Praise for Kristi Gold:

“Characters who touch your heart and a story to match. When I finished the last page, I wanted to start reading it all over again.”

—Bestselling author Jennifer Greene on Doctor For Keeps

“Gold shines at creating characters you care about.”

—Bestselling author Virginia Kantra

“Kristi Gold is one of those authors whose books you never want to miss. She touches your heart in all the right places.”

—Reader to Reader Reviews

“Kristi Gold’s Renegade Millionaire will captivate readers with its undeniably sexy hero and the combustible attraction between characters. An exceptionally well-written story that should never end.”

—Romantic Times on Renegade Millionaire, 2003 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award

“Kristi Gold combines her trademark larger-than-life hero with the Barone Dynasty’s sensuous plot and comes up big in Expecting The Sheikh’s Baby.”

—Romantic Times on Expecting the Sheikh’s Baby, 2004 National Readers’ Choice Winner, Best Short Contemporary Series

The Law of Attraction
Kristi Gold

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: REUNION with my contribution, The Law of Attraction, for several reasons: I’m a born and bred Texan, San Antonio is one of my favorite cities, I enjoy working with authors to bring together a satisfying series, and I’m admittedly a television courtroom drama addict.

This story features Daniel Fortune, a dynamic San Antonio assistant D.A. who has designs on being the next District Attorney, and Alisha Hart, who left corporate law to become a champion of justice for the common folk. Take these two passionate attorneys, pit them against each other on a high-profile case, add a good dose of chemistry, and you’re bound to have fireworks inside and out of the courtroom. As an added bonus, that high-profile case involves an infamous exhibitionist known as the “San Antonio Streaker,” an element that lends itself to more than a little humor, and a whole lot of fun. And I admit to having had more than my share of fun writing this book.

Needless to say, quite a bit of research on Texas law was involved and I’ve tried to make the legal process as accurate as possible. However, I’m a writer, not an attorney, so I did use a little creative license in the courtroom scenes for the sake of entertainment.

I invite you to get ready for a wild ride, and I do hope you enjoy The Law of Attraction as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it!

Happy reading!

Kristi Gold

Acknowledgments:

Many thanks to family friend and future attorney, Wes B., for pointing me in the right direction. Any errors in legal procedure I might have made are definitely my own.

Dedication:

To Kathie DeNosky, one of the most talented authors and best friends I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Bonus Features

One

“I can’t believe you spent all day with the naked guy.”

For once Alisha Hart was thankful for the barroom buzz drowning out the cute and somewhat cocky Joe Alvarado’s comment. Unfortunately her current law clerk had a definite lack of decorum at times. But he worked cheap, and with her fledgling law practice, cheap was all she could afford.

Moving her glass of champagne aside, Alisha folded her hands before her on the scuffed wooden table and frowned. “Do you think perhaps we could call him Mr. Massey—his appropriate name—instead of ‘the naked guy’?”

Joe loosened his tie, reclined in the high-backed chair and chugged another drink of beer. “I just call ’em like I see ’em. And let’s face it, plenty of San Antonio’s good citizens have seen him. All of him.”

“Not all of him.”

He forked a fast hand through his dark hair and gave her his usual impatient scowl. “Okay. Most of him.”

Alisha couldn’t argue that point, but she would soon have to argue the now infamous case of the “San Antonio Streaker.” Without an official public defender’s office in the county, she’d qualified to be added to the list of practicing attorneys willing to represent those who couldn’t afford private counsel. Just her luck of the draw that she’d been assigned as Les Massey’s public defender. True, the man had posed almost in the buff at several notable tourist attractions, but he’d been clever enough to keep certain parts of his anatomy covered. As far as Alisha was concerned, he might be a misguided man on a mission, but he was within his rights to express himself, even if he freely expressed himself practically naked.

“Regardless of what he’s done,” she told Joe, “he’s still a client and deserves my attention.”

“More or less a nonpaying client.”

Alisha recognized that Les Massey would soon receive the benefit of her services without handing over a dime of his own money—as if he had any—courtesy of the state of Texas. “That’s what the system is all about, Joe. Solid legal representation for the indigent. The ‘little guy,’ so to speak.”

He let go a strident laugh. “From what I hear, Les wouldn’t be considered a ‘little guy.’ Rumor has it that was one long coonskin tail he had covering his goods during his little show at the Alamo. Have you seen any evidence of that?”

“Oh, dear God, Joe. I’m not even going to go there.” Granted, Alisha had been mildly curious, but she suspected that the legend of Les’s “goods” had been blown totally out of proportion. And even though he would be considered a fine specimen, with his buff body and surfer-blond hair, she wasn’t interested in his “goods” or any other aspect of his person. Besides, he was seven years her junior, rarely utilized all three of his brain cells at once and was a little too smarmy for her selective taste in men. “Can we change the subject now?”

“Sure. Let’s play Twenty Questions. Guess who just walked in?”

“Your wife?”

“Nope. Not yet.” He leaned forward. “I’ll give you a hint. He’s practically a legend in legal circles.”

Couldn’t be Les, unless he’d escaped from jail. “I give up.”

“Would you believe the big man himself?”

“Isn’t it a little late for Santa?”

“Try Daniel Fortune.”

Great. Just what she needed—the man who delighted in pushing all her hot buttons whenever the opportunity presented itself. The man who ruled the criminal courts like a king. The man she wanted to cling to like cheap plastic wrap every time he came near her—a fact that would remain a secret to everyone, especially the senior assistant district attorney.

“Well, I should’ve known the iceman cometh,” Alisha said, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. “The temperature just dropped a few degrees in here.” In reality, her body temperature had risen to rainforest proportions.

“He’s brilliant,” Joe said. “One of the best prosecutors in the state.”

One of the best-looking prosecutors in the country. “Yes, he’s got a good record.” And a great butt.

“Don’t look now, but he’s heading this way.”

Alisha battled the urge to look and she won out for the time being. Maybe Mr. Fortune would keep walking right on past her. Maybe then she could sneak another peek at his derriere.

Joe slapped his palms on the edge of the table, startling Alisha. “I’m going to go to the boys’ room, then give Julie a call. If she doesn’t get here quick, she’s going to miss the festivities.”

Alisha wanted to ask him to please stay, which was totally absurd. Chances were the esteemed A.D.A. wouldn’t even bother to say hello. And even if he did, her obligation only required she be polite and toss out a few insults if necessary. “Fine. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Trying to appear relaxed, she turned her attention to the wide-screen TV across the room and pretended to watch the Times Square globe beginning its descent, signaling the arrival of the new year on the East Coast. Pretended not to be at all concerned that the preeminent attorney was somewhere on the premises. Pretended she didn’t care where he was or what he was doing, even if she did. She’d just sit there and blend into the surroundings—not at all that difficult considering she had blending in down to a fine art in crowded bars.

“Hey, Hart, did you really get the guy with the big schlong?”

Following a spattering of laughter, Alisha’s gaze snapped to the man posing the query seated two tables over—the lard-bellied lawyer, Billy Wade Carlisle, not board certified in anything since “bottom feeder” had yet to be designated as a specialty. Right now she would like to take his ratty toupee and stuff it in an orifice where no toupee belonged.

So much for remaining anonymous. Of course, the place was rather loud and a bit rowdy tonight. With any luck, Mr. Fortune hadn’t heard Billy Wade’s brilliant query.

“Looks like you could use a drink.”

The sound of his voice coming from behind her, deep and downright deadly, drew Alisha’s complete attention. So did the very masculine hand that slid a glass of champagne before her. She visually tracked his navy coat sleeve up to his wide shoulder and, against better judgment, continued on to his eyes. Tonight those eyes looked dark even though she knew they were green—not crystalline green but a deep green that at times looked almost brown, other times green-gold, depending on the lighting. Intense eyes that shouted power. Considering the definite cast of amusement in his gaze, no doubt he was about to contribute to her status as current courthouse laughingstock.

“Don’t even start, Counselor,” Alisha muttered.

He had the nerve to look innocent—and stunning, with his brown hair combed back in neat layers and his jaw surrounded by a spattering of evening whiskers. “Start what?”

“Your commentary on my recent appointment to represent Mr. Massey.”

He moved beside the table, giving her the full effect of his striking face. “No commentary involved. I just wanted to buy you a drink.”

She tried to look pleasant and calm despite her frenzied pulse. “Thank you, but I still have one.”

“Save it to toast the new year.”

The drink would probably be warm by then, and that definitely complemented her current state at the moment. “I appreciate it.”

He surveyed her face from forehead to chin before centering his gaze on her eyes. “I take it you’re getting your share of digs about the streaker.”

Alisha rimmed her glass with a fingertip, purposefully avoiding his gaze. “He doesn’t streak, he poses.”

“Poses until he evades the authorities, then he streaks.”

“I’m not going to give you any details about my defense, if that’s what you’re after.”

“I’m only wondering how you’re handling all the exposure.”

Cute. Real cute. She risked a quick look at him to find him sporting a half smile. “I assure you, I’m handling it fine.” As fine as she could with an extreme exhibitionist who enjoyed strutting like the cock of the walk, something she’d discovered during the first encounter with Les Massey at his arraignment.

Daniel propped his hand on the back of her chair and leaned closer. “Just another quick question.”

He was nothing if not persistent. And darned if he didn’t smell good, too. “I said I’m not going to—”

“Are you alone?”

That she wasn’t expecting—a query posed in a provocative tone that sounded as if he was quite capable, and willing, to end her solitude.

