Barely.
She was almost out the door before his voice stopped her once more. “I’ll see you at arraignments tomorrow.”
With her back to him, she closed her eyes and took a breath. “Do you even have a client you’ll be representing then?”
“ Nah,” he said. “But you never know who’ll show up needing a little help.”
She left without another word, grateful he couldn’t see the slight smile on her lips.
***
Daniel watched Bryn leave, watched as she packed her box into the trunk of her dark green Jetta before driving away. As they’d talked in the lobby, her slim frame had struggled a little under the weight of the box, and he’d had to restrain himself from taking it from her. He was sure she wouldn’t have appreciated the gesture. In fact, she probably would have taken his head off rather than thanked him. The lady sure liked her independence.
Everything about her was classy but understated. Her clothes were obviously good quality. Her shoes polished. The diamond studs in her ears were real. But her nails were bare of color. And she rarely smiled. It was if she needed to hold herself apart from everyone in order to be taken seriously. He wondered if she maintained her façade when she left work, or if she treated herself to the occasional massage or girl’s night out that most women seemed to enjoy.
He’d love to give her a massage.
Daniel imagined her naked and draped over a massage table. He knew that her skin was a creamy porcelain covering delicate curves. Her breasts were on the small side, but Daniel didn’t care. Sure, he loved big breasts as much as the next guy, but he was a firm believer in quality over quantity. And Bryn’s were gold standard. Big breasts would look ridiculous on her slim frame. Instead, hers were small globes, rounded and plump. His large hands would easily cover them. He imagined himself rubbing them with oil, trailing his hands down her ribcage, hips, and thighs, until her entire body glistened. She’d be slippery. As slippery on the outside as she was on the inside. He’d knead her tight muscles until they relaxed. Until her eyes were dazed with pleasure. Then he’d climb on top of her. His own naked skin and muscles would slide easily over her, into her. And she’d beg him to end it. To catapult her over the edge. Screaming with pleasure when she went.
Daniel shook his head to clear it. Fuck. He was fantasizing again. His hands had been working overtime the last week trying to tame his body into submission. Each time he sought release he was left with a deeper feeling of dissatisfaction, as if his body was telling his mind, “Hurry up, asshole! I need her. Now!”
Daniel had known he was crossing the line when he’d used her name in closing argument. He hadn’t needed to. He had good instincts about juries, and he knew there was no way that one would convict Kyle Winsor. But in that courtroom, after listening to Bryn snipe at him for the past few days, he’d been ready to make his move. He wasn’t going to let her pretend indifference to him a moment longer. He thought she was pretty. Hell, more than pretty. In an understated way, she was gorgeous. He knew it. And he wanted her to know it.
And his ploy had worked. She’d lost her control. So much so that she’d actually touched him. When she ran her finger down his chest and down towards his groin, his dick had damn near broke through his zipper. He’d grabbed her wrist, thinking she was going to try and rip off his balls. She’d looked pissed off enough to do it. Even as she’d threatened him, he’d noted the delicacy of her wrist, the fire in her eyes, and the softness of her lips. When she’d left, he’d exited right behind her, afraid that the entire courtroom would notice his raging erection.
As it was, Vance had given him shit about his hard-on all day.
When court had
Richard Ellis Preston Jr.