Smiling softly at him, she said, “Your client is very lucky to have you on his side.”
Quentin met her gaze. “AndI’mlucky to have you on mine. Thanks for coming today, Lex. I really appreciated seeing you there.”
The tender gratitude on his face made her heart squeeze tightly. Averting her eyes, she took a sip of her apple martini and said gruffly, “Don’t get all sentimental on me, Red. It’s not like I haven’t been coming to your trials for years.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “You’ve been there from the very beginning, and I want you to know how much that means to me.”
She drank more of her martini, swallowing hard.
“Remember my first court case?” Quentin reminisced with a soft chuckle. “I was fresh out of law school, and so damn nervous that I kept mispronouncing the judge’s name and repeating the same questions during cross-examination.”
Lexi smiled. “You were adorable.”
He grimaced. “I was a wreck.”
“That, too.” She laughed. “But you certainly weren’t too nervous to flirt with the court reporter.”
“Did I?” His mouth twitched. “I don’t remember.”
“I do. And I can only imagine what her transcript looked like by the time you were through with her. You might have gotten that poor woman fired, Quentin.”
“I hope not.”
“Me too.” Lexi grinned, then sighed. “Well, you’ve definitely come a long way as a litigator.”
He gazed at her. “A lot has changed over the years.”
She blushed, fully aware that he was referring to their relationship. Taking a sip of her drink, she murmured, “Not everything has to change.”
“Change can be good.” His voice deepened. “Very good.”
She’d somehow misjudged the reach of his long arm draped over the sofa. Before she realized it, his thumb was rubbing the nape of her neck with small, lazy circles that sent shivers down her spine. As her nipples tightened and bolts of sensation zigzagged to her groin, she wondered how such a simple caress could wreak pure havoc on her body. Why couldn’t all these pulsing nerves have remained dormant, forever immune to his touch?
She checked her watch, then cast a desperate glance at the empty doorway. “I can’t believe everyone’s running so late. It’s not like them, especially Reese. She’s Ms. Punctuality.”
Quentin took a languid sip of his whiskey. “They’re not coming.”
She looked at him in surprise. “They’re not?”
“No.”
“How do you know?” She fumbled out her cell phone. “I don’t have any missed calls. Did one of them call or text you?”
“No.” He met her puzzled gaze. “They’re not coming, because I never invited them.”
“You didn’t inv—?” As comprehension dawned, she stared at him in disbelief. “You set this whole thing up just so I’d have dinner with you?”
“Pretty much.”
She scowled. “I don’t believe you! Resorting to trickery to get your way? That’ssounderhanded.”
Quentin gave her a knowing look. “If I’d asked you out to dinner—just the two of us—would you have accepted?”
She hesitated. “No.”
“I rest my case.”
They stared each other down.
