Unbroken (The Disclosure Series Book 2) (23 page)

“Miss Jacobs, so nice of you to drop in,” Professor Galler said, offering a bemused smile.

Heat rose on Embry’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Professor.”

Her professor waved her hand in the air. “That’s fine, that’s fine. Go sit down next to your partner. I was just discussing our next group research assignment.”

My partner?
Embry headed for her seat, then froze when she saw Jeremy in the next chair.

“Is there a problem, Miss Jacobs?” her professor asked.

Embry stared back and forth between Professor Peters and Jeremy, clenching and unclenching her jaw. “N-no professor, sorry.” She sat down next to Jeremy, feeling like any moment she’d burst into hysterical laughter to keep from crying. This had to be a joke.

Their professor carried on. “Okay, you’ve all been assigned your research partners. As you know, this semester is focused on pre-litigation research. In preparation for your oral arguments later this semester, you’ll be working your way through a case file, conducting mock interviews of clients, drafting client letters, and preparing pre-trial memorandums…”

Jeremy leaned in close to Embry. “Can I talk to you?” he whispered. His shoulders were hunched, his eyes filled with apology.

She was seething. Something had shifted for her at Morgan’s party. The small part of her that had loved Jeremy—as a friend, or maybe even as something a little bit more—had broken apart, and she no longer had any desire to fix it. The way he’d treated her, the things he’d said… it was so…
ugly
.

“Embry?”

She bit down hard on her lower lip, shaking her head decisively. Anything that came out of her mouth right now would do her no good. Instead, she pulled out her computer and took notes on the upcoming assignments.

When the end of class came, Embry rushed from the room, hoping to avoid Jeremy. She was in a bad mood and the last thing she wanted to do was talk to him. Of course being forced to sit next to him for an hour had hadn’t helped. She’d spent the duration of class playing his words through her head.
I should’ve fucked you when I had the chance.

How could he think she’d want to talk to him let alone be anywhere near him?

He’d become one of her best friends, someone she could trust with anything, someone she could depend on. At least, that’s what she’d thought. Instead, she’d let him in when she was vulnerable, and he’d used it against her.

As she pushed into the hallway, she felt a hand wrapping around her wrist.

“Embry, wait,” Jeremy pleaded.

She whirled around, tearing her hand from his grasp and glaring at him murderously. “What do you want?”

He flinched at her tone. “I just want to talk.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “That’s great for you, Jer, but I’m past talking now. I tried. If you remember, it didn’t go so well.”

His words had haunted her all weekend. Luke was over it, of course, because that was how Luke handled things. He believed her when she’d told him that nothing significant had happened, and he wasn’t going to hold it over her head. But she couldn’t let it go that easily.

Jeremy ran a hair through his messy hair, eyes pained. “Let me apologize, please. I feel awful.”

“You should feel awful!” she bit back.

His eyes blazed. “I do. I fucked up.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, you did.”

“Look, I didn’t ask to be your research partner. I was planning on leaving you alone—”

“Good plan,” she muttered, cutting him off.

He eyed her, his face blank as he continued. “We have to work together. So at least talk to me. Let me make this right.”

She wanted her friend back, wanted to believe that he meant what he was saying, but she still felt the awful sting of his words. It was too raw. “I don’t know, Jer.”

Her phone buzzed in her purse. It was a text from Luke.

I need you for a sec, stop by my office. xx

Tearing her eyes from the phone, she looked back up at Jeremy, his mouth pulled down into a frown.

“I have to go.”

He nodded dismally and she turned to leave.

“Blondie?”

The familiar nickname made her heart to clench in her chest. She looked back over her shoulder.

“Do you think we’ll ever get back to where we were?”

She shrugged, sadness sweeping through her. “I don’t know.”

Embry made her way up to Luke’s office, her thoughts taunting her. She felt like her life was spinning out of control. Jeremy had been a constant for these last six months, and now she felt as if she could barely speak to him. At least things with Luke were getting back to normal.

She smiled at the thought.

Seeing Luke’s office door closed, she knocked lightly. The door flew open and he pulled her inside, shutting it quickly behind her. Before she knew it, he had her pressed up against the door, cupping her face in his hands, his lips on hers.

She let out a long sigh, all of her worries melting away as he pushed his way past her lips, his tongue stroking into her mouth. The sensation sent a wave of longing through her entire body. She held tightly to his biceps as her knees went weak.

His lips left hers to nip at her earlobe. “Mmm. Hi, beautiful.”

“Hi,” she breathed out. “What was that for?”

He pulled back, dropping a sweet kiss on her forehead. “I told you, I needed you.”

She grinned up at him. “You texted me for that?”

He shrugged. “Is it so bad if I did?”

“No,” she admitted. “But really? Was that it?”

Luke shook his head as he walked back around his desk. “No, but I wanted you in a good mood first.”

She slid into the seat on the other side of his desk, raising an eyebrow. “And your kisses put me in a good mood?”

His lips split into a panty-dropping smile. “I believe they do.”

Pink stained her cheeks. “Well, I believe you’re right.”

He reached for a piece of paper near the edge of his desk and held it out to her. “You’re hearing’s been moved up.”

