SevenDeadlySinsSeries Read online

  “Miss Martin, can I call you a taxi?” The doorman to our building exclaimed as I stepped into the lobby of our building the following morning.

  “No thank you Roger, I’m going to walk this morning. But Roger, would you let the dog walker into my apartment at noon please? I’ve already written his name down on the log as a daily visitor.”

  The short pudgy man gleamed at me, “Will do, Miss Liz. Have a great first day!”

  I smiled at him and pushed outside into a blustery day. Maybe I should take a cab after all? My hair was going to be a mess by the time I got to the building that housed Bell, Michaud and Sheffield Law Firm. I turned left and began my trek towards the sleek skyscraper. We’d been lucky to get a lease on an apartment close by. Palmer could take the subway for a fifteen minute ride to school and I could easily walk the two blocks to work. Even in their misery, our parents had left us financially stable enough to afford our futures. My college and law school bills had been handled by our Charleston Broad Street attorneys who doled out our trust funds as if they were doing us a favor. Palmer and I both resented their snide attitudes when we’d gone to them to ask for funds to move to New York, although they couldn’t deny us Still, trust fund lawyers rarely liked to hand out money, even when it belonged to the clients.

  Even though the two blocks to my office were crowded with pushy New Yorkers, I couldn’t say that I didn’t like the place. No, I was just overwhelmed by it. However, I was glad that I’d chosen to wear my running shoes for the walk. When I finally pushed through the twelve foot tall glass doors into the Michaud Building I felt like I’d been through a hurricane. The wind had whipped my hair into frenzy, and my family heritage of keeping it neat and orderly was in serious jeopardy. Of all the genes they had to pass along, I somehow managed to get unruly hair. I’d have much preferred a flatter chest, or even blue eyes, instead I found my way to a bench in the lobby and sat down to smooth my overly curly blond locks.

  I sat my bag on the bench beside me and occupied myself with pulling the rubber hair tie that was so unsuccessfully holding my hair into a ponytail. I swung my head to shake the specks of rain from it and reached down to untie my tennis shoes. After sitting them on the bench beside me, I pulled my black heels from my bag and slid them onto my feet. I admired the stylishness of them, and made a mental note to thank Palmer for choosing them for me. With a small struggle I moved towards smoothing my hair back. I reached back, searching blindly for the hair band on the bench when I noticed it lying on the floor at my feet. When I’d changed shoes, I must have managed to swipe it off the bench.

  I bent low to pick it up when a thick hand appeared in my vision at the floor in front of me, grabbing the hair band just before my fingers touched it. “Here you go,” my mind registered the voice instantly. The smooth English accent made my skin flush. Thick, muscular hands held my hair band in front of me. I looked up suddenly, my face now level with his crotch where I couldn’t help notice the bulge there, even through the Amosu slacks that covered it. “Thank you,” I moaned as I carefully studied the hair band in his outstretched palm. I hesitated to touch him again; the memory of the feel of his hand yesterday warned me. With the delicacy of a bird I pecked it from his hand.

  “You’re welcome Liz, are you ready to start your first day?”

  I frowned, how did he know it was my first day? “Yes, I am,” I flustered. “Do you work here too?”

  He laughed as he towered over me, “As a matter of fact I do!” Again his mammoth size and deep, dark appearance sent shivers through my blood. There was a foreboding that came with this man, it screamed to me to stay as far away from him as possible. He no longer donned the casual attitude that he’d worn yesterday. His suit alone cost more than my entire education. It was black pin stripe, and beneath it a starched white button down complimented a red power tie. Black leather Italian made shoes that were large enough to be used as flotation devices matched the belt that accented his waist. Clearly fashion wasn’t something he ignored; Palmer would have an absolute fit to see his suit!

  With my hair back into some sort of control I stood and shoved my tennis shoes into my bag. Standing in front of him I smiled politely, “Well, it’s good to see you again Carlton.” I walked away from him towards the bank of turnstiles and elevators, flashing my badge at the security guards as I passed them. The elevator doors opened and I filed inside along with twenty of my new co-workers. Carlton was the last person to climb aboard before the doors closed. His eyes searched the car and landed on mine with fire.

