My Lawyer Was My Secret Top Fan

My date asked me, "Are you a virgin?" "Are you?" I asked back.

He answered, perfectly serious, "Technically, I'd say yes." "?" I turned that over for a second, then asked, honestly curious, "So the front's never been used, but the back has?" A low snort of laughter came from the booth behind me.

I turned toward the sound and raised an eyebrow. Small world. I knew this guy. He was the hotshot lawyer I'd slept with last week.

Chapter 1 My date asked me, "Are you a virgin?" "Are you?" I asked back.

He answered, perfectly serious, "Technically, I'd say yes." "?" I turned that over for a second, then asked, honestly curious, "So the front's never been used, but the back has?" It took him a full two seconds.

When it finally landed, he blew up. "Miss!

You do not make jokes like that!" "I think you're the one making the joke here." I propped my chin on one hand and looked at him, calm as anything. "Virgin?" Less than two minutes after I ran him off, my mother called. "Kira Sage!

Are you trying to put me in an early grave?" I held the phone away from my ear so I wouldn't lose my hearing while I was still young. "Mom, stop setting me up with these freaks." "Your Aunt Sharon says this one has a good job, owns his own place, and he's very steady." "Does Aunt Sharon need to get her eyes checked?" "Honestly, I thought he sounded fine, too…" "Then you need to get yours checked too." And I hung up.

That was when a low snort of laughter came from behind me. I turned around and ran straight into a pair of eyes.

He was somewhere in his thirties, in a full suit, handsome in that polished, wellbred way.

Goldrimmed glasses sat on a straight, highbridged nose, and everything else about him said corporate. Small world. I knew this guy.

He was Giovanni Beckett, the hotshot lawyer I'd slept with last week. That night I'd been a little drunk, but I still knew what was going on.

Some bleachedblond punk was trying to walk me out of there. I shoved him off and made it to the next booth over, where a very goodlooking man happened to be sitting.

I'd been noticing his chest for a while. "Hey, you—" I didn't get to finish. My legs slid out from under me. He caught me lightly around the waist. "Miss? You okay?" Great voice.

I got my eyes open. His face came into focus above me, and it was a very good face. I couldn't help myself.

I grabbed a fistful of his collar and patted his cheek. "Not bad at all. "Want to come home with me tonight? "Oh — let me see your driver's license and your STD test results first…" When I woke up the sky outside was just going pale, and past the floortoceiling windows was the Chicago skyline.

I sat up in bed and looked around, completely lost. Grayandwhite bedroom, simple furniture, expensive lines. A pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution on the nightstand.

A glassfront closet packed with custom suits, and a drawer that wouldn't close for all the watches and cufflinks in it. Beautiful place. Not mine, unfortunately.

I lifted the blanket and took a look. "?" "…" "AAAH—!" The door opened almost immediately and a tall man walked in. "You're up?" He looked young, with strong, striking features, in a white shirt and black slacks, straightbacked and lean.

I stared at him and croaked, "Who are you?" He raised an eyebrow, eyes amused. "Giovanni Beckett." Giovanni Beckett.

The name dragged up the broken pieces of last night, and the pieces started fitting together into a fact I did not want to admit. "What was your name again?" "Giovanni Beckett." "And what do you do?" "I'm a lawyer." Chapter 2 "Counselor Beckett, you're so hot." "Thank you." "Can I sleep with you?" "…" "Saying nothing means yes." "?" "Your place or mine?" … Right.

It was coming back to me. I took my clothes off first. His, I… tore off. I hadn't even had that much to drink. What got into me? Kira Sage, Kira Sage.

You are really goddamn outstanding!

I closed my eyes for a second and tried to get myself under control. "Counselor Beckett, could we just pretend this never happened?" Giovanni pushed his glasses up his nose, a smile coming and going at the corner of his mouth. "And what if I said no?" "…" I licked my dry lips. "Meaning you don't want it to stop?" "If you're not opposed." "…Fine, then." Nobody sane would be opposed to that face.

Besides, his customer service was outstanding. We put each other's numbers in our phones. I saved Giovanni under FWB.

He caught sight of it by accident, and his expression got complicated. "Ms. Sage. You are full of surprises." "I'm not looking to get into anything right now," I said, straight out.

To be exact, I wasn't planning on getting into anything later, either.

