5-The Case
1344 Words
Parker spent the next two days trying to convince herself Maxton Sutton wasn’t becoming a problem.
It wasn’t working.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him standing in her office.
Every time she walked past the framed photo she’d forgotten to hide properly, she remembered the look on his face when he saw it.
Worst of all, she couldn’t stop thinking about his questions.
“Why did you leave?”
“Who is Luca’s father?”
Questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
Questions she might never be ready to answer.
A knock sounded against her office door.
Parker looked up from her laptop.
“Come in.”
Sophia walked inside carrying two coffees.
One look at her face and Parker knew.
“No.”
Sophia grinned.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
Sophia placed a coffee on her desk.
“He called.”
Parker groaned.
Of course he did.
“Tell me you hung up.”
“I didn’t.”
“Sophia.”
“What?”
“Sophia.”
“He sounded hot.”
Parker dropped her head against her desk.
The traitor laughed.
“I’m serious.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And yet here we are.”
Parker sat back in her chair.
“What does he want?”
Sophia’s amusement faded.
“He wants a meeting.”
“No.”
“Parker—”
“No.”
“He specifically requested you.”
“I said no.”
Sophia crossed her arms.
“At least hear him out.”
“No.”
The office door opened.
Parker froze.
Sophia froze.
Both women slowly turned.
And there he was.
Again.
Maxton Sutton.
Looking entirely too comfortable walking into her life.
Dark suit.
Rolled sleeves.
Expensive watch.
The same frustratingly handsome face she’d spent years trying to forget.
Her heart betrayed her immediately.
The bastard.
Sophia looked delighted.
Double traitor.
“Good luck,” Sophia announced.
Then promptly abandoned her.
Parker stared after her.
“You are a terrible friend.”
“I know.”
The door closed.
Leaving Parker alone with Maxton.
A dangerous situation if there ever was one.
The silence stretched.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked away.
Finally, Parker sighed.
“What do you want?”
Maxton sat across from her desk.
The exact same chair he’d occupied two nights ago.
As if he’d claimed it.
As if he intended to keep claiming things.
Including her patience.
“I need an attorney.”
She blinked.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
His expression didn’t change.
“Oh.”
The laughter died immediately.
“You were serious.”
“Very.”
Parker leaned back.
“Absolutely not.”
His jaw flexed.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t represent people like you.”
“You don’t represent business owners?”
“I don’t represent mafia kings.”
One dark eyebrow lifted.
“I’m offended.”
“You’ll survive.”
A hint of amusement appeared.
Gone almost immediately.
Because Maxton wasn’t here to flirt.
At least not entirely.
He reached into his briefcase and slid a thick folder across her desk.
Parker didn’t touch it.
“What is it?”
“A problem.”
She looked at the folder.
Then at him.
Then back at the folder.
Eventually curiosity won.
It usually did.
Opening the file, she began reading.
Within seconds, her attorney instincts took over.
Contracts.
Financial statements.
Corporate records.
Legal complaints.
Threats.
A lot of threats.
Her expression slowly changed.
Because this wasn’t what she’d expected.
The company involved wasn’t illegal.
It wasn’t a shell corporation.
It wasn’t criminal.
It was legitimate.
Successful.
Respected.
And apparently under attack.
Parker continued reading.
The deeper she went, the more irritated she became.
Not at Maxton.
At whoever was responsible.
By the time she finished, she looked up.
“This is extortion.”
“That’s what I thought.”
She closed the file.
“This could cost the company millions.”
“It could.”
The calmness in his voice suggested he wasn’t particularly worried.
That irritated her too.
Normal people panicked over things like this.
Maxton Sutton simply adapted.
Always.
“What attorney have you been using?”
“The firm’s general counsel.”
“And?”
“He missed several things.”
Parker nodded.
He had.
Several major things.
Enough that she was already mentally building a case strategy.
Which was exactly why this was dangerous.
Because she was interested.
And Maxton knew it.
The smug look on his face confirmed it.
She hated that look.
Mostly because she liked it.
Far too much.
Parker closed the folder.
“No.”
The smug look disappeared.
“No?”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Parker.”
“No.”
“This is exactly your kind of case.”
“Still no.”
“You haven’t even heard my proposal.”
“I don’t need to.”
The tension thickened.
Neither moved.
Neither blinked.
Finally, Parker crossed her arms.
“Find another attorney.”
Silence.
Then—
“I already did.”
Parker frowned.
“And?”
Maxton leaned forward.
Those dark eyes locked onto hers.
Steady.
Focused.
Dangerously sincere.
“They weren’t you.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because they weren’t just about the case.
They couldn’t be.
Not with the way he was looking at her.
Not with the history between them.
Not with six years sitting heavily in the space between them.
Parker’s pulse betrayed her immediately.
Maxton noticed.
Of course he noticed.
He always noticed.
The room suddenly felt much smaller.
The air thicker.
Harder to breathe.
“Stop doing that.”
His expression softened slightly.
“Doing what?”
“Looking at me like that.”
A long pause.
Then—
“Like what?”
Parker hated him.
She really did.
“Like we’re still seventeen.”
For the first time, something vulnerable appeared in his eyes.
Something real.
Something dangerous.
Because she wanted to believe it.
Wanted to believe those years mattered to him too.
Wanted to believe she wasn’t the only one still carrying them.
His voice lowered.
“I remember seventeen.”
Her heart squeezed painfully.
“So do I.”
The admission slipped out before she could stop it.
Silence followed.
Neither looked away.
Neither seemed capable of it.
For one reckless second, Parker imagined what would happen if she simply told him everything.
About Luca.
About why she left.
About how she still loved him.
The fantasy lasted exactly one second.
Then reality returned.
Along with common sense.
She stood abruptly.
Creating distance.
Needing distance.
Maxton watched her carefully.
Waiting.
Patient.
The way predators waited.
Because he knew something she didn’t.
He knew she was already considering it.
The case.
The evidence.
The challenge.
She wanted it.
Professionally.
Even if she absolutely did not want him.
At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
Parker moved toward the window.
Looking out over the city.
Thinking.
The company deserved representation.
The case deserved attention.
And unfortunately—
Maxton deserved to win this one.
That realization annoyed her immensely.
After several long moments, she sighed.
Slowly.
Heavily.
Defeated.
Behind her, she heard movement.
Not much.
Just enough to know he’d straightened in his chair.
Hopeful.
The jerk.
Parker turned around.
And immediately regretted it.
Because he smiled.
Not the arrogant smile.
Not the intimidating one.
The real one.
The one she’d fallen in love with years ago.
The one she still wasn’t immune to.
“Fine.”
The smile widened.
She pointed at him.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Look so pleased with yourself.”
“I’m trying.”
“You aren’t.”
“No.”
A reluctant laugh escaped her.
The first genuine laugh she’d shared with him in years.
For a brief moment, neither seemed to know what to do with it.
Then Parker shook her head.
One final surrender.
One final mistake.
One final step closer to disaster.
“I’ll take the case.”
And just like that, the distance she’d spent six years creating began to crumble.
- Writer