Oh shit.

“You want the truth!” Morgan mock-shouted, wildly pointing her finger at Luke. “You can’t handle the truth!”

Luke was standing, with his hands on his hips, in the middle of his living room, rolling his eyes. “Morgan, sweetheart,” he started, his smooth, southern rasp attempting to charm her into cooperating. “I just need you to answer the question.”

She started giggling. “Did you just call me sweetheart?”

“I did.”

Her mouth dropped open, staring at him before her eyes shot to Embry. “Do you see this?”

“See what?” Embry replied.

“Are you
seeing
what is happening right now?”

Embry shrugged.

“
This
is how he has you wrapped around his finger, always so agreeable.” She turned her attention back to Luke, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You were trying to swoon me into submission, weren’t you?”

“Swoon you into—what?” Luke chuckled.

Morgan narrowed her eyes, feigning suspicion. “Don’t play dumb with me, Georgia peach. I know your game.”

Luke’s eyes darted to Brett, who simply shook his head and shrugged as if saying
you’re on your own.

“Morgan,” Luke said diplomatically. “I won’t call you sweetheart. I just need you to answer my questions. This is really simple, okay?”

Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “Okay.”

“What did you see when you came down the stairs at The Dock Restaurant on the night of November twenty-eighth?”

“I saw that scoundrel,” she pointed across the room at an imaginary Jack, “trying to force himself on Embry!”

Luke scrubbed his hand down his face, shaking his head. “I need a drink.”

He trod into the kitchen, pulling a beer from the refrigerator, and easily twisting off the top. Leaning against the counter, he took a long swig, the cold liquid rolling down his throat and soothing his frayed nerves. It wasn’t Morgan—he loved the girl, crazy as she was—but this hearing was too important not to take seriously.

Embry stepped into the kitchen and slid up to Luke. She wrapped her arms around his middle, fully knowing her touch calmed him like nothing else.

“Hey,” she said, her sweet voice muffled against his shirt.

He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face, his lips meeting hers. “Hi.”

“You all right?” Her eyebrows drew together in concern.

He nodded, cupping her cheek lovingly. This was for her, the hearing, everything. Yet she was concerned about how it was affecting him. “I’m fine,” he reassured. “Just concerned about the hearing. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about that asshole again.”

“I know,” Embry sighed. “Morgan’s just trying to help. You know how she is, she gets a bit… excitable.”

He laughed to himself. That was a bit of an understatement. “I understand.”

“But…” She ran a finger down his chest, her eyes sultry. “You were totally trying to use your southern charms to get her to cooperate.”

His eyebrows lifted a sly smile spreading across his lips. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t deny it,” she said, lifting up onto her toes to press a kiss, soft and warm, against his lips.

He dug his hands into her hair, holding her in place as he coaxed her mouth open, his tongue plunging in to tangle with hers in a searing kiss. She let out a soft moan, and it went straight to his cock.

“I want you,” she whispered against his lips.

“You can have me when we finish prepping.” Maybe offering some incentive would help her keep Morgan in line.

Her small hand reached down, rubbing the seam of his pants. His dick was betraying him. “Are you sure I have to wait?”

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Yes,” he groaned, gripping her wrist and removing her hand. He wanted nothing more than to drag her into his study for a quickie while Brett and Morgan sat waiting in his living room, but they really needed to be ready for this hearing.

Her soft pink lips fell into a plump pout, and all Luke could think of was what they felt like wrapped around him.

Later…

Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her around and gave her a slap on the ass. “Now go get your best friend to behave, so we can get this over with.”

She walked out of the kitchen, hips swaying back and forth. He downed his beer, and before returning to the living room, adjusted himself. She’d pay for teasing him later.

Embry sat on the couch a short while later, nervously picking at the edge of her shirt.

“And then what happened?” Luke asked, his voice cold, harsh.

She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her ears as she slipped into the past, recalling Jack’s words and the feel of being trapped against him.

“It’s just us, baby.” Luke’s soothing tone brought her back to the present. She looked up to find his blue eyes filled with concern. “I’m sorry to make you relive all of this. Do you want to take a break?”

She shook her head and swallowed thickly. “I-it’s okay. I want to get it over with.” She clenched her eyes shut, then opened them and stared straight ahead. “H-he pushed me back against the wall, I hit my head. Then he held me in place. He left bruises on my wrists from how hard he held me.”

She risked a glance at Luke and saw the battle raging in his eyes. This hearing, reliving her past, was so difficult for her, but she knew it was hard on him, too. She could tell he was struggling to stay impartial and think like an attorney when she was sure all he wanted to do was punch something.

He paced the floor in front of her and ran a hand roughly through his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m the one who needs a break. I’m about to put my fist through the wall.”

Embry breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay.”

Morgan and Brett had gone home an hour before. And although Morgan kept calling for order in the court and had twice tried to hold Luke in contempt, he’d managed to prep them both for their testimony. Her man had the patience of a saint. But after running through the unpleasant events of her altercation with Jack over and over, they were both drained and exhausted.

Luke settled on the couch next to Embry, then he lifted his arm and pulled her in close. “It’s gonna be okay, I promise.”