Disclaimer:

I hereby incorporate all disclaimers as previously set forth in my prior stories.

Author's Note: For a while I have been contemplating what Erin's life must be like and why she never is shown as being romantically involved. This story seeks to remedy that situation.

Enjoy.

Chapter 1:

August 11, 2014;

It was 11:30 p.m. on a warm summer night and Erin Reagan was savoring the last drops of wine from the glass she was holding. She rose up from her couch and closed the living room window which had allowed the warm breeze of another Brooklyn night to gently waft its way to her while she contemplated yet another night alone. She then took the now empty glass into her kitchen, rinsed it and the place it in the dishwasher.

She next headed to her side and front doors to insure they were locked and secured before setting the alarm system.

Growing up in a family of cops, personal security had been drummed into her since she was five years old. As an Assistant District Attorney for the New York County's DA's office, Erin knew firsthand the results of becoming complacent with one's personal security as that would lead to endangering not only herself, but her 17 year old daughter Nicky.

As Erin made the final rounds securing her Park Slope, Brooklyn condominium she looked around satisfied, that they would be safe for another night.

She slowly walked up the stairs towards her second level bedroom, stopping at the top and looking down the hallway in the direction of her daughter's room.

Nicky had turned seventeen just three days earlier. She was the light of Erin's life and if it weren't for her strong willed independent nature, she would be the perfect child, but Nicky had a lot of her mother in her, and that meant she could be brutally and obnoxiously stubborn.

Nicky was a straight A student, very popular amongst her classmates and friends and she was eager to explore what life had to offer. Unfortunately like her favorite uncle, she sometimes liked to tread where only fools dared letting her childlike sense of wonder tend to override her common sense in exercising due caution.

This type of conduct, of both her daughter and her youngest brother whom she had raised, brought out an over protectiveness in Erin and on more than one occasion she had wanted to strangle them just to reinforce her position that they took stupid risks that could leave her without a daughter or another brother.

Erin's true soul mate within the family was her late brother Joe, three years her junior who five years ago had initially been thought to have been killed in the line of duty, however Jamie, then a recent Harvard Law School graduate turned rookie cop had started his own investigation, unbeknownst to anyone else in the family that had nearly gotten him killed before he went to their oldest brother Danny and confessed that he was in over his head and feared for his life. It was the one time in her life that Erin come within a hairsbreadth of giving her then adult brother an old fashioned spanking for coming so close to being the second Reagan son to die at the hands of the Blue Templar, a fraternity of dirty cops who had ultimately been responsible for Joe's murder. Three years had passed since the night that she, her father and her brothers had acted to take down the Blue Templar and every time she thought recalled it, she became saddened at the loss of Joe and the callous disregard Jamie had shown for his own safety, a trait he still evidenced on the streets.

Erin noticed that light was spilling out from under Nicky's bedroom door most likely meaning that she was still awake. As it was summer and not a school night, Erin wasn't upset that her daughter hadn't yet called it a night, but she didn't want Nicky getting into bad habits that she would have to correct in two weeks when Nicky started her senior year, so she went over and gently knocked on her door.

"Nicky, bedtime is midnight." She announced.

"Ok Mom." Nicky responded.

"Goodnight sweetheart." Erin said.

"You too Mom." Nicky responded.

Erin walked to her own room reflecting on how quickly the past seventeen years had gone by and how her little baby had grown into a young woman who was less than a year from being an adult and making her own way in life.

Erin had married at age 22 and had given birth to Nicky by the time she was 24, but she learned very early on that her ex-husband, while a fine attorney and a good man was not cut out to be a husband or a father which is why Erin never had more children. Jack had left her in 2009 shortly after Joe's death. Erin had instituted divorce proceedings and Jack, while no longer wanting to be married, delayed Erin for over six months until he finally stipulated to end the marriage. Erin was awarded sole custody of Nicky who rarely saw her father afterwards, which of course Nicky blamed on Erin.

She entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her before kicking off her shoes and slipping out of her suit, which was promptly placed in her clothes hamper pending a trip to the dry cleaner.

She went into her bathroom where she stripped down. After she brushed her teeth and removed her makeup, she stood back and appraised herself in the mirror before rendering an honest self-assessment.

"Okay, so I have small tits and a flat ass, but my legs are long, strong and muscular, I have a nice firm stomach, sculpted arms and shoulders and an elegant neck." She thought.

She loved her hair which was very thick and luxuriant and while a deep brown, had been frosted in places to provide highlights. She had expressive warm eyes, soft inviting lips, nice straight white teeth and sculpted cheekbones which combined to give her a very sexy and alluring look.

Erin knew that her weak points were the back of her hands which were showing their age and she wished her ears were smaller, having unfortunately inherited those from her father.

