Raven

I'd been looking at the file Corey had given me. She was a kid, younger than Marc even. That alone could account for the mistake, but either way, if she was the problem we would still have to let her go. It was simply too much of a risk. Paralegals can make or break a firm.

She stood instantly as I entered the room. She seemed awfully calm. "Hello, Ms. Theriot, I'm Mr. Ravenstahl," I said, holding my hand out to her. Without hesitation, she shook my hand and waited for directions. "Please, sit. Let's get started." I pushed a folder toward her. "Ms. Theriot, can you walk me through the events surrounding the Franklin file?"

Her brow slightly furrowed, then she spoke quietly. "I completed the files on Thursday evening just before five. I gave them to Ms. Quire, per her request, then left for the day. On Friday morning, she came to my desk asking for the files. When I explained that I had already given them to her, she stated I did not. She said I gave her the Newsome file instead. I looked at my desk, located the Newsome file, and handed it to her. I then offered to help her locate the Franklin file, but she did not accept my offer and left."

I noticed her body language shift at certain points in her explanation. She had done her best to hide them, but more than once when recounting Trish's actions, she flinched. I also noticed she had her left hand pulled back slightly. It seemed to have a small bandage on it. I tapped the table twice and Corey's voice came into the earpiece, "I noticed it as well. I'll get Brandon. Trish seems flustered, but hasn't said anything. Ask about the absence," he said, then went silent again.

I studied her for a moment as she flipped through the pages of the file. "Do you have a pen and some post-its?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um, sure," I said, then walked to the small supply closet to get what she asked for. "Here you go." I handed them to her.

"Thank you, sir," she replied. Fuck. Hearing that word from those pink lips did something to me. I quickly sat down before she noticed the growing bulge in my pants. She went back to the file, scribbling notes and placing them in the file until she finally pushed it back to me. "That should satisfy Mr. Franklin, sir. The verbiage of the merger was vague at best. Had the addendum I'd been given outlined a deadline, I would have delivered them to the court myself. I apologize if my lack of knowledge caused any complications."

"Well, it seems you were not the only paralegal involved with the matter," I replied as I looked at her notations. Shit, she had caught several mistakes. Corey really needed to see this. I tapped three times and heard Lydia's soft knock at the door. "Take this to Mr. Henshaw, please Lydia."

"Right away, Mr. Ravenstahl," she said, taking the file and shooting the young girl a sympathetic look.

Turning my attention back to the young lady before me, I paused. Damn, Brandon was right. Her eyes were really beautiful. I cleared my throat, "Um, Ms. Theriot, it says here you've made some personal leave requests and had one sick day this month. Are there circumstances that might be interfering with your work?"

She bristled at the question. "I followed procedures for leave requests, Mr. Ravenstahl, yet they were denied. As for the sick day, I had to take my MawMaw to the hospital which falls into the definition of an emergency sick day for employees." Her once relaxed body was now tense and guarded. There is way more to this story.

Brandon

"Hey Cor, what's up?" I asked as I came into his office. He was frowning at the computers on his desk and motioned me over. The first screen showed Trish Quire muttering to the screen in front of her.

"Little trollop thinks she's better than everyone. I bet she doesn't even have a grandma," Trish grumbled.

Then I turned my attention to the second screen and was surprised to see Matilda in the room with Raven. She looked pissed. "What's going on? Why is Matilda upset?"

Corey handed me the Franklin file and spoke as I looked through it. "Trish claims your girl messed up the merger paperwork by misplacing it. Franklin is livid and threatening to sue so I had Raven come in to help me sort it all out. Only thing is, now I have more questions than answers. I mean, shit Brandon, look at those notes."

"Wait, Matilda wrote these?" I gaped. She had noticed major flaws in the contract paperwork and even caught a loophole that gave us an out on the missed deadline.