Fortunately Joe picked that moment to return to the table, prompting Alisha to spout out, “I’m with him,” followed by a wave of her hand in the clerk’s direction. After all, Daniel Fortune didn’t have to know that her companion was blissfully married. She certainly didn’t want him to think that she was so pathetic she’d been forced to spend New Year’s Eve without a date, even if she had been dateless for some time now.

In the blink of an eye, the A.D.A. straightened and restored himself to consummate professional. The iceman returneth. “Good to see you again, Mr. Alvarado.”

“Same here.” Joe shook Daniel’s offered hand with gusto and grinned like a down-and-out miner who’d struck gold. “The way you handled the Richardson case last year was amazing. I still don’t know how you managed to get a conviction without the victim’s body.”

“I owe it to the San Antonio PD’s spotless investigation.”

Good answer, and good grief. When Alisha noticed Joe’s starstruck expression, she expected him to fall prostrate at the A.D.A.’s feet and kiss the large shoes he walked in. “Joe, I’m sure Mr. Fortune would just as soon forget about work tonight.”

“You’re right, and I’m being rude.” Joe gestured toward the chair next to Alisha. “Why don’t you join us? My wife should be here in a minute.”

So much for Alisha’s pretense that Joe was her date. Daniel sent her a quick glance, as if asking her permission to join the party, which she didn’t give, and not because she wouldn’t like to have him join them. Because she would like for him to join them, and that wasn’t necessarily advisable. Considering her status as a part-time public defender and his as full-time defender of the public, for all intents and purposes they were enemies. Especially now with the high-profile Massey case hanging over her and his office in charge of convicting him, not to mention her unwelcome attraction to the prosecutor.

For what seemed liked infinity, he simply stared at her and she stared back, until she heard, “Sorry I’m late.”

Alisha released her gaze on Daniel to find Julie Alvarado standing at the table, all five feet six inches of head-turning brunette. The kind of woman you wanted to hate—model-beautiful—but was simply too nice to despise. A social worker who devoted her life to protecting children and spoiling her husband. “Hi, Julie. We were starting to worry you might not get here in time.”

“I was beginning to wonder, too.” Julie tossed her bag on the table and leaned to give Joe a kiss. “Sorry, honey. I had something I had to take care of tonight. An emergency removal of three kids. What a way to end the year.”

Joe stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, looking very proud, and rightfully so. “Mr. Fortune, this is my wife, Julie. Julie, this is Daniel Fortune.”

“We’ve met,” Julie said. “I testified during one of your trials.”

“The Henson trial,” Daniel said. “That was a tough one.”

Julie regarded Joe again. “The one where the boyfriend put his girlfriend’s five-year-old daughter into a coma because she spilled her juice on his CD collection.”

Alisha inwardly cringed when she recalled the details she’d only read about. Thank God she’d still been working at her former firm defending rich executives involved in white-collar crimes, and that so far when appointed by the court she’d only represented misdemeanor offenses and not heinous felonies.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Joe pointed to the empty chair beside Alisha. “We can count down together.”

Alisha counted to ten before Daniel said, “Maybe some other time. Enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With another glance at Alisha, he strode away with blatant confidence, his wide shoulders straight, his large hands dangling at his sides, while heads turned as he passed. No doubt about it, he was a natural attention-getter. He’d certainly gotten hers on more than one occasion.

After Julie sat down beside Joe, Alisha pushed the glass of champagne, compliments of the A.D.A., toward her. “Take this. I still have some left.”

Julie exchanged a veiled look with her husband. “I don’t care for any champagne, but I guess it will work for a toast.” She held the flute aloft. “To the new year. May it not royally suck.”

They all touched their glasses together with a shared “Here, here.” Joe and Alisha took sips of their drinks while Julie merely pushed the untouched glass aside.

Joe narrowed his eyes and said to Alisha, “That Daniel Fortune is something else. You should do him, Hart.”

She nearly gasped. “Why would you even think such a thing?”

He looked at her as if she’d just plummeted several rungs on the intelligence ladder. “Because he wants you.”

What a colossal joke. “Oh, sure he does.”

“Don’t be obtuse, Alisha,” Joe said. “I saw the way he was looking at you. In fact, I’ve seen him look at you that way before at the courthouse. He treats everyone else with indifference, but he treats you like he’d like to get into your drawers—and not the ones in your file cabinet.”

She shrugged off the remark. “He razzes me because he doesn’t like defense attorneys.”

Joe sighed. “Jeez, Hart. Have you been out of the dating loop so long that you don’t recognize a few come-ons? The guy’s got a hard—”

Julie slapped a hand over Joe’s mouth. “My husband is trying to say—and failing miserably—that Daniel Fortune’s hot for you.”

Alisha found that hard to believe. Yes, she worked at being attractive, both inside and out. Yes, she had worked hard for respect and had enjoyed substantial success in her thirty-two years. But as far as physical attributes were concerned, she had unruly red hair that she futilely flatironed every day only to be sabotaged by humidity—the reason why she’d kept it curly tonight. She was short, not particularly busty and she’d inherited her mother’s ample hips. Her skin practically blistered with only a few minutes of sun exposure, and although she didn’t have a forest full of freckles, she had more than her fair share. She certainly didn’t see herself as the kind of woman that would seriously interest Daniel Fortune. He probably preferred bombshell blondes with more body and less brain.

Julie leaned forward and laid a hand on Alisha’s arm. “I can certainly understand why he would be interested in you. You’re very pretty and smart.”

“And a redhead,” Joe added. “Men like redheads. A lot of mystery there. You know, about whether they’re natural redheads or not.”

“We’re not going to discuss that, Joseph,” Julie said.

He gave his wife a whipped-dog look. “Sorry, but it’s true. Anyway…” He looked back at Alisha. “You should do him. If I were a woman, I would.”

Alisha rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Julie loves hearing that.”

Joe aimed his grin on his wife. “She’d do him, too. Wouldn’t you, sweetheart?”

Julie batted her eyelashes. “Why would I want to when I have you, honey?”

“Okay, let’s say you didn’t have me.”

Julie shrugged. “Yeah, I’d do him. In a heartbeat.”

Joe turned his attention back to Alisha. “See?”

Time to quell the conversation before Alisha seriously considered the suggestion. “I don’t do prosecutors, okay?”

Joe looked somewhat frustrated. “You don’t do anyone, Hart, and that’s your problem. You might be in a better mood if you got laid now and then.”

“And you need to lay off her, Joe.” Julie smiled, exposing perfect white teeth to match her perfectly lined lips. “When she’s ready, she will.”

Alisha wasn’t ready to do anything other than get out of there. But politeness dictated she hang around, at least for a while longer. Yet she found herself enduring the couple mooning over each other like two besotted teenagers, so obviously in love that only a fool couldn’t see it. Even their names sounded perfect—Joe and Julie, lovers extraordinaire. They did include her in general conversation a few times, but only to be nice, Alisha decided. She suspected they’d really like to be home and in bed, carrying on like most happy husbands and wives. That was so far out of the realm of Alisha’s comprehension that she found herself growing suddenly melancholy.

Everyone in the world, or at least in the bar, had seemed to pair off. Even Billy Wade, who’d latched on to some big-haired blonde. He was singing “Auld Lang Syne” off-key and the woman didn’t even seem to mind. Alisha minded. He was definitely one acquaintance she’d rather forget. In fact, she wanted to forget this whole scene and go back to her apartment. At least there she wouldn’t have to tolerate watching everyone engaged in the traditional midnight kiss when a partial glass of warm champagne was the only thing available to wrap her lips around.

She pushed her chair back from the table and stood. “Listen, guys, I’m out of here. I’ll see you on Monday, Joe. Bright and early.”

“Do you really have to go?” Julie asked.

Alisha slipped her coat on and grabbed her purse from the empty chair beside her. “Yeah, I do. I’m tired.”

“I understand.” Julie’s knowing expression said she did. Only a woman could appreciate another woman’s plight of being all alone during a party. “Why don’t you have dinner with us tomorrow? It’s just going to be the two of us.”

“I’ll think about it,” Alisha said, knowing full well she’d already made her decision. As much as she loved being around the Alvarados, she hated being a third wheel more. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning and let you know.”

“Be careful, Hart,” Joe said. “Lots of crazies on the streets tonight. But God forbid, if you are involved in an accident—” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder “—I’ll be sure to call Billy Wade’s number. One-eight-hundred-bad-legal-advice.”

“You do that,” Alisha said, leaving them with a fake smile before elbowing her way through the milling crowd. Although she shouldn’t do it, she couldn’t help but scan the area to see if by chance Daniel Fortune was still hanging around. Why, she couldn’t say. Even if he was still in the bar, she had no intention of approaching him. By the time she reached the door she confirmed that he had left, and probably not alone.

Right now Alisha had more concerns than Daniel Fortune’s sex life. She had plenty to accomplish in regard to the Massey defense, not to mention a few other cases pending. Very few. A couple of divorces involving women who didn’t quite qualify for assistance, one contested will, one product-liability case. All basically hinged on settlements before she saw a significant amount of money. But these clients needed her help, and she was more than happy to offer it. Plus, she did get paid when she was selected from the public-defender rolls. The money was decent, although she wasn’t sure they would ever be able to pay her enough to make the Massey mess worthwhile.

Yes, she had much to do, and so what if she didn’t have anyone to date? No big deal. At least she wouldn’t be worrying about contributing to the divorce rate anytime soon. But Daniel Fortune was tempting. He also qualified as a potential mistake.

