Page 42 of Barristers & Bones

Chapter 12

Roman

I grabbed Luna as she bounced off my chest. “What conversation aren’t you done with?”

She stared up at me and her gaze slid back to Drakos’s office. “He asked about Sylvie.”

“Ah.” She appeared rattled, so I took advantage and held her against me for a few more seconds. Her forearms were slim and supple under my hands, and her firm breasts pressed against my chest. She also smelled like cinnamon candy and something citrusy. She was becoming more comfortable around me and didn’t seem to realize it. Good.

“Why does that make you crazy?” I asked mildly.

“Because he’sDrakos. He’d try to eat her for lunch, she’d kick him in the balls, and the chaos theory would unleash.” Luna lowered her voice as if telling me a secret. “Stability to instability, order to disorder. And we’d all get sucked in, just like a black hole.”

I heard a low chuckle behind me and turned to see Ivan leaning against his doorframe. “I did an abbreviated background check on Sylvie Spade, and Luna’s not wrong.”

Luna pointed at Ivan. “When she hears about that, I’d advise you not to be in the same room. Her temper is fierce.” Then she turned to me, her bottle-green eyes wide. “You and your partners are trouble, I have a moral obligation to warn her.”

“What do you mean, we’re trouble?” Annoyance flared in my chest, and I didn’t care how hypocritical that made me.

“Just what I said. Alexa also did background checks on you, and except for Xander, you seem to go through women like kids and their Halloween candy.”

“That’s asinine. You’re a woman and I think I’ve been a calming, stabilizing influence on you.”

Her mouth dropped. “No, you haven’t.”

Ivan chuckled. “And with that, I’m going back to work.”

“I need to go too.” She started backing up.

I followed her. “You don’t think I’m calming or stabilizing?”

Alarm and annoyance flitted across her face. “No.”

“I’ll have to work on that then.”

She stopped and sighed. “That’s not completely true. You’ve helped me study, and I like when we discuss books or ideas. When you’re not a mean, grumpy asshole I like talking with you.” Her eyebrows crinkled as if she just realized that.

Her admission warmed and chilled me all at once. I relished being around her too, and enjoyed her quips, opinions, and even the insatiable curiosity. She wasn’t judgmental and didn’t gossip. I still planned to ruin her, I just might take a little longer doing it.

Patting her on the shoulder, I grinned. “That didn’t hurt too much, did it?”

“Your smug expression ruins your handsomeness sometimes.”

“You think I’m handsome?”

Her face went from pink to a nice shade of red. “You know you’re handsome–until you open your mouth.”

Luna turned and strode back to her office, and I watched her pert ass as she walked away. She was beautiful, naturally sensual, and her mind hummed with energy. Somehow, my plans weren’t so black and white anymore.

Drakos stepped out of his office and watched her walk away. “Should I be offended that she doesn’t want me anywhere near Sylvie?”

I shrugged. “No. She’s not dumb.”

Drakos eyed me. “If she knew the truth, you’d lose her.” I didn’t deny it.

Ivan came back out of his office. “They did a background check onus?” He sounded offended.

Straightening my cuffs, I glanced at them. “They know about Bitter Creek.”

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