Didn't Expect You (Against All Odds #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,36

feels nice.

“Thank you for this weekend,” she says as I walk her to the door. “Sorry about yesterday.”

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

I stare at her beautiful eyes. Unthinkingly, I lift my hand and caress her cheek with the back of my hand before I cup her chin.

“Happy birthday,” she whispers.

“Thank you again for today,” I mumble, my face closing up to hers slowly. “You still owe me my present.”

“This is a bad idea,” she mutters. Her uneven breath caresses my lips.

“Terrible,” I agree, melting by the heat increasing as our bodies get closer together.

I bend my head and kiss her. Her lips freeze at first, but when I put my other arm around her, they soften. Her fingers push through my hair and entwine behind my head. For all the bad decisions I’ve made in my life, and I’ve made a lot of them since I could walk, this might be the most dangerous, lethal, and delicious one I’ve made.

She tastes of lavender, honey, and vanilla. Just like the cake we ate earlier. But there’s also a sweetness that I’m sure is all Nyx. Placing a hand on her neck, I pull her closer to me and the slow, tantalizing kiss becomes eager, hungry. I want to devour her.

But this isn’t just lips pressed together, tongues dancing, and hands exploring. It’s like we’re connecting, exchanging secrets, opening a door that should remain closed. Her hands push me, but her lips don’t let go. It’s as if she’s willing to be consumed by the fire we’ve ignited but also wants to run far away from this situation.

“This is wrong,” she mumbles against my lips. “I…I’m not in a good place, and you…”

“I know,” I say, giving her one more longing kiss.

“For what is worth, if I had found you before, maybe we could’ve been perfect together.”

She kisses my cheek and pats it, “Doubt it. Take care of yourself, Nathaniel.”

Fourteen

Nyx

Nothing says professional better than reaching for a trash can during a mediation. The stupid bug is back. Yesterday I was fine. Maybe Mom is right, and I have an ulcer. This must be due to the stress. It has been a terrible day and it’s only eleven in the morning. Earlier today, I lost a case. This day can’t get any worse.

Can it?

Once I’m done heaving, I excuse myself and run to the bathroom to rinse, clean myself, and try to settle down before I go back to the conference room.

“Better?” my client asks, arms crossed, hateful glare, and foot tapping.

“Umm, yes. Sorry, I think I caught a bug while I was in New York.”

She sighs. “Listen, you’ve been gone for a long time, and I need someone to be here for me. Your firm came highly recommended, and you’re one of the best family law attorneys, but I think I’m going to hire someone else before my soon to be ex-husband ends up with everything we own.”

Not my fault, sweetheart. You’re the stupid one who met with him thinking he was going to ask for forgiveness and move you back into the house where he’s now living with his mistress.

“I told you to wait until I was back,” I argue, and this is why I try to avoid divorce cases, but Sarah, my boss, doesn’t understand the meaning of the word, no. “You’re the one who decided to sit down with your ex-husband and his lawyer without me. You can’t blame me for not taking my advice.”

She huffs. “So, you're telling me that they reduced the alimony because of me? That’s rich. You made me lose that twenty percent.”

“No, I told you to stay at home and wait for me. What did you do?”

“They tricked me,” she defends herself.

I try not to give her a do you think I’m stupid lecture and instead I hit her with the facts, “They have a recording. I’m trying to fix what we—”

“You’re fired,” she interrupts me, turns around and leaves.

My boss has no boundaries. Sarah Bryant thinks that she not only owns the place but owns us all. When she wants to speak to us, she lets herself into our offices. It doesn’t surprise me to find her waiting for me when I arrive at the firm. This is like the cherry on top to end my Monday of Hell.

She glares at me. Her eyes bore into mine, her jaw is clenched, and her finger is wagging at me, “I didn’t hire you to drag the name of my firm through the