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Blake pushed the troublesome thoughts aside. “Thanks for the info, Sara.”
Beside him, the striking brunette in a power suit sent him a smile laced with a subtle come-hither vibe. Blake had been studiously sidestepping her interest since the first time they’d collaborated on the South Florida Drug Enforcement Task Force, years ago.
“Winning a guilty verdict in the Menendez case will solidify your chances for promotion, Blake,” she said. “I hope the file helps.”
“Every piece of information helps.” They reached the busy sidewalk and he stopped to face the beautiful lawyer. “Seriously,” he said. “I appreciate your time.”
“You know I’m always available,” Sara said as she brushed his arm with her fingers, and Blake bit back a smile.
Her touch seemed like a simple gesture, but he knew better.
Sara was classy. Poised. And intelligent. Known for being a bulldog in the courtroom, she possessed a dedication and pragmatism that rivaled his. Just the sort of woman Blake should date. Just the sort of woman Blake usually did date. One who understood his career goals and the time requirements.
So why was he hesitating?
While the question darted around his head, a passing lawyer stopped to ask Sara a question, and Blake paused, knowing he was a fool for ignoring the offer in her eyes. Nikki might be more of a time-consuming handful than a little sister had a right to be, not to mention the high-profile case that currently required his full attention, but he was a red-blooded man who enjoyed sex as much as the next guy. Despite ample opportunity, it had been six months since he’d last woken up with a woman in his bed. Six months since he’d followed through on the urge.
What was his problem?
As he contemplated the question, a female who looked barely old enough to vote plowed into him, her eyes fixed on her phone as one of her black-booted heels landed on his toes. Gripping her arms, Blake stared down at the long, honey-colored hair, the Beatles T-shirt and the enticing cutoffs—not short enough to reveal the underwear beneath, but coming pretty damn close. His internal debate made a lateral move from his sex life to whether there was lace or a thong beneath the shorts. And combined with the sight of sexy leather cowboy boots...
Man, he seriously needed to get a grip.
His feminine assailant slipped her phone into her pocket and removed her foot from his. “Sorry, Suit,” she drawled, and Blake set her back, his eyebrows pulling together in amusement at the nickname. “I’m running late,” she went on, “but that’s no excuse for body-slamming you.”
“You should watch where you’re going,” he said lightly. He nodded down at the fantasy-inducing footwear. “With boots like those, someone might get hurt.”
“Cheer up. Maybe you can successfully sue me for a hit-and-run.”
The infectious sparkle in her hazel eyes was more humor than seduction.
“Except you haven’t run,” he said, attempting to maintain a serious expression, knowing he was failing. “And technically, if you left me your name, I’d have no case.”
“Well, when you put it like that...” She stuck out her hand, and Blake took it automatically, noting the soft skin and the small tattoo on the inside of her wrist. “Jacqueline Lee,” she said. “And just in case you were considering asking me out—” she released his hand “—everyone calls me Jax.”
Blake realized his previous words had been misconstrued as a come-on, and his forehead bunched in skeptical humor. “I don’t date jailbait.”
“I’m twenty-three and of sound mind and body,” she said. He didn’t know her well enough to verify the state of her mind, but it was obvious her body was most definitely sound. She tilted her head. “Does that help?”
He lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “It would, except I never date a woman who goes by a man’s name.”
Her wide smile at his fictitious—and ridiculous—dating guideline was alluring. “That’s an awful lot of rules you got there,” she said. She turned to go and then paused, shooting him a mischievous look over her shoulder. “Give me a call when you want to break one.”
