"And?" she prompts, leaning forward.
"I told him I'd think about it." I bite my lip. "Just lunch."
"You should go," Rowan says without hesitation. "I can watch Poppy. You deserve a few hours away from all this."
I start to protest, to dig for all the sensible reasons I should keep my distance. I can’t remember a single one. Not when my lips still burn from his kiss, not when every part of me aches to say yes, to find out how far he’ll go if I let him.
"Maybe," I say softly. Not a yes, not yet. But for the first time in years, I'm not saying no, either. My body made the decision the second he touched me, betraying every rule I set. I can barely think straight, nerves humming and skin still tingling where his hands claimed me. My mind is spinning, trying to keep up, but it’s already too late. I’m his, whether I admit it or not.
Chapter 14
Axel
Islip into Adrienne's office, closing the door behind me with a soft click. She glances up from her desk, glasses perched on her nose, and raises an eyebrow.
"To what do I owe this visit?" she asks, setting aside a stack of legal briefs. "Let me guess, more custody questions?"
"Actually, I wanted to thank you." I drop into the chair across from her. "Sadie got the referral to Melissa. They have a call scheduled tomorrow."
Adrienne nods, leaning back in her chair. "Good. Melissa doesn't waste time, that's why I recommended her."
I fiddle with the pen on her desk, suddenly feeling like a teenager again. "I, uh, also asked her out."
"Asked who out?" Adrienne's eyes narrow. "Melissa?"
"Sadie." I laugh, shaking my head. "I asked Sadie to lunch."
"Bold move, considering everything she's dealing with." Her tone is carefully neutral, but I catch the concern in her eyes.
I shrug, aiming for casual. "Just lunch. No pressure. She needs a break from all the court stuff."
Adrienne studies me for a long moment, and I try not to fidget under her gaze. "This isn't just about lunch, is it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've got that look," she says, gesturing at my face. "The one you get when you're pretending something matters less than it does."
I open my mouth to deny it, but the words die in my throat. There's no point lying to Adrienne; she's always seen right through me.
"Fine," I admit. "It's not just lunch. I like her. A lot."
"I figured," she says dryly. "You wouldn't be moving heaven and earth for an Oregon lawyer referral if this was just another fling."
"It's not." The words come out more forcefully than I intend. "She's different."
Adrienne leans forward, resting her elbows on her desk. "Different how?"
I struggle to explain without revealing too much of Sadie's private business.
"She's… fighting. Every day. For her kid, for her business, for some kind of stability. And she never asks for help, even when she's drowning."
"And you want to save her," Adrienne says softly, not quite a question.
"No." I meet her eyes. "I mean, yes, I want to help. But I'm not trying to be some hero swooping in. I just… I can't stand by and watch her struggle alone when there are things I can do."
My sister's expression softens. "That's actually more mature than I expected from you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I mutter.
