Free Desire's Edge by Eve Berlin Page A

too-often sterile offices that were so common everywhere else.
    As she walked into the conference room she remembered they were introducing a new junior partner today. She’d been a little annoyed about it last week. She thought it would have been more fair to hire from within the firm. Not that she was eligible herself; she hadn’t been there long enough. But there were several people who should be. Theresa Jackson had been there for years, and worked plenty of overtime. And Gary Auerbach, too. Apparently the new guy was some hotshot they’d stolen from another firm, which was why, she supposed, they hadn’t told anyone who it was yet.
    She nodding a greeting to the other attorneys already present and found a seat at the enormous oak table. Ruby came in right behind her and stood against one wall, a notepad in her hand. She smiled at Ruby, who winked back. Ruby was the youngest of the secretaries and hadn’t been with them for long, but she was amazingly efficient. She worked for several of the attorneys in the office, but she was always available when Kara needed anything—one of those incredibly capable people. Kara liked her; they’d taken to having lunch together now and then. She was good company.
    Kara took the water pitcher from the center of the table and poured herself a glass, sipped it. And nearly spit it out when the new junior partner walked into the room with her boss, Lyle Kelleher.
    Dante.
    She took another sip of water, trying not to cough and attract attention to herself.
    Holy mother of . . .
    She choked, trying too hard to swallow, and Dante caught her eye. He raised an eyebrow, but other than that his face remained calm.
    She could not believe this.
    Breathe, Kara!
    She took in a breath, watching him as he was seated at the other end of the long table.
    Next to her Theresa whispered, “You okay, Kara?”
    “What? Yes. I’m fine. Thanks.”
    But inside she was absolutely on fire. Burning with equal amounts of lust and anxiety.
    He couldn’t be the new junior partner. She wasn’t supposed to like the new junior partner. He was the enemy. The man who’d taken the job away from two people whom she respected and who had deserved this promotion.
    She certainly wasn’t supposed to be sleeping with the new junior partner.
    What the hell was she going to do?
    She glanced at Theresa, whose face remained calm. But Theresa always seemed calm; it was one of the things that made her such a good attorney. The only thing betraying her serene expression and neat-as-a-pin appearance was the sharp glitter in her brown eyes and a tiny trembling in her perfect chignon.
    Kara was shivering inside. She twisted her hands together in her lap and tried to take a deep breath. Her mind was going a hundred miles an hour.
    It couldn’t be Dante. But Lyle was guiding him to a seat right next to his, at the head of the table. The older man was smiling, looking pleased, bobbing his gray head as he exchanged a few quiet words with the new junior partner .
    Shit .
    Everyone else filed in and sat, and Lyle rose to his feet. He was close to seventy, but still stood ramrod straight, an elegant, powerful man. “I’d like to introduce you all to Dante De Matteo, the newest junior partner at Kelleher, Landers and Tate.”
    Everyone applauded as Dante stood and smiled to the staff. Kara tried to smile back, but knew her face was frozen. Dante glanced at her, then quickly away. His expression revealed nothing. Surely he must be as bowled over as she was?
    Lyle went on. “Dante has an astonishing track record for a man of his age and experience. We were lucky to convince him to join us here. I’m sure you’ll all do your best to welcome him, to help him acclimate to our firm. And I’m sure you’ll all be as pleased with his presence among us as I am. We expect great things from this young man. Big things.” Lyle smiled indulgently.
    Oh yes, big things, where Dante was concerned . . .
    God, she shouldn’t be thinking this way