When she pushed out the door into the cool, misty night, that potential mistake was leaning against the lone lamppost, hands in his pockets, face illuminated by the halogen bulb. Suddenly making that mistake didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

You should do him, Hart….

Alisha could not imagine that. All right, she could imagine it. And she had. Several times. She certainly wasn’t going to make the first move. Or any kind of move, for that matter. But she faced a certain dilemma. She had to walk past him on her way to the pay-by-the-hour parking lot across the street. Of course, she could ignore him—as if that were really possible since he’d already seen her. Or she could sprint to her car with only a muttered good-night.

How silly. She could handle this situation with adult diplomacy.

This is not that difficult, Alisha.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, Alisha studied the stars and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “A really nice night for sex.” Oh, crap. She’d been paid a visit by Freud instead of Baby New Year.

Daniel pushed off the pole and narrowed his eyes. “What did you just say?”

Alisha felt the fire rising to her face and more than likely she probably looked as if she’d been slapped. Someone should slap her for the questionable comment. “I said it’s a nice night in Texas.” Good save, Alisha. “Why?”

“Because I could’ve sworn you said something about sex.”

She folded her arms beneath her breasts and prepared to lie. “I’m not surprised you thought that. I hear men think about sex about every six seconds.”

“A total exaggeration. More like every ninety seconds.” He topped off the comment with the most patently seductive smile she’d ever seen on a man.

“I stand corrected.” Although right now standing before him made her want to drop to her knees in brazen worship as if he’d been ordained as a D.A. demigod.

I’d do him…in a heartbeat….

A round of pop, pop, pops from a series of firecrackers echoing through the streets yanked Alisha back into the real world, where defense attorneys and prosecutors didn’t mingle, especially between the sheets. Yes, it happened, that much Alisha knew. But not to her. She’d learned her lesson the hard way, and since that time she’d walked the professional line even though right now she wanted to walk right up and kiss the esteemed Daniel Fortune. The way she’d fantasized about kissing him for months now. She’d fantasized about a lot more than that.

He broke the silence by asking, “Why didn’t you wait inside until midnight?”

She hugged her bag to her chest. “First, it’s too crowded. Second, Billy Wade was singing like a wounded banshee. Third, sleep’s at a premium these days and I need to get home.”

“Yeah. I imagine it is with the Massey case pending.”

She attempted to look appropriately incensed—very hard to do in the presence of a man who took charisma to a whole new level. “You’re determined to get me to discuss that, aren’t you?”

“No. Just making an observation.”

And that was the reason for his attention. “You’re being too polite to me, Counselor, which leads me to believe you’re making nice so I’ll give you a clue about my strategy.”

“There’s a couple of things you need to know about me, Counselor. The Massey case isn’t my problem because my job is to prosecute the worst of the worst. Felonies, not misdemeanors. And I don’t make nice with a woman to gain information.”

“Then what do you hope to gain by making nice?”

“I don’t hope to gain anything. At least, not in terms of our professional relationship.”

Alisha wasn’t sure where this could be leading but she did know it could be down a dangerous path. “We don’t have anything other than a professional relationship.”

“We could.”

That almost shocked Alisha right out of her viselike heels. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a prosecutor and I’m a defense attorney.”

“No reason why we can’t be friendly outside of the courts.”

Alisha could think of one big reason—namely she’d gotten a little too friendly with a colleague and she’d lived to regret it. “Maybe having a personal relationship with associates might work for you, but I’ve never considered it to be a wise move.”

“I don’t know if it works for me because I’ve never done it before.”

That was a hard one to swallow. “You’re telling me that you’ve never fraternized with one of the many female attorneys in this town?”

“Never found one I cared to fraternize with.” The look he gave her said, Until now. Or maybe her imagination was commandeering her brain again.

Turning the topic back to their profession seemed wise. “By the way, I wanted to add my congratulations on your handling of the Richardson case.”

“And I should congratulate you on bulldozing the new guy into taking a plea on the Langston case.”

“I didn’t bulldoze him. I just did some serious negotiating.”

“You scared the hell out of him.”

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Okay, call me scary. I’ve been called worse.”

“Such as?”

“Stubborn. Single-minded—”

“Sexy as hell?”

Ha! “Can’t say that I’ve heard that in anyone’s verbal repertoire when describing me.”

“Well, it’s in mine, because you are. Especially tonight.”

Alisha fought the inclination to look behind her to see what other woman had arrived on the scene. She pointed toward the street. “I’m going to head home now.” Before she did something totally stupid.

“Where do you live?” he asked.

“In an apartment north of town, about twenty minutes away.”

“I’m a lot closer. Only a few blocks away. The new condo development.”

“The one that overlooks the river? That’s rather pricey. I didn’t know the D.A.’s office paid so well.”

“I manage. The view alone is worth it.”

“I’m sure it’s great.”

“You should come over tonight and see for yourself.”

Surely this couldn’t be happening to her, a tremendously sensual man asking her over. Actually it couldn’t be happening, or it shouldn’t. “Let me guess. You want me to go over your briefs.”

“My briefs are in order, unless you feel the need to do a quality check.”

She rolled her eyes for the second time tonight, even though she had a sudden image of doing that very thing. “You’re a big boy. I’m sure you’re quite capable of tossing out your old underwear when necessary.”

“We were talking about underwear?” His grin was teasing and terribly tempting.

She laid a dramatic hand on her chest. “My apologies, Mr. Fortune. I guess I’ve confused you with all of the other male jurists who just love to throw out those clichéd legal pickup lines.”

“You mean things like ‘Let’s engage in a little discovery’? ‘I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours’?”

“Yes, but we can’t forget my personal favorite—‘Let’s go back to my place and study the penal code.’”

He took a step toward her. “How about ‘I have no statute of limitations when it comes to making you feel good’?”

From the deep, compelling tone of his voice Alisha inherently knew he was telling the truth. “I’ve never heard that one before.”

“That’s because I just made it up. I can be pretty quick on my feet.”

She was surprised her feet were still holding her up. “Very creative, Counselor. And to quote another cliché, I don’t want to end up as another notch on your bedpost.”

He sighed, a rough one. “Why is it that women always think men have ulterior motives?”

“Probably because they do.”

“Believe it or not, my reasons for inviting you over don’t have anything to do with sex.” He rubbed a hand over his nape. “What if I told you that I could just use a friend?”

She could tell him she related to that on a very personal level. “I’m sure you have plenty of friends.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to know who your friends are in this business.”

How true, Alisha thought. “I’m not sure we can really be friends.”

“Sure we can.” He moved a little closer. “We can have a friendly conversation, like we’ve been doing since the first time we met.”

“Friendly? You call telling me my car was a piece of junk when I asked you about a mechanic the other day friendly?”

“And then you told me in explicit detail where I could drive it.”

“True, but you deserved it.”

Daniel shrugged. “I think you take everything too seriously.”

“And you don’t?”

“Yeah, most of the time, but not around you. Beats the hell out of me why you bring out that side of me.”

Exactly what Joe had said earlier. “That’s because I’m not like most women you know. I don’t automatically swoon in your presence.” It took great effort on her part not to do that.

“To be honest, I like that about you. That’s why I want to spend some time with you. We can watch the fireworks from my living room window. Do you see a problem with that?”

Alisha saw a big problem—namely she’d be sorely tempted to climb all over him if he moved even a millimeter closer. “For all intents and purposes we’re opponents.”

“We’re not opposing each other on any case.”

“We could in the future.”

“I’m not concerned about the future. I’m only thinking about tonight.”

How tempting it would be to take him up on his offer. How very, very tempting. But Daniel Fortune’s status as an unflappable attorney was second only to his rep as an in-demand lover.

He took another slow step toward her. “Do you really want to spend the rest of the evening alone, Alisha?”

She didn’t want to react so strongly to the way he’d said her name, but she did. “I’ve been alone before.”

“So have I, but it’s New Year’s Eve. People shouldn’t spend the holiday alone if they have other options. Unless you’re involved with someone.”

“Not currently.”

“Then I don’t see any real harm in it. Nothing complicated. Just two friends seeing in the new year together.”

Alisha hadn’t really viewed him as a friend per se, but he wasn’t a seedy stranger. After all, he’d made it his life’s work putting criminals behind bars. In that regard, he was safe. His magnetism…well, that was another thing altogether.

But she truly didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight. She would keep a tight grasp on her control. She would go to Daniel Fortune’s apartment and take her chances. “Do you have any wine?”

His gorgeous grin heralded success. “If I do, then you’ll come home with me?”

“Yes. To watch the fireworks and have a drink.”

“You’re welcome to check out my bedpost for notches.”

She didn’t dare get anywhere near his bed. “No thanks.”

“I wouldn’t mind showing you my custom-made wet bar. Lots of shelves. And counter space.”

“Room enough for two, no doubt.”

“Probably so, with a little careful maneuvering.”

Alisha felt as if she’d been thrust into some unknown dimension. Maybe he did want to do her. Worse, she wanted to do him. Joe and Julie would be so proud. But caution spoke louder than carnal need. “Be careful, Counselor, or I’m going to rescind my offer.”

He looked somewhat contrite. “Sorry, but you walked right into that one.”

She only hoped that when she walked into his apartment she’d keep a choke hold on her hormones. “Where’s your car?”

“I’m on foot.”

She pointed to the lot across the street. “Mine’s over there. I’ll drive us.”

“Save your gas. We can walk it from here.”

Maybe walking wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe then they’d be too tired to do anything that might be deemed risky. Maybe they should jog. “Okay, Counselor. Lead the way.”