"Yeah in a matter of like three minutes with a pen and sticky notes - not a single reference or law book." He looked completely smitten as he stared at the screen. I couldn't help the chuckle that came out of my mouth. "Fine...say it," he gruffed.

"Told you she was amazing," I snorted. "But wait, if you know she didn't screw it up, then why is she still in with Raven and looking like she wants to deck him?"

"Well, I really don't think she messed up, but when Trish mentioned time off requests and a last-minute absence, I wondered if she had outside issues that may have thrown her off, so Raven pushed a bit," he explained.

I looked down at the Russian as he seemed to be slightly panicked. "I, I'm sorry about your babushka (grandmother), Ms. Theriot. I'm just trying to get all the details."

"Mne tozhe zhal' (I'm sorry as well)," she replied. Holy hell, did she just respond in Russian? "You are right that I've been stressed, but I assure you, sir, it has not impacted my ability to do my job."

Corey and I exchanged a confused look as Raven stared at her like she was a precious gem. "You don't have to apologize, krolik (bunny)," he muttered softly, but you could see she caught the nickname and smiled softly.

"Let me talk to her," I said. "What day did all of this happen on?"

"Friday," Corey said, his eyes going wide with realization. "Shit, you said she was crying. Yeah, I think you should talk to her." He tapped the mic button and let Raven know I was coming in.

When I opened the door, I saw her instant confusion. She glanced back and forth between the two of us before speaking, "Um, hello again."

I chuckled and held out my hand, "Hello Matilda. I may have forgotten to introduce myself last time. I'm Brandon, um, Brandon Henshaw."

Her face flushed crimson. "Fuck me," she muttered, then slapped her hand over her mouth realizing she'd said it out loud. Based on the slight groan from Raven, I wasn't the only one who was turned on hearing that word come out of that pretty mouth. "Sorry, sirs," she said softly. Yeah, like hearing that helped any.

I cleared my throat, "Um, let's sit back down and sort all of this out, okay Matilda?"

"Mattie, sir," she blurted. "I mean, you've already seen me cry and bandaged my hand, so you might as well call me Mattie. Oh, uh, unless that's not appropriate, sorry," she groaned and hid behind her hands.

Damn, this girl was too adorable for her own good. She was so flustered that her filter was completely gone. I tapped the table with an open palm to tell Corey to cut Trish's feed. The last thing I need is that woman to get ideas. Raven snorted next to me at whatever Corey had said in his earpiece, then leaned over, "Malen'koye solnyshko (little sun) is coming down himself. Seems Trish got a bit, um, panicked. He's sending her home for the day." I nodded.

When the door opened again and Corey sat next to Raven, Mattie made a choking sound. "Mais ga de don (well, look at that), I've gone couyon (crazy)," she muttered to herself.

"What language is that Ms. Theriot?" Corey asked.

"Sorry, it's, um, creole, sir. My MawMaw was born and raised here, so some of the phrases have rubbed off on me," she blushed as he studied her. "I have a bad habit of slipping into various languages when I get nervous."

Raven snorted, "Calmest damn krolik I've ever seen." She blushed deeper. Damn, I really want to know how far down that blush goes.

"I see," Corey replied, giving Raven a harsh look. "May I ask about your notes here," he inquired, opening the Franklin file again. She nodded and responded to all his questions, explaining the errors and why her notes would help resolve the matter. The more she talked the more impressed all three of us were. Why in the hell was this girl in the contracts pool? She was brilliant and could go toe to toe with most of our lawyers already.

When she finished, I let out a breath and asked, "Mattie, can you tell me why you were crying that day in the break room? I mean, here we've asked a million questions about this contract and you've been completely calm and collected, but that morning you weren't."

She looked down at her hands, then back up. It was like a monumental decision flashed over her face at that moment. "Sirs, if you need me to leave due to the missed deadline, I completely understand. I take full responsibility for my part in the error."

Why is she avoiding the question so desperately?

Raven growled, "Chto ty pryachesh', zaychik? Kto tebya obidel? (What are you hiding, bunny? Who hurt you?)"