One "friend" with decent customer service was plenty. "In that case, for the sake of both our health, I'd suggest we keep it exclusive." He looked at me with a smile that stopped well short of his eyes. "You understand what I mean." "Of course.

You're the only one." "Good." "Ms. Sage. What a coincidence." Giovanni came around and sat down across from me, pushing the virgin's coffee off to the side.

I flagged down the server and ordered him an iced americano with an extra shot.

I hear that's what lawyers run on. "Family set you up again?" The corner of his mouth ticked up. "You're twentysix.

Are they really in that much of a hurry?" I propped my chin on my hand. "My mom likes to say that by twentysix she already had me walking." "Times have changed, and people's thinking should keep up with them.

For women now, marrying early isn't necessarily a good thing." "Well said. You should take that up with my mother." "I'd be glad to.

When?" "…" I chewed on my straw and looked up at him. "Counselor Beckett, you seem a little unhappy." He pushed his glasses up. "Do I?" "Don't read anything into it.

I was just there to get my family off my back." I explained it calmly. "I'm actually a stickler for the rules of the game." Until this particular arrangement ended, neither of us saw anyone else.

If one of us wanted out, the other didn't make it difficult. We'd agreed on all of it up front, and it was perfectly fair.

Giovanni laughed under his breath. "I'm honestly not angry." "Lawyers aren't supposed to lie, you know." "Then you may not know much about lawyers." "Then you must not be a good one." "You're not the first person to say so." The conversation stalled out there.

The server brought his coffee, and Giovanni picked it up and took a sip. "Busy week?" he said mildly.

I shook my head. "Then why wouldn't you come out to dinner with me?" "I was on my period that day." "…" "But it's over now.

Want to go out?" Giovanni's brows drew together, so slightly I almost missed it. His face gave away nothing either way. Chapter 3 Maybe he was a little resigned. "Can't tonight.

Something came up." "Oh." "Tomorrow works, though." His hand came across the table, hooked my pinkie, and rubbed it slowly.

Behind the lenses, those deep brown eyes were warm enough to be a problem. My ears went hot. I nodded like it was nothing. "Sure.

I'm free tomorrow too." We settled on five o'clock at the restaurant. I had to do my face anyway, so I went ahead and started a livestream.

I'd taken on a lot of sponsorships lately, and if I didn't start moving product I was going to get nagged to death. "Okay, babies, today I'm testing out a cushion foundation for you. "Whoa.

A hydrating cushion almost never gives you coverage like this. "If you want to know how it wears, I'll film a wear test for you tonight. "Next up, this liquid lipstick that is so perfect for summer…" A little over two hours of that.

I ended the stream, changed, and went straight out. My ride pulled up in front of the restaurant at exactly five.

I'd barely gotten out when I saw Giovanni come out of the law office next door.

He had on a black shirt in some very good fabric, two buttons open at the collar, sleeves rolled to the elbow, the muscles in his forearms on easy display.

At first glance there was none of his usual precision. He just looked loose and easy. He saw me, the corner of his mouth lifted, and he came over fast.

I rubbed my earlobe and looked somewhere else. "Been waiting long?" His voice was rougher than usual. "No, I just got here." I tilted my head and studied him. "Are you sick?" "No.

Case." He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've got a client who won't cooperate.

Every conversation is a fight." I could see how tired he was around the eyes, and it came out of me before I could stop it. "Maybe you should head home and get some sleep after dinner?" His eyebrow ticked up and he took my hand. "No." "…" I gave him a long look. "Don't push it.

I'm not going to make fun of you." He just smiled and tightened his grip. Two hours later we were at his place anyway.

I didn't get as far as changing into slippers before he picked me up around the waist. "Wait — Giovanni!" I kicked, then got scared of falling and locked my arms around his neck.

He set me down on the couch and came down over me, his rough fingers moving along my ankle. "Leave them on.

They're beautiful shoes." He looked down at me with heat rising in his eyes. "Keep them on while we do it?" I fisted my hand in the back of his collar.

My heart was hot enough to blow. "Giovanni, you—mm." The lights above us were dim and swinging and would not hold still. At some point the winered heels ended up on the floor.

Once I knew about certain of Giovanni's habits, I couldn't look at those heels the same way again. So the next time I saw him I wore sneakers on purpose.