And with only minimal second thoughts, Alisha accompanied Daniel Fortune to his condo, feeling as if tonight she might go anywhere he cared to take her.

Two

Daniel Fortune liked order, but tonight he’d invited chaos into his world in the form of five feet two inches of prime redhead with an attitude. The reasons he’d asked Alisha Hart into his home had been only partially true. Yeah, he could use a friend, because real friends were rare. But the truth of the matter was he wanted more than her friendship. He wanted her. He had since the first time he’d lain eyes on her. But the timing hadn’t been right back then, and timing could be everything. He needed to remember that, otherwise she’d be out of there quicker than he could say “I object.”

She wandered around his apartment for a few minutes, picking up various items to study them. Just when he was about to ask her to take off her coat and stay awhile, she pulled the black all-weather jacket from her shoulders and tossed it and her purse onto the club chair in the corner.

“You’re very neat,” she said as she ran her fingertips over the back of the steel-gray leather sofa.

“I like everything in its place.” Daniel liked having her in his place. He liked her sassy mouth. He liked the fact that she gave as good as she got. And he really liked the man-killing dress.

She strolled toward him and pointed behind him. “That is a nice wet bar.”

“Thanks. You ready for that wine now?”

“Sure.”

Turning his back to her, he took a glass from the marble shelf and pulled the bottle of merlot from the built-in wine rack. He could see her watching him from the mirrored wall behind the bar as he dislodged the cork and he hid a smile as her eyes tracked down his back and lower. She was checking out his ass. He had no problem with that. In fact, he’d be willing to give her a closer, unencumbered look if she asked.

After pouring the wine into the glass, he turned and her gaze zipped up to his face as he offered it to her. “Enjoy.”

She took the wine and a sip. “This is good. Aren’t you going to have some?”

“I don’t drink alcohol. I’ve seen what it can do to people who can’t control their impulses.” He’d lived with the sorry results for most of his childhood and faced them daily during adulthood in the context of his job.

She held up the glass. “That’s why I’m only having this one. I still have to drive home tonight.”

He’d prefer she stay until morning, but that was probably asking too much. “You’ve only been here a few minutes and already you’re talking about leaving.”

“I’m just being realistic, Counselor.”

“It’s Daniel. Tonight we’re not attorneys, we’re friends.” He gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

He followed her to the couch, keeping a fair distance just so he could watch the sway of her hips as she walked. Nothing wrong with a little mutual ass-checking.

Alisha settled against the corner of the sofa and he sat on the opposite end, trying not to crowd her even if he did want to be closer.

“If you don’t drink, then why do you keep alcohol around?” she asked.

He stretched his legs out before him and rested his joined hands on his abdomen. “Strictly for socializing.”

“I see. Have custom wet bar, will entertain. I’m sure it impresses your friends.”

“I don’t entertain too often. Hard to find the time. And as I’ve said before, friends are few and far between these days.” A reminder of why she was here, nothing more than simple companionship.

She kicked off her shoes and curled her legs beneath her. “So are the rumors true?”

With her dress now riding high on her thighs, he had one helluva time concentrating on conversation. “What rumors?”

“That you’re going to run for D.A.?”

“That depends on party politics. They could decide someone else would make a more appropriate candidate.”

“They would be crazy not to consider you.”

“I don’t have a wife and kids, so that could be a determining factor.”

She toyed with the hem of her skirt, drawing Daniel’s attention. “Oh, I don’t know about that. As a bachelor, I’m sure you would garner the female vote.”

“Would I get your vote?”

“That depends. I have yet to see you in action.”

“Do you mean in a courtroom?”

She sent him a sly, sexy smile. “Of course that’s what I meant.”

Damn. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to move off the topic of work.”

“Fine by me,” she said. “Tell me about your family.”

That was one conversation he preferred to avoid, but out of courtesy he offered, “I have a brother and two sisters.”

She took another drink of the wine and then set it down on a coaster on the end table. “What about your parents?

He figured she’d ask that next and he planned to keep it simple. “Both dead.”

She gave him a sincere, sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I didn’t know that. What happened?”

“A car accident about seven years ago.” Enough said. He shifted toward her and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. “What about your family?”

“I’m an only child. My mom and dad live in a small town in West Texas.”

When he noted the hint of sadness in her voice, he asked, “Why aren’t you with them?”

“Well, because the drive takes me nearly a day and I would have had to turn around and come right back home. I did spend Christmas with them, though.”

“Sounds like you’re a close family.” Something Daniel had a hard time fathoming in light of his bitter past.

“Very. They’re absolutely the best. We didn’t have a lot of money while I was growing up, but it didn’t matter. I had everything I needed and a lot of love.”

Something he couldn’t even begin to relate to. He’d had the material objects because of his banker father, but the man had been bankrupt when it came to love. Daniel opted to keep the conversation focused on her. “I bet you were a cheerleader in high school.”

She let go a terse laugh. “Hardly. I didn’t have adequate pom-poms.”

Don’t do it, Fortune. But he couldn’t prevent his gaze from drifting to her breasts before he went back to her blue eyes. “I don’t see anything wrong with your pom-poms.”

A slight blush stained her cheeks. “Thanks, but I wasn’t the cheerleader type. I was the studious type. I concentrated on making the grade instead of the usual high school stuff like sports and dating, that kind of thing.”

“You didn’t date?”

“Not really. Not until college, and even then not that much. I was bound and determined to be the best law student ever. I graduated with honors.”

“Then you went to work for Gailey and Breedlove.”

“Yes. They recruited me.”

Daniel prepared to ask something he’d wanted to know for a while now. He’d heard some speculation about her departure, none that he’d been able to verify. “That’s a pretty prestigious firm. Why did you leave?”

“It’s a long story, but basically I found that the justice scales were tipped toward those who had the money and means to pay for a good defense. That’s why I decided to strike out on my own and try to do my part to make things more balanced.”

Not the version he’d heard, but he’d settle for her explanation without pressuring her for more. “That’s why you signed on to serve as a public defender?”

“Yes, but I want to eventually concentrate on general law instead of criminal law, providing good counsel to those who have the need but not necessarily the money.”

“How do you expect to make a living at that?”

“Actually I have a few cases that could prove to be lucrative—provided I win. Just nothing up-front until they’re settled. But I’m getting by.”

“And I suspect you’re working your ass off.”

She patted her hip and smiled. “Believe me, it’s still there.”

“I’ve noticed. And I’m glad.”

She looked somewhat self-conscious as she twitched on the cushions. “By the way, how is Jim Krauss in court?”

For a moment he wondered if she had a thing for his colleague. Nah. The guy was about as boring as they come. And married. “He’s fairly good. Why?”

“I’m wondering what I’ll be facing during the Massey trial, if it goes to trial.”

“I thought we weren’t going to discuss that,” he reminded her.

“Just curious.”

“Krauss better be at his best since you’re damn good.”

“How would you know?” she asked. “You’ve never really come up against me.”

The images the comment evoked had every muscle in his body coming to attention. “True, I haven’t. But I’m sure we’d both enjoy it immensely.”

“You’re certainly confident, Counselor.”

“Remember, it’s Daniel tonight, and you’re not all that short on confidence either.”

“No. I’m just short.”

“Your hell-on-wheels attitude makes you seem a lot taller.”

She laid a hand above her breast. “Attitude? I don’t have an attitude.”

“Yeah, you do, Counselor.”

“It’s Alisha,” she said, throwing his words back at him. “And you have to have a little bit of an attitude in this business to be taken seriously, especially if you’re a woman.”

He gave her a long glance from face to feet, pausing in between. “Believe me, it’s more than obvious you’re a woman, attitude or no attitude.” When he moved closer and pushed a wayward curl from her shoulder, she immediately tensed. “Relax. I’m not going to jump you.”

“Do you think I’d be here if I really believed you would?” she said without looking at him.

“Something’s making you nervous.”

“Okay, I admit it, being here with you makes me nervous.” She sent a quick glance his way. “Are you happy now?”

He could think of several things that would make him happy. Having her nervous wasn’t one of them. “I’m strung a little tight myself.”

That brought her attention back to him. “The iceman nervous? The prosecutor who prides himself on being totally in control?”

God, he hated that whole “iceman” thing. “Believe me, I’m not always in control.” Right now his control was in jeopardy. “And under certain circumstances, I’m definitely not the iceman.”

“You could’ve fooled me. I’ve never seen you look the least bit on edge.”

“Maybe you haven’t been looking hard enough. Or maybe you just don’t want to see it because around you I’m always on edge.”

“Around me?”

Time for the truth, regardless of the consequences. “Yeah. Every time I’m near you. Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed this thing between us.”

“What thing?” Her sudden inability to look at him contradicted her denial.

“The one we’ve been skirting for the past few months.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Okay, have it your way. I’ll spell it out for you.”

“Please do.”

When Daniel inched a little closer, this time Alisha didn’t move. In fact, she felt as if her bottom had been bonded to the cushions or perhaps she was simply mesmerized by his aura.

“I noticed you for the first time last year, while you were still working for Gailey and company,” he said. “But I also noticed you were with Troy Moreau most of the time and I sensed something was going on between the two of you.”

He had that one nailed. “We worked together quite a bit.” The truth. “Nothing more to it than that.” A lie.

The look he gave her said he didn’t exactly believe her. “Back then I didn’t approach you for that reason and because I was involved with someone, too.”

“Who?” Did she have to sound so absurdly jealous?

“It doesn’t matter. That’s been over a long time. When I heard you’d been added to the public-defender rolls, I started looking for you.”

