Read Online Legally Yours by Manda Collins - Free Book Online Page B

bossing around
hick lawyers in Anytown, USA or the girl in every port? Because
from what I can see you're all about keeping it behind the
scenes.”
    “That is not fair,” he hissed, keeping his
voice down. “We both agreed that this thing between us was best on
a temporary basis. And I don't have a girl in every goddamn
port.”
    He reached out to grab her arm, but she
jerked away.
    “Well, why don't we just go ahead and call it
quits on this thing right now,” she said. “Obviously it's
interfering with our work relationship. And unlike you, I can't
fall back on family money to keep up my lifestyle.”
    It was unfair and she knew it. But, hearing
him accuse her of being a coward had been a wake-up-call of sorts.
She had to end things with him before she risked losing any more of
her heart to him. Because she knew in her gut that once she was
fell for this man, leaving him would be impossible.
    “Why are you doing this?” he asked, his eyes
narrowed, as if he were trying to see into her soul. “Last night we
were fine, and today you're shutting me out. Something is up.”
    “Nothing is up,” she said, desperate to get
out of there before he pressed her into revealing the truth. “This
little episode just gave me some clarity, that’s all.”
    She took his hand. “Look, we've had fun
together, but we both knew it wasn't going to be a forever
thing.”
    “So what?” he asked, his tone bitter, “It's
not me it's you? You can do better than that tired line.”
    Well, she'd tried. “I have to get back to
work, Matt. I'll see you later at the team meeting.”
    Her legs shaking, Julie hurried from the
break room to the blessedly empty ladies room, where she shut
herself in a stall and gave in to the tears she’d been holding back
all morning. She didn't regret her decision to end things, but
doing so felt like she'd just ripped out a major organ with a
spork.
    She thought she was being quiet, but Cissy's
voice on the other side of the door told her better.
    “Julie, sweetheart? Are you okay?”
    Her silent sob morphing into a sighing
hiccup, Julie swallowed. “I'm fine, Cissy. Just a...an allergy
attack,” she said.
    “Honey, unless you're allergic to a tall
blond hunk, I sincerely doubt that,” the other woman replied. “Come
on out here and tell me about it.”
    Knowing resistance was futile, Julie inhaled
through her stuffy nose, and wiped her eyes, hoping her mascara
hadn't run too badly.
    Cissy reached out and gave her a strong hug.
“Darlin' we've all been here at some point in our lives. Just tell
me about is so I can tell whether I need to get Luke to load the
shotgun.”
    “He doesn't need to be shot,” Julie sighed.
“It's my fault anyway.”
    “I sincerely doubt that,” Cissy returned.
“I've seen the way you look at him and if ever there was a woman in
love, it's you. So, what did he do? Break it off? Is he engaged?
God, is he married?”
    “No! God no!” Julie sank down onto the rattan
sofa that made the ladies room less of a public restroom than a
lounge where they could get away from the guys. “He's been sweet.
Honestly.”
    “Well, being sweet doesn't usually induce
tears. Unless you're...oh my god! Are you pregnant?”
    “Jesus! No! I'm not. We haven't. I mean, we
have, but...” She could hear the abject fear in her voice. There
was no possible way. Well, it was possible she supposed, but highly
unlikely. She counted backwards from her last period. Too early to
tell. “Just no.”
    “What is it then?”
    Julie closed her eyes and leaned back against
the sofa cushion. “I broke things off.”
    “What? Why?” Cissy demanded. “Honey, if you
could see how much happier you've been these last couple of weeks.
And he's obviously smitten with you, too. I've seen how you two
lock eyes in meetings.”
    “It's not him. He's a great guy. A nice guy.
But he's going back to D.C. soon and it's silly for me to become
too attached. Especially when what we've got is