LITMIR.BIZ

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and a half trying to deny taking shape. Shit. “Thanks.”

      She hung up the phone with a trembling hand and sucked in a few long, steadying breaths to quell the adrenaline rushing through her. She knew what she had to do. For her sister, and hell, maybe for herself, too. The only question was if she could actually do it without having a total mental breakdown in the process.

      She stared at her desk calendar, the names of the women she counseled staring back at her. Women who she encouraged to take charge of their situations, to tackle their fears, to stand on their own feet and claim their lives.

      She was such a goddamned hypocrite.

      Her fists clenched and something strong and steely wrapped around the ball of fear in her chest, stifling its hold on her and straightening her spine.

      Without giving herself time to reconsider, she stepped around her desk and headed out of her office. One foot in front of the other. The steady clicking of her heels against the linoleum and her pounding heartbeat the only things filling her head. She didn’t stop until she had knocked on his office door.

      “Come in,” Reid called, and she pushed open the door. He glanced up from a box of files on his desk. Despite the temporary truce they’d forged over the weekend, she had avoided him after the obligatory greeting at the communal coffee pot that morning. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. “Hey.”

      “Hey.” Brynn squared her shoulders, trying to hold on to her newfound determination and ignore the swirl of emotions the lawyer incited in her. Seeing Reid on a daily basis was going to take some getting used to. Why couldn’t he have lost all his hair and sprouted man boobs by now? Then, she could just focus on hating him and wouldn’t have to deal with the attraction that seemed burned into her DNA. “All moved in?”

      He tapped the box in front of him. “Last one to sort through.”

      She nodded and folded her arms across her chest, lingering in the doorway, anxiety leaking into her system again. “That’s good.”

      He pulled a few files from the box and set them on the desk. “Any new leads?”

      She chewed her lip. “I’m pretty sure Kelsey’s at The Ranch. I talked to my friend at the police department and found out Kels owes a lot of money to a local dealer. They think he’s after her to pay up.”

      He frowned. “Well, The Ranch would be a great place to hide, especially if she’s looking to make some cash quickly.”

      She nodded, her throat threatening to close. Her flight response was kicking in just thinking about asking the question. Dammit. Get it together, Brynn. She reached for the doorjamb to hold herself steady.

      His blue eyes evaluated her, and his mouth sunk into a deeper frown. Before she could force out a word, he rose from his chair and crossed the room, his focus never leaving her face. She wondered

      if he was going to embrace her, ward off the panic. The thought seemed both appealing and abhorrent all at the same time.

      But he didn’t hug her. Instead, he slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small white card. When she didn’t make a move to take it, he grabbed her hand and with a gentle pressure uncurled her fist. He placed the card in her palm. “I told my friend to expect you around eight tonight.”

      She lifted Reid’s business card, flipped it over, and read the handwritten address. “But how did you know to make an appointment? I hadn’t even decided to do it.”

      The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Ten years may have passed, Brynn, but I still know you.”

      Anger at his knowing glance chased away the burgeoning panic. “What? That I’m a girl who willingly jumps in bed with anyone?”

      His expression hardened. “No, I was going to say because I know how protective you are of your sister. But maybe your assessment is more accurate.”

      She flexed her fingers, wishing that she’d taken the kickboxing class instead of the self-defense one because punching Reid’s smug face would have been so satisfying. But she really didn’t need to get fired for interoffice violence on top of her already shitty day. “Screw you, Reid.”

      He smirked, tilting his head closer as if he were going to share a secret. “You already did that, sugar. And from what I remember, you loved every minute of it. All you have to do is ask and I’ll come along with you.”

      Heat rushed to her cheeks, but her tone turned icy. “Don’t misconstrue my appreciation for your help this weekend with forgiveness. You lost the right to touch me a very long time ago.”

      “Suit yourself.” He rocked back on his heels and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Good luck with your stranger, Brynn.”

      Your stranger. Her lunch threatened to make an encore appearance, and she turned on her heel, striding away before Reid could see how much he’d gotten to her.

SIX

       then

      Brynn flinched as Davis Ackerman slammed his fist on his desk, a strand of perfectly gelled hair falling across his forehead.

      “Dammit, Brynn. How could you leave the governor on hold that long?”

      She stared down at her skirt, worrying the hem between her fingers and wishing—not for the first time—that she worked directly for Reid’s uncle and not for the power-happy campaign manager. “I’m so sorry. I… um… I had an emergency call on the other line. I got distracted.”

      “What call could possibly be more important? He’s the goddamn governor!” Davis’s face turned the color of the cinnamon gum he incessantly chewed.

      Tears brimmed her eyes, but she blinked them back. Explaining to him that her sister had called her in hysterics a minute after she thought she’d transferred the governor’s call would not win her any points. She cleared her throat. “I promise it’ll never happen again.”

      “You got that right,” he said, rising from his chair, his hand still clasping a copy of the e-mail the governor had sent to him about sitting on hold so long he’d hung up. “I know Patrick has taken a liking to you, but this kind of thing will not be excused. No more mistakes, Ms. LeBreck.”

      She breathed an inner sigh of relief. Thank God. No pink slip today. She nodded and stood. “Yes, sir, I understand. Thank you.”

      She yanked open the office door and escaped in such a hurry she didn’t notice Reid until she barreled into him. A stack of papers dropped from his hands. “Whoa, there.”

      “Shit,” she said, sinking to her knees to gather the mess. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

      He knelt next to her and laid a hand over hers, stilling her frantic pace. “Hey, chill. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

      She glanced up to meet his gaze and died a little when a hot tear slid down her cheek. No, please, not in front of him. She wiped the moisture from her face and pulled her other hand from beneath his. “I’m fine, just in a rush.”

      He glanced at the closed door behind her. “Did Davis upset you?”

      She shook her head and straightened the documents into a neat stack before handing them to Reid. “It’s nothing. I made a mistake, and he was talking to me about it.”

      Reid stood and set the papers onto a nearby desk, his blue eyes narrowing. “More like yelling. I could hear him from across the office. God, that guy can be such a prick sometimes. He thinks just because he landed a management position at thirty he can piss on everyone else.”

      She walked past him and grabbed her purse from underneath the reception desk. “It’s not a big deal. I deserved it. I shouldn’t have messed up.”

      “Hold

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