AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shaking his head, Raith started toward his police car. It was too bad Willow DeVane had to be such a pain in the ass and a lawyer besides, because he still wanted to bury his fingers in her lush auburn hair as well as a couple of other forbidden places.
One
"Hey, Malloy. Who do you have for us this morning? Finally catch a real criminal?"
Raith paused in the entrance of the county jailhouse's book-in room to scowl at the correctional officer smirking back. A crisp January wind entered behind him, encouraging him to nudge his prisoner in cuffs to move along so he could let the door close at his back.
"Happy birthday, asshole," he said to the jailer, planting the prisoner in front of the smartass so he could deal with the thief.
"I prefer blondes," came the dry reply.
After an indifferent shrug, Raith answered, "I tried. He refused to stop by the beauty parlor on the way over."
The officer snickered. "Jerk."
After passing the prisoner off, Raith turned away and caught a flash of color through the glass partition that led into the lobby. Pausing to focus on the auburn-headed woman, he took a moment to let a shiver of anticipation consume him. But, mercy. She was one fine specimen.
In the many months since he had almost given Willow DeVane a ticket for parking in a handicap zone, the two of them had run into each other around town only a handful of times. Yet he still recognized her anywhere, even from the back—or maybe he should say, especially from the back.
Man, she was hot. No one wore a power suit like the seductive lady lawyer, and to his delight, that's exactly what she sported today.
But seriously, what in the hell she was doing, loitering around this place? Too curious to let sleeping dogs lie, Raith strolled toward the entrance leading him closer to DeVane. After waiting for the control room to unlock the door, he slipped into the lobby, where she finally glanced up.
"Well, my goodness," she murmured. "If it isn't the strong and mighty Deputy Malloy." The grin she sent him did all sorts of wicked things to his loins. It taunted, I know you want me, but... too bad. "Hello there, officer," she cooed in such a carnal voice, his internal temperature kicked up another ten degrees. "Fancy meeting you here."
"DeVane." He greeted her with a stony frown. "What a coincidence. I've just brought in another loser client for you to get off on some stupid technicality."
"Really?" Eyebrows arching, she lifted up on her toes to glance through the glass wall and watch the correctional officer book in the man Raith had just delivered. She turned back to him, leaning confidentially closer. "What'd he do?"
He shrugged. "Vandalized the Safe Way and stole some merchandise."
Willow wrinkled her nose and, God, even that looked sexy on her. Adorable but undeniably sexy. "Sorry, but I don't do criminal cases. You'll have to call Chase."
Raith held in a shiver of desire. He was quite aware of everything she didn't do. Him included. "But your brother doesn't defend trash like that. He's actually a decent attorney who puts criminals away."
Chase DeVane, Willow's brother, held the newest assistant prosecutor spot in the county and, though he was also a lawyer, Raith carried a healthy respect for him. Chase went after convicts like a Doberman after a robber. Once he caught a felon by the back of the neck, he didn't release his jaws until he attained a sentence that satisfied him.
Raith assumed Chase's sister wasn't so focused on justice. If she parked in handicap spots, she probably didn't care so much about fighting for fairness and equality for all. The woman had to be after a quick buck, which once again confirmed she would never find any interest in him. If there was a buck left in Raith's pocket a week after payday, he considered himself lucky.
"So what're you doing slinking around here if you don't do criminals?" he asked, leaning against a nearby wall and crossing his forearms over his chest.
Willow turned partially away, but glanced teasingly over her shoulder at him with a conspiratorial smile. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Raith glowered. "Yes, I would. You're in my territory now, DeVane. If you want something here, you have to play nice with me."
She sighed, came back around, and finally got down to business. "Well, then." She tugged on the hem of her jacket to straighten the nonexistent wrinkles. "In that case, I'm representing a certain gentleman who's in the process of a divorce. And it just so happens he was arrested last night. I've already called a bondsman for him, so he should be released soon if he hasn't been already."
"You work divorce cases?" Raith asked, straightening away from the door. How in the hell had he not known that before? He hated divorce lawyers most of all.
"I do," Willow answered huskily. "That's my specialty actually. Why? What's it to you?"
He scowled. If it weren't for his own divorce lawyer, he would probably be going home tonight to name brand beer and something other than rice or pasta.
"Divorce lawyers are the scum of the earth. It's people like you who have me paying alimony out the ass. Do you know how many bills I could make on time if three-fourths of my check wasn't being sucked dry by some woman I can't even stand? All of them, that's how many."
Willow blinked as if bewildered. "You're divorced?" Then she sniffed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Raith narrowed his eyes. "Ha, ha."
