Page 92 of Sweet Temptation

“Wow,” he said. “Never would’ve pegged you for a hypocrite, brother.”

Obviously, he was inferring my relationship with my own client and the fact that I’d assigned myself to her detail. Maybe he’d picked up on the fact that I was attracted to her.

But that was different.

Wasn’t it?

I’d thought about it last night and this morning, but I still wasn’t sure.

Have a nice ride.

That’s what she’d said to me yesterday, just before I got on my bike to head to the liquor store for her. I knew she was a natural flirt; that much was obvious. I’d seen her in action last night, at her party.

But I was still trying to read between the lines of everything she said to me. And when she’d walked me out to the driveway and watched me get on my bike, her eyes had a lot to say.

Did she like motorcycles?

Did she want to go for a ride on mine?

Nope. Bad idea.

Client. Only.

You do not take hot clients for rides on your bike.

Get your head in the fucking game.

With every passing hour, it seemed to be getting harder to be sure of what my motivations were. Which actions I was taking based on instinct, experience and professional concern for my client’s safety… and those I might be taking because of my growing attraction to her.

Because I was definitely starting to take those actions.

Eating meals with her when I didn’t need to. Getting to know her on a personal level.

Undressing her with my eyes every time I thought I could get away with it.

Running to the liquor store and the weed dispensary to pick up party favors for her, just because she’d asked me to, while gently pleading with those pale-blue eyes.

I think I need to not be around you twenty-four-seven.

What the hell did that mean?

She didn’t want to need my services; I knew that. But was this whole situation getting complicated for her, like it was for me?

Because for me, it was fucking complicated. And I wasn’t even sure how or why or when that had started.

Did it start from moment one, as soon as I walked into her house?

Or sometime later?

Was it before or after I decided I was taking this assignment?

I tried to focus on my workload, get organized for the day. Focus on much more important questions that needed answering.

But it was fucking bothering me, this second-guessing my own intentions.

When I checked my phone, I had a message from Jude. He’d called early this morning to check in. I wasn’t sure if he was checking in because he’d heard about my conversation with Piper, or if he was checking on the restraining order situation, or both. But I called him back.

“I had a nice visit from your brother the other day,” I told him as soon as I got him on the phone. Might as well get right to it.