Indiscretions Read Free

in her mode of dress, she mused, looking down at her canary yellow linen skirt and brown paisley blazer. Perhaps it was her way of breathing life, vitality and a splash of color into the drab gray world of the legal profession. But her flamboyant nature and outspoken manner had cost her, she realized. Yet, she still refused to totally bend to the will of her superiors, no matter what they did to her.
    Although her anger had subsided somewhat after talking with Charisse, it began to once again boil to the surface as she made the slow rise on the elevator. At some point, she knew she would have to confront the false faces of the other attorneys, with all of them knowing full well how she had been slighted. A dull throb pumped methodically in her right temple when she envisioned the questions, the looks.
    This was the first time she could recall doubting herself. Self-doubt regarding her profession was an emotion with which she was totally unfamiliar. On the other hand, she knew from day one that as soon as she stepped through the hallowed halls of McMahon, Counts and Perry, she was going to have to work harder than anyone in the firm. Although her credentials spoke for themselves, she was the first black female associate ever hired in the firm’s 104-year history. They took a chance with her, and she knew it. But her nonconformist nature would not allow her to be molded into their conventional approach to criminal defense, which was her specialty. This, compounded with her opinionated persona, kept her constantly in hot water with the senior partners. Inwardly she cringed when the words she had lashed out at them whipped through her brain. The recollection and the inevitable aftermath made her throbbing head spin.

    Walking briskly through the hushed corridors, her mind totally entrenched in her latest dilemma, she made the sharp right turn toward her office and walked smack into what she swore had to be a recently erected wall. Her portfolio flew out of her hand, and its contents spilled out on the carpeted floor.
    â€œI’m so sorry…I wasn’t…I didn’t—” she blurted out in an embarrassed jumble, realizing it was a person and not a thing she had collided with. She blindly stooped down to retrieve the scattered articles. As she gathered the materials in a pile, a warm, masculine hand covered hers, and a voice with the soul-stirring resonance of a gospel singer stroked her rattled nerves.
    â€œLet me. It was partly my fault, anyway.” Khendra’s eyes slowly rose and rested upon the most smoldering black eyes she had ever seen. They appeared to dance with mischief, and something more—something dangerously inviting.
    â€œAre you all right?” he asked, the beginnings of a dimpled smile easing across his smooth face. When a full smile lit up his face, Khendra felt herself dissolve like melted butter, as perfect milky-white teeth sparkled against his deep, dark-chocolate complexion.
    â€œYes…I’m fine. Thank you,” she answered slowly. Who was that person who just sounded like Minnie Mouse?
    He extended a hand to her, helping her to rise from her crouched position. She gingerly placed her hand in his and immediately felt the tingle of electricity creep through her body. His eyes and his smile held her entranced as she rose to meet his piercing gaze.
    He stood a full head taller than she in her two-inch heels, which would place him at about six feet three inches, she quickly surmised. His appearance bore the impression of a sleek panther lethally quick and sensual. He wore his dark hair cut very close, allowing the natural waves to show through. His broad shoulders filled the obviously expensive suit exquisitely, leading her to feel he would look good not only in a boardroom, but on a football field as well. Just his look and the way his half-smile played around his full lips made her feel totally vulnerable and completely feminine, feelings that were gently