Page 247 of The Maxwell Brothers
I barely bit back a groan.Fucking hell.The image that just popped up in my mind had nothing to do with my semi-naked trips to her door in the middle of the night and everything with both of us naked in bed.
She immediately reached for the plate. Thankfully she didn’t give me a hard time about the menu. “This is all I have right now.”
"Hmmm, all good. So you just won a case? What was it?" she asked between bites.
“A divorce. The husband cheated on her and bought a house in his name with their savings behind her back. He didn’t even want to pay alimony. She got a very fair settlement.”
She grinned. "Oh, I like you."
"Thanks."
"But if you had a victory, and I didn't piss you off with my music, why do you look angry?"
"What?"
"You have that devilish look in your eyes, and you seem very focused on something."
"Just got some troubling news about something else after I finished the case, that's all."
"Sharing might help you get it off your chest. You can tell me. I mean, it's not like I'll give your secrets to anyone. What you say is safe with me."
"Right. Safe," I said in a teasing tone.
She raised a brow. "Until you show up seminaked at my door, trying to convince me to turn down the music again. Then all bets are off. But right now, we're on friendly terms."
I sighed. “My cousin Reese was engaged. Her ex cheated on her and then wanted the family to still go into business with him. I handled that, but I found out that he lawyered up with a guy who’s known for playing dirty. I don’t know if it’s got anything to do with us, but I don't like it."
I glanced up at her. She was looking at me with wide eyes.
"You, Declan Maxwell, have hidden depths."
“You know I'm a lawyer, right?"
"I know, but this goes far beyond that."
"Because it’s personal."
"The way you said you handled it sounded so self-assured, and I hope this won't go to your head, but it was sexy."
I burst out laughing for a second. "I never know what will come out of your mouth."
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked.
"Not at all. It's very hard to predict you, Liz." But I was enjoying this time together more than I could have imagined.
She grinned. "That's good. But back to your issue. You admitted that you don't know why that guy lawyered up, so why not worry about it when shit hits the fan? In my experience, some shit will eventually hit anyway, so there's no use worrying beforehand."
I took a sip of soda. "That's not my MO. I like to predict where things can go. That way, I can stop them before they escalate."
"And does that work for you usually?"
"Yes."
"There it goes, that sexy, self-assured one-word answer again."
She sighed, leaning down in her chair. "It never works out for me, so I stopped doing it. I take things as life throws them at me."
"Like this burn on your forearm." I grasped her wrist, looking at the bandage.