  “Good morning Mr. Michaud!”

  “Good morning Mr. Michaud.”

  “Mornin’ Mr. Michaud.”

  Oh no… no… It couldn’t be possible that I’d acted like a teenager in heat towards the top lawyer in my new firm? My skin crawled as he pushed his way towards me in the back corner of the elevator. I couldn’t face him now; I studied my black heels in a futile attempt to ignore him. I was sure that my skin was beet red from embarrassment. “Liz, I really do hope you enjoy your day.”

  Suddenly I was angry, furious in fact that he’d not told me who he was immediately. Certainly he’d hid his identity; he knew all along that I was one of his employees. Why didn’t he just tell me? Instead he’d let me behave like a flustered teenager in the elevator yesterday and like a prude this morning. “You didn’t mention that your last name was Michaud,” I complained in a whisper so the other occupants of the elevator couldn’t hear.

  He chuckled below his breath and leaned too close to my ear, “When I’m walking my dog, I try to keep things on a more friendly level. Is that okay with you, Liz?” I now had goose bumps over my entire body; damn he smelled good! And his breath was so warm against my ear!

  “Of course, I would’ve been a bit more respectful had I known who you were yesterday, that’s all,” I was languishing in my own self destruction. He was far too close to my face still.

  Carlton Michaud laughed out loud now and stood upright, “No problem, Miss Martin. Did you have a nice walk with…?”

  “Nucy,” I finished for him, thinking what a relief it was that he moved away from my ear. One more second and I may have grabbed his face and licked his eyelids.

  “Yes, Nucy,” his eyes glimmered with fascination as he looked down at me. Damn he was so tall!

  “We did, although I think she believes we’re only on vacation. For a ten year old dog, she’s acting as though she’s just a puppy here. Already she’s made friends with the hot dog cart man and the pretzel vendor.” I had no idea why I was rattling on about Nucy. This man unsettled me to the point that I couldn’t be sure what was going to come out of my mouth next!

  But he seemed entertained with me; I was getting glares from the other employees in the elevator. Surely they thought I was trying to get in good with the boss on my first day. “Well, Jargon really liked her. I’d hoped we’d see you in the park while we were out, so they could play together.”

  He wanted our dogs to play together? That must be it! He’s being nice because his dog needs a play date! Oh now that makes perfect sense! “I’m sure we can arrange for them to get together for a walk sometime. His name is Jargon?”

  “Legal Jargon to be exact. One of my rare moments of humor, I’m afraid,” his English accent rolled off his tongue with a sensual tone. Damn it to hell. Did everything he said have to sound like he was asking if I preferred him to lick my left breast or the right? My skin filled with goose bumps every time he spoke.

  I giggled, “It’s about as silly as Nuscience for a dog’s name, I suppose.”

  Carlton nodded, “I suppose so!”

  The elevator slowly emptied as it came to my floor. “Good seeing you again Mr. Michaud,” I said as I stepped forward.

  His thick hand grabbed my arm firmly; I looked down as if I was being attacked as he issued a stern look informing me not to leave the elevator. I stood stock still as the remaining employee’s exited. The elevator doors closed but he held me in his tight grip. Should I pull
away? I waited as the doors closed tightly, then he turned to me, “Could we take the dogs for a walk this evening, Liz?”

  Totally out of my element, I wasn’t sure how to respond. He was so rousingly gorgeous and there was no doubt that I was attracted to him, but still… he was my boss of sorts. Much higher up the food chain, but still my boss ultimately. Surely this wasn’t a good idea. Then again it was just a couple of people walking their dogs together in the park. I wasn’t fond of walking Nucy by myself; maybe having a man with me was good protection? This was plain silliness! He just wanted our dogs to play together; they were the same breed after all! “Of course Mr. Michaud, what time is good for you?”

  He studied me carefully as though he’d asked me a complicated legal question, “I take Jargon out at six. Is that good?” He let go of his grip on my arm as though it was an after sight that he still held onto me.

