“Good, good, glad to hear it.” He takes another sip of coffee, not taking his eyes off me.
Unease starts to filter into the slight excitement I felt when I first opened the door as I wonder if he’s here to giveme more bad news. “Did something happen with the case? I know you said you had some questions.”
Chris’s stare burrows under my skin as he stares at me for a few more moments. He lets out a deep, growly sigh that I feel in my stomach before saying, “No, nothing happened with the case as far as I know. I just”—he pauses—“I wanted to check on you. See how you’re holding up.”
I wrap my lips around my teeth and avert my eyes from him. “Honestly, I don’t know. I guess I’m okay, but maybe I’m just still in shock from it all.”
He cocks his head to the side, taking me in, and I’m once again embarrassed by my disheveled appearance. Before I can start to fuss with my hair or straighten my clothes, he says, “That’s understandable, and I think normal in this situation. When are you going back to work?”
Sighing, I explain, “I was talking to the owner of my company this morning, and I told her I’d be back tomorrow.” I look around. “I just don’t think I can sit around the hotel all day. I need to work to keep my mind off everything.”
“I don’t blame you. Just take care of yourself. That’s most important.”
A warmth settles low in my stomach as I fight my smile. “I will.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Stealing a quick glance at the pile of clothes waiting for me to put away and organize, I shrug, immediately regretting that movement from the slight twinge in my ribs. “Nothing, really. Maybe doing some work later.”
Chris frowns, and the severe expression looks so handsome on him that my breath catches in my chest. Even while recognizing that this is stupid, since he’s my attorney now, I admit to myself that I’ve never been so instantly attracted tosomeone as I have been to Chris. When I think back, I don’t even recall being so attracted to Blake at first. It took him a few weeks to win me over.
But with Chris, it’s almost overwhelming to my system, in the best and worst ways.
He presses his lips together and narrows his eyes, then asks, “Are you up for an outing?”
I tilt my head. “Don’t you have work to do?”
He stands and holds out his hand for me to take. “You’re my client. So, really, you’re doing me a favor. I can expense whatever we do today.”
I huff a laugh. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
He grins down at me. “That’s for my accountant to figure out.”
Swallowing my nervousness, I slip my hand in his, allowing the electric charge arcing between us to warm me. He pulls me gently to my feet, and I ask, “What are we going to do?”
With a hand on the middle of my back, he guides me toward the door. “That’s the great thing. Whatever we want.”
I laugh, but then catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and let out a gasp before halting my forward motion. Chris immediately holds his hands up and stops next to me. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
I pat his arm in apology. “I’m so sorry. I just saw myself in that mirror and realized what a hot mess I am. Maybe I should change first.”
His eyes run down the length of my body, and I fight the urge not to fidget under his perusal. Finally, his intense gaze finds mine. “You look perfectly fine to me.”
Swallowing hard, trying to hide my reaction to him, I croak out, “Oh, okay, well, in that case, we can go.”
Without another word, we leave the room and don’tspeak again until we’re in his car. When we pull onto the street, he says, “Since you didn’t get to eat the donuts I brought, I’m taking you to breakfast.”
I wipe my palms down my thighs. “I have to ask, where did you get the donuts from?”
He cuts his eyes over to me before focusing straight ahead. “I feel like this is a test. But one I know I’m going to pass with flying colors.”
Raising my eyebrows, I wait for him to tell me.
Grinning, he steps on the gas to make it through a yellow light. “The only place I’ll get donuts from is the Donut Den.”
“I knew I liked you,” I tease.
“Damn straight.” He takes a quick right. “And now I’m going to take you to my second favorite breakfast place.”
