green skirt
riding up on her thighs, exposing a few more inches of creamy flesh.
"Nice office," she said, surveying the
spacious surroundings.
He managed to tear his gaze away from her legs before
she caught him staring. "I like it."
She glanced at him, and their eyes locked for a long
moment. Shaun would have sworn the air crackled with the awareness between
them. Then she looked away and the moment passed, or maybe he'd just imagined
it.
"I was heading back to my office after
court," she said, "and I thought I should stop by to return
this." She took his handkerchief out of her pocket, passed it across the
desk to him.
He'd forgotten that she had it. He tucked it into his
own pocket. "Aren't you going to be at Carly's birthday party tomorrow?"
Arden nodded. "Yes. I thought about waiting to
return it, but I wasn't sure if I'd have a chance to speak to you alone. Not
that I want to be alone with you. I mean—"
She broke off, drew in a deep breath. He fought
against the grin that tugged at his lips. Damn, but she was cute when she was
flustered.
"I only meant that I didn't want Nikki to know
that I had your handkerchief, because then she'd have a ton of questions. She
worries about me," Arden admitted reluctantly.
"It's natural to worry about those you
love." He tilted his head, studying her. "Why does that bother
you?"
She shrugged. "Because it's unnecessary."
One day, he promised himself, he would get to the
bottom of this stubborn independence of hers. He'd find out what had happened
to make her so unwilling to rely on others, so reluctant to accept help when it
was offered. For now it was enough that she was here.
"I saw you and Warren Blake having coffee at the
courthouse Monday." He wasn't sure what compelled him to blurt out the
statement. He hadn't realized that the sight of Arden with the assistant
district attorney had bothered him, but apparently it had, more than he wanted
to admit.
"And?" she prompted, sounding baffled.
He shrugged. "I thought you didn't date
lawyers."
"Is that a not-so-subtle way of asking about my
relationship with Warren?"
He didn't give a damn about being subtle, and he
didn't like the way the man's name had rolled off her tongue. "Do you have
a relationship with Blake?"
"Do you have a problem with the new ADA?"
she countered.
"He's arrogant and self-righteous and
unreasonable."
She raised an eyebrow. "Did he refuse to grant
bail to one of your clients?"
He had, but "That's not the point."
She smiled.
"He was hanging all over you."
"Not that it's any of your business," Arden
told him. "But we were having a professional discussion over coffee."
Her explanation failed to appease him. A professional
discussion. "Since when do you represent criminal defendant?"
"I do a lot of work with young offenders,"
she told him.
"Oh." He'd forgotten that. Still, he didn't
like the way Blake had been looking at her. Not that he could blame the man for
finding Arden attractive, but he sensed it was some thing more than that. He
had no grounds for his suspicions, though, so he kept them to himself.
"Any more questions?" Arden asked.
"Not right now."
"Good." She stood up. "I have to get back
to the office."
But Shaun was reluctant to let her go. "I haven't
forgotten about your bookshelves," he told her. "I just haven't had a
chance to get the wood."
"I'm not in a hurry."
"Oh. Okay. I'll call you, then, when I'm ready to
get started."
"Sure," she agreed. Then, "I'll see you
at Colin and Nikki's tomorrow?"
He nodded, already looking forward to it.
* * *
It
was amazing, Arden thought as she stepped out of the path of an oncoming child,
how vocal a group of six-year-olds could be. And it wasn't a particularly large
group, either. She tried to count the heads as they rushed past, but they
changed direction in midstream, circled around and disappeared up the stairs
again.
"How many kids are here?" she asked Nikki.
"Six," her cousin answered. "Including Carly ."
"I never would have
riding up on her thighs, exposing a few more inches of creamy flesh.
"Nice office," she said, surveying the
spacious surroundings.
He managed to tear his gaze away from her legs before
she caught him staring. "I like it."
She glanced at him, and their eyes locked for a long
moment. Shaun would have sworn the air crackled with the awareness between
them. Then she looked away and the moment passed, or maybe he'd just imagined
it.
"I was heading back to my office after
court," she said, "and I thought I should stop by to return
this." She took his handkerchief out of her pocket, passed it across the
desk to him.
He'd forgotten that she had it. He tucked it into his
own pocket. "Aren't you going to be at Carly's birthday party tomorrow?"
Arden nodded. "Yes. I thought about waiting to
return it, but I wasn't sure if I'd have a chance to speak to you alone. Not
that I want to be alone with you. I mean—"
She broke off, drew in a deep breath. He fought
against the grin that tugged at his lips. Damn, but she was cute when she was
flustered.
"I only meant that I didn't want Nikki to know
that I had your handkerchief, because then she'd have a ton of questions. She
worries about me," Arden admitted reluctantly.
"It's natural to worry about those you
love." He tilted his head, studying her. "Why does that bother
you?"
She shrugged. "Because it's unnecessary."
One day, he promised himself, he would get to the
bottom of this stubborn independence of hers. He'd find out what had happened
to make her so unwilling to rely on others, so reluctant to accept help when it
was offered. For now it was enough that she was here.
"I saw you and Warren Blake having coffee at the
courthouse Monday." He wasn't sure what compelled him to blurt out the
statement. He hadn't realized that the sight of Arden with the assistant
district attorney had bothered him, but apparently it had, more than he wanted
to admit.
"And?" she prompted, sounding baffled.
He shrugged. "I thought you didn't date
lawyers."
"Is that a not-so-subtle way of asking about my
relationship with Warren?"
He didn't give a damn about being subtle, and he
didn't like the way the man's name had rolled off her tongue. "Do you have
a relationship with Blake?"
"Do you have a problem with the new ADA?"
she countered.
"He's arrogant and self-righteous and
unreasonable."
She raised an eyebrow. "Did he refuse to grant
bail to one of your clients?"
He had, but "That's not the point."
She smiled.
"He was hanging all over you."
"Not that it's any of your business," Arden
told him. "But we were having a professional discussion over coffee."
Her explanation failed to appease him. A professional
discussion. "Since when do you represent criminal defendant?"
"I do a lot of work with young offenders,"
she told him.
"Oh." He'd forgotten that. Still, he didn't
like the way Blake had been looking at her. Not that he could blame the man for
finding Arden attractive, but he sensed it was some thing more than that. He
had no grounds for his suspicions, though, so he kept them to himself.
"Any more questions?" Arden asked.
"Not right now."
"Good." She stood up. "I have to get back
to the office."
But Shaun was reluctant to let her go. "I haven't
forgotten about your bookshelves," he told her. "I just haven't had a
chance to get the wood."
"I'm not in a hurry."
"Oh. Okay. I'll call you, then, when I'm ready to
get started."
"Sure," she agreed. Then, "I'll see you
at Colin and Nikki's tomorrow?"
He nodded, already looking forward to it.
* * *
It
was amazing, Arden thought as she stepped out of the path of an oncoming child,
how vocal a group of six-year-olds could be. And it wasn't a particularly large
group, either. She tried to count the heads as they rushed past, but they
changed direction in midstream, circled around and disappeared up the stairs
again.
"How many kids are here?" she asked Nikki.
"Six," her cousin answered. "Including Carly ."
"I never would have
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