Because of You. Rochelle Alers

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СКАЧАТЬ quickly. “And, there is no doubt he will be able to help you win your suit.”

      “My case aside, if your cousin is an attorney, why did you ask me to represent you?” she asked.

      She practically had to shout to be heard over the sound of voices raised in laughter when they entered a room that was as large as some multiplex movie theater. Reclining black leather chairs were lined up theater-style in front of a high-definition wall-mounted screen that was as least seventy inches. A powerful sound system blared music from one of the channels with images of partygoers gyrating to a popular dance tune filling the screen.

      Brandt’s expression changed, becoming impassive. “I try not to involve family in my personal business. The attorney I had on retainer before I hired you, who happens to be a very distant cousin, had a habit of talking to the press. I had to remind him that he was my lawyer, not my publicist. But I suppose his obsession for fifteen minutes of fame cost him a client and my friendship. Even though I can’t change the fact that we’re related, I do have the option of not having to deal with him.” He rested a hand on the back of a man in a black mohair jacket, interrupting the conversation between his cousin and one of his teammates. “Excuse me, Donnie, but I need to talk to Jordan for a few minutes.”

      It wasn’t until the tall, slender man with short-cropped black hair turned around that Aziza was able to connect the name Wainwright with the man who’d become something of a local celebrity around Harlem.

      Smiling, she said, “I never thought I would have the pleasure of meeting the ‘Sheriff of Harlem.’”

      A rush of color darkened Jordan Wainwright’s face. He didn’t think he would ever get used to the sobriquet after he’d won a landlord-tenant case that had garnered national attention.

      Jordan hesitated for several seconds as the beautiful woman standing less than a foot away shifted her cocktail to her left hand before he extended his. She was so breathtakingly beautiful that he’d found himself at a loss for words. Recovering quickly, a smile parted his lips.

      “Jordan Wainwright.”

      Aziza grasped the long slender hand that tightened slightly around her fingers before Jordan eased the slight pressure. Her gaze was drawn to his firm mouth when he smiled. His teeth were white and perfectly aligned. She knew people who paid orthodontists thousands of dollars to have teeth like his.

      His face was as perfect as his teeth. A lean jaw, strong chin, high cheekbones, sweeping, arching eyebrows and large jewel-like hazel eyes that seemingly didn’t look at her, but through her. She was mesmerized.

      “Aziza Fleming.”

      His eyebrows lifted slightly. “So, you’re Al Fleming’s sister.”

      She nodded. “That I am.”

      Brandt slapped Jordan’s back again. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Jordan, if Aziza needs anything, please make certain she gets it.”

      Jordan nodded as he tucked the slender hand into the bend of his elbow. Not only did Aziza Fleming look good, but she also smelled delicious. If he were given three guesses as to what she did for a living, he would’ve struck out. He never would’ve thought she was an attorney.

      She was tall, even without the stilettos. He was six-two in bare feet and Jordan estimated Aziza had to be at least five-eight or nine without the sexy heels. Her hair was dark, thick and brushed off her face and secured into a loose ponytail behind her left ear. He moved closer and went completely still. The asymmetrical neckline of her dress hadn’t prepared him for the wide bands crisscrossing her back to reveal an expanse of flawless brown skin from nape to waist. Aziza Fleming’s round, doll-like face with a hint of a dimpled chin, large round eyes that tilted at the corners and a full, lush mouth had him completely enthralled.

      “I see that you have a drink, but have you eaten?” he asked her.

      Aziza knew not to drink anything alcoholic without eating, or she would find herself slightly tipsy. “No, I haven’t. And I make it a habit never to drink on an empty stomach.”

      “Well, if that’s the case, then I’ll make certain you get something to eat before we talk.”

      She walked alongside Jordan as they made their way down another wide hallway. “What did Brandt tell you about me?”

      “All he said was that you handled his legal affairs, but it was Al who mentioned that you had a pending lawsuit against a former employer for sexual harassment.”

      Aziza groaned inwardly. “I wish he hadn’t said anything.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

      Jordan released her hand, placing his at the small of her back. She stiffened against his splayed fingers for several seconds before relaxing. “Why didn’t you want him to say anything? Whatever you tell me will be confidential.”

      Aziza gave Jordan a sidelong glance, silently admiring his patrician features. It had been a long time, much too long, since she’d found herself attracted to a man. There was something about his striking looks that radiated sensuality, recklessness and danger. He had proven that when he’d stood in front of television cameras to enumerate the building violations in his family-owned properties.

      “That would apply if I were your client and you were my attorney.”

      Jordan smiled. “You’re right about that. But try to think of this as an unofficial consultation. I’ve handled several harassment cases and, fortunately, won them, so maybe I can give you a few pointers to help you out.”

      “If it’s all right with you I’d rather not discuss my business here,” Aziza said softly. It wasn’t that she was paranoid, but she couldn’t run the risk that someone would overhear their conversation. After all, there were a lot people in the penthouse, and there was a saying about the walls having ears.

      Jordan led Aziza into a room that Brandt had set up as his library and home office. After he touched a dimmer switch on the wall, the space was flooded with light. His gaze lingered on the skin on her back when she walked into the library. Whatever she’d used on her body had left a sprinkling of shiny particles that shimmered like gold dust.

      Al Fleming had mentioned his sister had been sexually harassed, and Jordan believed that any man who forced his attention on a woman was in the same category as deviant sexual predators.

      But he could easily see why a man would come onto Aziza Fleming. The woman was sexy without even trying. Her face, slender, curvy body and shapely legs that seemed to go on forever were enough to elicit dreams that were unabashedly erotic in nature.

      “We’ll talk, but not about your case. Please make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring you something to eat.”

      “Thank you.”

      Aziza felt a sense of relief. Jordan hadn’t tried to pressure her into divulging the details of her impending lawsuit. And although Jordan Wainwright looked nothing like the men to whom she usually found herself attracted, there was something about his understated sophistication that she was drawn to.

      Setting the glass down on a side table, Aziza strolled around the room that was lined with floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves on opposite walls. The instant she’d met Brandt Wainwright, she’d realized he was what she called the trifecta: face, body and brains. He’d graduated with degrees in business and economics, but it was professional СКАЧАТЬ