She slipped on a silk robe, turned off the bathroom lights and padded across the floor to her bed. She pulled down the blanket and top sheet, removed and folded the robe, placing it on her nightstand and climbed into bed whereupon she pulled the sheet and blanket up and over her.

Erin lay awake staring at the ceiling while evaluating her life.

She was 42 years old and had a very successful career within the DA's office. She had been promoted to Deputy Trial Bureau Chief and had no doubt that when her boss moved up the totem pole that she would be the one to take Amanda's position.

Erin had been with the DA's office since the day she was sworn in as a licensed attorney, almost 17 years ago. She was tenacious, aggressive and thorough however she did evidence compassion and mercy when and where it was justly deserved. She set very high standards for herself and expected those under her watch or involved in preparing cases she would be trying to be just as diligent in their efforts. Erin had very high moral and ethical standards and believed in her work as a way of protecting the greater good of society against those who elected to break the social contract.

She had been approached for many years to leave the DA's office and to enter the private sector. She could make more than double what she was presently earning just for starters and that was only on defending criminal cases. She could begin to cut her teeth in civil tort litigation which was where the big money was and promises of substantial bonuses and partnerships would sweeten the deal into the seven figure arena which on paper looked wonderful but within her head, was a betrayal of what she stood for.

Her family never discussed money. Her grandfather, father, brothers and she had never been it for the financial gain, but to serve and protect those who could not do so for themselves.

Erin had always planned on Jamie being the high priced go getter in the family until he walked away from that path to wear a uniform with a gun strapped to his side which permanently quashed any thoughts Erin had been entertaining on leaving the DA's office.

Nicky would be 18 by this time next year and her duties as a full time mother would come to an end and while she would always be there for Nicky, she would no longer be able to enforce her rule or will over her daughter, especially as Nicky planned to live away from home while attending college.

Her oldest brother was married with a family of his own, which left her baby brother, father and grandfather as the single men in the family still requiring a woman's touch now and then, or her father, a female escort to a political event.

Eventually Jamie would meet the right woman and she would be forced to hand over her responsibilities of looking out for the boy she raised. She hoped that her father would also move on from the memories of their late mother and meet someone with whom he could be happy.

After she had been shot in court last year, she and Jack had talked about making a go of it and he had even spent that night with her and they had made love, but within a month Jack had reverted back to the same person he had always been, preferring to have a relationship that was fun and easy as opposed to the adult version requiring responsibility and commitment. Erin still recalled the look on his face as she stood up walked out of the restaurant after their final dinner together.

"You're breaking up with me?" He had asked.

"Yes, yes I am." She responded with a self confidence she was proud to have evidenced.

Erin was never without offers of male companionship, in fact, if she wasn't hit on at least once a week she would wonder if she was losing her appeal, but word had spread throughout the legal community that she was untouchable and recently, she had heard the term "Ice Princess" used in reference to her.

Erin did not believe herself to be a prude and had slept with a few select men since she divorced Jack, but it was just sex and something she needed at the time. Nothing about these men intrigued her enough to want to date them or become involved and she found them to be typical of what New York men were like in general. They valued power, money and their looks and were seeking a nice piece of eye candy to be seen with. Erin was certainly far more than that and in many instances, intimidated men who otherwise may have asked her out, but she found many of these men to be weak or wimpy and she didn't want that either.

"What did I do to deserve this?" She thought. "I've always played by the rules, I've been a good mother, I was a faithful wife, and a dutiful granddaughter, daughter and sister. I don't lie, cheat or steal and I do my best to help make this a better world. I go to church weekly and I live my life as I am expected to so why can't I have the one thing I want for myself?

She reached over and felt the cold empty side of her bed where she longed someone to be.

Her last thoughts of the night was that here she was in the prime of her life and she was going to have to accept that with all she had going for her, she was going to have to face her future alone, without love, without passion and without the companionship she so desperately desired and would more than offer in return, to that special someone.

As this realization began to hit home, Erin rolled over onto her side, buried her face in her pillow, and began to cry.

The next morning Erin headed to work, still distraught over last night's thoughts. When she entered her office, her assistant was right behind her to inform Erin that the attorney assigned to arraignments had called in sick. As her department was shorthanded as it was, Erin would have to go represent the People, something that was usually assigned to a newbie, not a senior trial litigator, but covering for her subordinates came with her new title, so she picked up the files she had been given and headed off to arraignment court.

