A Wolff at Heart

“Well, I...” She trailed off, ruefully aware that she hadn’t taken into account the actual logistics of getting to the car. As a kid, she’d had tough soles and could play outside with impunity. But that had been long ago, and Pierce had a point. Burning the bottom of her foot on top of her recent injury was not a pleasant prospect.

“Fine,” she said, lifting her chin. “You may carry me.”

* * *

Pierce smothered a grin. They were both sweating buckets, and though Nikki was trying hard not to snap at him, he could tell she was irritated, particularly since the job was not finished. She struck him as the kind of woman who liked her i’s dotted and her t’s crossed.

He managed a neutral expression. “In that case, let’s go.”

As he crossed the room in her direction, Nikki held up a hand. “Not so fast. We can’t leave until your friends get here.”

“They’re going to swing by my place to get the keys. We’ll lock the office and my truck and leave the truck on the street. I’ll drive your car and take you home in it later. I can always get a cab.”

She shifted from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“How can that be a bad thing?”

“I suppose I should be grateful.”

“And yet you’re not,” he said wryly.

“Of course I am.”

“But you’d much rather have finished the day on your own terms.”

“Is there anything wrong with that?”

“No. But there’s something to be said for going with the flow.”

“I’d rather be digging a trench to redirect the flow the way I want it.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“I need to go by my place first to get some clean clothes. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all, Your Highness,” he said, swinging her up into his arms before she could protest. “Your wish is my command.”

* * *

Pierce felt her slender arm curl around his neck and sighed inwardly. This was a heck of a time to feel unmistakable sexual attraction. He had a mystery to solve, and this woman was his only ally. He couldn’t afford to let her know that she seriously did it for him. Everything from her silky hair to her classic cheekbones to her pinup-girl legs turned him on. With her in his arms, it was a short jump to imagining her in his bed...naked...calling out his name when he made her come.

Damn it. Lust was a messy complication. If he was smart, he’d ignore her evocative scent and treat her like an asexual friend. Trouble was, there was nothing asexual about Nikki Parrish. She didn’t flaunt her looks or really accentuate them in any way that he could tell, other than with a hint of mascara and some lip gloss. But her sexuality shone through, even when she was playing the uptight lawyer.

Pierce had to move the seat all the way back to get his legs into Nikki’s small Sentra. She hadn’t complained once when he locked her office door and deposited her in the passenger seat of her car. He started the engine and shot a sideways glance at his unusually silent passenger. “What’s the matter?”

She shrugged, her gaze locked on the door they had recently exited. “I thought I was doing the right thing. Now I don’t know. I didn’t expect to feel so...”

“Sentimental?”

She punched his arm. “I was going to say conflicted.”

“It’s natural. Every turning point in life is an emotional hurdle.”

“Wow. That’s pretty deep.”

“You mean for a non-cerebral guy like me?”

“Your words, not mine. Just because you didn’t choose a desk job doesn’t mean you’re any less of an intellectual being.”

“Sometimes I think it makes me more of a thinker,” he admitted. “There’s something about nature that strips away all the crap and reduces life to its most basic elements.”

She gave him directions to her condo, which was only a couple of miles away. Again he carried her, though since her unit was on the ground floor, it wasn’t far. Inside, he looked around with interest while Nikki collected what she would need.

Moments later, she came out of the bedroom. “I’d rather shower here, if you don’t mind. Can you entertain yourself for a few minutes?”

“Of course,” he said, settling into a comfy armchair and picking up the remote. As he absently flipped channels, he studied her place. It was nicely furnished and tidy, but hardly big enough to toss a cat. The nearest bookshelf was filled with law books. No knickknacks and no pictures. Odd. Even her office had shown more signs of color. Though there’d been no photos there, either.

Nikki was true to her word. In no time at all she reappeared, wearing black slacks and a sleeveless white blouse. She looked cool and pristine, and he had a sudden urge to muss her up any way he could. “How’s the foot?” he asked, noting her bare feet.

“It hurt like heck in the shower,” she admitted. “But once we put some antibiotic ointment on it, I’m sure it will be fine. I did find some Band-Aids, but they’re too small.”

“I don’t think you’ll be comfortable going into a restaurant barefoot. And we need to bandage up that foot as soon as we can. There’s a steak place out near me that does carryout. Sound okay to you? Or are you a vegetarian?” More and more people were these days.

But Nikki was already shaking her head. “I ate a lot of beans and macaroni and cheese growing up,” she said, opening her purse and tucking a comb inside. “I love red meat. Any kind of meat, for that matter. So that sounds wonderful.”

Her comment sparked curiosity, but he decided not to pursue it. For now, he was simply relieved that she was not going to fight him over his plans for the evening. “What about the hospital documents?” he asked.

“If I can access my email at your house, I’ll print them out there. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Give me just a minute to order the food, and we’ll go.”

She told him her preferences, and after he placed an order, he moved to lift her again. She stopped him with a look. “The sun is getting low. I can tolerate the sidewalk. I appreciate the thought, but I’m walking to the car.”

He put his hands high in the door frame, stretching his shoulders. “Did your parents ever call you stubborn?”

Her face went blank, wiped clean of every emotion. “No...they didn’t,” she said, her voice cool. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go. I’m starving.”

He waited for her to lock the door and then followed her out to the car. Though it was hours yet until sunset, the sun’s rays had tempered and a light breeze alleviated some of the heat. Nikki didn’t say much. He wondered if he had somehow offended her.

The food was ready when he ran inside the restaurant. He paid for it quickly and jogged back to the car, oddly relieved to see Nikki and the car right where he had left them. He put the food in the trunk, except for one small sack. He slid into the driver’s seat and handed Nikki his peace offering.

“What’s this?” she asked, her mood suspicious.

“Hand-breaded onion rings. You said you were hungry.”

Four

Nikki didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Here she was, at the end of an emotionally and physically draining day, on her way to have an intimate dinner at a man’s house. And because she said she was starving, he’d bought her a snack in the meantime. As if humoring a fractious child.