"Unexpected Visits, Unexpected Actions"

By 6:30 am, Noland was already in the office. Monday came too slowly for his own taste, after spending his weekend bitterly alone. Catherine had never called him for their coffee date and he was upset with himself for the way he reacted to her. He needed to talk to her and apologize, otherwise, his mind wouldn't let him be at ease.

His first meeting at 7am started as scheduled, with Gregory and his team working on the Crown case; they were not surprised when they found out the great Howard Crown had hired Byron as his new lawyer. They spent three hours debating courses of action and different ways of getting more information; legally they were safe with the contract's clause, but knowing how far they could reach with defamation accusations, they wanted to make sure they had all the dirt on them, enough to make them back off from any ideas that could jeopardize their reputation.

As soon as their meeting was over, Noland had other clients waiting, and so his day went by without any chance of him to see Catherine. He was tired and frustrated by lunch time, so he decided to leave earlier and get something to eat. His plans were interrupted as he walked towards the elevator and stop midway, where he saw his ex-wife standing at the reception area.

Catherine was walking to her office when she bumped into Gregory. "I am sorry, I have been a bit distracted lately." She quickly apologized.

"It's ok Catherine, I am slightly distracted as well. Need to figure out what is that whore doing here." He said as his eyes were focused on someone. Catherine quickly followed his gaze and saw a woman talking to a very uncomfortable Noland. Confusion and some jealousy mixed in her mind.

"Excuse me? Who are you referring to?" She tried to disguise her surprise.

"That is Nol's ex-wife, and I have no idea what's she doing here..." He sighed and shook his head looking at her briefly. "That woman not only broke his heart but damaged him in ways I still can't understand... That narcissistic whore who cheated on him and then humiliated him on his birthday party... I am sorry Catherine, I tend to rant a lot when it comes to that bitch..." He apologized but kept his eyes on Noland and his ex.

A strange, uncomfortable feeling began to surge through her, she suddenly felt protective of Noland, even though he had reacted in such a cold way towards her before. She knew now, somehow it was related to his ex, it had to be, and she wanted to save him from any more pain. She took a deep breath and began to walk towards them. "Let's try to save him from further troubles then."

It wasn't a question, Gregory noticed her determination and rushed to her side, and both caught part of the conversation being held. "... I am not asking your help, of course, I know I can't count on you... I came in search of a good lawyer."

Catherine saw Noland's tense pose and cold eyes; she understood even more now why he was frozen when she came too close. "Hello, Greg." The woman's voice was bitter. Catherine continued to examine her looks as she approached; she was tall and elegant, with clear signs of some plastic surgeries here and there, and her cocky smile made her try to appear superior. This bothered her greatly, being born and raised under her father's care, she had wealth and power but was always taught to be humble. She despised a woman who believed herself to be more than others.

"Megan... who did you murder this time?" Gregory's voice brought Catherine back to the moment.

The woman snorted, then quickly fixed her makeup. "I came to one of the biggest law firms in the city in search for a good lawyer, neither of you would fit that description."

To Catherine, that was enough. "I am afraid we don't have what you are looking for, Miss." She said in a cold tone. Only then, Noland was able to break his statuesque pose and turn around to look at her.

"Excuse me?" Megan replied. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that in this firm, we care about integrity and character, but above all, we care to defend a good cause, none of those would apply to you." Catherine replied, without taking her eyes from her.

Megan's wrinkles began to show as soon as her face became filled with anger. "And who the hell are you, to say those things to me? I am a very well respected person in high society, and I am bringing my name and money to this firm."

Catherine quickly looked away to her side and found Curt standing attentive and close to her, right where they both had agreed days ago it would be perfect for him to keep an eye on her, but also give her space. She nodded at him and he walked towards her, only then her eyes went back to Megan. "I am Catherine Galloway, current head of the board and owner of this firm. As to your name in high society; we don't care for tabloid gossip stars, that kind of characters tend to stain our good reputation. The door is behind you, my guard will make sure you don't get lost on your way out. Curt, please?" Was all she said, and he immediately took over by leading Megan to the elevator, who was too shocked to reply, but her face reflected the shock and anger shifting towards humiliation. Catherine avoided looking at Noland, so she turned to Gregory who was grinning from ear to ear. "That should solve the problem, for now. I will go back to my office. Have a good afternoon gentlemen." She said as she walked back to her destination.

As soon as she closed the door, she felt her knees and arms shake. She was amazed by her own reaction and words, the way she handled herself was still a shock for herself. She sat on the floor with her back against the door and took several deep breaths, she tried hard to breathe normally and to her surprise, she was in the middle of an anxiety attack. She was always nervous about speaking in public and hated to be the center of attention, so each time she felt pushed to do it, there was a high chance for her to have one of these attacks. She pulled her legs to her chest and held them with her arms around them. She was shaking but smiling, proud of what she did, but still taken by it.

She heard a knock on the door, and then a slight push against her. "Catherine?" It was Noland's voice, but she was still unable to react.

"No..." was all she was able to say, and Noland pushed the door a bit wider, enough for his head to check inside the room.

His eyes widened when he found her on the floor, and he pushed the door slowly but firmly until he was able to walk in. The pressure of her back made the door close quickly, and he knelt right in front of her. "Cat... what's wrong? Tell me what to do..." He tried to move her but found it impossible. He leaned towards her with his hands on her shoulders. "Cat... talk to me..."

