Amazing. Mr GQ Lawyer stood there looking ad deliciously sinful as her mama's rum poundcake. And he'd seen her rougher than rough after a night locked in the hoosgow? Oh God, how embarrassing.
Sheer horror sneaked through each limb and it must have made its way to her face.
"What's wrong. You look like you've just seen Hannibal Lecter".
"Uh, what? Oh sorry. Nothing I was just thinking about what I must have looked to you the other day".
"You mean when we walked out of the courtroom?"
"Yep. That's the time. Look, coming here was a mistake. I must have been out of my mind meeting a total stranger here".
"Not a total stranger, Shanice".
"Well, still. Why don't we just call it a day? Besides, I don't date guys I work with".
"But we don't actually work together, do we, beautiful?"
Beautiful? When was the last time she'd been called beautiful by someone who appeared to mean it? Sigh. That so wasn't the point.
She rose and stuck out her hand wondering if she really wanted him to shake it or not. Surely if he touched her she'd fall on the floor in a dead faint from lack of oxygen because lord knew she'd stopped breathing the second the images of what she'd imagined him doing to her flashed in her head.
He wrapped warm fingers around hers and eased her toward him. Leaning close, he whispered for her ears only, thank god.
"Well, I did a pretty good job getting your charges dropped, not to mention I wore this ugly ass outfit just for you. At least have lunch with me?"
His words ended on a friendly chuckle, but Shanice hadn't missed the confidence and determination?—in them.
Arrogant bastard. Damn gorgeous, tall and yummily put together arrogant bastard. And he had a point, damn it. "So, how'd you get my charges dropped? I didn't know you did criminal law". Hell, she didn't actually meant to ask him that, especially not out loud. The last thing she needed was for the man to start gloating or for the folks at the next table to think she was some kind of two-bit crack ho' with a neon green-shirted pimp.
"Actually, my speciality is contract law".
"What?! What were you doing negotiating my release? What if things had gotten screwed up?"
"It was a simple misdemeanour, Shanice. Any lawyer worth his salt could have gotten you off, even if his area of expertise was salt mining treaties. It was obvious you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, Charli wouldn't have trusted me with your situation if I didn't know what I was doing. She and I both trained in the law, remember?"
"Yes, but...?"
"Well, it worked didn't it?" he said, tilting his head to the side in a mock challenge.
She couldn't argue with that. The man was too attractive and too charismatic by half. And when he smiled the thought of proving her point flew right out of Shanice's head, replaced with the urge to kiss him. Repeatedly. Uninvited, her erotic fantasy in which he'd started the night before mixed with the fact he'd sprung her from the big house. Immediately her cheeks up in flames. Thank God for dark skin.