Unbelievable. “You started looking for me?”

“Yeah. Do you remember that day you negotiated the plea on the Jones case back in August?”

“That was my first case as a public defender.”

“Do you remember me coming in to sign off on the deal because the D.A. was out of the office?”

Boy, did she, right down to every detail, including the red diamond pattern on his navy tie. “Yes.”

“I didn’t have to be there. Hildebrand talked to me about it beforehand and I’d given my okay. I came in because I wanted to see you.”

Alisha felt the creep of a blush climbing up her throat. “Really?”

He smiled. “Really. And after that I kept searching you out just so I could talk to you. Didn’t you ever wonder why we kept running into each other?”

“I assumed you just found provoking me so much fun, you couldn’t stay away.”

“I didn’t want to stay away from you. The provocation was just a cover for the fact that I wanted to know you better. A lot better.”

She was having a difficult time buying any of this. She was having a harder time remaining upright while he was so close. “I bet you say that to all the girls downtown.”

“No. And if you’re going to say you haven’t noticed the chemistry between us, Alisha, then you’re lying to yourself and to me.”

Confession time, she thought. “All right, maybe I did notice.”

“You’ve also noticed my ass.”

Wonderful. She’d been caught. “Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, I don’t see how you could know that.”

“When I was standing at the bar a minute ago, getting your wine, I was watching you in the mirror and saw you giving it a look. But that’s okay because I’ve looked at yours more than once.”

Alisha’s head started to whirl, but it wasn’t the limited amount of alcohol that had her thoughts so jumbled. It was him. “Why did you wait until now to tell me all of this?”

He reached up and brushed another rebellious strand of hair away from her cheek. “You kept giving mixed signals every time I was around you. Stop, go, maybe. I was never sure how you were going to respond to any kind of overture from me. But after I saw you tonight, sitting in that bar alone, looking so damn good, it was all I could do not to grab you up and carry you out.”

Aha! His true motive. She was the only one alone and, therefore, available. “I thought this was all about friendship.”

“I’m willing to settle for friendship, if that’s all you want. But it’s going to be tough when I’ve had some fairly serious fantasies about you for months now.”

They couldn’t be half as wicked as hers involving him. “What kind of fantasies?”

He ran a slow fingertip up and down her forearm. “Like the other day, when we passed each other in the stairwell. You had on that brown suit—”

“Yes, and if I recall correctly, you told me brown wasn’t flattering on me.”

“I told you that because what I really wanted to do was take it off you, especially when you leaned your arm on the rail, your jacket parted and I saw just a glimpse of right here.” He drew a line down from her collarbone to the side of her breast, causing a shiver to run the length of Alisha’s body. “That little bit of bare flesh had me wondering exactly what you had on underneath that jacket. Five more seconds and I might have tried to find out.”

Alisha shivered. “I see.”

He toyed with the silver-and-green chandelier earring hanging from her lobe. “I’m not sure you do. But let me tell you about my favorite fantasy, then maybe you will see.”

Alisha wasn’t sure her heart could take much more. It was already beating like a bongo against her chest. But she had to know. “Since you seem to be on a roll, continue.”

He grinned. “You know that sofa in Riley’s chambers?”

“The ugly plaid one?”

“Yeah. The last time I was there, I’d just seen you in the hall. You asked me about the holiday schedule—”

“And after you’d harangued me about not owning a calendar, you told me what you knew, end of conversation.”

“That wasn’t the end of it for me,” he said. “Just being around you, even for those few minutes, had me distracted. I was requesting a continuance from Riley and I fumbled around like an idiot because I kept imagining us stretched out on that sofa. Naked.”

Wow. “Please tell me Riley wasn’t watching in this fantasy.”

“No, it was just you and me, after hours.”

She swallowed hard. “What were we doing?”

“You sure you want details? It’s pretty wild.”

For a long moment Daniel simply stared at her with those incredible, intense eyes. She still didn’t quite believe this was happening. Still had a difficult time believing he wanted her in that way.

She was mildly aware of the colorful flashes of splintered lights outside the window and very aware of how much he affected her. “I believe the fireworks have started.”

“Yeah, they have.” Daniel pulled her against him with one arm and framed her jaw in his free hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheek in a hypnotic cadence. She reacted with low-down heat and a rush of dampness, as if he were touching her intimately. “Happy new year, Alisha.” Before she could return the greeting, he laid his lips on hers.

On one hand, she’d hoped he was a lousy kisser, forcing her common sense to come back around. On the other hand, she knew he wouldn’t be, and he wasn’t. He drove her into merry madness with his soft lips, tantalized her with his tongue until she lost all sense of reasoning or thoughts of why she shouldn’t be doing this.

But doing it she was. And worse, she wanted to do more. She wanted to do him.

Daniel prided himself on knowing women well, including all the things that made them hot, made them want and at times even made them beg. But Alisha Hart had thrown him totally off balance. He sure as hell wasn’t complaining, because he’d imagined this for months—having her pressed against him, kissing her senseless until he questioned if he had any sense left either. Still, he needed to take it slow. Needed to make sure he was reading her right before he did something that might make her bolt.

But when she broke the kiss and whispered, “Show me the details,” slow suddenly lost all its luster. Slow couldn’t describe what happened next. He pulled her up from the sofa and went after the zipper on her dress while she tore at the buttons on his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she muttered as she tackled his fly.

“Probably not,” he replied as he slid the dress down in a rush.

And that was the end of all meaningless protests. He considered suggesting the bedroom as he relieved her of her bra and panties in quick order, but it was too far away and he was too far gone. After he shirked off his slacks and briefs, they ended up on the couch, facing each other in a tangle of limbs, hands roving over each other as he kept his mouth firmly fixed with hers. He found her breast with his mouth and slipped his palm between her thighs, finding her, as he’d predicted, hot and wet. She released a soft moan as he touched her, moving in sync with his hand as he drove her to the edge. Luckily she hadn’t touched him in the same way yet, otherwise he might go over with her.

“I want you,” she whispered. “Now.”

Exactly what he needed to hear to continue. With the last scrap of coherent thought he told her, “I want to see your face.”

He rolled to his back, settled her on top of him and guided himself inside her. His breath hissed out through his gritted teeth and hers caught in a gasp. She leaned down and teased his lips with her tongue, splayed her hands across his chest to explore but failed to move, as if trying to prove she was in control. In many ways, she was.

Daniel had no problem with that. He’d never been territorial when it came to sex. But then, he’d never been with a woman quite like her. With her ruffled red curls spiraling down her shoulders and her blue eyes glazed, she looked like a mixture of fire and ice. She made him hot, made him sweat, made him mutter a curse that made her smile.

“What do you want me to do, Daniel?” she asked, her voice as sultry as her expression.

He palmed her breasts with both hands. “Whatever you feel like doing. I’m at your mercy.” And he was.

She lifted up, then moved back down his shaft with agonizing slowness. “Am I doing your fantasy justice?”

“Oh, yeah.” Even those two words took a lot of effort when she began to quicken the pace.

Alisha Hart might look like the wholesome girl next door, but it wasn’t long before he discovered she made love like a wild woman. She rode him hard and fast, taking him to the limit of his sanity. She raked her nails down his shoulders as he drove into her, touching her without restraint until he felt the grip of her orgasm.

Too soon, he thought when he moved past the point of no return. Too soon and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. With one more upward thrust, hard and deep, he came with a vicious shudder that ran the length of his entire body.

She collapsed against him, their harsh, broken breathing the only sound echoing in the room, their skin slick and damp where they touched. He slid his hands down her back and over the rise of her butt, then back up again, while he kissed the side of her neck, working his way back to her lips.

Alisha Hart was potent poison, deceptive in that she covered her inherent sexuality with a confident, cool exterior. Any man lucky enough to experience all that enthusiasm was probably a goner, and that included him.

Following a sigh, she lifted her head and looked toward the window. “I think the fireworks have ended.”

As far as Daniel Fortune was concerned, they had only begun.

For long, listless moments they remained in the same position, Alisha lying atop Daniel with her cheek resting against his heart. She was too exhausted to move, although she had no desire to do so. However, she also had no idea what had gotten into her. Oh, yes, she did. Daniel Fortune had gotten into her, and she’d willingly let him. More importantly, she’d completely let go—something that was quite out of character for her, at least with a man she barely knew. Oh, wait. She’d never been with a man she barely knew, and that was why none of this made much sense. Yet she had no real qualms at all, only the sense that she could get used to more of this, and that wasn’t even something she dared to consider. This one instance of absolute bliss would be all she’d expect to experience with him after tonight. Otherwise, she’d be setting herself up for a major fall.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, intruding into her thoughts.

“You could use more color in this room.”

He tugged her head up and forced her to look at him. “I’m not buying that, because after what just happened I doubt my decor is on your mind.”

“Okay. I was thinking about our carelessness.”

“I know. It’s not like me to forgo a condom.”

It wasn’t like her either. “I’m personally disease-free and on the pill.”

She felt him immediately relax. “Then you can’t get pregnant,” he said.

“No. Can you give me a gift that keeps on giving?” A fine time to ask, and something she knew better than to ignore. Something she’d never ignored until now. But timeless wisdom hadn’t visited her once this evening.

“I’m clean,” he said. “Do you want to see the results of my physical?”

“No. I’m going to trust you on this one.” She had no choice.

He pushed her hair aside and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Good, because you can trust me. I wouldn’t do anything to compromise your safety.”

Another bout of silence passed before Alisha said, “This is absolutely crazy.”

