Tempt Me at Midnight by Maureen Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

all Marcus has been talking about for weeks.”

    Last year, Marcus Wolf’s prominent law firm had been renamed Wolf & Reddick, LLP to reflect Quentin’s changed status as joint owner. One of his first moves had been to file a lawsuit on behalf of an employee who’d been wrongfully terminated by a health-insurance company after he spoke out against his employer’s fraudulent claim-denial practices. As lead counsel, Quentin would argue the case before the Georgia Court of Appeals.

    The upcoming trial should have been uppermost on his mind tonight. The pure adrenaline rush of preparing for a big case, the anticipation of going up against a formidable adversary. This was what he lived for.

    So why were his thoughts dominated by a woman he couldn’t have—and had no business wanting?

    Michael was talking, his deep voice blending into the other background noise that filled the busy restaurant. “…says you’re the best litigator to take on those health-insurance sharks. He says you’ve been salivating at the opportunity to make mincemeat of them in court.”

    Quentin took a long pull on his beer, humming the appropriate “mmm-hmm” to let Michael know he was listening. Even though he wasn’t.

    There was a pause.

    “On second thought,” Michael continued, “what Marcus really said is that you’re gonna totally blow the case. He thinks you’re gonna be outmatched and outmaneuvered by the defense team’s high-powered lawyers.”

    “Uh-huh,” Quentin murmured, his mind drifting thousands of miles away to Burgundy, and the balloon ride with Lexi. He remembered the way she’d gazed out across the stunning landscape, her face aglow with wonder and exhilaration. After a while, he’d found himself watching her more than the view. Because as amazing as the sights were, he knew the experience wouldn’t have been the same without her by his side.

    “…planning a surprise baby shower. And Lexi says she’s going to—”

    Quentin swung his head around to stare at Michael. “What’d you say?”

    A knowing gleam filled his friend’s eyes. “So that’s what it took to finally get your attention. Hearing Lexi’s name.”

    Quentin frowned and glanced away, sipping his beer. But he could feel Michael studying him, his eyes shrewd and assessing. He instinctively braced himself for the question he knew was coming.

    “What’s going on between you and Lexi?”

    “Nothing,” Quentin lied without missing a beat.

    “Bull. I saw the way you two were acting around each other this past weekend.
    There were all kinds of vibes jumping off both of you. And what about all that stuff Asha was saying over breakfast? Sounded to me like she was on to something.”

    Quentin said nothing, absently rubbing his thumb back and forth against the frosty condensation lining his beer bottle. He and Michael had been best friends since childhood.
    Next to Lexi, no one knew Quentin better than Michael. Which meant he knew the good and the bad. Unfortunately, when it came to Quentin’s track record with women, there was more bad than good.

    Michael blew out a long, deep breath. “Look, Q, you know nothing would please me more than to see my two best friends happy. It’d be weird as hell if you and Lexi hooked up after all these years,” he admitted with a rueful grin, “but I’d be totally cool with it—as long as both of you were committed to making the relationship work.”

    Quentin knew he was the only one whose commitment issues were in question.

    “The last thing I want is for Lexi to get hurt again,” Michael said quietly. “We both know how much she went through with that cheating bastard she was married to.”

    Quentin clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the neck of his beer bottle at the reminder of Adam McNamara. The worthless son of a bitch had done a number on Lexi, leaving her heartbroken and more disillusioned about men than she’d already been.
    Two years later, Quentin was still out for