She took deep breaths and felt his hands on her, she struggled to look up, tears in her eyes and smiled briefly. "Need... to breath... I will... be ok... just need... time..." And then took several more deep breaths.

He sat in front of her and gently pulled her into his arms, holding her with extreme care. He felt her shaking so he caressed her arms slowly as she continued in that pose for a few more minutes. Slowly, she recovered her breath and started to relax in his arms; she focused on his own silent presence and she couldn't help but to feel warm now that she realized he was there with her.

He waited a while longer, and once he felt her calm, he leaned to her ear and caressed her face with a hand. "You are such a brave woman, Cat... thank you..." Then his lips brushed the top of her head, and she shivered once more thanks to his gentle touch.

"I am ok now... sorry... I didn't mean to scare you..." She sighed and whispered. "Is just a silly anxiety attack... I don't like to draw attention to me..."

"I am happy you are well..." He said and finally loosened his arms around her. "I owe you more than an apology..." His brown eyes met her blue ones.

She blushed and shook her head, feeling his gaze and his closeness a little more intense than she expected. "You don't owe me anything, Noland..." She smiled at him.

"I need to apologize for the way I reacted the other day too..." He began but she shook her head.

"I understand... you don't need to apologize... I just hope..." She took a deep breath again. "That you understand I was only worried about you."

She lowered her gaze but he lifted her chin up and forced her to look at him again. "Cat... you have no idea what those eyes do to me... please don't hide them from me..." He whispered, then leaned closer.

Everything in her body felt warm and weak, she could feel there was a struggle inside him, but now she knew that there was no way to deny how she felt around him, and the way he reacted to her made her know it was mutual.

She blinked a couple of times then pulled away slowly out of fear, but he slid his hand behind her head and stopped her. "No... I made that mistake once... but this time, I won't let you go..." And with those words, he pulled her firmly but gently towards him and stopped only inches away. "I know I shouldn't... but I can't help it..." And his lips met hers in a long and deep kiss that made her feel in the clouds. His lips were soft and molded hers perfectly, and his arm pulled her closer to him. The way she felt was incredible; all expectations paled in comparison to the reality she was living. He kissed her, and she was definitely kissing him back; her lips moving in sync with his' and the pressure and heat crawled up her skin.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and he released her without letting her go. They both looked at each other as they were catching their breaths. "Yes...?" She managed to ask.

"Madame, is everything ok?" Curt's voice made her chuckle and she released a sigh.

"Yes Curt, I am ok, having a meeting with Noland. I will call you later for a debriefing ok?" She managed to control her laugh.

"Yes, Madame." Where Curt's words then silence once again.

With silence became realization; they were both on the floor and he was still holding her close. His hand moved gently from the back of her head to her neck, where his thumb caressed her jaw and then brushed her lip. She closed her eyes and shivered. He then pressed his lips again on hers, and she let a small moan give away the pleasure she felt for such simple yet intimate act. He held her tighter to him and this time, parted his lips, letting his tongue caress hers, which opened slowly to let him in. Their tongues met, and even though she felt a passion grow with intensity, their kiss was slow and intimate, filled with longing and something else, neither could decipher.

Finally, they pulled apart, and both worked on catching their breaths back. "We should get back to work..." He said with a sad smile, even though he would prefer to stay there with her longer.

She nodded. "Yes... you have a lot of work to do." Then opened her eyes to see his smile. He then stood up and offered his hands to help her up.

Once they were both on their feet, she felt nervous under his gaze, and he chuckled as he leaned closer. "Cat...?"

Her head tilted up and she met his eyes. "Yes?"

"Wait for me after five, I will pick you up for a coffee, and maybe dinner..." He said in a statement, not giving her even a chance to back off.

She smiled and nodded, her cheeks blushing and her heart pacing fast with anticipation. "I will see you then." Was her reply, with a smile that she couldn't erase from her face. He bent over and kissed her lips softly and briefly, then he gave a step back and walked away from her office.

She took a few minutes to recover herself, then she opened her door and spotted Curt not too far from her. With a nod, she gestured him to come. Once he was inside, she sat on her chair and smiled at him. "Thank you, Curt. You have proven to be a very good aid in times when I most needed it. I know we had a rough start, but you have earned my trust, and I now see why my uncle insisted on keeping you around."

His lips twitched with a small smile, but he remained as serious as he could. "I do my job and am proud of what I do, Madame. I am glad we have come to an understanding."

"Yes, and I feel more comfortable having you around. Thank you for respecting my space as well." She said calmly.

"I just hope that, when the time comes, you trust my judgment for security reasons. Any that it might present." He said with a small hint of worry.

She sighed and nodded. "I promise to try and be less stubborn, and trust your judgment more."

"Thank you, Madame. Is there anything else?"

"Just one more thing. Noland will take me home today. We are going to get a coffee after office hours and then he will take me home. You can trust him."

"I will leave once you are with him, Madame. Not a minute earlier."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Curt, then that will be all."

He bowed his head briefly, then walked away from the office in silence, leaving her alone with a big smile on her face. She was nervous and excited with the promise of a coffee with Noland, but more than that, she was anxious to be back in his arms, a place she knew now to be heaven.