“What do you have planned for the rest of the weekend?”
I wade my free hand through the water. “Not much. Leo is staying over tonight so Tony and Lia can go out to dinner.She’s due in a couple months so they’re trying to get a few date nights in while they can.”
“Sounds fun. What will you do?” Is he really interested in how I’ll entertain my nephew? The thought is kind of sweet.
“Probably watch a movie. NotHarry Potter, unfortunately,” I sigh dramatically. “What’s Clint Branch like?” I ask, knowing that Zayn’s meeting with him again this morning to discuss his case.
“An asshole, as you’d expect. A stupid one, too, which always makes matters worse.”
I chuckle and flip the tap on with my foot, adding more hot water to the tub.
“For not making his wife sign a prenup?”
“Amongst other things,” Zayn drawls. Then he pauses. “Believe it or not, I can understand not asking for a prenup. Well, not in this case, obviously. But in general.” He hesitatesbrieflybefore adding, “I wouldn’t want one.”
I freeze, the bath water going still around me.
“Why not?” I ask carefully. “Don’t you want to protect your assets?”
Daniel and I never signed one, but he wasn’t a multi-million-dollar football player when we got married. If Zayn was to marry, he would be going into it with the millions he’s already made as Melbourne’s best divorce lawyer. He would be crazy not to protect himself.
Zayn lets out a long-suffering sigh. “There’s one person in this world I would ever want to marry. I don’t think she’s out to get my money.”
My pulse jumps into my throat, blood humming beneath my fingertips as I once again glide my hand along the smooth surface of the water. “Sounds like a ploy,” I joke, trying to ease the tension that’s begun pulling taut betweenus. “You’re trying to detract people from them. If everyone went around signing pre-nups you’d be out of a job.”
Zayn’s words have evoked a mix of both terror and elation to swirl around inside my gut. The thought of marriage makes me want to break out in hives. The thought of marriage to Zayn makes me want to climb onto my rooftop and start singing. I don’t entertain either of the feelings.
Zayn, ever observant and attuned to me even though the phone, changes the subject.
“I’m meeting Clint for lunch in an hour.”
“Just you?” I ask. I’m sure Zayn can hear my pout through the phone. He hesitates before answering, surely regretting the change of topic now.
“No,” he says carefully. “Monica, too.”
I swallow down my irritation and bat away an annoying bubble that’s settled on my shoulder. “Why didn’t David run this case with you?”
“Clint specifically asked for us.”
Yeah, I bet he did. Probably lining up his next wife. I bat away my unpleasant feelings toward Zayn and Monica being grouped together as an ‘us’.
“Also, David’s been put on notice.”
I freeze, my toe still on the tap. “He has? Why?”
Zayn doesn’t hesitate now. “For harassing my girlfriend.”
His casual use of the termgirlfriendmakes my stomach flip. Joy overrides every other emotion for the moment.
“Good. He’s the biggest dick I’ve ever seen.”
Zayn chuckles darkly, the deep sound creeping into my chest and squeezing my heart. “We both know that’s not true.”
A laugh bursts from my lips and when my cheeks flame,it has nothing to do with the hot water surrounding me. The tension between us dissolves instantly.
“Are you really making dick jokes right now?”
“Are you really calling me from the bath and expecting my mind to be anywhere except the gutter?”
