinnamon-brown skin and big, bright eyes shaded by long eyelashes. “I want to propose a toast. To a kick-ass defense attorney who continues to prove that she’s the best there is.”
“Here, here,” Macy said, and they clinked their glasses together.
Janna’s comment caused Iris to reflect back on her conversation with Nash Dupree, who labeled her as being the best. She wondered if he had noticed her staring at him throughout the conversation earlier today. Sure, she had been listening, but there were times she had tuned out and had zoned in on his magnificent lips...and that smile. He had the most beautiful, straight teeth she had ever seen on a man, which only enhanced his crooked, cocky grin. And those intense hazel eyes that missed nothing. Add those features to his alluring deep voice, and he was irresistible. God, what she would give to go home to a man with that voice who could talk dirty to her while....
“Hel-lo,” Macy said in a singsong voice, waving her hand in front of Iris’s face. “Are you still with us?”
Iris blinked several times and reached for her glass of water. Instead of bringing it to her mouth, she wanted to lay the cold cylinder against her cheek to cool the warmth that had spread to her face.
“You were smiling pretty hard there for a minute, sis,” Janna said. “So, what, or who, were you thinking about? Inquiring minds want to know.”
Iris had never fantasized about possible clients—or their guardians—before. She’d better get a grip. Talk about unprofessional. “Nobody,” she finally said.
“Mmm-hmm. That was a heck of smile for it to be about nobody. You know you can tell us,” Macy goaded. “Besides, it’s about time you met someone who makes you smile like that.”
Iris gave Macy a “drop it” look, but then noticed the way Janna was smiling. “And you’re talking about me being happy! What’s with you grinning from ear to ear like you have a secret that you’re dying to share?”
“Oh, I spotted an old friend who just walked in,” she said, patting her hair before she whispered, “Quick, do I have anything in my teeth? He’s coming over.” She flashed a smile at Iris.
“You’re good.”
Before Iris had a chance to glance back to see whom her sister was primping for, Janna slid from the booth and stood.
“Well, hey, there, stranger,” Janna greeted a tall gentleman, whose broad shoulders and long arms swallowed her up in an embrace. His back was to Iris, but his intoxicating, woodsy scent smelled mildly familiar.
Janna stepped out of his hug, but kept her hand on one of his arms. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has.” The stranger’s deep, melodious voice was familiar and captured Iris’s full attention. “I’m surprised to see you in Atlanta. Are you doing a shoot here?” he asked Janna.
“No.” Janna grabbed his other arm, turning him toward the table. “Actually, I’m here visiting my sisters. Let me introduce you.”
Iris’s heart slammed against her rib cage when the pair of hooded hazel eyes she’d been daydreaming about zoned in on her. Nash Dupree. Of all the restaurants in Atlanta, how is it that they ended up at the same one?
“This is my sister, Dr. Macy Carter, and my other sister, attorney Iris Sinclair.”
“Nice to meet you,” Nash said to Macy, shaking her hand before turning to Iris. “It’s good to see you again, Counselor.” He grasped her hand and Iris shivered when he brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it as he gazed into her eyes.
Iris stared back at him, enraptured by his attention and forgetting that they had an audience. When Macy cleared her throat, Iris quickly pulled her hand from Nash’s and dropped it into her lap. “It’s nice seeing you again, Mr. Dupree,” she sputtered, feeling, more so than seeing, her sisters’ gazes on her.
“Nash. Please call me Nash.”
“You two know each other?” Janna asked.
“Actually, we met this afternoon,” Nash volunteered, but before he could elaborate, the maître d’ of the restaurant informed him that his party had arrived. “I’m sorry. Though I would love to spend more time with you three lovely ladies, duty calls.” He kissed Janna on the cheek, bidding her a good evening, and then his gaze met Iris’s. “I look forward to seeing you again soon,” he said before he moved away from the table.
Iris watched him strut away with a swagger that had not only her mesmerized. Every other woman he passed—whether they were with a date or not—turned and eyed him from head to toe.
