The Law of Attraction

Maybe walking wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe then they’d be too tired to do anything that might be deemed risky. Maybe they should jog. “Okay, Counselor. Lead the way.”

And with only minimal second thoughts, Alisha accompanied Daniel Fortune to his condo, feeling as if tonight she might go anywhere he cared to take her.

Two

Daniel Fortune liked order, but tonight he’d invited chaos into his world in the form of five feet two inches of prime redhead with an attitude. The reasons he’d asked Alisha Hart into his home had been only partially true. Yeah, he could use a friend, because real friends were rare. But the truth of the matter was he wanted more than her friendship. He wanted her. He had since the first time he’d lain eyes on her. But the timing hadn’t been right back then, and timing could be everything. He needed to remember that, otherwise she’d be out of there quicker than he could say “I object.”

She wandered around his apartment for a few minutes, picking up various items to study them. Just when he was about to ask her to take off her coat and stay awhile, she pulled the black all-weather jacket from her shoulders and tossed it and her purse onto the club chair in the corner.

“You’re very neat,” she said as she ran her fingertips over the back of the steel-gray leather sofa.

“I like everything in its place.” Daniel liked having her in his place. He liked her sassy mouth. He liked the fact that she gave as good as she got. And he really liked the man-killing dress.

She strolled toward him and pointed behind him. “That is a nice wet bar.”

“Thanks. You ready for that wine now?”

“Sure.”

Turning his back to her, he took a glass from the marble shelf and pulled the bottle of merlot from the built-in wine rack. He could see her watching him from the mirrored wall behind the bar as he dislodged the cork and he hid a smile as her eyes tracked down his back and lower. She was checking out his ass. He had no problem with that. In fact, he’d be willing to give her a closer, unencumbered look if she asked.

After pouring the wine into the glass, he turned and her gaze zipped up to his face as he offered it to her. “Enjoy.”

She took the wine and a sip. “This is good. Aren’t you going to have some?”

“I don’t drink alcohol. I’ve seen what it can do to people who can’t control their impulses.” He’d lived with the sorry results for most of his childhood and faced them daily during adulthood in the context of his job.

She held up the glass. “That’s why I’m only having this one. I still have to drive home tonight.”

He’d prefer she stay until morning, but that was probably asking too much. “You’ve only been here a few minutes and already you’re talking about leaving.”

“I’m just being realistic, Counselor.”

“It’s Daniel. Tonight we’re not attorneys, we’re friends.” He gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

He followed her to the couch, keeping a fair distance just so he could watch the sway of her hips as she walked. Nothing wrong with a little mutual ass-checking.

Alisha settled against the corner of the sofa and he sat on the opposite end, trying not to crowd her even if he did want to be closer.

“If you don’t drink, then why do you keep alcohol around?” she asked.

He stretched his legs out before him and rested his joined hands on his abdomen. “Strictly for socializing.”

“I see. Have custom wet bar, will entertain. I’m sure it impresses your friends.”

“I don’t entertain too often. Hard to find the time. And as I’ve said before, friends are few and far between these days.” A reminder of why she was here, nothing more than simple companionship.

She kicked off her shoes and curled her legs beneath her. “So are the rumors true?”

With her dress now riding high on her thighs, he had one helluva time concentrating on conversation. “What rumors?”

“That you’re going to run for D.A.?”

“That depends on party politics. They could decide someone else would make a more appropriate candidate.”

“They would be crazy not to consider you.”

“I don’t have a wife and kids, so that could be a determining factor.”

She toyed with the hem of her skirt, drawing Daniel’s attention. “Oh, I don’t know about that. As a bachelor, I’m sure you would garner the female vote.”

“Would I get your vote?”

“That depends. I have yet to see you in action.”

“Do you mean in a courtroom?”

She sent him a sly, sexy smile. “Of course that’s what I meant.”

Damn. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to move off the topic of work.”

“Fine by me,” she said. “Tell me about your family.”

That was one conversation he preferred to avoid, but out of courtesy he offered, “I have a brother and two sisters.”

She took another drink of the wine and then set it down on a coaster on the end table. “What about your parents?

He figured she’d ask that next and he planned to keep it simple. “Both dead.”

She gave him a sincere, sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I didn’t know that. What happened?”

“A car accident about seven years ago.” Enough said. He shifted toward her and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. “What about your family?”

“I’m an only child. My mom and dad live in a small town in West Texas.”

When he noted the hint of sadness in her voice, he asked, “Why aren’t you with them?”

“Well, because the drive takes me nearly a day and I would have had to turn around and come right back home. I did spend Christmas with them, though.”

“Sounds like you’re a close family.” Something Daniel had a hard time fathoming in light of his bitter past.

“Very. They’re absolutely the best. We didn’t have a lot of money while I was growing up, but it didn’t matter. I had everything I needed and a lot of love.”

Something he couldn’t even begin to relate to. He’d had the material objects because of his banker father, but the man had been bankrupt when it came to love. Daniel opted to keep the conversation focused on her. “I bet you were a cheerleader in high school.”

She let go a terse laugh. “Hardly. I didn’t have adequate pom-poms.”

Don’t do it, Fortune. But he couldn’t prevent his gaze from drifting to her breasts before he went back to her blue eyes. “I don’t see anything wrong with your pom-poms.”