Mark Delmont was a professional baseball player for Detroit. He was 24, playing in the major leagues making north of $4M per year and he was young, dumb, and full of cum and allowed his ego to write checks that his ass lacked the ability to cash. His two major attributes was that when thrown the right pitch, he could hit a home run all day long. Unfortunately, his second well known attribute was that he had a lousy disposition which quickly transformed to mean when he was drinking, something he liked to do a lot of, especially after a game and if that meant breaking curfew so that he could be out all night in New York City, that was just fine with him.

Delmont had been benched, fined, suspended, sent down to the minors and had endured every other disciplinary action affordable to the organization in an attempt to straighten him out but in the end, he didn't care because his demotions to Toledo were very short termed, the fines were a joke and his suspensions never lasted more than one game because at the end of the day, he had a golden bat and as his team was presently in a pennant race so therefore, he would be in the lineup and management would just have to suck up his extracurricular activities because they needed him more than he needed them, or so he thought.

Unfortunately, all of this would be put to the test around the same time that Erin had been crying over her lost opportunity for love.

Delmont had slipped out of his room and gone on a drinking binge. Upon his return to the hotel he was noted as being loud and boisterous. He became embroiled in an argument with the security staff who had asked him to tone it down. When he had escalated the matter by threatening the staff, the NYPD had been called and he was arrested on charges of drunk and disorderly as well as threatening bodily assault.

The team's General Manager, who had been traveling with the team at that time, was summoned to the lobby and advised Delmont that he would have local counsel meet him in the morning for his arraignment. Delmont was taken to the local precinct where he was given a private cell in which to sleep it off.

The General Manager then made a phone call to a former Detroit pitcher who now practiced law in New York City and asked that as a personal favor, would he appear for Delmont's arraignment.

Sloan Silver was 52 years old, 6'5" 250 lbs of solid muscle and was completely ambidextrous being able to do everything well from either side of his body. He also had a larger than normal heart and lungs providing him with an exceptional range of energy and stamina and he could fully function on less than four hours sleep per night, which was good because he'd only been asleep for three hours when the General Manager had awakened him.

Sloan had also been blessed with a photographic memory and had worked his way through college and law school on academic scholarships, though his family could have easily afforded to have paid his way. He had also been offered athletic scholarships which he turned down so that he would not be beholden to the athletic programs, meaning, he wanted to get an education, not party.

He had completed his undergrad work in three years graduating summa cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1982, yet he still had one year of remaining eligibility so while attending his first year of law school he continued to play college sports which included quarterbacking the football team, tending goal for the hockey team and pitching for the baseball team.

For 30 years he had been a starting pitcher for Detroit's baseball team and the starting goaltender for its hockey club.

His statistics were unmatched and he had become a sports legend, particularly in the city of his birth for whose teams he played.

Financially, he was very well off between his salaries and endorsements. Being that he played sports year round, he found no time to enjoy the frills and thrills that most players did. He spent more than half of those 30 years on the road in hotels so he didn't need an extravagant house and in fact, had lived in a loft in downtown Detroit until two years ago when he finally built his dream house. He had no time to enjoy exotic sports cars, so he limited himself to a summer convertible and a year round SUV or truck, depending on what intrigued him from year to year, though in the last couple of years he had begun to collect certain classic cars. On the days he wasn't pitching or tending goal, he practiced law and worked on legal files whether at home or on the road.

One major casualty of playing sports year round is that Sloan never had time for a relationship or to hone the skills necessary to dating. Having already crossed into his early 50's, he was somewhat shy and insecure around beautiful women. His youngest sister once warned him to be careful of the dating scene by quoting Oscar Wilde: "A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her fiction."

He made very savvy investments managed by his middle sister who had an MBA in finance. He had also invested in the family's law firm which his father had started over 45 years earlier which permitted it to grow into a multi state conglomerate and which recently had expanded into New York City, by acquiring 51% of a prominent local firm.

As Sloan had retired from professional sports only last year, he was still hounded by local paparazzi not to mention groupies and local women of whom his three very protective sisters did not approve. One day four months earlier they walked into their brother's office, closed his door and made it clear that they wanted him to get out of Detroit.

Sloan was the President & CEO of the firm and his father was its Chairman. His middle sister was the Executive VP and COO/CFO while his oldest and youngest sisters were also partners. They could not order him to leave as he also held controlling interest in the firm but he understood their message which was he would not find the woman of his dreams in Detroit and he needed a break from the limelight if he was going to be able to effectively delve into his new career as well as be able to finally enjoy himself.

Once the acquisition of the New York firm was completed, they packed him off to oversee their family operations from New York City and to practice his specialty, entertainment and sports law, in a place much more conducive to establishing himself in that field than Detroit could ever be.

