Hunter gave another soft laugh and rose to his feet.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow in my office at
eight a.m.’ He handed her a business card with his contact details on it. ‘This is just the initial
consultation to get the ball rolling. I usually meet with my clients several times, depending on
how things go, and how cooperative the other party.’
‘Thank you.’ Her index and middle fingers ever so lightly brushed against his palm as she
took the business card from him, and lust slammed him in the groin. As first touches went, it
was tiny, and yet it packed a knockout punch to his senses. His body tingled from head to foot
and he could only imagine what would happen if he kissed her. That she had felt something
too was obvious in the way she’d pulled her hand away, as if it had received an electric shock.
She slipped the card into her bag and rose from her chair. Her teeth sank into her lower lip
and she added, ‘Erm, would you mind if you didn’t mention anything about us having dinner
tomorrow evening, when my mother comes to your office in the morning?’
Hunter wondered why the need for secrecy. Most women he took out to dinner couldn’t wait
to broadcast who they were seeing to all and sundry. It was a refreshing change, and an
intriguing one that his ‘date’ with Millie be considered something to be kept private. ‘No
problem. It can be our little secret.’
Millie stood with her mother outside Hunter’s office building the following morning with her
heart doing funny little trots, hops and skips. ‘Right. Here we go.’
‘Are you sure he’s the right person to act for me?’ her mother asked, casting her a worried
glance. ‘I’ve heard he’s terribly expensive.’
Millie linked her arm through her mother’s. ‘Don’t worry about the expense. Think of the
outcome. He’s the one to get the job done. “Get him and get justice” is his tagline.’
Eleanora chewed her lip. ‘You haven’t told him about my...?’
‘No, Mum. I haven’t.’ Millie was well used to covering up her mother’s literacy issues. She
had been reading and interpreting letters and documents for her mum since childhood. Her
mother could sign her name and read basic sentences, but legal documents could be hard for
anyone, let alone someone with severe dyslexia. Millie knew her mother felt great shame about
her problem, but every time Eleanora had taken a remedial class she had given up after only
one or two sessions. She relied on her current partners or Millie to do things for her. At times,
she even relied on her household staff—some of whom had also taken advantage of her.
They took the lift to the top floor of the building where Hunter’s suite of offices was housed.
The shiny brass plaque read: Addison and Associates, Legal Services, and the swish reception
looked like the foyer of a top-notch hotel. Plush ankle-deep carpet, a finely crafted timber
credenza and priceless works of art on the walls spoke of a legal eagle who was at the top of
his game. The beautifully dressed, coiffed and made-up young female receptionist behind the
polished credenza gave a welcoming smile that was blindingly white. ‘Good morning.’
‘Good morning,’ Millie said, with an answering smile. ‘We’re here to see Hunter Addison.
Millie and Eleanora Donnelly-Clarke.’
‘I’ll tell him you’re here.’ The receptionist leaned towards an intercom on her desk, which
was connected to her headset and microphone, and informed Hunter of their arrival. Millie
didn’t hear his reply, but the receptionist pressed the ‘off’ switch and pushed back her chair.
‘I’ll take you to his office right now. Come this way.’
Millie and her mother followed the receptionist down a wide corridor with more beautiful
works of art, a mixture of modern and classical, that somehow didn’t clash at all but worked in
perfect harmony. The receptionist opened the corner-office door—of course he had the corner
office—and indicated for Millie and her mother to go in.
Millie stepped over the threshold and her eyes went straight to Hunter seated behind his
polished mahogany and leather-topped desk. Behind him was the most spectacular view over
London, and if he hadn’t been so heart-stoppingly handsome she would have been tempted to
stare at the view rather than at him. But no view could ever rival his superb male form. He was
wearing a crisp white business shirt with a blue tie with silver stripes, the charcoal-grey jacket
of his suit hanging off the back of his chair. He rose from his chair with a welcoming smile and
her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her throat.
‘Good morning.’ He came from behind the desk and offered his hand to Eleanora first.
‘Eleanora, nice to meet you.’
‘And you too,’ Eleanora said, blinking rapidly and blushing as if she had just been introduced
to a rock star.