Murphy - His Sweetest Sin

1

A melia

D amn it, I know I saw the file in his office last week. Where the hell is it? Ethan is usually meticulous with his files; I cant imagine he took it home knowing he was going on vacation. With him out of the office, his secretary is too, so I cant ask her unless I want to call her at home. Although Ill bother her before I call Ethan. He and Holly only go away twice a year, they deserve some peace and quiet.

Right now, Ethan and Holly are sunning themselves on a beach in the south of France and Im realizing my brother is a total badass. I always thought he was, but since he and Holly got married three years ago, hes done these crazy things like going from fourteen-hour workdays to ten. There were even days he was out of the office by six, something so out of character every time it happened everyone in the office wondered if he was ill. He also never came in on the weekends anymore, instead working from his home office, if he worked at all. Not seeing him in the office at all hours made it easy to forget how hard he worked.

With me handling his clients while hes gone, Im learning not seeing him in action, doesnt mean he isnt. Its even more of an honor he asked me to handle his cases. In the last two years, hes gone from seeing me as his baby sister to a trusted colleague. I cringe as I realize I cultivated my role as his baby sister because I was constantly going to him for help, looking for him to make things easier. Once I stopped running to him for everything he saw me as someone on his level.

Hey sweetie, why dont you be a good girl and run along and get me Ethan? I need to see him, now, a husky voice drawls from behind me.

Excuse me? I look up from the filing cabinet drawer Im bent over to find a man eying my ass like its a glass of water and hes thirsty. The idea anyone is eying my ass already has me out of sorts. Then I realize, holy shit, its Chris Baldwin. The baddest boy in baseball, as the tabloids liked to call him. All I can think is, he is no boy. Baldwin is all man, and a damn fine one at that. His skin the color of rich honey has me drooling as I wonder if it tastes as sweet. Wait, what?

His eyebrows go up, as if he can hear my crazy thoughts. The coal black of the perfectly scruffy few days old beard matches his hair equally overgrown by several weeks, enough to make it glaringly obvious he refuses to conform to rules other than his own. My fingers are tingling to discover if his hair is as silky as it looks, if theyll get tangled in it when I pull him down to me. Okay, seriously? Where are these insane thoughts coming from?

I dont drool, I dont have naughty thoughts about men. Ive seen pictures of him in magazines and on the internet, where hes swooned over. He first caught the attention of the media ten years ago when he played for a team in Pennsylvania and they won the World Series.

At twenty-five he was only three years into his baseball careerhed been drafted out of college to play with a team in Michigan. He was the young, cocky stud with a diamond in his ear and tattoos appealing to young men and women, but he also had the goods with the stats to back it up, gaining fans who were lovers of the game. It won him endorsements from all the major companies.

In person, I finally understand his appeal. His high-carved cheekbones still manage to have the kind of dimples that just arent fair. With an aggressive jaw and a strong, thin blade of a nose he is already gorgeous, then factor in his eyes, a deep bright blue, and he catapults to stunning. Yet, its his mouth I cant take my eyes off of. Clearly defined, perfectly molded, full and wide with a pouting bottom lip Im dying to suck onokay, what the hell was that? I understand how hes made it into the 50 Most Beautiful People in People magazine, twice.

In all those pictures, in all those commercials, none of them captured the aggressive male air surrounding him. Hes in jeans with a dark blue wash to them and a black cashmere mock turtleneck. His body is sin, tall, lean, muscled without bulging. When my eyes flick back up to his, hes smiling knowingly with a damn dimple showing.

Dont blush, dont blush, he called you a girl. He has a diamond in his left ear the size of a dime, a tattoo on the back of one hand of an old worn baseball, and on the other hand is a baseball glove, in a vintage style much different from those of today and also looking old and worn. Ive never been into men with tattoos and earrings, or assholes who didnt bother trying to remember a womans name and so called them all by something generic. Im not generic and refuse to be treated as such.

I kick in the drawer with a hard click. Ethan isnt here. Hes on vacation. Hell be back in two weeks. Ill let him know you came by.

Im proud of the way I turn my back on him before going to the next file cabinet drawer and pulling it out. Even though there is no way the file is in here. Im buying time, so I dont keep staring at him. The man is so hot hes melting my common sense. Then he helps me out.

No, darlin, that doesnt work for me. I want Ethans ass back here now or I take my business elsewhere. The asshole actually snaps his fingers, my back goes stiff at the sound. Why dont you run along and find me your boss or someone who can get ahold of Ethan for me?

Working to control my anger isnt easy, and its harder with that stupid drawl of his turning his words ridiculously sexy. I know he was born and raised in Texas then went on to Vanderbilt for college, where he made all the major league teams salivate. Several offered him contracts he declined, saying he worked hard enough to get his scholarship that he wasnt about to throw it all away. Just when I think I have myself under control, the drawer is pulled from my hands when the asshole closes it then leans against it. Darlin, are you hard of hearing or something?

Wow, how has he not been decked more in his lifetime? I turn; holy freaking crap, hes only inches away. He is tall, looming over my own five-foot-five frame by at least a foot. Oh damn, up close the man is devasting, destroying all the things I thought I knew about myself. Maybe earrings and tattoos arent so bad after all.

Then I see the knowing look in his eyes. Well fuck him, so hes hotit doesnt stop me from wanting to smack his beautiful face. My name is Amelia Bishop, not sweetie or darlin. I do not run along anywhere. Im also a lawyer here. Im handling Ethans clients while he is on vacation. Since the man hardly ever takes a vacation and he only left a few days ago, I sure as hell am not bothering him for you. If you want him so badly you can wait for him or you can take your business elsewhere. Overpaid players are a dime a dozen in this city. Ethan and this firm will survive if you find someone else.

He grins wide, showing off dimples and tipping over a hive of bees I didnt know were in my tummy. Then he leans in until only inches separate us. He smells of leather, fresh grass, and rain, and I cant fucking breathe at the desire burning into me from sky blue glowing eyes. Sugar, why didnt you just say so? I would love for you to be the one to handle me. I would like that a whole hell of a lot.