When he relocated, his sisters insisted that he have a personal body guard/driver and that he lease a nice place to live that was impervious to groupies and paparazzi. He also took two of his special cars with him and hired two former NYPD Detectives as his sisters demanded which was why Sloan Silver was in position to receive the 5:00 a.m. phone call asking him to represent Mark Delmont at his arraignment hearing later that morning.

Silver and Delmont had been teammates the previous year so Sloan knew all too well about Delmont's proclivities for getting into trouble.

He texted his driver and asked that he pick him up outside of his residential building by 8:00 a.m. so that he could be in court before arraignments began. He needed to read the arresting officer's report and have some kind of idea as to what Mark Delmont had managed to step into this time.

It was 10:30 a.m. and Erin was finally down to the last arraignment on her docket. She looked at the charges and laughed to herself. "Typical pro-athlete, thinking he can skate through life doing as he pleases."

In the meantime, Sloan was sitting in the rear of the courtroom discussing the matter with the team's GM and its Manager.

The clerk called the case of People vs Mark Delmont. The defendant was brought forward to the defense table and his attorney came up and sat down next to him. When he looked over to see who it was he was shocked.

"Sloan, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I live here now, so the GM woke me up at 5:00 a.m. to ask me to try to clean up another one of your messes." Sloan curtly responded.

"Your honor, Erin Reagan for the People." She announced.

Sloan stood. "Sloan Silver for the Defendant." He responded.

Erin continued: "Your honor, the Defendant is charged with drunk and disorderly conduct in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel. When confronted by the hotel's security staff, he became belligerent and threatened to assault at least one of the staff."

The judge asked: "Mr. Delmont, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty your honor." Delmont responded.

"Position on bail Ms. Reagan?" The judge asked.

"The People request bail of $250,000, an electronic tether, alcohol monitoring and anger management your honor." Erin responded.

"Mr. Silver?" The judge offered.

Erin looked over at Sloan Silver and observed him while he responded. He was as tall as her father but more athletic in his build. She liked his full head of dark brown hair, the silver-white hair at his temples and the few streaks she noticed in front. He carried himself well and most importantly, there was no ring on his left hand.

"Thank you your honor." He began. "The prosecution's position on bail seems excessive as there was no assault and the only witnesses to the alleged threat were the two security officers who are the complainants. We request R.O.R. as Mr. Delmont has no prior offenses. He is presently confined to his hotel room at all times that his presence is not required at Yankee stadium which would include practices, warm ups and the actual games. The team will at its own expense place a guard at Mr. Delmont's door if so required to insure that he does not break confinement or procure alcoholic beverages. The team leaves New York after a matinee game tomorrow afternoon but will return in a week to play the Mets. Mr. Delmont would again be similarly restricted and observed during this period. If necessary, I have the team's General Manager and its Manager both present to so attest."

"I'm just glad the Mets aren't facing you Mr. Silver." The judge replied which caused Erin to wonder what he was talking about.

The judge took a moment and then rendered his ruling.

"I'll release Mr. Delmont on his own recognizance and to the custody of the Detroit club with the following provisions. No alcoholic beverages, no non-prescribed medication or drugs and he must be in the care and custody of the team at all times it is outside of its registered hotel. He is allowed out of his room to attend meals, use the workout facilities and the like but he is to have no interaction with the hotel security staff and the team must assign someone to supervise him at all times. He is to be confined to his room between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. If the game runs after 11:00 p.m. then he is to return directly to his room upon his return to the hotel."

"Thank you your honor." Silver responded.

Sloan then turned to Delmont. "Go directly back to the hotel and keep your phone on. I'm going to see if I can put something together to make this go away."

Erin Reagan was packing up her brief case and was getting ready to head back to her office when she was approached.

"Excuse me, Ms. Reagan?" He asked as she turned to face him. "Sloan Silver." He said introducing himself.

"Erin Reagan." She smiled, shaking his hand.

"If you have a moment, I believe we can resolve this matter to our mutual satisfaction." He stated.

They went over to the gallery benches which were now empty and Erin walked in and took a seat. Sloan started to sit in the row behind her when she patted the area on the bench next to her.

"Please sit here Mr. Silver, I promise not to bite." She said.

"I don't wish to crowd you." He responded.

"I'll let you know if you do. What's your offer?" She asked.

"Let me preface it as follows. Delmont was my teammate last year in Detroit."

"Your teammate?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, I was one of the starting pitchers, retiring at the end of last season." He responded.

It then hit Erin as to whom she was speaking and she began to smile.