Her eyes softened as she looked at him, "YA sil'naya devushka, mister Ravenshtal'. YA mogu pozabotit'sya o sebe, obeshchayu. (I'm a strong girl, Mr. Ravenstahl. I can take care of myself, I promise.)" She turned her attention to Corey, then me, waiting for us to make a decision.

"Ms. Theriot, I feel there is more to this story than you are telling, but I find you had no fault in the delay. Honestly, the delay might have saved us millions considering you caught several errors with the original agreement." He stood, signaling the meeting was over. "Please accept our apologies for keeping you late."

She looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh, um, thank you, I really have to be going. I didn't realize it was after five." She quickly gathered her items and headed for the door, "Thank you for listening, sirs." Then she darted out the door, practically running down the hall.

I turned around to both of them with a wicked grin. "Told you."

Mattie

I phoned MawMaw as soon as I'd stepped into the lobby. "I'm so sorry, MawMaw! I got called into a meeting and didn't realize it was so late. I'm waiting for the taxi now, but with the rush, it may be seven before I get home."

"Cher, don't worry. Violet is coloring and I'm almost done with supper. I'll leave some on the stove for you. The bebe can go one night without a bath," she chuckled.

"Thanks, MawMaw. I really appreciate it," I said, then hung up the line and waited for my taxi to arrive.

I watched as dozens of employees from the firm passed by, none really making eye contact until I heard a familiar voice. "Mattie, why are you still here? You seemed in a rush to leave?"

I looked up and saw Brandon staring at me. "Oh, well, I was trying to catch the taxis that usually line the street, but I missed them. So now, I'm just waiting for the one I ordered to show up. They said it might take at least an hour." I gave a silly grin, "The joyous perks of living outside the city, I suppose."

He chuckled, "Yeah, New Orleans can be overwhelming I suppose. It took me a while to adjust myself. I could give you a ride if you need it?" I hesitated. I mean technically this man is my boss, would that be a conflict? "Hey, don't overthink it, it's just a ride to keep you safe. I mean it's our fault you were late anyhow." I swear I could get lost in those eyes.

"Ye...Yeah, I suppose that would be okay," I finally relented.

He held out his hand to me and I took it hesitantly. "Come on, I'm just inside the garage across the street today." I made a squealing noise when he stopped in front of the car. It was a fucking mint condition 1967 Camero Z/28 in garnet red with deep graphite gray racing stripes. "I take it you know cars," he chuckled.

I nodded vigorously as he opened the door for me. My fingers itched to touch every part of this beauty. "You even kept the manual transmission," I gushed as he began driving.

"Yep, it has the original three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 350. Took me days to put it back together," he groaned, "and several jammed fingers." I giggled, ducking my head slightly. It had been a long time since I'd talked cars or anything else with anyone other than MawMaw really. "So where am I headed?"

"Oh, right, sorry. I live in Hahnville. I really should have said that. It's not too far, is it?" Suddenly I was nervous he would think I was taking advantage of his kindness.

"No worries, Mattie. It's a nice drive and the company is amazing," he flashed another one of those smiles that made my stomach do funny things. "So you mentioned your grandmother is from here?"

"Yeah, she's my maternal grandmother. I've lived with her for almost seven years now. Her health isn't the greatest anymore, and my folks are in California, so it's up to me to take care of her like she took care of me." He asked more questions and I answered, then asked a few of my own. It was a very polite, surface conversation that was comfortable and the forty-minute drive flew by quickly. "Oh, it's just up here on Thelma Lane." I pointed out the house and noticed the light on in the front room. Violet's light was already out. My heart sank realizing she was probably already asleep and I didn't get to kiss her goodnight.

Brandon pulled into the driveway and quickly came around to open my door. "Thank you again, Mr. Henshaw," I said.

