It’s professional respect.
That’s all it is.
Yep.
Marisol leads me to the back office.
It’s small. Maybe ten by twelve feet. The windows are open to let in the salty breeze. A single steel desk with a laptop is already set up.
Behind stands Corin, reviewing something on the screen, one hand braced against the edge while he scrolls with the other. He’s wearing lightweight linen trousers in a washed navy color, with a linen shirt the color of sand. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbows.
My eyes lock onto those forearms. All lean, corded muscle and olive skin and—
Stop staring at his forearms.
You’re here to work.
Remember?
He glances up.
Our eyes meet.
For half a second the entire room shrinks to just the two of us and the memory of his hands on my skin.
Then Marisol says cheerfully, “I’ll leave you two to get organized. The Martinez family is coming in at eleven for their consultation. That gives you about two hours to strategize. Have fun!”
She leaves, closing the door behind her.
And just like that we’re alone.
The silence stretches.
Aware of his eyes on me, I quietly set my tote on his desk and pull out my legal pad.
“So.” I clear my throat. “I guess we should discuss strategy for the Martinez consultation.”
“Indeed.” He finally takes a seat. He pulls up a file on the laptop and angles the screen so we can both see it. Then he gestures to the chair beside him.
I sit.
Immediately I’m aware of how how close we’re sitting. How I can smell that cedar and leather cologne mixed with sea salt.
Focus on the screen.
He opens the Martinez file.
“Family of four,” he explains, scrolling through the document. “Been leasing their land for thirty years. The developer introduced new terms last month that effectively double their annual payment and give the landlord right of first refusal on any improvements.”
I lean closer to read the actual contract language.
Oh hell no.
“This is unconscionable,” I mutter. “Look at Section 8. They’ve buried an automatic renewal clause that locks the family in for another twenty years with escalating rates tied to quote, market value, unquote.”
“Which the landlord gets to determine,” Corin adds. “With no independent appraisal requirement.”
“Exactly.” I grab my pen and start making notes on my legal pad. “We need to argue unconscionability based on unequal bargaining power. The Martinez family didn’t have legal representation when they signed. The terms are so one sided that no reasonable person would agree to them with full understanding.”