"Anyway" He continued "He has problems and the team has been looking for a way to straighten him out for two years. What I propose, and the team supports, is that he adhere to the terms of the ROR, and in addition, the team trainers will perform daily alcohol and substance checks on him, both at home and when on the road. Once the season is over, he'll have to arrange to continue these checks with his new team. In the off season, he'll have to report to the proper facilities where he resides. He will also undergo anger management classes starting no later than November 1 which is the end of the playoff season, should he make it that far. He will also be subject to the restrictions if the team plays either New York team during the playoffs. Finally, he will serve 200 hours community service, 100 hours between November 1 and December 31 and the balance from January 2 through February 28 of next year lecturing to high school athletes as to the dangers of substance and alcohol abuse. If he satisfactorily completes all conditions, then after one year the charges are dismissed and his arrest record and these proceedings will be expunged."

Erin listened to the proposal while observing her opponent, and thinking to herself. "He has such beautiful blue eyes and such inviting lips and for such a big man, a very soft voice" not like most attorneys she knew who tried to loudly verbalize their demands in the hope that it would intimidate her. She remembered shaking his hand and she looked down at them. His hands weren't like her father's, but more elongated like those of a pianist or violinist. She imagined him holding a baseball and wondered what those hands would feel like cupping her breasts, or holding her to him. She quickly snapped out of it as he finished his proposal.

"I can stipulate to your terms if you'll agree to a fine of $10,000." She replied.

"I will convey that offer to my client, but I don't see it as being an issue." He responded.

"One other condition." She said.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

"That you'll have a drink with me sometime." She coyly answered.

"I'll have to convey that offer to my client's attorney." He noncommittally responded.

Erin felt rebuffed. "I'll draw up the paperwork and have a judge sign off on it and then send it over for you and your client to approve and execute." She stated, all business now.

He shook her hand, tendered his business card and stood. "A pleasure meeting you Ms. Reagan." He then stood and exited the courtroom.

Erin watched him leave and wondered why he hadn't accepted her offer for a drink. Was he involved with someone or simply not interested in her?

Carlo Freghetti had served 25 years on the NYPD, rising to the rank of Detective Lieutenant. In his final three years on the force, which was 2007-2010, he was the assigned driver and bodyguard for the Chief of the Department and later Police Commissioner, Francis X. Reagan.

When he pulled the pin in 2010, Freghetti had pensioned out at a good enough level that he never had to work again however being home all day with his wife drove him nuts so before long he began taking part time jobs chauffeuring around VIPs just to get out of the house. When a buddy of his called to say that a very well-known former sports figure turned lawyer was moving to town and would need two drivers and body guards, he called his former partner, retired Detective Sergeant Mike Cornell and asked if he was looking for something to do as well.

The two were vetted through Silver & Silver's Detroit office as well as through a private investigator hired to double check the impeccable records of the two former detectives.

When their new boss arrived, he did so with two very special limousines that he preferred to be chauffeured around in during the warmer weather months. The first was a black 1964 Crown Imperial. The second was a deep presidential blue 1964 Lincoln Continental.

When Sloan Silver exited the courthouse and climbed into the right front seat of the Imperial, Freghetti was at the wheel and ready to head back to the office.

"How did it go boss?" He asked.

"Perfect. The prosecutor will draw up the paperwork and have it to me today. Not bad for my first criminal law case, considering that I don't even practice criminal law." Sloan smiled.

"Which ADA did you draw?" Carlo inquired.

"Erin Reagan. She even made it a condition of the deal that I ask her out for a drink." Sloan chuckled.

Carlo inquisitively looked over at his employer. "Erin Reagan asked you out? What did you say?"

"Nothing. I told her that I would have to convey that offer to myself and left it at that, why?" Sloan asked.

"You going to take her up on her offer?" He inquired.

"Probably not, I'm too busy getting my feet wet here." Sloan answered back.

Freghetti put on his best detective's face and in his interrogator's voice responded. "Boss, I'm going to say something and while I know I'm only responsible to protect you from physical harm, I'm going to save you from your own naiveté, before I have to arrest you for criminal stupidity."

Sloan looked at him wondering what he meant.

"When I was on the Job, I drove for Frank Reagan, the current Police Commissioner. Erin Reagan is his only daughter. She is one of the kindest, sweetest, most intelligent, loyal and beautiful women you will ever meet and a treasure to any man who can capture her heart and if she asked you out, which she did in case you are blind or deaf, then I can only surmise that you got beaned in the head by one too many hockey pucks if you don't take her up on that offer. She turns down more guys a week than you threw pitches in a game." Carlo informed him.

"You're serious aren't you?" Sloan asked.

"Deadly." Carlo responded. "That woman is one of New York City's most eligible bachelorettes and she deserves the best and in case you can't see it, that would be you."

Sloan spent the rest of the day working on files and getting up to speed on the new office. He had sent his youngest sister an email recapping his conversation with Carlo as well as Erin's exact words. He was the oldest sibling at 52 and his sisters were all married and had provided him wonderful nieces and nephews. Karen was 50, Lynne 43 and Paige 39. He was closest to Paige when it came to personal matters such as this and she always gave him sound and realistic advice.

