She sounded calm, but she looked fighting mad—and sexy as hell in her tailored blue dress that gave Daniel just a glimpse of her knees. Really great knees. “You came by to call off our dinner plans?”
“Very funny,” she said without one whit of amusement in her tone.
Daniel noticed the partially open door and pointed behind her. “Close it.”
She looked over her shoulder, then back to him, before complying. Instead of sitting, she braced her palms on the edge of his desk and leaned into them. “First of all, do you mind telling me why you didn’t inform me the other night you were going to be taking the Massey case?”
Daniel greatly minded that her breasts were eye level and the cut of the dress showed a hint of cleavage. He forced his gaze to her face. “Because I didn’t know until this morning. And I don’t like it any more than you do. And if I recall, we decided not to discuss it the other night. In fact, I remember we stopped talking altogether after a while.”
After snatching up her briefcase, she finally sat, giving Daniel only minimal relief. “We’re certainly going to discuss it now.”
Daniel leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. “Go ahead, Counselor. But if you’re here to make a deal, you’ll be wasting your breath.”
“It’s my breath to waste, and I don’t see why we can’t come to some sort of agreement and save the taxpayers money.”
“What exactly are you proposing?” he asked.
“One count of disorderly conduct, drop the indecent exposure and the trumped-up assault charge.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Do I look like I’m jesting?”
No, but she looked pretty damn good, Daniel thought. So good he almost couldn’t think. But he had to think. “Let’s start with the indecent exposure. We have a witness who claims she saw his genitals during his little show on the river taxi and that he in fact was aroused.” That much he did know, although he knew nothing about the witness. Truth was, he hadn’t had time to thoroughly review the case. He sure as hell hadn’t prepared for the impact of seeing Alisha again—and knowing he couldn’t touch her now. Or later, for that matter. At least not until this mess was over.
Her expression remained battle-ready. “My client was strategically covered by a wide sash, therefore his genitals were not exposed. As far as his alleged arousal is concerned, the temperature was below forty degrees. In those kinds of elements, I highly doubt Mr. Massey capable of an erection.”
The last thing Daniel needed to hear coming out of her pretty coral-painted mouth was the word erection. “Our witness says otherwise.”
“Your witness is mistaken. Or perhaps she was engaged in some wishful thinking.” Alisha looked at him straight on. “You know, if Mr. Massey were a woman, we wouldn’t even be having this argument.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because a woman’s arousal wouldn’t be noticeable.”
“Any man worth his salt can tell if a woman’s aroused, obvious or not.”
“Not in the dark.”
“Oh, yeah. Definitely in the dark. I can always tell. One of these days I’ll prove it to you.”
“We’re not going to talk about that.” Her gaze drifted away before coming back to him. “My point is, only one witness claiming my client was exposed and aroused isn’t solid evidence.”
“You can argue that during the trial.”
She stared at him again. “I guarantee I will if we have a trial. I’ll have my motions on your desk by tomorrow.”
Frustrated with her persistence and his own lack of research, Daniel said, “If you’re trying to convince me to go easy on this guy, forget it, Counselor. Mr. Massey assaulted a senior citizen. That’s a class A misdemeanor. The state isn’t going to budge.” That fact had been more than apparent during his earlier conversation with Allan Vera.
She grabbed her briefcase and stood. “Okay. Have it your way. Hopefully the presiding judge will see it my way.”
Daniel came to his feet. “Anything else?”
“Not at the moment, but if I think of something else, I’ll let you know.” She swept her hair away from her face with one hand. Today it fell to her shoulders in soft curls, just as it had the other night. Daniel was assaulted by the sudden fantasy of having those curls raking over his bare chest—and lower. He needed to get a grip, and not on her.
“I hope you’re ready for this, Counselor,” she said.
Daniel rounded the desk and stood before her. Not too close, but close enough to get the full effect of her vivid blue eyes. “I’ll be ready.”
“So will I.”
“But you’re not going to win this one, Alisha.”
She lifted her chin and sent him a smug smile. “Wanna bet?”
He streaked a hand over his jaw. “Sure. What should we wager?”
Her smile faded into a frown. “I wasn’t serious.”
“I am.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out to her. “How confident are you that you’ll win?”
“Might I remind you, if anyone found out money exchanged hands between us, we’d both be disbarred.”
“I didn’t say a thing about money.”
Alisha eyed him skeptically. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
Something that would be deemed downright dirty. “I’d have to think on it, but I have a few ideas.”
“So do I,” she said, continuing to clutch the briefcase to her breasts. “If you lose—which you will—I’d consider something involving a little public humiliation. Maybe I’ll make you wear Les’s sequined toreador outfit, sans pants, and you can give a speech on the courthouse steps.”
“You know, Alisha, if you want to get me naked again, you don’t have to win a bet. You only have to ask me.”
She wagged a finger at him. “We’re not going to go there again, Counselor. Not now.”
That “not now” thing gave him some hope. “Later?”
“You’re going to continue to give me a hard time, aren’t you?”
“I’ll give you whatever you want me to give you,” he said.
She drew in a shaky breath and her eyes took on a hazy cast. No way could he miss it. “I want you to consider keeping this case out of court.”
“I’m not talking about the case and you know it.”
“I know, and we can’t talk about what’s happening between us,” she said. “We certainly can’t act on it.”
At least she’d admitted there was an “us.” “True, but this trial isn’t going to stop me from thinking about it.” He took her hand and pulled her forward. “And you’ll be thinking about it, too.”
“Daniel, this isn’t a good idea at all,” she said without much conviction. And even more telling, she didn’t yank her hand out of his grasp.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m not going to do anything but this.” Lifting her hand, he turned it over and brushed a kiss on her palm, followed by a streak of his tongue, before releasing her. “If that’s what I have to settle for right now, then I’ll live with it.”
After a slight catch