  “Six is perfect. Shall I meet you downstairs?”

  “I’ll swing by your apartment,” he said as the elevator doors opened again and I stepped forward anxious to get myself out of this awkward position. Being alone with him in an elevator seemed to be our MO now. Despite his excruciatingly good looks, I sensed something dangerous lying within this man. It both attracted me and frightened me. I turned to respond but the elevator doors were closing behind me. He smiled a small grin as he disappeared to an upper floor. How did he know which was my apartment?

  My day went by so fast that I’d barely taken time for lunch, and by the time I stepped into our apartment I was starving. I checked my watch; I had time to whip up something and put it in the oven before walking Nucy. She was sound asleep on her bed in the living room anyway. She’d only lifted her head to acknowledge my arrival, then dozed back off.

  In the kitchen I pulled out a few cans of stewed tomatoes, sausage, hamburger, and spaghetti noodles. Since our mother had died five years ago, all of the cooking duties had rested on me. I wasn’t delusional enough to think that I was any good at it, but somehow I’d managed to feed us all these years. Well, we were both still alive at least. I mixed up the sauce and left it to simmer on the stove while the noodles were boiling. After dumping a few large spoonfuls of garlic into the water I headed for my bedroom to change.

  With my running shoes, jeans and a t-shirt, I plodded back to the kitchen to check my creation. The knock on the door startled me. I checked my watch, and it was six o’clock on the nose. I unlocked the maze of bolts that secured our front door and came face to face with Carlton Michaud. Again he looked downright delicious in faded jeans, flip flops and a navy polo shirt. “Can you come in for a moment, Mr. Michaud? I need to turn all of this off before we leave.”

  “It smells incredible!” he said as he stepped across the threshold.

  “It’s just spaghetti, but you’re welcome to eat with us if you like,” I said, not at all sure if it was a good idea. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know why that offer came out of my mouth at all. What was I thinking!

  “No, I wouldn’t want to intrude. Mr. Martin may not appreciate his wife inviting a man to dinner,” he smiled almost timidly. I knew for a fact he was the most feared attorney in New York City, yet he seemed unsure of himself in my apartment.

  I laughed, “Since Mr. Martin is my little brother, he doesn’t have much of a say as to who I invite for dinner! Besides, I always cook too much. You’d save me from having to eat spaghetti for lunch tomorrow.”

  “Well, if I’m saving you from a lunch of leftovers then I accept!” he grinned. I still had the sense that something was well hidden in his attempt at friendliness. In the elevator this morning he’d nearly frightened me, now he was my best friend? This was a man with a lot of secrets, most certainly some of them dark. He was downright rakish; men that look like that always have dirty, dark secrets. I doubted he’d try anything with me since we both now know that I work for him. No, certainly he wouldn’t.

  The front door opened and Palmer nearly bumped into Carlton as he bounded inside. “Whoa! Sorry dude, didn’t know we had company.”

  I stepped forward and put my hand on Carlton’s shoulder lightly, “Palmer, this is Carlton Michaud, and that bovine kissing Nuscience is Jargon. Do you mind if they stay for spaghetti?”

  Palmer shook Carlton’s hand lazily as he tossed his back pack onto the sofa, “Oh hell no!” I could see my brother performing a full length scan of our guest. “Is he for me or you? Because he’s delicious!”

  I rolled my eyes, “Hands off Palmer. Did I forget to mention that Mr. Michaud is also my boss?” Palmer was still closely examining Mr. Michaud as though he was a feast.

  “Well then, in the interest of refraining from workplace relationships, I’ll take him!” Palmer wore a Cheshire cat grin that was openly devouring my boss.

  Mr. Michaud held up his hand, “As tempting as that sounds, I’m afraid I’d only disappoint you.”

  “That’s enough Palmer. Go get cleaned up so we can eat,” I said sternly as I shook my head in disbelief.

  As Palmer scuttled down the hall towards his bedroom, I gave Mr. Michaud an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. I’m afraid my brother hasn’t yet balanced the openness of New York lifestyles with his manners.”

