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“Oh, yeah?” He leaned closer to her, dropping his elbows to his knees while cradling his mug.
“Yes.” She blew out her next breath through pursed lips and admitted, “But I’m almost too nervous to ask.”
Ten different scenarios flitted through Gavin’s head, and every last one of them involved Hallie with her lips on part of his body.
Anypart. He wasn’t picky.
As much lecturing as he’d given himself recently about why he shouldn’t seduce Hallie Banks—the messy family ties, her apparent distaste for him—he’d changed his mind since sitting beside her on this couch.
She’d been peeking from under her lashes at him, sending him nervous smiles. She’d touched his pocket square. Not typically a flirty move, but for Hallie it kind of was. She went out of her way to avoid him normally and here she was casually touching him and had a favor to ask?
Sign him up.
He couldn’t help hoping she was girding her loins to ask a favor of him of a sexual variety. Hell, he’d settle for the sensual variety. He wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment. Even if he was, he would have had to end it since his thoughts were consumed by the blonde sitting next to him.
“It’s more of a proposition,” Hallie went on.
Hell, yes. He set his mug down and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Okay. Hit me.”
When her pink tongue shot out to wet her bottom lip, he was pulled toward her as if by a tractor beam. Halfway between scooting closer and offering his mouth as tribute, she spoke...and said the opposite of what he’d been hoping she would say.
“You were right.” She reached over and shut her laptop. “When you said I work too much.”
He flinched. Not this again.
“I’m not interested in rehashing the argument. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to teach me what you know about breaking rules.”
“Breaking...rules?” His first thought was that she was in some sort of legal trouble. That she’d gotten into a scrape with a big company with bigger lawyers. Or maybe she was considering a gray area lingering between legal and illegal activities and needed his advice about navigating it. “Hallie, if you’re asking me to represent you, we need to proceed very carefully. I can’t advise you to break the law, even if—”
“No! No, nothing like that.” She shook her head and a tendril of blond hair sneaked out and brushed the side of her mouth. She tucked it behind her ear and it sprang out again.
“Okay. Then what?” Without thinking, he smoothed the lock behind her ear again, watching as her mouth dropped open softly. She really was beautiful. And so different from Hannah. This close to her he couldn’t overlook their subtle differences. Each of Hallie’s features was far more appealing to him than her sister’s.
“Um.” She closed her eyes like she was rerouting her thoughts. A reaction to him touching her, he’d bet. “I want to have more fun in my personal life. I don’t go out much, unless the event is a write-off. And I guess... I’m having trouble knowing how.” Her cheeks pinked further.
He steadily held her gaze, granting her the time to finish her thought. He was intrigued as hell. Teaching Hallie Banks to break some rules wasn’t so much a favor for her as it was a gift for him.
“My whole life,” she started quietly, “I’ve watched Hannah take big risks. I want to try. And I figured, since you made having fun part of your credo—”
“I have a credo?”
“—you could teach me how.” She held up one finger. “Safely. I don’t want to skydive or climb a mountain. Or do anything that would risk my reputation with my new client.”
“You have a new client?” Color him impressed. She’d recently decided to expand her roster beyond her twin sister’s career, and she’d landed someone already.
“Martina Merriweather, Bernie’s daughter.” Her gaze flicked away when she said, “I met him at The Cheshire.”
“So, Hallie Banks appeared to a lucky few that night.” When she bit her lip, he placed his hand over hers and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Great job. She’s lucky to have you.”
Her grin was proud. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m not asking for charity from you, though,” she said, suddenly serious. “I want to give you something in return.”
“I’m all ears.” And other body parts, too, but he refrained from mentioning them.
“I’ll agree to be the go-between for you and the interior decorator.”
