He gave her a long look, now reluctant to share. “The Closer.”
Her eyes widened in amusement. “Because you’re so good with the ladies?” She waggled her eyebrows.
He laughed, feeling like an idiot. “And because I can close a case before it goes to trial.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” She hopped off the bench and wobbled a little on her heels, cluing him in that she’d had more than the one beer tonight. “Well, Mr. Closer, Brittany Stewart is much more subtle than that.” She pushed his legs open and stood between them, grabbing a handful of his tie and pulling his face inches from hers. “She sees you as a challenge. She thinks everyone in the whole wide world needs to be in love, and she won’t rest until it happens. And you are the perfect challenge.” She dropped his tie and spread her hands out. “Big bad womanizer who can’t bring himself to let his guard down and let a woman in, much less love her. Why Britt just can’t resist.” She laughed and grabbed his tie again, slowly leaning closer. “The more you resist her efforts, the more determined she becomes.”
Her breath fanned his face, and it took everything within him to keep his hands to himself, because instinct told him that if he made a move, she’d give him a brush-off so epic, an 8.0 earthquake would pale in comparison.
And he definitely did not want her to give him a brush-off.
“And how do you know all this?” he asked, proud that he sounded so in control.
Her lips hovered inches over his, and she whispered, “I’ve been her number one project for the last ten years. Lucky for me, it looks like I’ve just been usurped.” She dropped her hold on his tie, then smoothed it down his chest, her fingertips trailing to his abdomen in small sweeps.
A fresh jolt of lust rushed through his blood, and he gripped the sides of the bench, hoping she didn’t see how much she affected him when her eyes lifted to his.
“So why didn’t she try to fix me up with you?” he asked, his voice husky despite his intentions.
Her smile became sardonic. “Because she’s figured out that I’m a lost cause.” Then she turned and walked back into the kitchen, her tight dress perfectly hugging her rounded ass.
As he took the last drag of his beer and tossed the bottle into the recycling bin, he realized that never in his thirty-three years had he been so turned on by a woman.
And he didn’t even know her name.