Total D*ck(29)

“Definitely not—Terrell, there you are.”

A tall man entered the room and walked over to us, smiling and greeting everyone as he came.

“Where have you been?” Caroline whispered.

He bowed his head. “Lost track of time. Had too much dic—I mean fun last night.”

“Player.” She kissed him on the cheek as he smirked at her.

“Jealous.” He whispered before raising his voice. “Everyone ready to get started?” He popped her on the ass as he walked by and called the meeting to order. If Terrell hadn’t been Caroline’s best friend—and gay—I was certain Wash would have ripped his arm off. “Take your seats and we’ll get to the agenda.”

I watched Scarlett edge around the farthest table from me, the two young men she’d been chatting with sticking close to her.

“I’m going to, um—”

“You don’t have to explain. Go get her, tiger.” Caroline shooed me toward Scarlett’s end of the expansive sunroom.

“Try not to embarrass the family name,” Wash added.

“No promises,” I said over my shoulder as I maneuvered around the young, wealthy elite of New Orleans. Plenty of beautiful girls with trust funds and killer bodies swirled around me, but there was only one I wanted to talk to. She was currently giving me a look that had a very real chance of melting my face off.

One of the men with her pulled her chair out and she sat, though her eyes never left mine. He took the chair next to her. I stepped up to her side just as the other young man tried to sit.

“Sorry, man. Terrell told me he wanted me to lead discussion on this end. I’ll need this seat.”

He looked up, his Bieber haircut falling into his eyes. “Uh, okay.”

“Thanks. I knew you’d understand.” I clapped him on the back far too hard and pulled out the chair next to Scarlett.

As I sat, she whispered through clenched teeth, “What do you think you’re doing?”

I laid my arm across the back of her chair, knowing she hated it. “I just wanted to talk to you about our case.”

She turned and stared at me. Her blue eyes sparkled in the bright sunlight and her long hair shone a dark brown but with lighter strands around her face. With her hair down, her face was a heart shape, her chin making a cute little point and the dark pink bow of her lips a decidedly sweet lure.

Her eyes widened. “Did Carey break the encryption?”

“No.”

“Then what do we have to talk about?”

“You look nice.”

She opened her mouth to speak and then snapped it shut again. Color rose from the collar of her white blouse, creeping into her cheeks. Her pale skin was the perfect palette.

“Thank you.”

“—and if we’re ready . . .” Terrell stared at us from the head of the middle table. I hadn’t realized the room had grown quiet. Wash raised his eyebrows at me from one table over, silently scolding.

“My bad.” I waved.

“Oh my God,” Scarlett said under her breath.

“It’s cool. We have a couple of items. First, the spring gala. We’ve planned an even bigger event than usual this year, and we’ll have it here at Lynch Lane. The committee has worked hard to get the plans for a botanical show and auction in cooperation with the New Orleans Botanical Garden. That will be the last weekend in May. Setup will have to be swift, because the prior weekend we intend to host a very special wedding. Evangeline Angel and Lincoln Granade.”

I still couldn’t believe my oldest brother was getting hitched. And to a firecracker, at that. Evan, his fiancée, could drink me under the table and out-swear me on the regular—neither of which were small feats.

“Your brother, right?” Scarlett whispered without turning her head as Terrell continued his charity event spiel.

“Yes.”

“So are there more. Or just the three I know about?”

“Just the three.” I slipped my hand down onto her shoulder. “I’m the best one, though.”

She snorted and slapped my hand off her. Then she turned the snort into a cough to cover it as Terrell gave her an unamused look.

“It’s true,” I protested.

“I think I’ll be the judge of that. Lincoln is a highly respected Assistant U.S. attorney, well on his way to be being the U.S. attorney for the district, and Wash is the number one criminal defense attorney in town. And you are?” She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

“Me? Oh, I’m just the hot plaintiff’s attorney who you desperately want to bend you over this table.”

She bit her lip and radiated disapproval, but I saw the pulse in her neck speed up. The rosy color intensified in her cheeks, and I just bet that if I could slip my fingers to the little patch of heaven between her thighs, she’d be wet.