Defensive Heart: The Donnolleys, Book 2 by Dorothy F. Shaw Read Free Book Online

moment before visibly swallowing her mouthful. “Thanks.” She wiped her lips with her napkin.
    He smiled and leaned back in his chair, tilting it back on two legs. “My pleasure.”
    “You’re staring.”
    “I know.”
    She widened her eyes. “Stop.”
    “No.” He let the chair fall forward. “Guess you’re going to have to get used to it. I like staring at you.”
    She rolled her eyes and took another bite of the burger.
    “So, do you always fight small cases at Midtown or do you handle anything bigger?”
    “Why? Do you need an attorney?”
    He laughed. “No. But if I do, I’m definitely calling you.”
    “I own the firm.” She sipped her soda. “I handle whatever I want.”
    “Nice. What’re you doing with those piddly cases then?”
    “Once a month I do pro bono service for the community.”
    “Why, Sonja-the-lawyer, that’s quite generous of you. Someone might think you have a heart.” He raised his brows.
    “Ha. Ha. Very funny.” She shook her head. “Tell me about your art.”
    “My tattoos or the art I create?”
    Sonja wiped her hands on her napkin. “Both I guess. Start with the art you create.”
    “Sure.” He picked up a french fry and dragged it through the ketchup. “I dabble in a lot of different styles, but most all of it has an industrial theme.”
    “You weld things. Sculptures and such?”
    “I’ve been known to wield a blow torch on occasion, yeah.” He popped the fry in his mouth and then licked his fingers. She watched him. Her gaze flicked from his mouth back to his eyes in the space of a second, but she’d watched just the same.
    “Tell me about the different styles.” She took the last bite of her burger.
    “I like to paint, so I usually construct various items, mount them to a canvas and paint around them. Sometimes I paint the items too.”
    “I see. Where do the ideas come from?”
    Jimmy leaned forward, crossing his arms in front of him on the table. “Different things really. The City’s a big muse. The lights, the sounds, the smells—it all plays a part. Sometimes it’s music and sometimes it’s people.”
    She sipped her soda. “The art in the bar in Vegas? Was it all yours or just some?”
    “Most everything in there was mine. What did you think of it?”
    “I don’t have an eye for art, but I found it interesting.” Sonja pushed her basket aside and wiped her hands on her perfectly folded napkin. “My tastes are probably too old-fashioned for you.”
    “I’m sure you think so. Come on.” Jimmy stood and held out his hand for her. “I’ll show you some. My studio’s right around the corner.”
    “Is that why you insisted on us coming here to eat?” She stood and reached for her bag, but Jimmy grabbed it before she could.
    “Not exactly. But now that you’re here, I’d love to show you.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the door, settling his palm on her lower back.
    Jimmy loved how petite Sonja felt beneath his touch, yet it was an illusion. She stood almost eye-to-eye with him. Jimmy’s palm itched to wrap around her side and pull her close, but he didn’t dare. He’d already pushed her to her limit outside the courthouse when he’d pulled her body close. She’d been so warm and soft against him, Jimmy thought he might spontaneously combust.
    And the smarter her mouth got, the faster his adrenaline pumped. It made him want to bend her over his knee and spank her bare ass while she spouted every sarcastic comment she could think of, until finally begging him to stop. Jimmy groaned at the vision the thought conjured.
    “Everything okay?”
    He stroked her lower back with his thumb while they waited for the light to change at the crosswalk. “Yup. Everything’s perfect.”
    She looked over at him and drew in a breath. He focused on her full lips when she exhaled. A bolt of lust zinged down his spine. Jimmy wanted to taste those lips. The sexual tension was building between them. How he was going to keep his hands off