“Call me crazy, but you seemed to enjoy it. I sure as hell did.”

She certainly couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed it greatly. “Maybe it was the atmosphere or the fact that I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been awhile for me, too.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Well, aside from the obvious things, such as you’re an eligible bachelor and highly regarded, you’re also a man.”

“Being a man doesn’t have anything to do with it. My job doesn’t always allow for an active social life.”

Active sex life would be more accurate. “That’s true. Neither does mine. But regardless of our reasons for why this happened, we can’t take it back.”

He frowned. “Do you want to take it back?”

Did she? “Honestly no, I don’t think I do. It was… It was…”

“Hot.”

“You could definitely say that.”

His frown faded into a smile. “Great?”

She answered his smile with one of her own. “Better than great.”

He scooted up and propped his neck on the sofa’s arm. Alisha rested her chin on his chest and stared up at him, totally enthralled by his mouth, his five-o’clock shadow and those ever-changing green eyes that he kept locked on her. Reality worked its way into her mind, bringing with it more concerns she couldn’t ignore. If anyone found out about this tryst, she could be buried. Maybe that wasn’t exactly logical, but sometimes logic was influenced by past experience. “Daniel, you have to promise me something.”

He got that guy-about-to-panic look. “This sounds serious.”

“Relax. I’m not going to ask for a key to your apartment. I just need to know that you’re not going to tell anyone about this.”

His expression was a mixture of relief and frustration. “Do you think I’m going to scribble your name and number on the bathroom walls?”

“No, but these things have a way of getting around via the grapevine.”

“Alisha, we both deal with confidentiality on a daily basis. I’m not going to mention this to anyone. Except my insurance carrier.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“My shoulders might need medical attention.”

Alisha lifted her head and noted several scratches running from his shoulders to his upper arms. “Did I do that?”

“Yeah, unless I have a cat I don’t know about.”

Heaven help her, she’d scarred him for life. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’m not.”

Mortified, she pressed her face into his chest. “I have totally lost my mind,” she said, her words muffled but still discernible.

Once more he lifted her head up with his palms. “You and I both knew this was going to happen sooner or later.”

He probably could use an ego check. “I respectfully disagree. I wasn’t planning on this at all. I’m not a casual-sex kind of girl.”

“I don’t think what we did would qualify as casual, and there’s nothing casual about you. But you are full of surprises.”

“How so?”

“Let’s just say if there were ten women in the room, you’re the last one I would’ve expected to be that uninhibited.”

She playfully slapped at his arm, right at the point of his wounds. He gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath. “Obviously I’m making things worse,” she said.

But when she tried to roll off him, he tightened his grip. “I don’t want you to move an inch because I like you right where you are.”

If he kept saying such charming things, she might start believing them. “I have to go home now.” When she leaned to retrieve her panties from the coffee table, he yanked them from her grasp and held them up.

“‘Happy New Year?’” He laughed, a low, grainy, sexy laugh. “I’ll be damned. Special-occasion underwear.”

She reached up, snatched them back and played keep-away. “I had no idea anyone was going to see them.”

“Do you have a pair for all of the holidays?”

“It’s one of my quirks.”

“Can’t wait until Valentine’s Day then.”

Again disbelief drilled through Alisha. Surely he wasn’t seriously thinking they’d still be together next month. “You know, I really do need to go now.”

He tightened his hold on her. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. First, you’ll have to walk back and it’s crazy on the river tonight. You wouldn’t be safe.”

“You can drive me back to my car.”

“I thought about that, but that would mean we’d have to get dressed, and I prefer you without clothes.” He slid his hands down her bare back and gave her bottom a squeeze. “And even if I did take you back, that means you’d have to drive home with all the drunks. I’m not willing to let you do that.”

“Then you’re going to hold me here against my will?”

“I’m going to hold you against me all night.”

Alisha’s heart took a little tumble over the sincerity in his voice, the sudden softness in his expression. He brought her mouth back to his and kissed her again. A surprisingly tender kiss, gentle and thorough and thought-robbing. She now faced two options—forcing the issue and demanding he let her drive home or staying with him until morning.

But he was right—driving could be costly in terms of her safety. And being in his bed could prove costly in terms of her emotional distance. Yet when he nudged her aside and stood, staring down on her with his gorgeous body in full view and his hand extended for her to take, she didn’t hesitate.

Daniel Fortune might be dangerous, but he was the kind of danger she could definitely enjoy on a daily basis.

Three

Daniel awoke the next morning to find the space beside him unoccupied. He sat up and rubbed a hand down his chest, hoping the hot redhead hadn’t fled without at least telling him goodbye. He also had another pressing issue—the tent he’d pitched beneath the sheet. Making love in the morning was among his favorite pastimes, and frankly having more of Alisha Hart this morning sounded like an excellent idea.

He crawled out of bed and discovered he was stiff in a few places he hadn’t expected. Sex on a couch had a disadvantage in terms of comfort, but he wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing he’d change is the fact they’d both fallen asleep before they’d utilized his bed. He’d just have to mark that down on his to-do list, provided Alisha agreed. He intended to ask as soon as he found her.

Without bothering to dress he began his search in the bathroom, but he didn’t discover her there. No one in the guest room either. He walked into the living room and found it deserted. Next stop, the kitchen, where he came upon a pot of coffee brewing but not the missing defense attorney. He did find a note taped to the refrigerator. After pouring himself a cup of the brew, he pulled the paper down and read the scribbled words.

I had a great time last night, Counselor. Here’s my number. Just keep it off the bathroom wall.

His laugh was part amusement, part disappointment. He’d planned to spend the day with her since neither would be required to work, even though he had plenty of work to do. But the day wasn’t close to being over, and hopefully a phone call would remedy her absence.

Alisha Hart was one hell of a woman, and he didn’t intend to let her get away that easily. At least, not until he argued his case.

When Alisha answered the phone, she expected to hear her mom or dad wishing her a happy new year. Instead “Why did you run off without waking me up?” came through the line in a deep, provocative tone.

Daniel Fortune was more intoxicating than ingesting a barrel of moonshine. Just the sound of his voice nearly caused her to drop the receiver. “I tried to wake you, but you were snoring away.”

“Did I keep you up with my snoring?”

“Not really.” She hadn’t minded it at all. But she hadn’t slept all that well either, mainly because she’d been in a strange bed with a man who by all rights was practically a stranger. However, she had gotten to know him much better last night, and that made her blush like the devil.

“I should’ve told you to jab me and I would’ve turned over,” he said. “I usually only snore when I’m on my back.”

He had been on his back, giving Alisha the opportunity to study all the little details—from his solid chest, which was covered in a thatch of hair that thinned into a stream running down his belly, and below that… Well, that was the stuff female fantasies were made of. “You weren’t that loud. It sounded kind of like a purr.”

“A purr? I sure as hell don’t purr.”

“I’m so sorry. I certainly didn’t mean to wound your macho pride.”

“I’m definitely wounded. Those scratches look pretty bad this morning.”

“You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”

“I will as long as you promise me you’ll wake me before you leave the next time.”

Next time? “Actually I did try to get you up before I left.”

“I said wake me up. Believe me, you did get me up.”

Her face fired up, right on cue. “That’s not what I meant. I shook your shoulder. I swear, I don’t think a grenade would have roused you. Anyway, I needed to get home and get some work done.”

“It’s a holiday, Alisha. You should take the day off.”

She slid the reduced-calorie TV dinner into the microwave, stirred the good-luck black-eyed peas simmering on the stove and prepared to tell a little fib. “Actually I’m supposed to have dinner with friends, maybe watch a bowl game or two.”

“You like football?” He said it with typical male enthusiasm.

“Love it. My mother’s responsible for that. Nothing gets her more excited than the gridiron.”

“Now I know how to get you excited—turn on the game of the week.”

He had her excited now. So much so, she jumped when the microwave signaled it was time to rotate the container. “What are your plans for today?”

“I was hoping to spend the day with you.”

“Sorry, but I can’t.” And she was sorrier she’d lied. Earlier she’d turned down Julie’s dinner invitation because she intended to work. She’d turned Daniel down because she needed time to assess where this whole thing was going.

“I can’t change your mind?” he asked.

Oh, he probably could if she let him, which she wouldn’t. “Maybe some other time.” A big maybe.

“I’m going to see you again, Alisha. And next time we’ll do it right.”

“I didn’t know we did it wrong.”

He released a throaty chuckle. “I meant right as in having dinner. An actual date. I don’t want you to think that last night was only about sex.”

“It wasn’t?”

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t want you back in my bed, but I would like to get to know you better outside of bed.”

“Do I need to bring out the arguments again as to why we shouldn’t even consider that?” she asked.

“You can, but I’m not going to listen. We have no real conflict of interest at the moment and we can be discreet about it. I think we should just go for it and see where it leads.”

Probably places Alisha had never been before. In fact, she’d taken that first step last night when she’d gone to bed with him. Correction: gone to sofa with him. “I’ll think about it, but I’m not going to promise anything.”

“Go ahead and think about it. I’ll pick you up Monday night. We can have some dinner.”

“Daniel, I—”

“I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“You’re definitely living up to your reputation. No negotiating, no settling.”

“No holds barred when it comes to us. And this is about us, not about our jobs. We deal with our careers during the day, and that leaves the night open for whatever we want to do together.”

Alisha shivered, even in the warmth of the kitchen. “I guess we could have dinner, as long as it’s in an out-of-the-way place.”

“You can come here. I’ll make dinner.”

