five years there’s never been anyone who’s meant anything to him. I know for a fact he’d gladly give it all up just to have Annie back. That’s why this is killing him. The not knowing, especially.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Mr. Mathews—”
“Mitch.”
The spark in his eyes sent her stomach free floating. “Mitch,” she said slowly, wondering why the hell he was having this effect on her. She was never interested in a client. Or the relative of a client. Clearing her throat, she looked back at her glass and traced the condensation on the stem. “We’ll know more when the tests come back.”
“I know we will. What I’m curious about is your gut reaction.”
Her gut reaction wasn’t always right. She hadn’t trusted her gut since Steve had passed away. She’d been so sure he would beat the cancer, but he hadn’t. “It’s not my job to speculate. It’s my job to deal in facts. And the facts are simple. There’s a very strong chance that Kate is Annie.”
He seemed to ingest that. “Ryan will fight a custody suit. He’s got power behind him.”
And here was the meat of the meeting. Simone’s back tightened. “Well, you can reassure Mr. Harrison that if it comes to that, Kate has power behind her too.”
A slow smile spread across his face. And that damn dimple winked at her. “I like you, Counselor.”
He liked baseball. He was sexy as hell. And she’d gone way too long without. She shouldn’t care what Mitch Mathews thought of her, but she did. Dammit, she really did.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, his hand so close to hers, if he moved just a fraction of an inch, they’d be touching. But she didn’t need to touch him to feel the heat rolling off him in waves. The same heat was rolling off her. “I’d like to take you out to dinner. In a real restaurant.”
For a split second, she was tempted to say yes. Then reality settled in. “I don’t think that’s a wise idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m you sis—” She stopped herself just in time, but she saw the way his brows lifted in optimism.
“Kate’s attorney,” she corrected, hating that a part of her now hoped Kate turned out not to be Annie. It would make this…what was happening between them…a whole lot easier. “It would be unethical to have a personal relationship with you.”
“Is that what we’re doing here, Counselor? Starting a personal relationship?”
Big red warning flags went off in her mind. The way he was watching her, the sinister smile, those sexy eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she’d get herself disbarred.
“I think it’s time for me to go, Mr. Mathews.”
He didn’t try to stop her as she reached for her purse. And she was thankful the lust was gone from his voice when he asked, “So you think we’ll find out tomorrow?”
“I’m hopeful, yes. But it might be as late as next week.” As she pushed out of the booth, he was right there, reaching for her arm, helping her up. Tingles rushed over her skin where they touched, and she looked up into mesmerizing green eyes. Eyes any woman could get lost in without much effort.
“So maybe tomorrow I’ll be calling you for that dinner.”
Heat slid through her veins, warming her from the inside out. She fought it though, working for that professionalism she’d perfected over the years. She held out her hand. “Perhaps. Thank you for the drink, Mr. Mathews.”
“Mitch,” he said with that damn sexy, lopsided grin, caressing her hand in both of his, giving her just a taste of what it would feel like to be caressed elsewhere by those big, masculine fingers.
“Mitch,” she heard herself repeat.
She swallowed hard as she let go and exited the restaurant, telling herself the whole time no matter what happened tomorrow, Mitch Mathews was a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The question was, what would her answer be next time?
***
Kate sat at her desk Tuesday afternoon, trying to edit a piece about geoscientists working in conjunction with the Peace Corp. Easing back in her chair, she glanced out the window toward the bay. The article wasn’t enough to hold her interest.
Not today.
With a huff, she tossed the article on her desk, unable to read anymore. It was more sociological and political fluff than out-and-out science.
Not that she’d be able to read it even if it was the most compelling article on the planet. She scrubbed her hands over