Falling for the Lawyer - By Anna Clifton Page 0,33

of the cab, you know. I guessed it was him with that pretty little curly haired number.”

“That pretty little curly haired number is my cousin, if you must know.”

“They make a cute couple,” he couldn’t resist adding, wanting to see Alex’s reaction so that he could gauge whether she had any inkling of what he’d thought he’d seen pass between her fiancé and cousin.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, visibly perturbed.

“Nothing at all.”

“Anyway, you can’t come in.”

“You know that’s very bad manners,” he laughed. “And you may want to reconsider your decision not to let me in because I have your wallet.”

With that he whipped it out from behind his back to reveal it to her ever so briefly before stowing it away again.

“Give me that!”

“Not until you invite me in,” he replied with a grin. He hadn’t seen much of Alex’s feisty side and he decided he liked it—very much.

“Never!” she cried and launched herself at him, lunging around his powerful physique to grab at the wallet but he was too quick for her. He soon had his arm stretched upwards as she jumped a couple of times to snatch it. But he held it just out of her reach, laughing uproariously the whole time.

“Alex, what’s going on?”

At that moment, Alex was airborne in an effort to regain her wallet when the bone chilling tone of a woman’s voice reached JP’s ears. Alex regained her footing and throwing a silencing look at him swung around to face a dark-eyed, slightly built woman standing in the doorway. She was clearly nonplussed at the shenanigans going on in her garden.

“Mum!” Alex breathed, but then despite her mouth being open to speak, no sound came out.

“It’s my fault, Mrs Farrer.” JP stepped into the light. “I’m Jonathan McKenzie, Alex’s boss.”

“Oh!” Mrs Farrer replied, taken aback at JP’s ready command of the situation.

“Alex left her wallet in my car. I was just torturing her a little before I gave it back. I didn’t mean to interrupt your gathering.” With that, he held his hand out to Alex’s mother who accepted it, looking a little dumbstruck at his appealing demeanour.

“That’s all right, I suppose,” she replied doubtfully as Alex watched her in fascination, clearly shocked at her mother’s docile acceptance of his explanation. “Won’t you come in?”

“No!” Alex cried with a shrill note in her voice. “JP has another commitment.”

“JP?” Mrs Farrer questioned, looking hard at Alex and then at him.

“Jon Paul, like the popes,” he grinned but the levity was lost on Alex’s mother who was completely poker-faced. “And unfortunately my other commitment was cancelled,” he added, throwing Alex a look of mock disappointment.

“Well then, come in and have dinner with us,” Alex’s mother commanded rather than asked.

“Mum’s mission in life is to feed the men of the world as often and as much as possible,” Alex threw in dryly, looking in grim resignation at her mother.

“Don’t be cheeky young lady!” Mrs Farrer scolded but JP could see the affectionate sparkle in her eye as she waggled her finger at her daughter. “You’re not too old to be sent to your room, you know.”

“I’d love to join you but I wouldn’t want to intrude,” JP checked insincerely as he raised his eyebrows at Alex provocatively.

“You’re not. We’re just sitting down at the table now,” Mrs Farrer assured him and turning her back on her daughter she made sure to usher JP into the house ahead of her.

Mary Farrer had soon introduced JP to everyone and after accepting a glass of wine he wandered over towards the dinner table. Sensing Alex was deliberately setting out to sit as far from him as possible he changed course like a flash to slip into the seat next to her. By that time all the other table positions had been taken—she had no choice but to remain where she was.

“So you’re a lawyer?” Peter Farrer lead the conversation from the head of the table, his voice loaded with scepticism.

JP felt Alex tense at his side. She knew what was coming, as did he. That particular opening from strangers had been landed on him all his professional life. Peter Farrer didn’t like lawyers and he was about to let JP know that in no uncertain terms.

“That’s right,” JP replied brightly, turning to thank Mary Farrer as she loaded his plate with three different kinds of steaming hot meat and vegetable dishes that he didn’t recognise but which smelt incredible.

“And you’re a partner, yes?”

“Yes.”

“So how much do