Temptations (Carter)

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

Things at home had been going better since his return from New York. At least inside his home. Cassidy had been keeping her nose clean but he knew a lot of that had to do with Alyson being back safely and not worrying so much about her captor. They still hadn't caught the man, or so Carter had been told, and he was content that his wife wouldn't go looking for trouble. She had a tendency to do that, but she had promised not to. His heart couldn't take it anymore.

Somehow over the years Cassidy had completely broken him down. It wasn't entirely her fault. It was a cosmic tornado that had thrust them into horrible situation after horrible situation and forced him to become the scared, overprotective man he had become. A man that was so very different from the boy Cassidy had met not very long ago. There was a part of Carter that hated what he'd become. Loving husband, caring father, hard working business man... He wasn't that far from his own father, though he genuinely loved his wife and paid attention to his child, something his father had neglected to do. Or perhaps his father had started out like Carter and had broken down over the years to become the selfish prick he was today. Carter couldn't imagine his parents conceiving a second child if things were so terrible between them. Then again, they did file for divorce. Which reminded him; he needed to send Jenny a gift for her birthday next week.

Carter tried not to think of his woes at work, but his eyes moved to the photo framed on his desk of Cassidy hugging a smiling Lilly. They really had made a beautiful child and though he wasn't a great father, he still enjoyed his time with the baby these days. She was starting to talk and had been walking for months. It was pretty incredible watching her grow, but Carter still feared that Cassidy would ask for another. He hadn't wanted Lilly. Sure, he was glad she was born, but he didn't want to be a father so young and he'd barely known Cass when she had become pregnant.

The door being flung open distracted him from his thoughts and his immediate reaction was anger. He had TOLD Cheyenne not to charge into his office like this but when he looked up he was greeted with a face that did not belong to his sultry assistant. "I beat the shit out of some stupid bitch and now I'm being charged for assault." He blinked, staring up at his incredibly gorgeous intrusion. "What can you do about that?" He knew immediately he'd never met the girl but there was definitely something familiar about her. Had he seen her somewhere before? He had a pile of work to do but he could clearly see this girl had no intention of leaving because she didn't have an appointment. Beautiful women felt entitled and expected to be treated better than anyone else. Carter was no stranger to the elite. He had been the elite. He had been the person who demanded immediate attention, but that was because he grew up in New York with the high society. Everyone knew Carter Merryweather.

Carter waived to the seat and sighed, not one to give up business. "Well that depends on what happened. Please, have a seat." He offered, pulling out a form. "Now what's your name and in your words what happened?" Despite her beauty he played professional. Carter wasn't one to hit on random women. Not anymore. But he couldn't deny feeling comfortable in the brunette's company; she was so very much like the women he had hung around in his younger years and it woke up a part of him he hadn't felt very often since he met Cassidy. She reminded him of Hillary, his ex who he'd seen on that trip back east, and who he'd kissed secretly. Cassidy didn't know about that, and probably never would. It wasn't cheating, exactly. Hillary had stopped him from going any further, but would he have gone all the way with her? Would he have cheated on Cassidy?

He might have..

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

"My name is Veronica Summers. I'm a model and two days ago we had a photo shoot." A model. That certainly explained why he had recognized her. Cassidy was a clothing designer, and being a clothing designer she had loads of pictures of models. Sure, she designed mostly children's attire but her true original hobby had been women's wear and she did that too on occasion. He had probably seen this Veronica on the cover of a magazine or in photos or something. He was sure his sister would have showed him some stuff as well. Jenny was obsessed with fashion. Honestly, Carter didn't mind it much, either. He was a couture man. Carter had always enjoyed the finer things and wore expensive clothing simply because he could. They hugged in all the right places and he felt sexy when he dressed nicely, which was why you would be hard pressed to find the man in very casual attire.

"I guess that I just sort of lost it and that's when I attacked her." Carter made a few notes on the sheet about her story. She was very vague about the specifics but they could cover that more thoroughly later. "So now that you know everything, will you be able to fix it? I can tell you right now that a prison outfit won't look good on me. I'm hoping you can prevent that from happening." Carter had once been a master of manipulation and he could clearly see this girl wasn't very different. Her smile was seductive and he could easily see her cleavage, something he was sure was no accident. He watched as she moved the picture of his wife and daughter aside and then looked back at her. She wasn't subtle at all. Yes, this woman was exactly like Hillary, his sort of ex.

"First I assure you unless you are a repeat offender you're not looking at jail time, so don't worry about prison attire yet. We still need to go over the details of the case, but I'm sure we could find a loophole. You'll need to give me more details in order to make a solid case against the plaintiff. We'll need to set up an appointment to go over those details. It's not customary to barge into an attorney's office and demand he take your case, and there's a reason appointments are made. That being said, I feel confident that I can defend you in your case, Ms. Summers." He did his best to stay professional, keeping eye contact. Sure, he'd like to throw this one down on his desk and have his way, but he had a great deal of self control. He'd turned his own gorgeous secretary down repeatedly, but at this case he was sure Cheyenne did it to be funny. She wasn't expecting sex from him. He missed her.. She had disappeared after the vaccinations and he assumed she was quarantined for the sickness. Surely she would be in touch soon. He didn't think she was dead. Or rather he hoped she wasn't.

