Ian stretched his neck and discovered he’d been staring at the sexy curve of Marie’s neck for a full minute, and that she had tuned into his interest and was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and heat.
She licked her lips then quickly averted her gaze. “What evidence do they have?”
Ian shrugged. “I don’t know yet. We’re set up for a meeting with the agent in charge tomorrow afternoon.”
She got to her feet, flashing him another view of her panties. Ian resisted the urge to pull at his too-tight collar again, suddenly thankful that Marie usually wore more concealing clothing. If he saw her panties again, he doubted he’d be able to stop himself from taking them off.
“I’m going to be there,” Marie said.
“Be where?” Ian asked, distracted by his own thoughts.
“At the questioning, of course.”
Ian got to his feet too, but the last thing on his mind was going anywhere near those panties. “Oh no, you’re not.”
Marie arched a brow at him.
“Come on, Marie. It’s bad enough I told you what’s going on. If you show up at that questioning, your father will know I told you.”
“So?”
“So what’s to say he isn’t a bit upset by the news?”
She crossed her arms.
“Who’s to say he won’t fire my sorry ass and contact another attorney? You know, one that won’t cave under the questionable tactics you just used to get me to talk. Then where will you be?”
And where would he be without this excuse to have Marie back in his life, even if for a little bit?
“Don’t you mean where would you be?”
He squinted at her, wondering if she had been thinking the same thing he just had.
“Never mind. Forget I said that,” she said.
Oh, how he wished he could. Because he had the sinking sensation that she hadn’t been talking about his prospects for having sex with her again, but had instead been referring to her disapproval of his tendency to represent clients no one else would touch with a ten-foot pole.
And then there was her father…not exactly an ideal client either.
“Okay, okay,” Marie derailed his train of thought. “So I don’t go tomorrow.” She rifled through her bag, then sighed when she apparently didn’t find what she was looking for. “But I want you to tape the discussion for me.”
“You want me to tape the questioning?” he enunciated.
She blinked at him. “Yes. Why?”
He slowly rounded the desk until he was standing directly in front of her. “Well, because I don’t know how your father will react to my doing that.”
Marie looked suddenly ill at ease. He watched her elegant throat work around a swallow. “My father…um, will do what you say because you’re his attorney.”
“And you?” he asked, halting mere inches away from her.
He always forgot about how petite she was until he was standing close to her this way. Marie’s energy projected a much taller height than the five foot three that she was in her short heels. She was an intriguing mix of little girl and provocative woman. And right now he found himself wanting to get a glimpse again of those panties she had on.
“Ian?” she said half in question, half in warning.
“Hmm?”
He purposely allowed his gaze to travel leisurely over her tiny package. Oh, yeah, the ball had definitely just landed firmly in his court and he was going to hold on to it. Having Marie afraid of his next move, yet eager to see what it might be, was exactly the way he liked things between them. And while the last thing he should be thinking about was bedding his client’s daughter, just then Marie wasn’t Frank Sr.’s little girl, she was one-hundred-percent woman. More specifically, the woman he had seduced without really understanding why he’d done it beyond feeling the uncontrollable urge to do so.
And he was feeling that urge return to him tenfold.
“Ian?” Marie said more insistently.
Without even realizing he was doing so, Ian had backed her up until her bottom leaned against his glass desk. She held on to the blunted edge tightly with both hands and her small breasts moved with the sudden shortness of breath.
Ian realized he was having a little problem finding air himself. He eyed her mouth, but didn’t kiss her. Instead he skimmed his hand down over her slender hip then slowly inched the material of her skirt up. She caught his hand, her eyes searching his, but her hand neither stopping nor helping him. He smiled at her then continued moving his hand until those white undies were revealed.
Oh, there was no thong for Marie Bertelli. Instead her underwear was cotton and white and sexier than any scrap of silk and lace known to man. It clung to her womanhood like only cotton could. And made his mouth water with the urge to lower himself to his knees and press his lips against the swollen flesh just underneath.
And one look into her eyes told him she wanted it just as much as he did.
A buzzing sound filled the room. While inwardly Ian jumped, outwardly he stood still as a statue, his hand burning from the feel of her upper thigh on his palm, and her fingers on the back of his hand.
“Don’t you, um, think you should get that?” Marie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He could tell she was trying to play down her reaction, make him believe that his taking a peek at her underwear hadn’t affected her one way or another. But Ian knew Marie sexually better than anyone else on Earth. And even if she had been able to control her voice, he would have known she wanted him.
“It’s not mine,” he said quietly.
Marie blinked once, then again. “My wireless,” she said. Then her eyes widened. “My wireless! I’m waiting for a call telling me when the judge has reached his decision on my motion.”
Ian hated to remove his hand. Really hated to have to let her go. But Marie gave him little choice as she wriggled away from him and his desk and reached for her purse and the cell phone inside. She turned away to take the call, leaving Ian staring after her like a dumbstruck teen who had just gotten his first look at a naked woman.
Only he hadn’t seen naked. Not this time. He absently rubbed his chin as he listened to her speak. Actually, he’d never really gotten to see her naked. Not entirely. He’d seen her breasts. Caught glimpses of her tight bottom. But while he’d felt every inch of her, he’d never actually fully seen her.
And, in that one moment, he found he wanted that more than anything.
And knew that he wasn’t going to get it.
Marie clapped her phone closed and backed toward the door. “The, um, judge has made her decision. I’m due back in court in fifteen.”
Ian crossed his arms, doing what she had done minutes before—namely, trying to pretend he wasn’t affected one way or another by the news.
And he knew he was as successful as she’d been at hiding his true state. “You’d better get running then.”
Doubt and curiosity filled her eyes. “Yeah. I’d better get running.”
Ian cleared his throat. “So…I’ll see you tomorrow after the meeting?”
“The meeting? Oh, yes, the meeting.” She glanced at her watch. “Why don’t you give me a call when you’re done? Maybe we can meet somewhere afterward.”
“You don’t want to come here?”
He realized how loaded that question