"You're welcome, Mattie, and I think outside work I'd prefer if you called me Brandon, please," he grinned. I blushed and he said in a low voice, "Don't look now, but I think your grandma is watching."

I turned around to see her rocking on the porch watching us closely. I gave her a small wave and she said, "Don't be rude, Cher. Introduce me to your young beau, here."

I sucked in a breath, "MawMaw, this isn't my beau. This is one of my bosses, Brandon Henshaw. He was kind enough to drive me home since the taxi was taking so long." I knew my face was probably a fierce shade of red as he laughed next to me. "Oh, come on, she won't quit if you don't say hello." He grinned and placed his hand on the small of my back as we stepped onto the porch.

MawMaw made a tutting noise as she looked him up and down, "Not local are ya, boy?"

"No, ma'am, I'm from the east coast, South Carolina actually. My brothers and I moved here about two years ago when we opened the firm," he said politely.

She hummed then turned to me, "Supper's on the stove if you and your beau want some. I'm a bit worn, so I'll turn in, Cher. Bebe fell asleep early." She stood and kissed my cheek before opening the screen door. "Nice to meet ya, Mr. Henshaw," then went inside.

I dropped my face into my hands and groaned, "I'm so sorry about that, Brandon."

He tugged at my hands, "It's not a problem, Mattie. I'm actually flattered she thinks I'd be beau quality. That does mean boyfriend, right?"

I giggled, "Yeah, that's what it means." He grinned again. "Did, did you want to come in for supper? I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sure there is plenty."

He sighed, then looked at his watch. "I really wish I could, but my brothers and I have a family thing in a couple of hours." We both stood as he started to head down the steps, but turned, "Um, can I pick you up in the morning? I mean, if you wouldn't mind, that is."

My stomach was fluttering as I smiled, "Thank you, I'd really like that, Brandon."

His shoulders seemed to perk up instantly, "Awesome! Have a good night, Mattie. I'll see you at seven. Oh, and do me a favor, bring a bag with your work clothes and wear something snug. I think I'll drive the bike tomorrow if you're up to it?"

I gave him a confused look then gaped, "You mean a motorcycle?" My voice squeaked.

"I took a leap of faith that if you liked muscle cars, you'd like bikes too," he grinned.

"A very wise deduction, sir. Now, I see why you're such a prominent lawyer," I teased. He moved back up the steps, his eyes darker.

"Say it again, Mattie," he breathed.

My heart was pounding, "Sir," I breathed and he groaned slightly. His eyes were locked on my lips as I darted my tongue out nervously. In an instant, he grabbed the nape of my neck and pulled my mouth to his. My fingers gripped the collar of his shirt as our lips molded together. I whimpered when his tongue pushed my lips apart and began exploring my mouth.

When the kiss finally broke, my knees were weak. "Fuck, I've wanted to do that since the day in the break room," he breathed. He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear, "I really don't want to leave, my beautiful girl." I shivered at his words, "But Axel will kill me if I miss this dinner."

"Axel?" I asked.

"Part of my family," he answered. "You've already met Corey and Raven, then there's Axel and Marc, and I make five."

"Wow, your parents must have had endless patience to raise five boys," I chuckled.

A shadow passed over his face for a moment, "Um, we're family by choice, not actually related, well, except Corey and I obviously. We've been friends since we were teens."

"That must be nice," I said, feeling like I'd done something wrong. "You better go before you're late."

He kissed me again, but softer this time. "I'll see you in the morning, beautiful. Don't eat either, we'll grab breakfast before we go to the office." He ran his fingers down my cheeks making me smile again.

"Okay. Good night, Brandon."

I stood on the porch watching him go until I couldn't see his taillights. When I walked into the house, MawMaw was at the table and grinned. "Not your beau, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, but deep inside I was nervous. He's my boss. This isn't going to end well.

Author's Notes:  Well, the boys are starting to go off course early.  I had to throw out all of my notes.  Readers, we are simply at the mercy of the Toma men...

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