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She watched him go, her mind on Eric. He was so good. So smooth. So smart. So…so…
Gritting her teeth, she rolled her shoulders and headed for her desk. She could sit and daydream about Eric Hamilton and all his good traits later. Right now?
She had a job to do…
And another to consider taking.
Chapter Thirteen
A week later, Eric sat behind his desk, frowning down at the report his client had typed up for him. The man was shady as hell, and Eric didn’t particularly like him, but it was his job to defend the douchebag anyway, and he was trying his damnedest to keep an open mind about the whole thing. But the more time he spent at his desk, staring at this asshole’s condescending report, the more closed off, and closed in, he felt.
Once upon a time, he’d dreamed of becoming a lawyer in order to make a change in this world. To leave his mark. To do good. Somewhere along the way, he’d lost that desire to do good and had instead become the type of lawyer who did what he was told, when he was told…when he was offered a lot of fucking money.
Somewhere along the way, he’d lost himself.
Funny how he hadn’t even noticed until he met Shelby. There was something about her, and her ability to be so honest and open with him, that made him want to do better. To be better.
Starting with his family.
Enough of this constantly working shit.
He needed to make time for his parents, who were amazing, and his siblings, who were equally amazing and successful. It was time to find more to life than work, success, and money. It was time to fucking live. He had Shelby to thank for that revelation.
They’d spent every night together over the past week, feeding the metaphorical beast, but to be honest, that fucker was a bottomless pit. No matter how many times he had her, and no matter how many different ways they had sex, he was still starving for her.
But it wasn’t just the sex.
They laughed together. Constantly. He never used to be a laugher, but now he couldn’t seem to fucking stop. That, and the smiling. The smiling was out of control. He wanted to punch himself in the damn face. He’d become one of those annoying people who was always happy.
In spite of that, though, he wasn’t blind to the fact that this happiness had a timestamp on it. She hadn’t gotten a job offer yet, but it would come, and she would go, and he’d be alone.
She might be leaving soon, and she might never come back, but she would live on forever here in Atlanta after she left because he refused to go back to being a robot who lived on cases, money, and meaningless sex. Being with Shelby night after night, holding her in his arms as she drifted off to sleep, had been fucking incredible.
When she left, and he was alone, he was going to try to find that again. He was going to find a friend who made him feel like she did. Except…he didn’t think that was possible.
Shelby was one of a kind, and the way she made him feel probably couldn’t be replicated. The selfish part of him, the part that he was trying to get rid of, wanted her to never find that dream job so she would stay here. But that wasn’t fair, and he wasn’t going to be that guy. When she got her offer, he’d follow through with his promise and help her pack with a damn smile on his
face.
But he’d miss her like hell when she left.
Shaking his head, he picked up his office phone and dialed quickly. It rang twice before his sister answered. “Hello?”
“Anna. It’s me. Eric.”
She was silent for a minute. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Why?”
“Well, you don’t usually call me unless something’s wrong.” She let out a small laugh. “But, anyway, what’s up?”
“That’s what’s wrong. I never call, or check in, and I’m going to change that.” He stared down at the report on his desk. “What are you guys doing next Friday night? I want to take you and Brett out for dinner.”
“I guess we’re doing that, then,” she said slowly. “I’m not complaining about the sudden offer to hang out or anything, but, like, you’re not dying or something, right?”
He laughed. “Jesus, Anna, no. I just realized all I ever do is work, and I forgot how to have fun until recently.”
“Until recently,” she said, her voice picking up in excitement. “As in, ever since you and Shelby became friends?”
