Seduce Me

"You've been summoned."Mallory Sinclair glanced up from the complicated lease she'd been reading to find her secretary, Paula, standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I didn't hear you knock.""That's because I didn't. When the Terminator calls there's no time to waste. Especially if you want a minute to freshen up before entering his lair." Paula, Mallory's young, beautiful and on-the-prowl secretary, wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture meant to prompt Mallory into primping for this unexpected meeting with the firm's best-looking partner.Mallory reached for a legal pad instead of her purse. Though she'd never let her emotions show, for the first time in her eight years with Waldorf, Haynes, Greene, Meyers & Latham, she shook in her no-nonsense pumps. She'd fought for assignments, gone head-to-head with senior partners over issues she believed in, and she'd held on to her job when other female associates had quit, been fired or had moved on to get married or have a family. She was the sole surviving female in a male dominated arena and was only one year away from making partner. She hadn't gotten this far without confrontation and she'd never backed away from a fight. Never been afraid to work with or take on opposing counsel or partner. Until now.Because as the top real estate associate, she'd never been summoned by hotshot divorce attorney and partner of the firm, Jack Latham. A man equal parts sexy male and lethal terminator--marriage terminator. That he wanted to see her now meant he had good reason."I could say you're busy and take notes in your place."Mallory didn't miss the hopeful note in her flirtatious secretary's voice. The other woman envied Mallory's meeting with Jack Latham. He was an office icon--a man adored by women and respected by men.If the grapevine was correct, he neither believed in the institution of marriage nor the idea of commitment. But his views weren't a deterrent to any breathing member of the opposite sex. Every woman in the office thought given the chance, she could change his mind."Thanks for the offer but I'm sure I can handle it." Mallory smiled wryly.Paula shrugged. "Too bad. I could really use the distraction and give him a meeting he'd never forget." She hitched her already borderline-trouble skirt hem up another notch.Mallory stifled a laugh. Good thing for Jack there was a no-office-romance policy, instituted after an employee had filed a sexual harassment suit against an older partner three years ago. The firm had settled quietly, the founding partner had retired, and the no-dating rule had gone into effect. Women like Paula could drool, but they couldn't put the moves on any of the male attorneys, and vice versa. But rules couldn't stop the imagination and there wasn't a woman in the office, from secretary, to paralegal, to the only female associate, who hadn't fantasized about Jack Latham.The difference between Mallory and the other women in the office was that she didn't outwardly show interest. She couldn't afford to crack her facade. She glanced at Paula who sat twirling a permed blond strand of hair around one finger, a disappointed look on her face."If the man knew what I'd saved him from, he'd get down on his hands and knees and thank me," Mallory said."I wish he'd get down on those knees for me." Paula let out an exaggerated sigh before glancing at her watch."You'd better get going. He said posthaste or something like that.""Thanks." Pad under her arm, Mallory headed out of her office and down the hall.She clenched her fists, only to discover she was sweating. Good God, she felt like a teenager in the throes of her first crush and that wouldn't do. Not when she'd done everything she could think of to join the ranks of this old boys' network and make partner.Including outwardly suppressing her femininity. She hid her sexy lace teddies and garters beneath conservative suits, covered her hot-colored pedicurePhillips, Carly is the author of 'Seduce Me', published 2008 under ISBN 9780373773268 and ISBN 0373773269.