He was at least five inches taller than me. I tilted my head back, taking in those impossibly blue eyes.
My gaze dipped to his lips. Gorgeous. Soft-looking. Kissable.
Move. I needed to move. I was walking into a custody battle with Satan. I didn’t need to be wishing I could lock lips with my boss.
One corner of his lips quirked up, like he could read my thoughts.
“Think the coffee’s done?”
“Coffee?”
He grinned again. “Yeah, coffee. You know, the stuff you drink with more creamer than is necessary.”
I scoffed. “I enjoy creamy coffee.”
“I’ve noticed.” He chuckled.
We stood there, eyes locked a moment longer, and then he shuffled over to the coffee maker.
“Sugar, right?”
He was making me coffee?
I nodded. “Yeah. I also like a little coffee with my sugar.” I moved to one of the chairs lining the island and sat. “I don’t know how you drink it black.”
“Easy. I pour it into a cup and lift it to my mouth.” He added a wink at the end of the sentence before grabbing a cup from one of the cabinets. As he passed the fridge, he pulled out the creamer.
“You share your affinity for cream and sugar with my mother. I teased her when I was around nine or so, and she double-dog dared me to drink it black.”
I laughed. “Double-dogged, huh?”
He chuckled. “I had to pretend I loved it. From that point on, she only gave it to me black. Eventually, I got used to it. After she left, I would think of her when I drank it.” A hint of sadness coated the words.
Anna couldn’t remember their mother, but Jason was old enough at the time. He’d never spoken about her, but I knew he loved her. That was one of the reasons he’d protected Anna. Unlike his father, Jason was a good man. If not a little scary sometimes.
When he finished doctoring my coffee, he slid the cup to me, watching as I took a sip.
It was perfect. “Thank you. It’s great.”
He poured himself a cup and then settled into a chair one over from me. We sat quietly for a moment, the rich scent of coffee filling the air.
“I talked to Anna earlier,” I said, breaking the silence. “She called to check on me after I texted her last night.” I gave him a small smile. “She’s worried about me, and excited to meet the baby. It helped, talking to her.”
His expression softened. “That’s good. I’m glad you have her.”
He must’ve seen it in my eyes because his next words were gentle. “How are you feeling about the court hearing tomorrow?”
I set my mug down, the weight of everything I had to face today settling on my shoulders. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to get an email from Ms. Chen today. I’m hoping that helps.” I turned to him. “I still can’t believe Maya kept her pregnancy from me.”
“Maybe… maybe she just didn’t know how to tell you.”
I shrugged, forced back tears, and concentrated on making my voice steady. “Maybe. I just wish I’d been able to tell her I loved her one more time. I wish we’d been able to fix things.”
“Yeah, I understand that.” He took another large drink of his coffee, then set it down and leaned forward slightly. “Speaking of tomorrow—I know you said you don’t think you need a lawyer, but I really think you should at least consult with one today. Just to give you an idea of what the hearing might be like. It can’t hurt, right?”
It wouldn’t, but I needed to make my savings stretch as much as possible. “No, but…” I chewed my lip.
“A consultation is usually free.”
