Page 106 of Passionate Defense

“Nope. That’s not how we roll.”

“Good. She’s great in the courtroom, but between the sheets... No way. She scares the shit out of me, too. I can’t believe what comes out of her mouth sometimes.” She smiled at the quirked brow she always got from him when she used salty language. Then she sobered. “Don’t think you’re off the hook for doubting me, buster.”

He lowered his head and his kiss was sweet and lingering. “I promise to make it up to you in ways we’ll both enjoy.”

“Mm, I can’t wait.” When her gaze met his, she was relieved to see that desire had chased away the shadows of doubt.

It was a revelation that her big, strong, dominant husband could be as vulnerable as she was when it came to the two of them, and it made her love him more. She offered him that reassurance.

“I love what we have together, Ethan. From the quiet moments to the romance, to the love, honor, and cherish parts, and all the naughty, kinky, sexy, wonderful games we play. Got me now, Professor?”

“I got you, but I’m curious about something. After your dad passed, why did you continue on with your law degree? Why not change to a drama major and head to Hollywood or Broadway?”

“Two reasons. The first is because I’m neurotic and change is hard for me. You may have noticed that all the times you took me over your lap this year or in the frequency you had to talk me down from a freak-out.”

His brow quirked, but his mouth remained shut.

“Since I was high-strung as a child, it’s unlikely that will change. You’ll probably want to keep your phone charged and your paddle handy.”

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Lanie paused, trying to get back on track. “I was in grad school when Dad passed. I had taken my LSAT and did really well, and already had my letter of acceptance from Boston College Law School. I didn’t have a romantic interest at the time, so marriage and babies weren’t on the horizon. I was looking at being an independent working girl who had to earn a living somehow, especially if I thumbed my nose at what my parents had decided was best for me. I couldn’t count on Mom’s support if I chucked it all and ran off to be discovered in Hollywood. Bottom line, I was too far along to throw it all away and knew I could always find work. Acting would have been a crap shoot.”

“How practical for a neurotic dreamer.” His smile was tender as his hand cupped her cheek. “What’s the other reason?”

“That was all you.”

“Me? We hadn’t met yet.”

“Not directly.”

“C’mon, baby. Don’t get mysterious again. You were on a roll.”

“When Dad died, I thought seriously about quitting. I actually took a semester off to get my head on straight. During that time, Mom arranged an internship with a colleague who was a trial attorney. She was afraid I wouldn’t go back. It wasn’t boring at all. But I didn’t think I was the hard-ass attorney type.”

“After what I saw today, you sold yourself short.”

“Thank you, but back then, I was terminally timid and introverted. One day, the attorney I was working with sent me to a seminar. It was entitled, ‘Trial lawyers: Thespians in Suits.’ A to-die-for young litigator was presenting. He had the most beautiful brown eyes—still does.”

“You were in one of my workshops?” His brow creased as he thought back. “Why don’t I remember you?”

“Don’t strain yourself. There were 250 attendees and you wouldn’t have recognized me back then.” Her fingers rose to the lines between his brows and smoothed them, traveling over his high cheekbones and down along the day’s scruff of beard. “I was young, still trying to find myself, and sporting bleached-blonde hair. Trust me, they don’t have more fun.”

“Why did you switch back?”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be taken seriously, like in that movie with Reese Witherspoon.”

“Legally Blonde.”

“You’ve seen it?” If he’d demonstrated thebend and snap, she wouldn’t have been more surprised. “But you hate rom-coms. What on earth possessed you?”

“A forgettable date with someone I cannot remember. I do recall being annoyed by the yappy dog in the purse in court. That’s two hours of my life I’ll never get back.”

“Oh, but I liked Bruiser.”

He actually rolled his eyes.

“My point is... I learned from your workshop that a trial is like a play. The courtroom is the stage and the plaintiff, the defendant, the other lawyers, and the judge are all actors. You said that as a trial lawyer, my role is multifaceted. I’m a producer and also the lead actor, but my biggest role is director, and my job is to present the story through my eyes to my audience, which is played by the jury. Arranging what they see and hear, in what order, what to emphasize, and what to minimize. I took all that you said to heart because it was something I knew I could do. I could be a hard-ass lady lawyer if I approached it like an actor in a play.”

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