Page 11 of Lost Room Lawyer
Now I was surprised. The way we talked to each other sounded way too familiar. But how could I change that? Go back to being formal? I tried to focus on Nico, but the way he looked at me, with those deep blue eyes, made it extremely hard. “Forty-three,” I answered, swallowing the rising desire.
“Fuck,” he said, covering his face with both hands again.
“What?”
He furrowed his brows. “I thought you were in your mid-thirties!”
“And I thought you were a writer.”
“I am. I write! Just on the side at the moment!”
“And do research.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe it.” As I crossed my arms and thoughtfully tapped my fingers on my upper arm, I noticed his gaze. He was staring at the wedding ring on my finger.
“You’re married.” It was a statement, and he rolled his eyes. “And you have kids. Hector Lando has two daughters. And when he goes to poker games, he takes off his wedding ring.”
His comment caught me off guard. The urge to justify myself rose like bile in my throat. I had no idea what I was going to say,but Nico cut me off by jumping up from the chair and throwing his hands in the air.
“What kind of person does that?” he snapped at me.
A liar.
A pathetic person.
A lost soul.
I would never say these admissions out loud, I was too proud for that. Yet, the words had never been so close to the tip of my tongue that I could almost taste their bitterness. Instead, I leaned on the desk with both hands and stared at my shoes.
“I’m sorry.” I was never too proud to apologize, as long as it gave me an advantage. “I take full responsibility. I never should have allowed…”
Nico looked at me incredulously, his face contorting. “That’s ridiculous. I kissed you. Remember? It takes two to tango. There’s no way you can take all the responsibility. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Hmm… You’re probably right.” The longer we talked, the more I remembered the poker night and how it was precisely this directness that had captivated me. Plus, I liked his keen, observant gaze. Somehow, it amused me that the age difference bothered him more than I had expected. I had no problem with it. The callboys I hired were all under twenty-five. So, in that sense, he was an old man too.
“And now what?” Nico was less than three feet away, looking me straight in the eyes. “How do we proceed?”
“We see it through, of course,” I replied, taking a deep breath. “It’ll be fine. It was just a one-time thing.”
I was sure Nico had no idea how attractive and sexy he was. When he gave a slight nod to confirm our secret, I had to fight to keep my composure. I almost gave in, bridged the distance between us, and kissed him passionately. Just like he had done last Friday.
“Has… uh… Linda already showed you your workspace and the office?”
Nico dragged his hand over the back of his neck again, digging his fingernails into his skin as he shook his head.
“Okay, then… let’s start with that. I’ll come to you later.”
I escorted him out and called for Linda, who took charge of him. I closed the door behind me again, something I only did when I had an important call, but now I needed a moment to collect myself and take a deep breath.
Shit! What is happening here?
I had always held the reins, but since Nico had entered my office, I felt them slipping away—and that was not good. I had to be on guard. From now on, I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. I’d been a lawyer long enough to recognize the risks when I saw them. But I had built my house of cards on solid ground, and I wouldn’t let it collapse so easily.
Heart pounding, I returned to my desk, retrieved the gel from the drawer, and disinfected my hands.
Maybe for now, I’ll just play the perfect family man.
No callboys.
Then everything will be fine.
