“I do, actually. If Jeff is as clueless as he seems, it’ll be easy to catch him in a lie. And the investigator I hire will dig deep into Jeff’s past. We’ll see if he’s done this to other women too.”
“Oh, I hope so. Sally is so vulnerable right now, and well... I don’t like the idea of someone taking advantage of her and winning.”
“I agree. No man who treats a woman like that should get away with it.” He couldn’t help but think of Eddie again. “But there are men out there exactly like Jeff. They’ll charm women and lie to them, making them think that they are in love and they can’t live without him. And yet, all he’s after is their money.” Calvin bunched his hands into fists, knowing that Rayne was going through the same thing with Eddie. “Thankfully for Sally, Jeff showed his true colors quickly. They could have had two or three kids by now, and then that would have made the divorce more complicated.”
Her forehead creased and her eyes narrowed. She moved closer to him and took hold of his hands. “Calvin, you seem so passionate about this. Has something like this happened in your life?”
“In a way, yes.” His anger diminished just from her tender touch by seeing the concern in her bright blue eyes. “But it’s nothing to worry about.” He lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers.
A sigh escaped her mouth and the lines around her mouth and forehead disappeared. She didn’t seem so stiff, either. It was all he could do not to take her into his arms and kiss her with all the urgency that had been building up inside him since their last kiss was interrupted.
“I guess,” she said, almost in a whisper, “I should let you get back to work now.”
“I have a few minutes to spare for my beautiful wife.”
Her intake of air was ragged, and her mouth parted invitingly. But he still hesitated, savoring the build-up of passion rolling inside of him that was beginning to play havoc with his nerves.
“After all,” he added, “I still haven’t thanked her for believing in me.” He placed another kiss on her fingers.
“I... um, of course, I believe in you... in your ability to win her case.”
“That’s all?” He shrugged. “That’s the only reason you believe in me?”
Her laugh was awkward. “Of course, not. But... well, Sally really needs you right now, and you put aside your other case just to help her.”
“I’m not doing this for her as much as I’m doing it for you.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been looking at me differently. I like the sparkle in your eyes when you smile. I like the softness of your voice when you talk to me.”
A blush covered her face, but she didn’t look away. He liked that.
“I also like the way you’ve treated me lately... like I’m someone important in your life.”
“Of course, you’re important in my life.” Her voice was tight, and her chest heaved with quick breaths. “I think we’ve become good... friends. Don’t you?”
Friends?And yet, friends didn’t kiss with as much passion as they’d done the other night. It appeared to Calvin that she still hadn’t admitted to herself that maybe, just maybe, she thought of him as more than a friend.
“Yes. We’ve definitely become closer.” He brushed his lips across her knuckles. Her breathing sped up.
He was running out of time because if he tried kissing her now, they would definitely get interrupted. Perhaps the key to making her realize what was in her heart was to keep her wanting more. Wantinghimmore.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and his throat immediately became dry. She wanted to kiss him. He was experienced enough to know what that certain look in a woman’s eyes meant. But as much as it would tear him apart not to follow through with both of their wishes, he had to keep her coming back for more.
Expelling a deep breath, he released her hands and stepped back. Disappointment flashed across her face, but then she blinked and straightened her shoulders. When she smiled this time, he could see it was forced.
“I suppose I should call that investigator. The sooner the better, right?” he said.
“I couldn’t agree more.” She turned toward the door and rested her hand on the doorknob. “Will I see you at home?”
“Yes. I’m not going to let the firm keep me late tonight.”
“Good.” This time her smile was genuine. “Then I’ll see you later.”
After she’d left his office, he sat on the edge of his desk and sighed heavily. It was going to be hard to create the right mood for this evening’s meal. But one way or another, he’d make her beg him for a kiss.
* * * *