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

"Mr. Merryweather, there is a difference in feeling confident and being confident. I'm not exactly a fan of surprises, especially surprises that result in me losing." He raised a brow at her, the corner of his lips quirking up slightly. "My level of confidence is to be determined on how much of a case we have, Ms. Summers." He explained. Carter couldn't guarantee anything other than her not being hauled off in cuffs, unless of course she has made a habit of this sort of behavior. Even with he was a good attorney and he was sure he could have most if not all charges dismissed, or at least talked down to something far more minor than assault.

"Is that your family?" Carter looked at the photo on his desk and gave a light head nod. He wasn't keen on talking about his personal life. The photo was partially there because he enjoyed seeing the two of them during the day, but mostly it was so clients would see him as kind and family oriented. Obviously he was a doting father and husband to have such a beautiful, happy pair of women in a photo on his desk. "I must say, your wife is quite beautiful." She was. Cassidy was one of the most beautiful women Carter had ever had the pleasure of knowing. "Thank you." He said softly before she continued. "Where did the two of you meet?" She smiled again, positioning herself in such a way that her cleavage showed.

Carter had the feeling this girl was playing games somehow. Ge wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it, but he needed the business and he wanted to take the case. He liked a good challenge. "Right before spring break on the NYU campus. I was nearly done my senior year." He told her in his gruff voice matter of factly. His eyes never left her, making sure not to look much at the cleavage she so willingly displayed for him. She was beautiful and she knew it. Cassidy was stunning but she never flaunted it, not intentionally. Sure she did her best to look gorgeous now, but he had to fight her during those first couple years to slide on a designer dress or anything that had cost more than her grocery bill that month. She had come from humble roots unlike Carter, and it had taken a bit of convincing to get her to the level of comfort she was with fashion today. Now she designed her own clothing, which suited him just fine.

The girl stood suddenly and he watched her as she did so. "I'm a very busy woman, Mr. Merryweather, and I hate to waste my time. It was a pleasure to meet you." That had come out of nowhere. Carter grimaced and watched her bend to retrieve her coat. Was this because he couldn't assure her a victory? No attorney could. Or maybe because he was married? Somewhat happily? His marriage could use a little help as most marriages could, but it wasn't bad. He did love Cassidy dearly.

"Ms. Summer's I'm not entirely sure what your aim is with finding another attorney, but I guarantee if you offer the same tale you will receive the same response. I will need to know more details before I can assure any sort of victory on your behalf. Even then it depends on the judge and the other girls attorney and the case she provides. My intention is to represent you better than any other attorney in this city. That being said if you feel more comfortable working with someone else then by all means, enjoy the rest of your afternoon. I wish you the best. However if you care to continue working with me we can set up an appointment to further go through your case and I can give you a better idea of what to expect in court.."

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but isn't that a bit cliched?" Carter had raised a brow at her. She had no idea
what they had gone through together and how it had all come to marriage. It wasn't a cliche at all. It was a series of very unfortunate events that had brought them to the brink of death repeatedly, bringing them around the world to try and escape but things had only gotten worse when they'd gotten to Europe. Carter didn't like people to assume things about himself, but he also didn't care to get into it all with this girl, or anyone. The marriage had been proposed for Cassidy's sake, and the love part followed. Then of course they found out they were expecting Lilly. "You can sneak a look at them, Mr. Merryweather. I won't mind." Her words had made his brows lower. He had given no indication he had been looking or he wanted to. Was she so full of herself that she thought everyone wanted to see her goods? Yes. That sort of behavior had excited him once, but now.. well now he found it juvenile.

"Now that's better." She said to his proposal and Carter wasn't entirely sure what he'd said or done to convince her that she ought to stay with him. It didn't matter, really. She was going to stick around and that was all he really wanted anyway. He wished she was less attractive.. "Why is it always so difficult to negotiate with you attorneys?" Again he cocked a brow at her. "Were we negotiating?" He asked, unsure what she meant. She bumped into his desk causing the picture of Cass and Lilly to fall over. He watched with pursed lips as she went to pick it up. "Oh, I'm so sorry! It's not broken, is it?"

Carter was under the impression immediately that the movement had been intentional and there was a deeper meaning hidden behind her words. She wasn't referring to the picture being broken, but what it represented. Were they broken? No. Maybe cracked a little, but not broken.

"It's fine." He said softly, not looking at the picture, but at Ms. Summers. He had mixed feelings about her. On the one hand he was more than annoyed with this immature beauty queen that was making him work for her business, but on the other hand he had missed dealing with women like this. How many Veronica Summers had he known growing up? He was more than a little intrigued. She made him feel comfortable in a way that Cassidy did not and hadn't he been craving this sort of attention? Wasn't that why he had kissed Hillary when he'd gone back to New York the previous month? Intrigued or not, it was a risky game. As much as Carter wanted to take part, he feared hurting Cassidy and possibly losing her. Still, there was no harm taking the woman's case and enjoying her company.

