“Wild monkey sex?” The tension from his voice eases into amusement.

“We were in a cage and I was clinging to the fence.”

“Baby?”

“Yeah?

“On second thought, maybe having you involved isn’t such a good idea. If I had to sit with you in the meeting room, going over documents and talking legal talk, while trying not to think about how sexy you look in your tight little suit, not much would get done.”

“Except me…hopefully.”

His voice deepens. “Oh, you would get done. On the table. On the floor. Against the window…”

My cheeks protest the excess laughter. “How about I fax you the documents that will allow me to represent you just for the hearing, and then I’ll send you a list of attorneys I know who could take over the case. I can explain it to the judge. I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“Thanks, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Actually, tomorrow night I’ll be at the legal aid center, but the next day…”

“I’m going to see you tomorrow night,” he says firmly. “No matter where you are.”

***

The next morning I am awakened, not by the dulcet tones of a nightingale or the soft croon of Easy Listening radio, but by a string of cuss words that would made any mother run for a bar of soap, and which end with a shouted question.

“Jesus f**king Christ. Did you sleep in the office?”

Blinking to clear my vision, I struggle to orient myself. Big comfy couch with hideous pattern of birds and flowers, boring blue corporate curtains, dull framed print of blue and gray lines, office reception, me in my work clothes. And Ray fuming above me.

“Morning, Ray. Sorry I’m in your space. I lay down…” I check my watch. “…three hours ago to rest my eyes after going through the tape of the new witness statement Penny and I got last night. Great stuff. And we have more leads to follow up so—”

“Go home and get some sleep.” He points to the door as I push myself into a sitting position.

“I believe I’m the boss.” I fix him with a sleepy glare. “And I have too much work to do to waste time sleeping.”

Lips pressed tight together, he fixes me with his best scowl. Pretty scary stuff. “Is that why you started your own firm? So you could work the way you were working before?”

Holding up my hand as if to ward Ray away, I shake my head. “I don’t have a choice. It’s me against Farnsworth and until my house sells I have to do it all myself.”

I don’t realize my slip until Ray’s eyes narrow. “You’re selling your house?”

My breath catches. “Uh…”

“Dammit, Amanda. Why didn’t you tell us you were in trouble?”

The door opens and I jump up as Penny walks in the door. “It isn’t that bad. And it’s too big for one person anyway.”

After freshening up and emailing Jake the contact details of a few attorney friends I know, I do a little prep and then head into the reception room. “I’m going to the courthouse. Back in a few hours.”

“Hold up.” Ray folds his newspaper and drops his feet to the floor. “I’m coming. Eugene is across the street. Idiot must think I wouldn’t recognize his piece of shit Volvo. Don’t like you going alone with him on your tail. I’ll send him a little warning first, let him know I’m with you. Maybe scare him away.”

He opens the front window and leans out over the sill to make a rude pointing motion at a beaten-up red Volvo parked across the street. Then he does the threatening, mafia, “I see you” gesture, stabbing at his chest, touching his eyes, and then pointing again at the vehicle. Seconds later the vehicle roars away.

“Well, that was effective.”

“Gotta look after my girls. But he’s probably just around the corner, so I’ll stay with you.” Ray ushers me out to his Jeep parked on the side of the road.

“I’m a woman, not a girl.” I wave my hand over my fitted black suit, white button-down shirt, and modestly heeled pumps.

Ray snorts a laugh. “You’re the girliest girl I ever met. Girl like you stirs a man’s most basic protective instincts. Man like me, more. Protection. Done. Ass. Jeep. Now.”

Once we are inside the courthouse, Ray goes commando for real. He literally sweeps people from my path as we walk to the courtroom and insists we only walk down hallways he has pronounced “clear.” No other attorney has a commando-cum-PI bodyguard, and we attract a lot of unwanted attention.

When we finally reach the courtroom, I spot Evil Reid in the hallway with an entourage of slaves…er, interns behind him. Oh God. Of all the people I did not want to accidentally meet. I briefly toy with the idea of telling Ray he has a grenade in his briefcase, but I don’t want to waste any time.

Ray offers to take my document boxes into the courtroom, and I try to fly under Evil Reid’s radar by hiding behind a potted palm on the pretense of looking out the window.

Unfortunately, the eagle-eyed Evil Reid sees through my palm fronds.

“Westwood! What a surprise. Don’t tell me you’ve come looking to settle our case already? Did our little delivery on Friday scare you? That was my idea, by the way. Go big or go home, like you always said. So I went big.”

Mouth dry, stomach churning at the thought of years of litigation with both Evil Reid and Farnsworth on the other side, I feign a laugh. “Didn’t you have enough work of your own? Did you have to ask Farnsworth to help you make up the billable hours?”