“You cook?” This man was simply too good to be true.

“Yeah. I can cook. I can do quite a few things that would probably surprise you.”

She had no doubts about that. “Then I guess I’ll see you Monday night.”

“And if I happen to see you Monday during the day, I’ll try not to touch you in public, although it’s going to be damn hard.”

She’d definitely avoid the stairwell and Judge Riley’s chambers. “Have a nice day, Daniel. And happy new year.”

“You, too, Alisha. And if you start having any reservations, just remember us together last night. It’s only going to get better.”

Any better and Alisha might lose herself totally to this enigmatic prosecutor.

But what the heck. She’d lived in a celibate shell for over a year. Long past time to make up for lost time. After all, what was the worst thing that could happen?

“You want me to do what?” Daniel glared at Allan Vera, the current D.A., hoping he hadn’t heard correctly. Maybe he hadn’t. All morning he’d been distracted by thoughts of a defense attorney he couldn’t get out of his head.

Vera released a rough, irritated sigh. “You heard me, Daniel. I said you have to take the Massey case.”

Of all the asinine directives, this one had to top the list. “Krauss is handling it fine.”

“I’m taking Krauss off and putting you on it. The city leaders want this one to go away quickly.”

“I’ve got a full caseload and the Jamison murder trial still pending.”

“Jason Jamison is still on the loose.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be caught soon. In the meantime I plan to build a solid case against him.” As far as Daniel was concerned, any man who would strangle his lover and shoot his own brother with calculated precision deserved to suffer all the punishment the law would allow. First, they had to catch him.

“This Massey thing should be easy enough,” Allan said. “Krauss has already handled the details. You don’t have to do much of anything but show up in court to argue the case.”

And in doing so, face off with a woman he wanted so badly he could taste her. The little taste he’d gotten two nights ago hadn’t been nearly enough. Now it might have to be, unless he could somehow get out of this whole thing. “I don’t have time to handle some frivolous trial just to satisfy the city leaders.”

Allan ran a hand over his balding head and kicked back in the office chair, hands resting on his bulbous belly. “Those city leaders make sure you get paid. And they answer to the citizens, who pay your salary.”

“I handle felonies, not misdemeanors.”

“Don’t forget this one involves an assault of an elderly woman who broke her arm. That’s serious business. If we don’t stop him, someone else is going to get hurt, maybe worse next time. The city wants this guy off the streets, and in order to ensure this they want the best on the case.”

Daniel couldn’t disagree that the guy should be stopped. He just didn’t want to be the one to do it. “Why don’t you take it?”

“No can do. I’m about to go on vacation in a few weeks, so I need to take care of my own business. I’m taking the wife skiing in Purgatory.”

And in turn sending Daniel straight to hell. The devil would be joining Vera on the slopes before he agreed to this. “We can put Goeble on it. He’s got tenure.”

“Goeble’s a suck-up, not a decent jurist. He’s more interested in parading his ass around, pretending to be a lawyer just to impress his father’s cronies. As soon as he’s able, he’ll be out of here to join some high-dollar firm.”

Daniel couldn’t argue with Vera’s assessment of Goeble either. “I’ll find someone else then.”

“No. You’ll do it. Mayor Davies has been inquiring on the status of the case on a daily basis. He trusts you to get Massey tried and punished to the fullest extent of the law before he causes more harm.”

Easier said than done with Alisha acting in Massey’s defense. “Do you realize who’s representing him?”

Vera pulled a file in front of him and flipped it open. “Alisha Hart, formerly of Gailey and Breedlove. I hear she’s pretty good.”

“She’s damn good.” And Daniel knew that on more than one level.

“And that’s why we need you to do this, Daniel. If she’s a formidable opponent, then we need to throw the best at her. You’re the best.”

Daniel had worked hard to earn that reputation and now he wanted to curse it. “I’ll cut a deal and be done with it.”

“No deals.”

He held back a string of foul expletives threatening to explode out of his mouth. “No deals? Hell, Allan, I’m not suggesting we let him walk. I can get him some time on the assault charge without dragging this into court.”

“We want him in court. People like this Massey guy need to see that we don’t tolerate this kind of thing on our streets. Pettigrew insists we make an example out of him, and you know what kind of power he wields with the party.”

Daniel didn’t like the wealthy city council member and he liked him even less now. “Why is he so involved?”

“It seems his soon-to-be-ex trophy wife has joined Massey’s fan club.”

“The guy has a fan club?”

“Yeah. They call themselves Masses for Massey. Best I understand, it’s made up of mostly women.”

“This case has the potential of getting way out of hand.”

“True, and I know you’ll handle that aspect, as well.”

Damn Les Massey for screwing up his life. “I’m still not comfortable with any of this.”

“Get comfortable with it. The party’s going to be watching you closely. If you play your cards right and get a solid conviction on this one as well as the Jamison case, you’re in as the next candidate. You’ll be sitting at this desk this time next year.”

Right now Daniel didn’t give a damn about the party or the election. “Then you’re saying I don’t have a choice in this matter.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Vera stood and walked around the desk, laying a palm on Daniel’s shoulder and guiding him to the door. “I trust that you’ll have this menace tried and convicted so quickly that you won’t have to waste more than a minute of necessary time. You’ll handle it well.”

For months now Daniel had wanted to handle Alisha Hart and he wished he hadn’t waited so long. Hadn’t been so cautious. Now he wouldn’t be able to handle her at all except during the trial, and that would have to be strictly business. At least for now.

As Daniel strode down the hallway on the heels of his anger, Allan called after him, “One more thing, Daniel.”

He turned to face his boss, reluctant to even consider what that one last thing might be. “What?”

“You have a press conference at noon to announce that you’ll be in charge of this case.”

Great. Just freakin’ great. “Is that necessary?”

“Pettigrew thinks it is, and he has the mayor in his corner.”

Pettigrew could kiss his ass, Daniel thought as he walked into his office and slammed the door behind him. The last thing he needed was to try some idiot who got his rocks off getting naked in public. Getting naked was much safer when done in the confines of a private residence. An unexpected image of Alisha Hart—naked—vaulted into his brain. He jerked back the chair from behind his desk and collapsed into it, cursing his bad luck and overboard libido.

He needed to get his priorities straight. He couldn’t let his major need for Alisha Hart’s company derail his goals. Since he’d signed on with the district attorney’s office at the beginning of his career he’d had designs on the top position. Since that first time as a kid when he’d witnessed his father knocking around his mother—and couldn’t do a damn thing about it—he’d vowed to see justice done. His desire to put criminals behind bars hadn’t lessened a bit, and neither would his desire for Alisha. At least, not anytime soon.

Right now he was charged with the unenviable position of telling her the news—and being in the line of fire when all hell broke loose.

Alisha breezed into her office to find Joe sitting on the edge of the reception desk, concentrating on the portable TV set in the corner of the deserted waiting room. “Do we have so little business that you’re watching cartoons again?”

Joe sent her only a cursory glance before turning his attention back to the tube. “Not cartoons. A press conference. And I think you should be watching it, too.”

Crossing the room, Alisha took her place beside Joe and nearly dropped the bag containing her meager lunch. “That’s Daniel Fortune.”

“Yep. That’s Daniel Fortune answering questions about your client’s prosecution and the new prosecutor who’ll be handling the case.”

Alisha tugged off her jacket and tossed it and the bag onto the desk. “Krauss isn’t in charge anymore?”

“No, and you’re not going to like who’s taking his place.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s that creep, Goeble.”

“No, not Goeble.”

“Then who?”

“The iceman’s going to do it himself.”

Alisha’s mouth hung open for a few seconds before she said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not kidding.” He reached behind him and handed her a piece of paper. “He called earlier while you were out, I assume to let you know.”

Alisha took the paper from Joe only to find the number to the D.A.’s office. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me New Year’s Eve.”

“I wouldn’t think a bar would be a good place to discuss it.”

She wadded up the note and tossed it in the waste bin. “Not in the bar. Outside of the bar, after I left.”

Joe had the gall to grin. “Well, did you do—”

“No, I did not. I went home and he went home, end of story.” And she was telling one whopper of a story.

She tossed Joe the sack. “Here. It’s a sub sandwich. Take half an hour to eat lunch, then get moving on the Massey case. Start working on the motions we’ve discussed. Now’s your chance to play attorney before you have to pass the bar. And call the temp agency. Have them send someone over to field phone calls, preferably one who’s worked in a law office before. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

When she started for the door, Joe asked, “Where are you going?”

“Out.”

“Aren’t you going to call Fortune?”

“Nope.” She turned with a hand poised on the knob. “I’m going to pay him a personal visit.”

“I’d like to buy tickets to that little meeting.”

“You need to get to work. I’ll handle the A.D.A.”

Joe unfolded the paper from around the sandwich and crammed a big bite in his mouth. “Good luck,” he said without even swallowing.

As Alisha headed for the courthouse, she realized she was going to need plenty of luck and plenty of strength. Just because Daniel Fortune happened to be the most gorgeous, multitalented, intelligent man she’d ever known didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own with him. And she would, no matter what he tried to throw at her.

Alisha Hart strode into Daniel’s office looking as if she’d like to throw something at him. Fortunately she set her briefcase down on the chair instead of hurling it at his head. “I believe you know why I’m here.”

She sounded calm, but she looked fighting mad—and sexy as hell in her tailored blue dress that gave Daniel just a glimpse of her knees. Really great knees. “You came by to call off our dinner plans?”

“Very funny,” she said without one whit of amusement in her tone.

