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“You have. Thank you.” But I can sense the way she’s purposefully ignoring the flirty quality I’ve added to my tone. “Loren, can I tell you something else?”
“Sure,” she agrees, her brow furrowed.
“I know we’ve always given each other a hard time, but I was serious before when I said it was all just a front for me. The truth is … I’ve always admired you and thought you were beautiful.” I stop for a second before continuing. “I still do.”
She blinks and looks away, as if she doesn’t believe me. “You don’t have to compliment me just because I said those nice things about you. I meant it, regardless of what you think of me.”
“I meant what I said too.” I slide my hand over to rest on her thigh. “What if I told you that you’ve been on my mind since you helped my brother?” She bites her lip, and I can see her chest heaving as I move my hand up to her hip. “I’ve already admitted that you made me jealous, so don’t you dare start thinking I’m only saying all this because you called me sexy first.”
“I never used the termsexy,” she replies, her voice trembling. “Onlyspicy.”
I grin at her, letting my hand continue up her side. “Regardless, I should probably do something to ensure you believe me.”
She tilts her head back slightly as I bring my left thumb up to graze over her parted lips. “And what do you plan to do?” she whispers against the pad of my finger, making me groan with desire.
I answer her wordlessly as I cradle her cheek in my hand and lean down to brush my lips against hers. Or, at least, I’d only intended to start out that way, but the instant our mouths meet, I know there’s no way I’ll be able to control myself with her. I’ve waited years for this, and having Loren in my arms feels every bit as good as I imagined.
She kisses me back for a while before she places both of her hands on my chest and pushes lightly, putting some space between us. “Blake,” she breathes, her eyes still on my mouth. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“And I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had,” I say, my lips returning to hers immediately.
But she pulls away again, even though she seems reluctant. “We’re both a little drunk, and you’re in a vulnerable place. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
I shake my head softly, trying to draw her back in with my eyes. “You don’t understand, Lo. I’ve wanted to do this with you for so long.”
She closes her eyes for a second, as if she’s trying to steady her breathing, then she finally nods. “So have I.”
As soon as the words leave her lips, I’m kissing her again. Then I stand tall and scoop her up from the stool, urging her to wrap her legs around my waist. Her arms fold behind my neck, and I move my mouth down to her shoulder as I walk us to my bedroom.
“Loren,” I say her name again, still holding her up. “Look at me.” She obeys, exciting me even more. “I want this so badly, but I also don’t want to push you too far. Promise you’ll stop me if you change your mind.”
She nods quickly, shifting her hips over me and eliciting a growl. Maybe it’s a result of my profession, but I’m very big on consent.
“You are so beautiful,” I whisper while I still have her attention. “I mean it.”
Her brow furrows, as if she still isn’t sure whether to believe me, so I set out to prove I’m telling the truth.
CHAPTER 6
Blake
“That was great, Blake,”says one of the other lawyers in the district attorney’s office. David chuckles and pats my arm as he adds, “You know the rest of us all love a good takedown of Ryan Jameson.”
I grin proudly, because he’s right. None of us care for Ethan’s father, and winning a case against one of my least likable peers only makes helping my family taste that much sweeter. “Hey, he made it personal. I couldn’t back down after that.”
I may have my fair share of insecurities, but I don’t lack confidence in my outward appearance or my abilities as a lawyer. I’d also like to think I’ve done a decent job of prioritizing morality over money. Practicing law in a town as small as Camellia means I’ve got to take on most of the cases that walk through the door if I want to make a decent living, but the majority of my work deals in family law, custody arrangements like Ethan’s, and divorces. And although some of it can be disheartening, I like helping my clients see their way through these unfortunate situations. I’ve also been known to take the odd pro-bono public defense case, especially when a juvenile’s involved. Working with kids as an assistant football coach has given me a little more insight into teenage boys in particular, so I’ve been offering my services more and more over the years.
“You know, it’s too bad you aren’t throwing your hat in the ring for Assistant DA. None of us are looking forward to Jameson sliding into the position once Moreau finally retires.”
“Who said I wasn’t interested?” I straighten my shoulders and stuff my hands in my pockets. Truthfully, Ihavebeen considering the opportunity. I could help a lot of people in that position, and it’s not like I have a whole lot of distractions to keep me from doing the job well.
“Come on, Blake. You know how these things are,” David reminds me.
I lift my chin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He scoffs. “The people in this parish are still too conservative and traditionally minded to accept a guy like you.”
“A guy like me, huh?”