White canvas sneakers, a cropped tee, a pleated skirt — nothing like my usual grownwoman look, all fresh and young and harmless. I figured there was nothing he could do with that.

Then that night he had me keep the skirt on… "Giovanni, you know that whole 'gentleman in the streets, freak in the sheets' thing?" I said into the pillow, what was left of my voice going with it. "Go look in a mirror." He laughed and kissed my shoulder. "You seemed to enjoy it." "Get out!" I kicked him and twisted around to glare. "I'm streaming tomorrow.

How am I supposed to stream looking like this?" Chapter 4 I pointed at the hickeys all over me.

One, two, three, four — there was no counting them. "Do a concealer review?" "Review my ass.

Since when do you know what concealer is?" "The women in my office talk about it constantly." He said it like it cost him nothing. "They love your tutorials.

I caught two of them watching in the break room on the clock once and gave them a talkingto." I grabbed a fistful of his hair. "Who said you get to lecture my fans?" "Ow.

You really don't know your own strength." "Relax. You've got plenty of hair." "Kira Sage." His brows drew together. "Let go." I made a face and let go, not happy about it.

A second later he had me pinned underneath him, both of us damp and sticking together, and my heart was trying to get out of my chest. He leaned down to kiss me.

I turned my face away. "Counselor Beckett, you're not a young man anymore.

Ever heard of knowing your limits?" He looked down at me, and something behind those dark eyes was starting to churn. "Is that right," he said, low. "Not a young man." "…I was only being honest." I paid for it pretty quickly.

Somewhere in the haze, he spoke against my ear, barely above a whisper. "Kira. Do you like me?" I thought about that line later.

I chalked it up to the kind of nonsense men say in the moment. I wasn't vain enough to think he might actually be falling for me, and I had no plans to fall for him either.

Feelings are the most inconvenient thing there is. I thought I had a spine about it. No emotional investment, just the fun parts. Three months in, my whole outlook had changed.

Especially the night Giovanni made me a candlelit dinner.

I'd had some wine, and I walked over the roses he'd thrown down across the floor, and then I had my arms around him and we both went down onto the couch.

And that night we didn't do anything at all. We just fell asleep to the sound of the rain. At two in the morning I opened my eyes, half awake.

I wanted water and couldn't be bothered to get up, so I elbowed Giovanni until he woke.

He surfaced with his brows drawn in sleep and kissed me lightly on the mouth, his voice low and rough with it. "You are such a menace." It was a complaint.

He managed to say it like an endearment. Every bit of sleep left me. I touched my own lips, stunned. It was the simplest possible contact.

There was nothing in it, not one degree of heat.

And it went straight through me… "Kiki, I promise you, this one is—" "Mom, I'm not going." I frowned, my patience thinning. "Could you please stop arranging dates for me?" My mother sighed. "It's for your own good.

A woman should settle down early." "You settled down early. You had me at twentythree. And then what?" I laughed without any humor in it. "Dad cheated. You married twice more.

Are you happy now?" The other end of the line went quiet. I let out a long breath. "Stop worrying about me.

How are things over there?" "Fine." "Do you want me to hire someone to come clean for you?" "No.

Why waste the money." "That bastard hasn't come around, has he?" My mother made a very quiet "Mm." Then she changed the subject fast. "About the date—" "Mom, I've got work.

I'm hanging up." I found a reason to get off the phone in a hurry. I checked the time. Still plenty of it. So I took my time with my makeup and put some curl in my hair.

Giovanni called soon after. Chapter 5 "Kira. I'm downstairs." His voice was as good as it always was. "Wait — I'll be right down," I said quickly. "No rush.

Take your time." I could hear him smiling. "I'm not going anywhere, dummy." It was like something soft dragging across the inside of my chest. I looked at myself in the mirror.

Both cheeks were red. Five months we'd been doing this, which is not a short time. And he could still get to me that easily. "You're the dummy.

Big dummy." I muttered it and hung up, then grabbed my bag and the gift bag and went. It was Giovanni's birthday, and he'd pulled a few people from the firm together for dinner.

My plan had been to celebrate with him afterward, on our own. He wanted me there for the dinner itself, and he was not flexible about it.