  Carlton Michaud loomed above me, “No worries, being propositioned by anyone is a compliment to me these days.”

  “Can I pour you a glass of wine Mr. Michaud?” I asked stepping into our small kitchen.

  “Sure,” he said as he pulled one of Palmer’s artsy bar stools to the kitchen counter and sat down.

  I pulled a bottle from the refrigerator and held it up, “I’m sure you’re used to better than this, but will this do for tonight?”

  “It’s my favorite, I have a wine cellar full of it upstairs,” he smiled deviously. He was trying to be polite and I knew it.

  I opened the bottle and poured the chilled wine into one of my mother’s Waterford wine glasses. It was silly, I know, as Carlton was certainly used to the finer things in life, but I was thankful that I’d thought to pack a few luxuries for our stint in the city. We’d left the South Carolina house fully furnished with Aunt Kerry for the three years we were planning on being in New York. Therefore, we’d had to purchase every single thing new for our apartment. Palmer had done an incredible job; it was too modern for my style but I liked it for the short term. Our budget certainly hadn’t allowed for luxurious crystal though.

  Stirring the sauce on the stove I was aware of his heated gaze on my back. I felt small and inconsequential with this man. With law school behind me I generally felt accomplished; it’d been a struggle raising my brother at the same time. Yet as he studied me from behind reality hit home. I was small and inconsequential to him. “Mr. Michaud, I hope you like garlic. I tend to be a tad heavy handed with it?”

  “I love it, but do you mind if I ask a favor?” He sipped his wine as I turned to look at him. Even sitting on top of the bar stool he was tall. Palmer is five foot eleven; Mr. Michaud must be almost a foot taller. His dark brown curls seemed unruly tonight, at work this morning it’d been slicked back and professional. It was as though he’d spent the day running his hands through it.

  “Sure…anything,” I muttered lost in his dark brown stare. I was so lost in his hair that I’d nearly forgotten he’d asked me a question. Crud, it’s too late, I’m crushing!

  “Can you just call me Carlton?”

  I stared at him blankly as if I hadn’t heard; I simply had to stop this ridiculous childish behavior around this man! “Sure Mr… I mean Carlton.”

  He smiled broadly, his white perfectly aligned teeth flashed at me, “”Liz, do I make you uncomfortable?”

  I startled at his question unsure of how to answer. “Um, well… I guess I wasn’t prepared to have dinner with my boss after my first day of work. I mean, I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to climb some ladder or anything.”

  His laugh rambled through the kitchen, “I wouldn’t worry about that, Liz.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” I blurt
ed. I mean was he gay or something? There was no doubt in my mind that every single woman and half the men in our firm used his face to masturbate with nightly. Hell, I’d done it myself the night before, but that was before I knew he was my boss!

  Carlton seemed amused at me, every time he looked at me it was as though there was some secret he wanted to tell me. “I’m afraid I don’t date much,” he sipped his wine quietly. I got the feeling that was the end of his divulgence of information.

  Maybe he felt awkward around me? Was he that inexperienced around women? I laughed at my own absurdity. A man that looked this godlike surely didn’t have issues finding women who willingly jumped into his bed. I didn’t want to ask so I turned my back again and stirred the spaghetti sauce. Palmer had changed and wandered into the kitchen, he took the spoon from my hand and tasted the sauce, “Mmm, Liz you nailed it this time!”

  Palmer poured himself a glass of wine and stepped to the living room to roll on the floor with Nucy and Jargon. Carlton chuckled as he watched them, “So you moved all the way from South Carolina to be with your brother?”

  I hadn’t mentioned being from South Carolina to him! How did he know all these things about me? It was almost like he’d purposely gone and read my personnel file. It was downright verging on creepy. “Carlton, how do you know all these things about me? You have me at a disadvantage.” I used my best female southern voice as though I needed to fan myself with my hand as I was speaking.

  His eyes sparkled at my humor but he didn’t comment. “Afraid I took the liberty of reading your personnel file Liz. I guess that was intrusive huh?”

  I nodded, “Actually it was, but since you sign my paychecks I forgive you!”