the confined space.
Oh. My. God. Did I just say that?
Steele pushed back his chair and rose from his seat, his massive frame blocking her only escape route. Mark sighed, seemingly unconcerned his client had pulled himself up to his full height and was about to pounce on Katy and rip out her throat.
“Perhaps we should take a break.” Mark’s voice was calm and even.
Katy flipped through her file as she fought back the tidal wave of emotion still spilling through her veins. She had never lost control in a legal hearing and it wouldn’t—couldn’t—happen again. Especially here. Especially now. “I apologize for the outburst. It was…unprofessional. I’m happy to break if Mr. Steele needs a moment, although I’m quite prepared to continue.”
Steele dropped back into his seat. “I don’t need a break, kitty. Your little claws didn’t even scratch the surface.”
Before Katy could retort, Martha shoved a note along the table with a hastily scrawled drawing of a happy face. Katy gave her a reluctant smile. At least her client approved. She crumpled the note in her hand and met Steele’s cold, hard gaze with her own.
Bastard. She could hardly wait to get him on the stand at trial. She would rip him to shreds. He would be begging for mercy by the time she was done with him.
She took a deep, fortifying breath and picked up her questions where she had left off. “Did my client not explain to you she had simply forgotten her purse?”
Steele snorted. “I didn’t care why she was in the building. I fired her. You’re clearly too young to understand the pharmaceutical industry, but it is a highly secretive and competitive business. A new drug can be worth billions of dollars, and spying is endemic. When we have someone sneaking around the building after hours, we can’t take any risks.”
Katy raised an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as a man averse to taking risks, Mr. Steele.”
Steele stared at her with frank, obvious interest. Uncomfortable with the assessment, Katy looked down and picked up her file. When she looked up again, his lips quirked into a smile.
“Do you really think you can take me on, kitty?” Steele’s low, seductive voice did not disguise the clear threat underlying his words.
“Steele.” Mark’s sharp rebuke went unnoticed by his client.
Katy’s knees trembled, but she had a client depending on her and a career at stake. She exhaled loudly and forced her gaze to meet his. “Mr. Steele, in this forum, I ask the questions.”
Chapter Four
Crap .
He should have known Steele, the quintessential misogynist, wouldn’t respond well to being challenged by a woman. The situation was about to go from bad to disastrous.
Mark gritted his teeth. Ethically his hands were tied. He had to act in his client’s best interests, even if they conflicted with his own, and his client clearly wanted to break opposing counsel.
“If everyone doesn’t mind, I need a quick break to rest my hands. Fifteen minutes should be enough.” Tim’s voice cut through the tension in the room. He turned off the recorder with a firm click. In a legal proceeding where one word could cost a company billions of dollars, the accuracy of a transcript overrode all other concerns. If the reporter needed a break, no one would protest.
Mark breathed in a sigh of relief. Time for some damage control. With his usual tact, Tim had just given him a chance to diffuse Steele’s explosive temper and Katy the opportunity to cool down.
Katy collected her files from the table and headed for the door with her client and Tim in tow. Mark stared after her. Damned fine lawyer. And what a show. No wonder they called her the Wildcat. He wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of those claws.
While Steele checked his phone messages, Mark sent a quick text to James, letting him know he had found his mystery woman. The slew of exclamation marks after James’s responding message told Mark he would be spending the evening being
Oh. My. God. Did I just say that?
Steele pushed back his chair and rose from his seat, his massive frame blocking her only escape route. Mark sighed, seemingly unconcerned his client had pulled himself up to his full height and was about to pounce on Katy and rip out her throat.
“Perhaps we should take a break.” Mark’s voice was calm and even.
Katy flipped through her file as she fought back the tidal wave of emotion still spilling through her veins. She had never lost control in a legal hearing and it wouldn’t—couldn’t—happen again. Especially here. Especially now. “I apologize for the outburst. It was…unprofessional. I’m happy to break if Mr. Steele needs a moment, although I’m quite prepared to continue.”
Steele dropped back into his seat. “I don’t need a break, kitty. Your little claws didn’t even scratch the surface.”
Before Katy could retort, Martha shoved a note along the table with a hastily scrawled drawing of a happy face. Katy gave her a reluctant smile. At least her client approved. She crumpled the note in her hand and met Steele’s cold, hard gaze with her own.
Bastard. She could hardly wait to get him on the stand at trial. She would rip him to shreds. He would be begging for mercy by the time she was done with him.
She took a deep, fortifying breath and picked up her questions where she had left off. “Did my client not explain to you she had simply forgotten her purse?”
Steele snorted. “I didn’t care why she was in the building. I fired her. You’re clearly too young to understand the pharmaceutical industry, but it is a highly secretive and competitive business. A new drug can be worth billions of dollars, and spying is endemic. When we have someone sneaking around the building after hours, we can’t take any risks.”
Katy raised an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as a man averse to taking risks, Mr. Steele.”
Steele stared at her with frank, obvious interest. Uncomfortable with the assessment, Katy looked down and picked up her file. When she looked up again, his lips quirked into a smile.
“Do you really think you can take me on, kitty?” Steele’s low, seductive voice did not disguise the clear threat underlying his words.
“Steele.” Mark’s sharp rebuke went unnoticed by his client.
Katy’s knees trembled, but she had a client depending on her and a career at stake. She exhaled loudly and forced her gaze to meet his. “Mr. Steele, in this forum, I ask the questions.”
Chapter Four
Crap .
He should have known Steele, the quintessential misogynist, wouldn’t respond well to being challenged by a woman. The situation was about to go from bad to disastrous.
Mark gritted his teeth. Ethically his hands were tied. He had to act in his client’s best interests, even if they conflicted with his own, and his client clearly wanted to break opposing counsel.
“If everyone doesn’t mind, I need a quick break to rest my hands. Fifteen minutes should be enough.” Tim’s voice cut through the tension in the room. He turned off the recorder with a firm click. In a legal proceeding where one word could cost a company billions of dollars, the accuracy of a transcript overrode all other concerns. If the reporter needed a break, no one would protest.
Mark breathed in a sigh of relief. Time for some damage control. With his usual tact, Tim had just given him a chance to diffuse Steele’s explosive temper and Katy the opportunity to cool down.
Katy collected her files from the table and headed for the door with her client and Tim in tow. Mark stared after her. Damned fine lawyer. And what a show. No wonder they called her the Wildcat. He wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of those claws.
While Steele checked his phone messages, Mark sent a quick text to James, letting him know he had found his mystery woman. The slew of exclamation marks after James’s responding message told Mark he would be spending the evening being
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