It wasn't the first time he'd tried to bring me into his world. The last time he won a big case, the firm threw him a dinner and he wanted to take me.

I said it wouldn't be appropriate and turned him down. This time it was his birthday, so I didn't have a reason left.

I checked my reflection about six times on the way over and put on transferproof lipstick before I got out of the car.

Giovanni saw how nervous I was and gave me a helpless little smile. "What are you scared of?

My coworkers don't bite." I turned my head so I wouldn't have to look at the laugh sitting in his eyes. "Who said I was scared?

Please. "I am here to make you look good. "And some of my followers are in there, so excuse me for caring how I look." Giovanni laughed low in his throat and rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. "Kira.

How are you this cute?" "?" The dinner was at a French place we'd been to once before. Nice room. Right before we went into the private dining room, I let go of Giovanni's hand.

He glanced at me like there was something he wanted to say. That was when the door swung open and a woman came out. She froze when she saw me, and then she screamed. "AAAH!

It really is a little sage!" My handle online is a little sage.

Giovanni's brows came together. "I told her thirty seconds ago that my coworkers don't bite." The woman came at me, thrilled. "Hi, Sage! I'm Tori, Mr. Beckett's assistant.

I love your videos so much, I've bought literally everything you've recommended. "You are so pretty in person, so much prettier than on camera, your skin is unreal. "Two days ago I was talking about you with everybody and Mr.

Beckett said he was bringing you tonight. "We didn't believe him.

We said he's better at talking big than he is at trying cases. "And then you actually came, and you actually know each other! "Can I follow you on Instagram?" Giovanni made a sound in the back of his throat. "Tori.

I swear to—" I laughed and got my phone out. "Here, what's your handle? I'll follow you back." Giovanni did not say a word.

Once we'd followed each other, Tori towed me into the room. After the introductions, everyone settled into small talk. "Sage, how did you and Mr.

Beckett meet?" That was the question the whole table wanted answered. I pressed my lips together, stuck. The truth was obviously out. So: lie.

Before I could get a good lie built, Giovanni tossed it out flat. "Online.

I dropped the most expensive gift on the platform for her once." "…" I held my smile together and reached under the table to pinch his thigh.

He didn't so much as blink, just pried my fingers loose and held on to my hand, hard. Tori clapped her hands. "So Mr.

Beckett chased you!" Chapter 6 I blanked for a second and then shook my head fast. "We're just friends." "Ohh.

So he hasn't caught you yet." A couple of the women snickered into their glasses. "…" I snuck a look at Giovanni.

His eyes were down and he was turning his water glass in his fingers, and there was something absent in his face. Based on what I knew about him by then, he was unhappy.

Because I said we were just friends? But we weren't dating. That was simply true.

Things between us had warmed up a lot lately, sure, but nothing had actually changed in any official way… Everyone had a few drinks and the room got loud.

Some of the men started talking about cases they'd picked up.

Giovanni listened all the way through before he weighed in, frowning at one thing, half smiling at another, giving exactly as much as the moment called for.

He didn't sound like a man at a dinner table. He sounded like a man in an office. I couldn't keep my eyes off him. He was a little bit of a stranger like that.

He was also unfairly attractive like that. … It was close to ten by the time we wrapped up.

Giovanni put the women from the office in cars first, then went and paid, then asked whose place we were going to.

I checked that nobody was around and said, quietly, "Mine." I still had the other present for him at home.

Before we left I said I had to hit the restroom and sent Giovanni out to wait for the car.

In the restroom I patted my own cheeks in the mirror and decided it was going to be tonight. I'd feel out where he stood.

If he actually wanted a relationship, it wasn't like I'd sworn off love forever.

I shook the water off my hands, and just as I was about to walk out I heard people talking on the other side of the door. The voices were familiar.

It was the men from our table. "That influencer is gorgeous. Something about her eyes." "Watch her stream sometime. She's even worse with no makeup on, all clean and freshfaced.

Kills you." "So what's actually going on with her and Beckett?" "It's not exactly subtle. They're sleeping together." "I think he likes her, though.

They might be together for real." "Sure he likes her. She's that pretty, who wouldn't.

The question is whether she fits." "Beckett has a childhood sweetheart coming back at the end of the year.

An heiress versus an influencer who streams for a living — a man that smart can figure out which one matters more." … "What