Daniel noticed the partially open door and pointed behind her. “Close it.”

She looked over her shoulder, then back to him, before complying. Instead of sitting, she braced her palms on the edge of his desk and leaned into them. “First of all, do you mind telling me why you didn’t inform me the other night you were going to be taking the Massey case?”

Daniel greatly minded that her breasts were eye level and the cut of the dress showed a hint of cleavage. He forced his gaze to her face. “Because I didn’t know until this morning. And I don’t like it any more than you do. And if I recall, we decided not to discuss it the other night. In fact, I remember we stopped talking altogether after a while.”

After snatching up her briefcase, she finally sat, giving Daniel only minimal relief. “We’re certainly going to discuss it now.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. “Go ahead, Counselor. But if you’re here to make a deal, you’ll be wasting your breath.”

“It’s my breath to waste, and I don’t see why we can’t come to some sort of agreement and save the taxpayers money.”

“What exactly are you proposing?” he asked.

“One count of disorderly conduct, drop the indecent exposure and the trumped-up assault charge.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Do I look like I’m jesting?”

No, but she looked pretty damn good, Daniel thought. So good he almost couldn’t think. But he had to think. “Let’s start with the indecent exposure. We have a witness who claims she saw his genitals during his little show on the river taxi and that he in fact was aroused.” That much he did know, although he knew nothing about the witness. Truth was, he hadn’t had time to thoroughly review the case. He sure as hell hadn’t prepared for the impact of seeing Alisha again—and knowing he couldn’t touch her now. Or later, for that matter. At least not until this mess was over.

Her expression remained battle-ready. “My client was strategically covered by a wide sash, therefore his genitals were not exposed. As far as his alleged arousal is concerned, the temperature was below forty degrees. In those kinds of elements, I highly doubt Mr. Massey capable of an erection.”

The last thing Daniel needed to hear coming out of her pretty coral-painted mouth was the word erection. “Our witness says otherwise.”

“Your witness is mistaken. Or perhaps she was engaged in some wishful thinking.” Alisha looked at him straight on. “You know, if Mr. Massey were a woman, we wouldn’t even be having this argument.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because a woman’s arousal wouldn’t be noticeable.”

“Any man worth his salt can tell if a woman’s aroused, obvious or not.”

“Not in the dark.”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely in the dark. I can always tell. One of these days I’ll prove it to you.”

“We’re not going to talk about that.” Her gaze drifted away before coming back to him. “My point is, only one witness claiming my client was exposed and aroused isn’t solid evidence.”

“You can argue that during the trial.”

She stared at him again. “I guarantee I will if we have a trial. I’ll have my motions on your desk by tomorrow.”

Frustrated with her persistence and his own lack of research, Daniel said, “If you’re trying to convince me to go easy on this guy, forget it, Counselor. Mr. Massey assaulted a senior citizen. That’s a class A misdemeanor. The state isn’t going to budge.” That fact had been more than apparent during his earlier conversation with Allan Vera.

She grabbed her briefcase and stood. “Okay. Have it your way. Hopefully the presiding judge will see it my way.”

Daniel came to his feet. “Anything else?”

“Not at the moment, but if I think of something else, I’ll let you know.” She swept her hair away from her face with one hand. Today it fell to her shoulders in soft curls, just as it had the other night. Daniel was assaulted by the sudden fantasy of having those curls raking over his bare chest—and lower. He needed to get a grip, and not on her.

“I hope you’re ready for this, Counselor,” she said.

Daniel rounded the desk and stood before her. Not too close, but close enough to get the full effect of her vivid blue eyes. “I’ll be ready.”

“So will I.”

“But you’re not going to win this one, Alisha.”

She lifted her chin and sent him a smug smile. “Wanna bet?”

He streaked a hand over his jaw. “Sure. What should we wager?”

Her smile faded into a frown. “I wasn’t serious.”

“I am.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out to her. “How confident are you that you’ll win?”

“Might I remind you, if anyone found out money exchanged hands between us, we’d both be disbarred.”

“I didn’t say a thing about money.”

Alisha eyed him skeptically. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

Something that would be deemed downright dirty. “I’d have to think on it, but I have a few ideas.”

“So do I,” she said, continuing to clutch the briefcase to her breasts. “If you lose—which you will—I’d consider something involving a little public humiliation. Maybe I’ll make you wear Les’s sequined toreador outfit, sans pants, and you can give a speech on the courthouse steps.”

“You know, Alisha, if you want to get me naked again, you don’t have to win a bet. You only have to ask me.”

She wagged a finger at him. “We’re not going to go there again, Counselor. Not now.”

That “not now” thing gave him some hope. “Later?”

“You’re going to continue to give me a hard time, aren’t you?”

“I’ll give you whatever you want me to give you,” he said.

She drew in a shaky breath and her eyes took on a hazy cast. No way could he miss it. “I want you to consider keeping this case out of court.”

“I’m not talking about the case and you know it.”

“I know, and we can’t talk about what’s happening between us,” she said. “We certainly can’t act on it.”

At least she’d admitted there was an “us.” “True, but this trial isn’t going to stop me from thinking about it.” He took her hand and pulled her forward. “And you’ll be thinking about it, too.”

“Daniel, this isn’t a good idea at all,” she said without much conviction. And even more telling, she didn’t yank her hand out of his grasp.

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m not going to do anything but this.” Lifting her hand, he turned it over and brushed a kiss on her palm, followed by a streak of his tongue, before releasing her. “If that’s what I have to settle for right now, then I’ll live with it.”

After a slight catch of her breath, the confidence returned to her face. “A hand kiss. And I thought chivalry was dead.”

He brushed her hair from her shoulders and rested his mouth at her ear. “Sometime in the future I’m going to kiss more than your hand, starting with that sexy mouth of yours, then I’m going to move my lips lower until—”

She pulled back and started backing to the door. “We’re going to behave ourselves during this trial, Daniel.”

“Sure. Whatever you say.” But he bit back a laugh when he realized she was trying to convince herself as well as him.

“I’m going now,” she said without making a move to leave.

“Fine. I’m not stopping you. Not this time.”

“Since when have you ever stopped me?”

He couldn’t resist getting in one last comment before she disappeared. “I sure didn’t stop you Saturday night. And I’m not going to stop you if you decide you want a repeat performance in the future. But it’s going to be your decision. You know where to find me.”

“Yes, I do. Opposing me in a courtroom.” With that she jerked open the door and rushed away, leaving Daniel assessing his total loss of logic.

For years he’d walked the straight and narrow, never veering off course, never doing anything that could ruin his aspirations, especially not with a woman. But Alisha wasn’t just another woman. She was tough. She didn’t give a damn about what his status could bring her. And most important, she was nothing at all like his mother—a woman who suffered abuse from her alcoholic husband at the expense of her own children’s sense of safety. And still she’d stayed with him, until staying had cost her her life.

But that was all in the past, where Daniel intended to keep it. He also intended to see where this thing with Alisha Hart might lead. Hopefully not down the path of destruction.

Four

As if her little encounter with Daniel Fortune hadn’t been bad enough two days ago, now she found herself at the jail for another meeting with Les Massey. She’d had very little sleep and too much to think about—namely the prosecutor. Right now she had to think about her client, who sat across from her giving her a suggestive smile that probably worked on most women but not on her.

She shuffled her notes to keep from looking at him. “Okay, Mr. Massey, we need to go over a few things before I have to go before the judge for the hearing.”

“I’m all yours, Ms. Hart. Knock yourself out.”

When she finally looked up to discover his orange prison-issue jumpsuit unzipped to his sternum, she wanted to knock him out. “First of all, in reference to the woman you pushed—”

“I told you I didn’t push her.”

“All right, the woman you allegedly pushed while making your escape down the walkway following the river-taxi incident—”

“I wasn’t escaping.”

“You were running.”

“I was sprinting. No one was after me except maybe a few girls. They were trying to take my sash.” And he looked proud of it.

“You don’t remember even accidentally nudging the woman?”

“I don’t even remember her. In fact, the last thing I remember was running headlong into the cop. He cuffed me and brought me down here.”

Alisha leaned forward and gave him the full extent of her scowl. “One of you is lying.”

“She’s lying. I didn’t push anyone. I’m not that stupid.”

Since the guy delighted in putting on a show half-naked in public, leaving himself wide open for arrest, Alisha could definitely debate that. “Next point. You haven’t been formally charged with a concealed-weapons violation, but it’s a possibility. Did you have a gun?”

Now Les scowled. “I swear I didn’t have one. Where would I have stuck it?”

Where Alisha had wanted to stick Billy Wade’s toupee on New Year’s Eve? She didn’t dare ask that for fear he might confirm her suspicions. “I only know that the prosecution has a witness’s statement that claims you tossed something into the water and it looked a lot like a gun. I don’t want any surprises if they happen to recover it from the river.”

Les sat back and rubbed his chin with one tanned hand. “It was probably the maracas.”

“Maracas?” This was the first she’d heard about that.

“Yeah. I was shaking them while I was singing ‘Jingle Bells’ on the riverboat. I was going to throw them to this group of girls standing on the riverbank, but I missed and they fell into the water.”

Good thing, otherwise he might have hit one of the girls in the head, resulting in another assault charge. “Okay, this is where we stand. I’m going to argue against the weapons charge, but my guess is we’re going to have to go to trial on the other charges.”

“There’s going to be a trial?”

Wake up and smell the coffee, you jerk, Alisha wanted to say to him. Instead she said, “Yes, and that means you’ll need to clean up your act and be on your best behavior.”

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