“Has he ever been married, or like, involved long-term with anyone?”
“Nope, and not in years.” Geez, again with the vague answers. Would it be so hard for him to just tell me a little about Max without me pulling it from him?
“Why not? I mean…Oh, no! Does he actually like women? I mean, like them for you know…sex?”
“As far as I know.” When I just stare at him, he huffs out, “Yes, I’ve seen evidence to support that fact.”
I know I’m pushing my luck when I ask, “So, you know him well then? Is he seeing anyone right now? Do you think he’s interested in a relationship, or is it just all casual with him?” Yikes, I think I went too far with the last line of question. Lucian is standing in front of me now, his hands on his hips and a frown on his face.
“You know, baby, I’m really trying not to read too much into the fact that you’re displaying an unusual amount of interest in my lawyer. Is there something we need to talk about?” I go all gooey inside. Jealous Lucian is seriously adorable and even hotter than usual. I want to beg him to throw me back on the countertop and fuck me…hard. However, I hold it together. Partly because I know he doesn’t want to be late to meet with the police, and also because I feel strange about begging for sex after my meltdown just hours earlier. Something must surely be wrong with me lately because I’m either crying or horny. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground right now. I settle for wrapping my arms around his waist and grinning innocently up at him.
“Come on, Luc; work with me here. If I’m not interested in Max for myself…which I’m not in the slightest, then why would I be asking questions about his personal life?” He absently rubs circles on my back as he ponders my question. I see the exact moment the dots all connect for him.
“No, Lia,” he says sternly as he begins shaking his head at me. “We aren’t meddling in Max’s love life. Besides, he thinks your friend is off her rocker.”
“Lucian…” I pout. “Don’t you think there’s something there? I mean, look at how crazy he acts where she is concerned.”
“And you think acting crazy is a good thing?” He takes my hand and starts pulling me toward the front door. “I mean it, baby; we’re not getting in the middle of those two.” I try to hide my smirk as he closes the door behind us and we walk into the elevator.
“I promise I’ll be good,” I say sweetly. “I will be good; I just can’t guarantee Rose will be.”
Lucian
True to Max’s prediction, our interview by Detectives Michaels and Haynes is brief and uniform. I get the feeling without her putting it into words that their department doesn’t like expending valuable time and resources on someone like Jim Dawson. With the testimony that first Lia, and then her mother, provided the police, they have a clear picture of the type of person he was. Unless someone runs up and down the street in front of the police station yelling ‘I’m guilty,’ this case will be closed in short order.
I was proud of Lia. She answered each of Detective Michaels’ questions clearly and concisely. When the detective was leaving, she dropped a hand on Lia’s shoulder, saying, “This wasn’t exactly the way I had planned to get justice for you, but…” I was sure the other woman wanted to add something like, ‘the Lord works in mysterious ways,’ but she refrained from it. I thanked Max for allowing us to use his home and rushed Lia out the door before she could arrange a double-date with him.
I’ll admit I was a bit pissed when she started quizzing me about him earlier. She’s never asked me that many questions about Aidan or even Sam. I haven’t felt jealousy over a woman in many years, and even though I enjoyed the normalcy of it, I didn’t want to feel that way again where Lia was concerned. She was mine and I wasn’t letting her go.