Page 14 of Unravel Me

Her opportunities at family law were limited to the very basic cases. But last year, she decided to put her skills to use, follow her passion, and grow into a specialized family law practice. The high-profile Cooper case was her opportunity to make that dream a reality. Jennifer Cooper was well known—and well-loved—in Boulder.

If Cassie managed to prevent Jennifer’s little girl from being swept away to New York and came out on top, Cassie would make a name for herself. Brad Steele, however, had a reputation for eating attorneys alive. Being rushed and flustered when she arrived for their meeting wouldn’t make it easy to gain the upper hand.

She hurried out of her bathroom, gave her crisp black pencil skirt a quick tug, and slid into a pair of sensible black heels. Nothing overt. Strict, by the rules, professionalism. She didn’t intend to have a New York hotshot thinking he could push her around.

Her quick steps faltered as the man who’d possessed her body and soul all through the night appeared in her path. He lounged one shoulder against her front door. He’d buttoned his shirt, but his hair was still rumpled. The wrinkles in his expensive suit pants brought all their love-play to the forefront of her mind, and that adorable dimple made her belly flutter. The things she’d let him do to her…

The things she’d wanted to surrender to…

He straightened as she descended the stairs. His warm grin devastated her rankled composure. She tripped on the bottom tread and hurtled precariously forward.

His strong hand caught her at by the elbow, breaking her fall. “Easy there, beautiful. Your neck’s too pretty to break.” Drawing her against his body, he brought her to steady feet and grazed his lips over the sensitive spot beneath her ear.

Every strong hard inch of him enveloped her. In one beat of her heart, warmth infused her system. Sheer instinct tipped her head, and she gasped against the sudden yearning to have his mouth all over her again.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he whispered into her hair. “Last night was unforgettable.”

A whimper rose to the back of her throat, but she forced it back down with a swallow. She had to say goodbye. If she didn’t, if she followed through with the urge to ask him to meet tonight, she’d get attached…more than she already was. Her last bout of attachment led her here, and she had no intentions of going backward again.

One night had exposed her to more of her true self than she cared to part with.

“I’ll remember you,” she whispered unsteadily.

His mouth grazed hers, lingered for a moment, and then his hands slid from her body as he stepped away. “Yeah, me too.”

So this was it. She’d drive him back to his car, and they’d never see each other again. Her stomach twisted.

Oh yes—she definitely didn’t need to invite him to come back tonight. Hoping for a casual smile, she opened her front door to find her car already running in the driveway. She blinked and looked to him for an explanation.

He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s cold out. It was covered in new snow.” His confidence faltered for a brief second as he shoved a hand in his front pocket and dropped his gaze to his feet. “You cooked breakfast…”

How absolutely sweet. Cassie leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Who’s driving?”

His grin returned in an instant. “I always drive, sweetheart.”

She laughed, his humor erasing the cobwebs of dismay. With more confident steps, she strode down the heated walk to her drive and slid into the passenger’s seat of her car.

The drive passed all too quickly. When they arrived at the restaurant, he parked next to a black, economy rental. Hesitating a moment, he swiveled in his seat, brought his hand to her cheek, and brushed aside a lock of her hair. A wistful smile replaced his typical devilish grin. “You take care of you.”

Once more, Cassie’s heart lodged uncomfortably behind her ribs. She pulled in a deep breath to ease the constriction and forced herself to grin. “Good luck, counselor.”

He bent across the console, dashed his lips across her cheek. And then he was gone, the cold morning air replacing the space he’d occupied, his tiny, black car backing away.

Damn it all if a small portion of her soul didn’t want to go with him.

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