Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online Page B

door, she stopped, reached down and picked up something. Nathan frowned and then groaned inwardly. Even frowning hurt.
    Paige considered the necklace she had picked up, the black pearls clicking together. Nathan stopped breathing. She lifted her gaze to his. Disgusted, she flung the necklace at him. The pearls hit him square in the chest, then fell to the floor.
    “Why would you need friends like me when you have friends like Celine?” Paige glared at him for the space of a heartbeat before she stormed out of the room.
    Nathan closed his eyes and tried to think. If he could only turn off the jackhammer in his head. He didn’t answer to Paige. Why would she care what he did? What did she want from him? Better still, what did he want from her? He had no idea. The only thing he knew for sure was that he didn’t want to hurt her. And he’d done a bang-up job so far. Maybe they could be friends. Too much time had gone by for anything else. Being friends might just work. Right now Nathan had to get some caffeine in his bloodstream before he died from his hellacious hangover.

Chapter Four
    “Your Honor, my client has no prior record and holds down a part time job. He’s an honor roll student. Refusal of bail could prove devastating to him academically as well as financially,” Paige countered the DA’s request to withhold bail for her client.
    “Your Honor, the State has reason to believe Mr. Jefferson might flee,” urged the young, handsome deputy district attorney.
    Paige turned and swept a measuring gaze over her adversary. “Perhaps, Mr. Myers would like to share with this court his compelling reason to make such a request?”
    “That’s my line, counselor,” the judge chided Paige.
    “Sorry, your Honor. Just thinking out loud.” She smiled apologetically.
    “Perhaps you’d like to share with this court your compelling reason for making such a request, Mr. Myers?”
    Paige bowed her head and tried to hide her grin. Judge Mattson had always been her favorite judge. He was one of the few who still had a sense of humor.
    “Your Honor, the State has learned that Mr. Jefferson has made statements to several of his friends that he intends to avoid testifying.”
    “Are these witnesses present this morning?”
    “No, your Honor, they are not.”
    “Request to withhold bail is denied. Bail is set at one thousand dollars.” Judge Mattson banged his gavel.
    “Court is adjourned.”
    “All rise,” the bailiff called.
    Paige smiled at Calvin Jefferson, who proceeded to give her a big hug. Beatrice, his grandmother, reached over the bench and pulled Paige against her bosom.
    “Thank you so much, honey,” she whispered, tears threatening.
    “Everything is going to be fine, Beatrice.” Paige drew back and smiled reassuringly at the older woman dressed in her Sunday-go-to-the-meeting clothes. Beatrice had been like a mother to Paige since her own mother’s death, and she had been more than happy to take care of Jesse as well... at least when Elliott Weston was away.
    “Thank you, Miss Paige.” Calvin grinned widely.
    Paige gave her eighteen-year-old client a speculative look. “Myers better not know what he’s talking about, Calvin.”
    “Don’t worry, Miss Paige, I won’t let you down.”
    “I’ll make sure of that,” Beatrice put in firmly.
    “You can make the bail?” Paige asked Beatrice.
    Beatrice smiled and patted her hand. “Don’t worry none about that. Your daddy has always paid me fairly. I got the money to take care of my boy.”
    “Okay, see you in two weeks then,” Paige told them.
    Calvin nodded before disappearing with the guard; Beatrice followed to post the bail. Paige packed up her briefcase and steeled herself for the wrath of her opponent. Myers was new and ambitious. His political aspirations gave her the willies.
    Myers met her in the center aisle, a statement in taste from his styled blond hair to his Armani suit and handmade Italian shoes. “You’re making a mistake, you