When she emailed back later that afternoon, he wasn't surprised as to her response.

"I agree with Carlo. Open your baby blues and clean the wax out of your ears. If she wasn't interested in you big brother, she wouldn't have made it a condition of a plea agreement, if only in jest. Sometimes I think you took too many pucks in the head. Go get her 'Tiger', Love, P."

" p.s., K & L affirm and said don't chicken out or L will be making a trip to NYC. Keep us updated."

The last thing Sloan wanted was Lynne coming to New York. She was the most confrontational of the three and if he blew off a chance to meet someone, it would directly sabotage her primary reason for sending him to New York in the first place. Lynne did not like to have her plans screwed with which included trying to run her big brother's social life.

He emailed back. "Will do, just keep L out of NYC. Love, S."

At 5:00 p.m., Sloan's personal assistant buzzed him and in her clipped British Accent announced. "Mr. Silver, Erin Reagan is here and would like to see you."

"Please send her in." He responded.

Erin entered and offered her hand which Sloan shook. She gazed about the large corner office with its 50th floor windows providing a magnificent view of the city below.

"No ego wall?" She asked, referring to the memorabilia and photographs most politicians and sports players had clustered on their office walls.

"I have a private office in Detroit where I put those items on display." He grinned. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unscheduled visit?"

"I have Mr. Delmont's Plea Agreement here. All he need do is sign it. He can return to court tomorrow morning to formally plead guilty and allocute and still make it back in time to join the team before the game starts. I've scheduled him as the first hearing at 8:30 a.m."

Sloan was thinking that she could have faxed or emailed this over to him. The fact that she was here meant that she was giving him a second chance on her offer and as Carlo had noted, interested in him. He studied her beautiful face while reading her intelligent eyes. What she saw in him, he could only wonder.

What Erin didn't tell him was that she had received an interesting call an hour ago from Lynne Silver who recapped the email exchange between Sloan and Paige before explaining that her older brother was somewhat dense and shy when it came to women and that if Erin was interested, she needed to be bold and assertive.

"My brother is always assessing risk and reward. He's afraid women will sue him for some trumped up charge of non-consensual contact or besmirch his image which as you can imagine, is very important to him and this firm. That or he'll wind up getting involved with a gold digger. Therefore, he errs too much on the side of caution and freezes up."

Sloan reviewed the Agreement and was satisfied. "I note that your condition of a drink is not included." He teased.

"I didn't think you were interested." She responded.

"My apologies, but I'm a somewhat ignorant when it comes to reading women." He responded, shocking her. "Let me call my client and afterwards I will rectify my error as to that drink, if the offer still stands."

Erin gently smiled. "It does."

Sloan called Delmont and went over the details of the Plea Agreement and told him to be back at 100 Center Street the next morning. He then called the team's GM and informed him of the same.

"I have done my pro bono service for the day, shall we repair do the downstairs lounge?" He asked.

"Let's" Erin smiled, happy that he was taking her up on her offer.

Once seated at the bar, Erin had requested single malt so Sloan ordered them both The Macallan 25 year old scotch in a snifter for Erin and on the rocks for himself.

"How can you do that to a perfectly fine scotch?" She asked, referring to the ice in his glass.

"I'm not Irish or British by heritage so I can't drink my whiskey warm." He answered her.

They settled back into an easy going conversation with each enlightening the other as to their backgrounds, families, and careers. Erin found it very difficult to believe that Sloan had never had a serious girlfriend let alone been in a relationship, so he explained the pitfalls of playing two professional sports.

"Baseball begins with spring training in mid-February and goes through the World Series at the end of October. Hockey camp begins in mid-September and goes through the Stanley Cup finals in mid-June. When you play both sports, you have no free time. There were some days in April or October where I would pitch a 1:00 p.m. game and be between the pipes at seven that night." He informed her.

"So your sisters kicked you out of Detroit so that you'd meet a New York girl?" Erin teased.

"Yes, and they were right. Detroit's a very small town in its own way and I wouldn't have been happy there over time and they knew it. I'm used to a competitive edge and New York provides it." He answered.

"So, what kind of woman are you looking for, I have a lot of single friends." She said, hinting around to see if there was any real interest.

"I hope you are able to fix them up with some deserving men but I'm more interested in getting to know you better." He said gazing into her eyes.

Erin looked at his lips, wanting to kiss them for the third time that day, so she decided to take Lynne's advice and did so. They were everything she had expected, warm, moist and tender.

