on his door, have great sex with a gorgeous man, and be home in less time than it takes to get a mani-pedi.
Still not a good idea.
But when he looked at her that way, it took her a moment to remember why.
* * *
IT WAS DARK outside by the time they left the bar and drove home. In their parking garage, Ford asked when she’d started her own firm, which led into a conversation about one of her very first cases.
“They were two of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met in my life,” she said, as they walked to the elevator. “The husband and wife both refused to move out of the house while the divorce was pending, so they drew a line down the middle and each stayed in their respective half.”
Ford laughed, punching the up button. “Get out of here. That’s like something out of a sitcom.”
“I’m completely serious. They used painter’s tape on the floor to make the line and everything.”
“How does that even work? How do you divide a kitchen in half?”
“Oh my God, the kitchen . . . No, you can’t divide it in half, so we had to negotiate a schedule of the hours each of them could use it. The other lawyer and I spent two days fighting over things like who got to eat breakfast first, or the wording of clauses that required each party to be responsible for cleaning up his or her own dishes.” They stepped into the elevator. “It’s funny now, but at the time I kept thinking, ‘I did not work my ass off in law school for ridiculous shit like this.’”
She smiled at the memory as the elevator doors closed, and leaned back against the wall. Then she noticed Ford was watching her. “What?”
“Just thinking how different things might have been if the blond woman hadn’t sat next to me that night at The Violet Hour. Right at the moment you looked over.”
“How so?”
“For starters, I wouldn’t have ended up hanging out with the bachelorette party. And there wouldn’t have been any Charlotte, nor any Charlotte waking you up in the middle of the night a week later and getting you all cranky with me.”
“Who knows? Maybe everything would’ve happened exactly the same way.”
“Doubtful. I was about ten seconds away from walking over to you before the blonde sat down, and if that had happened . . . Well, let’s just say I’d planned to be pretty charming.”
The elevator reached their door. “Awfully confident there, are you?” she asked, as they stepped out and began walking down the hallway.
“You’ve already admitted there was a vibe between us.”
“True. But in this alternate universe where you walked up to me that night, the odds are that you still would’ve found some way to annoy me.”
“Maybe. But, deep down, there would’ve been a part of you that would’ve been attracted to me, nevertheless.” He slowed down as they reached her front door. “Which means you would’ve said yes when I asked to walk you home that night, and we would’ve ended up right here, on your doorstep. With you wondering if I was going to give you a good-night kiss.”
Her pulse began to race when he took a step closer.
Stay cool, Slade.
“Actually, I probably would’ve said that a kiss isn’t such a good idea, with us being neighbors.”
“And I probably would’ve said that you’re overthinking things.” He put one hand on the wall next to her, trapping her in.
Wow, had his eyes suddenly gone all sexy and smoky.
She fought to keep her voice steady, despite the fact that her sassy subconscious had just jumped up and screamed Yes! Finally! and now was eagerly waving Ford in with two lit air-traffic control beacons. Straight ahead. Keep it coming, big boy. “And that probably would’ve annoyed me.”
His lips curved. “Probably.” He bent his head, his voice turning husky. “But I would’ve kissed you anyway.”
She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath when his mouth brushed over hers in a teasing caress that shot a thrill of anticipation down to her toes. Momentarily forgetting everything else except her need to feel more of him, she slid her hands up his toned, solid chest and curled her fingers into his shirt.
He growled softly and pressed her lips open, pushing her back against the door. When his tongue wound hotly around hers, she moaned and arched against him. He cupped her cheek with one hand, kissing her so thoroughly that they both were