Carter pulled a little appointment book out. "Normally my secretary makes my appointments but it seems she's fallen ill and the girl at the front desk isn't capable of scheduling me properly." She didn't belong to him but she did take his messages, which was fine by him. He opened the book and looked through. "My first available time slot is Monday at three. Can you make that?" He asked, looking up into her dark, seductive eyes. What was it about brunettes that was so irresistibly sexy?

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

Carter wasn't sure how anyone could have a different understanding of the word negotiation, but he dropped it. If there was one thing he'd learned over the years, it was never argue with a woman unless it was necessary. It was a losing battle, every time. Women didn't know how to fight fair and they always assumed they were right even when they were clearly wrong. Carter had learned to pick and choose his battles, which was important to maintain a healthy relationship with Cassidy, but when he felt strongly about something she knew it. Which was why he'd gone across the country to escape her. But she'd crawled back and apologized, which was remarkably big of her. Cassidy was known for her hot head more than Carter was.

"Well, that's good. Otherwise, you'd have to try and salvage what was left. But don't you think it's sometimes better to simply dispose of something rather than repair it." Had the sinking feeling she wasn't referring to the picture at all, and she wasn't exactly being subtle, either. Was she talking about the people in the frame? "I mean, you wouldn't want to keep a cracked picture frame, right?" Was she flirting with him? He couldn't really tell. "Depends on the picture frame. Some are worth salvaging." He offered softly, which was a true statement whether they were talking marriages or picture frames.

"Monday at three? You know what, I'm meeting my sister on Monday and she's just gotten out of an abusive relationship. I just feel so bad leaving her alone and I don't want her to do anything irrational." So she had a sister. Just what this town needed, two of these vixens. "Is it possible for you to come by my house on Monday? It just seems like the only other option, and I'd like to have this case be over and done with as soon as possible. But please don't feel as if you have some obligation. I'd hate to separate you from your daughter and wife."

Carter couldn't help but notice how often she'd brought up his family since she'd strolled into his office. Barged, actually. His mouth was set in a thin line, torn. On the one hand he wanted this case, but on the other he didn't want this girl calling all the shots. Still, she was beautiful and he wouldn't mind someone fawning over him a bit. If Cassidy knew he was considering the proposal she would have his balls. All she needed was to take one look at this woman and she would flip her lid.

"I don't typically meet at peoples homes, Ms. Summers. I will occasionally make exceptions and take a client to lunch or dinner. It's less private than working in the office, but I find that meeting in someone's home isn't as professional." Plus Cassidy really would freak out. "Perhaps we can make an exception down the road once we've familiarized ourselves with each other. But if the office doesn't work we can go to a local cafe, or if a little more privacy is what you prefer The Blue Scallop works well." It was a fancy restaurant and he really only took people there to impress them, but it would work fine in this case. "Would your sister be accompanying us?"

[CARTER MERRYWEATHER]

"I just ate at the Blue Scallop a few days ago, but I suppose we can go there." Carter had to do his best not to scowl at her. He had just offered to pay for this self righteous woman's supper while discussing how to keep her from being charged with assault, and she had the nerve to whine that she'd recently eaten there? She was the west coast version of his ex and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. "And I feel honored that you would think of me as an exception." She smiled at him, but Carter refused to do so back, biting his tongue so he could keep her business. It was probably an easy enough case and he could use the money. They could always use the money. Maybe he would save up to take Cassidy away somewhere, just the two of them so they could get back to the basics and get away from Lilly and all the responsibilities that had complicated their life together.

"Actually, I don't think it's appropriate if she were to be in a public place. I'm sure I can find someone to watch her for an hour or so." If that was the case why couldn't they have their meeting here in the office? Carter was about to ask but she cut him off. Typical. "So, is there anything else you need to know? About the case, I mean."

Was she serious? She had barely scratched the surface of the issue at hand. Of course there were things he needed to know. Lots of things. "Yes." He said pulling out a questionnaire from a desk drawer where he kept certain documents on hand. "This is a basic questionnaire. You don't need to fill it out but you need to look it over and formulate your answers for when we meet on Monday. Be prepared to go into more detail about what happened, your relationship with the defendant, and your history with assault. I would go through it with you now but I have to be in court in less than two hours and have to finish getting prepared. From here on out you can make appointments with the secretary out front or with myself." He reached and pulled a business card off the desk and handed it to her along with the questionnaire. "My office number and cell number. The cell is for emergencies regarding your case." Of course it wasn't his personal cell, but his work cell. It made life less complicated if he could turn the work phone off at home. "If that's all Ms. Summers, then I will see you on Monday at three o'clock sharp at the Blue Scallop."