She sat back and composed herself. "Tomorrow night's the annual New York Women's Bar Association annual gala and I need a date, so how do you look in a tux?" She inquired while really wanting to know how he looked out of one.

"Looks like you'll find out tomorrow night." He winked at her.

"I would love to stay for another drink, but I have a 17 year old to get home to. I'll call you tomorrow with the event info, but let's plan on meeting here around 7 p.m.? She asked.

"I look forward to it." He said as he leaned in and kissed her.

Erin exited the building feeling as if she were soaring. Had she finally hit the jackpot? She was almost to her car when her phone rang. It was Nicky.

"Hi Mom, I'm over at Megan's and her mom said I could stay over tonight, is that okay mom? Please and thank you."

"Sure Nicky, that's fine." She happily answered. "See you tomorrow."

Had further fortune smiled upon her? Erin turned around and headed back to the lounge. When she arrived he was right where she had left him, watching ESPN on the flat screen above the bar. She sat back down on the bar stool she had recently vacated. "Looks as if I have been granted a reprieve." She announced.

He turned to her. "Then I would presume your dinner plans are open. Care to join me at Peter Lugers?"

Erin wasn't one of those women who complained about eating red meat. She could tear into a steak with the best of them, especially her brothers.

"I would like that very much." She replied.

"Then let's get you that other scotch you were going to have."

He excused himself and called Carlo, telling him to call it a night, that he'd catch a cab home. Carlo wasn't happy, but he followed his orders, not knowing that Sloan was ditching his protective detail so that he could sneak out with Erin.

They decided to meet at Peter Luger's which is located in Brooklyn, not far from Park Slope where Erin lived and that way, she wouldn't have to return to Manhattan to drop him back off only to head back to Brooklyn.

As Erin headed out she texted Lynne Silver. "Thanks for the advice. Heading to dinner with him now."

Lynne texted her back. "Good to know. Remember, you take the lead or he'll never make a move."

Sloan went to the lower level garage of his office building to find a car as he had no intentions of pulling up in front of the restaurant in a chauffeured limo. The two classic limousines were parked side by side and covered with satin tarps. The nightly guard who kept watch on the firm's fleet came over and asked how he could help.

"I'm heading out and I need a car, but something simple, I don't want to draw attention." He looked around and spotted two Lincoln MKS's among the Mercedes and Lincoln MKT's they used to ferry attorneys, clients and experts to and from their offices or court. "Let me have the key to this one." He said pointing out the black MKS.

Sloan opened the door and couldn't believe what he saw. Food wrappers, cups and paper were strewn about the car. Sloan was a fanatic about cleanliness, believing that it was a reflection of a person's overall self discipline, character and image. If someone were a slob, that's how he came across to others and Sloan wouldn't permit his firm to be represented by such an employee. He would straighten out the offending miscreant in due course.

"Find out who drove this last and inform Carlo. I'll take the grey one instead."

Arriving 10 minutes after Erin, Sloan was grateful that she had already been seated. He went over to their table and as he sat, apologized for his delay. "Forgot my key and had to go upstairs to get it."

"I could have driven you and brought you back." She informed him.

"Yes, but that would have entailed heading back to Manhattan when you're ten minutes from home which is silly." He replied.

She smiled. "Better yet, I could have just taken you home with me."

"Yes, but it's a school night and we both have to be in court by 8:30 tomorrow morning." He reminded her.

"I would have you in your jammies and tucked in by midnight." She teased.

"I didn't bring my jammies with me." He responded.

"Even better." She smiled.

They each ordered Caesar salads and a thick rib eye steak, shared an order of sautéed mushrooms and split a bottle of a French Cabernet.

During dinner Erin's phone began to ring. She noticed that it was Jamie and excused herself. "Yes Jamie."

"Hey, I'm just calling to see if you need me for tomorrow night's event." He reminded her. Erin occasionally took Jamie to these events in the hopes that she could at least convince him to take the Bar Exam and have a backup plan.

"Thank you little brother, but I have a date for tomorrow night. In fact, I'm at dinner with him now." She informed.

"Really? You're on an actual date?" Jamie asked.

"I sure am so I have to go, he's sitting here and I'm being rude by ignoring him." She said while Sloan waived her off as he shook his head.

They signed off with one another and Erin stowed per phone in her bag. "Sorry, but when one of my family calls I always answer it just in case."

"I understand, and hopefully it isn't the type of call that's your worst fear." He nodded.

In the meantime, Jamie called Danny. "With who?" Danny asked upon being informed.

"No idea, she wouldn't tell me but she sounded like she was having a good time and she's taking him to the Woman's Bar Association event tomorrow night." Jamie answered.

"Where's that event at?" Danny asked.

