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I never spoke that bluntly or letcounsel show Spending time around Avett, with her total lack of artifice or pretense, was bad for business I was supposed to be unaffected, un that happened in court That was how I defended the kind of monsters and miscreants that made up my client list I didn’t need the prosecution to see any kind of chink in aveafter the announceonna offer that to all the murderers and rapists you defend, too?"

It was a killer parting shot All lawyers kne to give one, which rateful that this case on and done I wouldn’t have to go through another arraign my unexpected and inappropriate reaction to Avett She wasn’t on enda, and she wasn’t soh all the smoke and mirrors that made up my life, and if the charade cracked, if the veil was pulled away, I didn’t knoho or ould be standing behind it I was afraid to find out

I grabbedmy schedule on my phone when I noticed that Orsen had sent another re was still et off ed o, and I hadn’t put any effort into finding a toss-away piece of aro witha tiny, pink-haired trouble my mind away fro on the low cement wall outside of the entrance to the courthouse with her arms across her chest and her eyes pinned to the doors, clearly waiting for itated rhythainst the sidewalk

I hit the screen to turnit into my pocket as she pushed off the wall as I made my way towards her Her multicolored eyes were riotous with eainst the sidewalk as she kept walking until the tips of our shoes were touching My hand curled painfully tight around the handle ofdirectly at each other She barely reached er, so much more powerful, than her small fraer pulsed around us We stood toe-to-toe, locked in a silent battle that seemed ed in the courtroo for old in her hazel eyes blaze when I referred to her formally I needed the distance mentally because I couldn’t make my body move to put the space physically between us In fact, I wanted to move closer

She uncrossed her arms from her chest and put her hands on her hips I tried really hard to ignore the way the new pose pushed her full breasts against the lacy material of her dress I failedand sharp

I narrowed ht fro andthickened both my blood and ument I didn’t like or that I didn’t feel coe me was as much of a turn-on as her curvy little body was

"Where is your father?" I liftedbiker I didn’t need to try and explain a black eye or a broken arm to Orsen on top of why I suddenly had no interest in searching out a pretty piece of ass to spend ti at the truck I told him I had some questions I needed to ask you about what happens next"

"Do you?"

"Do I what?" She was getting increasingly annoyed and I wanted to groan at the way ithitch I bet she looked the same hen she was about to cohts to go, but now that they were there I didn’t have a chance in hell of wrangling them back into the safe zone

"Do you have questions about what happens next?" My voice didn’t sound likethe ard direction of aze as I watched her carefully

Slowly, her head shook back and forth, dislodging the bun at the back of her head Pink strands of hair floated around her face, curling over her shoulders, and ertips itched to reach out and push it off her face

"I knohat happens next, Quaid … do you?" Her tone had dropped to a husky whisper that hit ht in the dick My entire body tensed up and I almost, very nearly, leaned down and met her as she lifted up on her tiptoes towards me I wanted to kiss her I wanted her to kiss me But over the top of her head, as she ht of a familiar face The heady little bubble of seduction and intoxicating risk that Avett had created aroundrazed h it was as innocent as any kiss had ever been, it felt more erotic, more forbidden, and more illicit than any of the actual sex I had ever had This little slip of a woman could demolish me, waste me, annihilate me, and if I allowed her to do it, I kneould feel better than anything had in a very long time

"I know that you think you knohat happens next, Avett, but you don’t What happens now is you stop wasting your ti to offer you and will end up hurting you in the long run You need to startup to your potential"

She fell back on her heels, rearing away like I had smacked her across her face Her pretty flush turned to a furious red, and she finally took a step away froer into the center ofcloser and closer I knehatever was said next was going to be overheard, so I needed to keep myself in check and put the armor back on piece by piece I hadn’t even noticed that Avettwas happening next I alking away from her before I was bared and exposed to aze

"You’re an asshole, Quaid, you know that A real dick and a super douche lord" Her eyes flashed ata sht it was, but I had no idea you were a coward"