Phin set down his office phone receiver with a gratified sigh. Apparently Josh Lassiter had finally posted bail and been released.When he’d contacted Violet about giving Emily a job, he hadn’t told her any specifics. Violet, despite her intense curiosity, had agreed to look into it. So, Violet must have hired Emily for a job, and Phin couldn’t help but be glad that he’d found a way to help her.Of course, he had no intention of telling her of his connection to Violet. There was no reason Emily needed to know. Just knowing he helped her was enough for him, and now, her brother was out of the detention center.And if he were honest, he’d admit that he hadn’t stopped thinking about that damn kiss since he’d dropped Emily off at her apartment. He’d dreamt of it, over and over again. In some of the dreams, he’d picked Emily up in his arms and taken her inside before the kiss had turned into something much more interesting.He gritted his teeth, telling his body to calm down. He already

Phin collected his things, exhaustion making him dream of going home and sleeping for the entire weekend. The court case involving a hit-and-run accident hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped, and now Phin was going to have to deal with the repercussions of his client being a no-show today at court.Today was a day where Phin wondered why he did this job. What was the point when his clients refused to listen to his advice? When the outcome was that his client went to jail anyway? It was a pessimistic thought that he tried not to entertain for too long, but today it stuck in his craw.Phin walked to his car with heavy steps. When he heard a voice say his name, he grimaced. He did not have the patience to deal with Sterling McIntosh today of all days.“What a coincidence,” said Sterling. “Seeing you here again.”Phin tossed his briefcase into the passenger seat of his car. “We’re both lawyers. Not sure it’s a coincidence so much as an inevitability.”“This is why you don’t have any frie

August passed into September before Phin realized it, and as the leaves began to change, he became swamped under a load of work. He was grateful for it, because it gave him a reason to stop thinking about Emily. Each day he awoke, he considered calling her to tell her—what? That he was sorry? That he missed her?He didn’t call her, though. Josh’s case was still pending, and there was nothing to discuss until his next court date, which was months away. As far as Phin had heard, Josh had been attending school and hadn’t run away again. For that, he was thankful, because Emily didn’t need the stress.But Emily wasn’t his to worry about. He’d made that abundantly clear when he’d touched her and then driven off. He hated himself for that. Yet when Sterling continued to sniff around him, he knew he’d made the right choice.Emily didn’t need Phin making her life harder than it already was. Logically, he knew that. In this instance, though, logic didn’t soothe him like it normally would.T

Emily followed Phin into the nearby hotel, saying a silent prayer of thanks that Ash and Violet had thought to have everything for the wedding within close proximity.Phin headed straight to the elevator, and when the doors closed with only the two of them inside, he started kissing her again. She’d never kissed a man in an elevator. But then again, she hadn’t been this desperate to be with a man in her entire life. All of her previous relationships paled in comparison to this lust burning through her.Phin nipped at her bottom lip before kissing the side of her mouth. “That beauty mark has driven me crazy since I first saw you,” he admitted. “It made me want to kiss you right then.”“In the courtroom? That judge would’ve had quite a show.”Phin laughed. “Honestly, it probably wouldn’t have been the craziest thing he’s seen. It would’ve probably been a regular morning for him.”At that, Emily started laughing, and she almost demanded to hear some of Phin’s crazier stories. But the

Emily’s stomach rumbled as she smelled the burger and fries waiting for her latest table. She hadn’t eaten since early that morning, and the diner had been so busy that she’d only had time to eat a quick granola bar on her break. Normally she tried to avoid the greasy meals here, but right then, she could’ve eaten that entire plate and then some.Jenson eyed her as she gazed longingly at the plate. “You hungry?” he grunted.“No.”“Yeah, you are.” Jenson pushed the burger and fries toward her. When she balked, he said, “I already made too many. Eat it. Otherwise I’ll trash it.”Emily was skeptical this was the case, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Taking the plate, she found her favorite corner in the kitchen and chowed down. She almost moaned with pleasure as she took her first bite. She ate the entire plate in record time, practically licking it when she was done.“Thanks for that. I should get back to work.”Jenson didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to.