"No Danny, you aren't going to spy on Erin. When she's ready, she'll tell us about him." Jamie said as he hung up.

Linda saw Danny put down his phone and she noticed the look on his face. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"Erin's on a date and I don't know who he is so I can't check him out." He responded.

"Danny, Erin's a smart woman and she doesn't date that often so if she's out with someone, she probably met him in court or got fixed up so I'm sure he's clean." Linda commented.

"Yeah, but you don't know that for sure." Danny replied.

"Don't push Danny or you'll piss her off and that doesn't do anything good for either of you." Linda warned.

It was only 8:30 p.m. when Erin and Sloan exited Peter Luger's so they decided to hit a local pool hall.

Erin broke first but by the end of the game had three balls left on the table as Sloan sank the eight ball.

She won game two and almost ran the table on game three, but a missed bank shot which allowed Sloan the opportunity to catch up before missing his last attempt. It was now down to one ball each plus the 8.

"Bet." Erin called.

"State the bet." He replied.

"You win, you go home tonight. I win, you come home with me." She saucily proposed.

Sloan considered the ramifications of this bet. Technically if he won he lost and if he lost he won. Was he ready to become intimate with Erin when they had only met that morning?

"You do realize the ramifications if you win." He asked.

"Perfectly." She answered, one hand on her hip while lifting her eyebrows while she stared him in the eyes. "Are you man enough to take that bet and what comes with it?' She dared him.

He gave her a grin. "You have just pointed your bat at where you plan to hit a home run and are daring me to pitch to you."

"Let's see if you can handle me as well as you do your balls…and bat." She challenged, sexual pun intended.

He stared at her for a few seconds before responding "Bet accepted."

It was Erin's turn to shoot and she quickly sank her striped ball. She had a wicked angle on the 8 ball but made a perfect bank shot which left it teetering on the edge of the pocket, and then as if by magic, or perhaps by fate, it dropped from sight.

"I think I have just been hustled and in more ways than one." He laughed.

She walked over to Sloan, grabbed him by his tie and pulled him to her for a deep kiss. "I believe you are mine tonight so let's pay up and get out of here."

Erin gave Sloan her address and told him where to find a local drug store as he needed to procure a toothbrush and some other items before heading over to Erin's.

By the time he arrived, she had already turned on the music, set the lighting in her living room, and broken out the scotch.

When the doorbell rang, she opened the door and welcomed him in. They went into the living room and spent an hour talking and becoming more acquainted. As midnight approached, Erin took their glassware into the kitchen and came back for her prize.

"Come with me." She softly said and offered her hand.

She led Sloan upstairs to her bedroom and began to undress him. When she removed his suit coat, she noticed the Walther PPK he had holstered on his left hip.

"You do have a permit for that?" She asked, ever the Officer of the Court and secret wanna be cop.

He pulled it out of his wallet and showed it to her.

"Please remove your gun and holster and set them on the dresser." She asked and he complied.

She then resumed removing his tie, cuff links, and finally his shirt.

She began kissing his chest and working her way to his shoulders before pulling him to her and engaging in a very passionate kiss.

She led him to her bathroom where he could brush his teeth and get ready for bed after which she followed suit.

Erin emerged wearing nothing but a black silk kimono robe that she did not tie closed.

"Take off everything else." She ordered, referencing his pants, shoes and socks.

Once he had done so he came over to her and picked her up in his arms. As he held her he began to explore her with his lips as she had earlier explored him. He then gently laid her onto her bed and proceeded to kiss her all over, before gently massaging her shoulders, back and muscular legs.

She removed the robe and ordered him to strip and climb in bed with her.

Once she had him in place, they began making love and devouring one another. Erin was intoxicated and not from alcohol but from the rush of endorphins and emotions springing up within her. After they were both spent, she held his head on her chest while they softly spoke to one another.

"I'm hoping this doesn't turn out to be just a one night stand." She commented after having some time to replay the evening in her mind.

He lifted up from her chest and looked her in the eyes. "I hadn't planned on it being one, but just the first night of a long life together." He smiled.

"Do you really mean that?" She cautiously asked.

Let me tell you a story, so he recounted his discussion with Carlo Freghetti after leaving court.

"I may be dense and obtuse but one thing I am not Erin is criminally stupid. He was right, you are a treasure and only a fool lets a treasure slip through his hands."

Erin beamed and pulled him to her once again.

Eventually he fell asleep and as she reached over to cover him with her blanket she reflected on how last night she had asked for one special man to grow old with and tonight she felt she had him right next to her.

"Maybe all I had to do was ask?" She wondered.

Before succumbing to her own sleep, she felt his side of the bed. It was warm and this time the tears she shed were those of joy.

-30-