Page 65 of Tequila Tuesdays

“It’s more like a… bet.”

His nostrils flared. “A bet?”

“Yeah, a bet.” I stopped talking, but he shook his head.

“Harley, tell me.”

I lifted my chin. “I only know because a bailiff heard Trevor and a couple of other attorneys talking about it after court one day. The bailiff told me that since I didn’t go out with any of them, they decided to make having sex with me into a fucking bet. The first one wins.” My voice broke a little, and I sucked in a breath.

I hadn’t realized until then how furious I was about it. After the bailiff told me what he’d heard, I’d second-guessed a lot of my friendships with any unattached males, and I became less friendly with certain work colleagues. It was a relief to be able to talk with someone about it.

Damien’s jaw locked. “Have you told anyone?”

“Who would I tell? It hasn’t affected my practice, and no one’s said anything to my face. I’m handling it. If Trevor hits on me again, I’ll probably say something to his supervisor. And the bailiff told me if I ever needed a witness, he’d back me up.”

Damien gathered me in his arms. “Damn it, Legs. We need to have a long talk about what else you aren’t telling me.” He laid his cheek on the top of my head. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

He always smelled so good, and when he held me I got butterflies in my stomach, but I also felt… cherished. I wished we weren’t in the middle of the parking lot of the courthouse. “It’s fine. I’ve lived through worse things.”

He pulled back and looked down at me. “Come over for dinner tonight.”

I smiled and started automatically nodding, then remembered Olivia was coming. “Can you come to my house instead? Olivia’s coming tomorrow, and I need to get a few things done.”

“Yeah. I’ll come by around seven.”

When seven finally rolled around, I was a bundle of nerves. I’d used the extra adrenaline to clean my house and change the sheets. Damien came right on time, and when I heard the doorbell, my adrenaline spiked. But he was scowling, and he had Zeke with him.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” I asked.

“No,” Damien said shortly. “Connor’s brother tried to vandalize his house. Connor called us a few minutes ago and asked if I’d come out and help him. I want to introduce him to Zeke, so he feels comfortable with either of us. We need to go but I wanted to see you first.”

Zeke grinned. “Hey, Harley. I would’ve told Connor to shove it. Just remember that.”

Damien reached out and smacked Zeke on the chest without looking at him.

“She’s mine, fucker.” He stepped closer and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I’m sorry.”

I grabbed a hold of Damien’s shirt and looked up at him. “It’s okay. I know a little about what Connor’s going through, and it’s nice that you care about your clients. Do you need help?”

He shook his head. “I think he needs moral support and maybe help handling the police. He pays us a fuck load of money, so I feel obligated to go. I also like the guy.”

“Okay. You’re welcome to come by afterward—if you want. You know my code.”

He nodded. “It’ll probably be late, but I’m taking you up on that. Is it okay if I leave my truck in your driveway?”

“Yes, of course.” He leaned in and sniffed my hair, then he tipped my chin up and gave me a hard kiss on my lips. I wrapped myself around him and kissed him back.

Holy shit, he was a good kisser. He had just the right slant and pressure, and his lips were firm but soft. I whimpered a little into his mouth.

“I hate you right now,” Zeke muttered behind Damien. “I’ll be in the truck.”

We broke apart at his voice, and I panted like I’d just run a few miles.

“I’ll see you tonight, no matter how late it is. If it’s after eleven, I’ll let myself in.”

I licked my lips and nodded. He clenched his jaw, then turned around and walked to Zeke’s truck.

It was after midnight when I heard Gary woof softly and then felt a hand on my shoulder.

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