“Almost,” Safire replied. “Tell me a little about them. Or do you know?”
“This one I do. Miss Levita Smalls has had her daughter in programs at the Heritage Center for about two years.”
As Darien talked, Safire bent forward and touched the lettering on his vest, running her hand over his shoulder and down his chest as she read the words she was tracing with her fingers. He sat up in his chair but continued talking about Miss Smalls.
“She’s been divorced for the last year and is struggling to keep afloat financially.”
Safire bent farther forward, resting her hands on Darien’s open thighs. With her so close, his voice quieted to a low bass.
“She works in housekeeping in a hotel in Coral Way.”
Safire leaned in and kissed Darien softly on the cheek. Then she whispered in his ear, “What’s her issue?”
Darien cleared his throat and turned to look at her. Safire leaned back up and folded her arms in front of her.
“She needs child support from her ex-husband.”
“Bring her in.”
Darien got up and went to the door. He looked back at her for a moment. His brow furrowed in consternation, and he shook his head. Then he disappeared.
Safire wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into her. She never wasted time with anyone who wasn’t entirely interested, and she was generally good about not mixing work with recreational pursuits, not while on the job. But here she was, tantalized by this man and wanting to tantalize him. Of course, he was sexy as hell. But there was more. There was a reservation about him and a sweetness. That was just as much a turn-on as his good looks and the way he could make her stop breathing by touching her face or kissing her. She wanted to take that self-righteous glint from his eyes and corrupt him. He kept her thinking about chocolate. Oh la la.
Darien came back with Miss Smalls, a petite woman in a blue floral dress. It was clearly her Sunday best, but it was fraying a bit at the seams, as was her handbag. Safire greeted her, showed her to a seat in front of the desk and settled in to do the interview.
“So, you’re interested in suing your ex-husband for child support, Miss Smalls?”
“Yes, I am. He hasn’t helped with Amelie since the divorce.”
She needed to know about the divorce settlement and child custody ruling, about the ex’s income and current family situation. She only had an hour, so she put aside other thoughts and focused.
When it was over, Darien came in and took a seat while she finished her notes.
“You know,” he said, “you’re really a nymph. But then, the way you dress kind of gives that away.”
Safire snapped back, “First, thank you for the compliment. Nymphs were deities, as you know. And second, I am the girl next door, as long as you don’t live next to a nunnery.” She laughed and finished a sentence she’d been writing and then looked at him. “And you, you’re the mild-mannered Clark Kent.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh—” she started on her notes again “—but what I want is a Superman.”
“I think you’re defining ‘Superman’ by the wrong paradigm.”
“I beg to differ, not that you know what my paradigm is.”
“I could describe it,” Darien said, “but I think I need to let you write your notes. The next client is here.”
Safire finished her notes and then looked up.
“Tell me about this one.”
“This is Mrs. Martinez. I don’t know a lot about her issues, only that there seems to have been some abuse in her marriage. I think she’s moved out, but I’m not sure if they’re divorced. I know that she’s concerned for her children—there are two that I know of—and that she wants custody of them.”
As always, when there were children involved, Safire refocused immediately. So far, all the cases at the Heritage Center had involved children, and it got Safire thinking about law school and specializing on cases with children. When she was finished, she would be great as a pro bono attorney for the Heritage Center. That or teaching children. She had to make up her mind, and she had to do it soon.
Safire looked up to find Darien staring at her.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
Safire let out a breath. “I was thinking about how many of the cases here involve a threat to children. It’s a shame. It’s something I want to help fix.”
“You are helping.”
Safire didn’t want to say more about her hopes for the future. “I know,” she conceded. Then she looked at her watch. “Let’s bring in Mrs. Martinez.”
Safire did her interview, and then Darien joined her again as she wrote her notes. Because the interviews were so compacted, the hours were flying by for Safire.
“Are you getting anything done with all of these interruptions into your time?” she asked.
“A little. I don’t work well with interruptions when I have real work to do. I can only multitask mindless work.”
Safire looked up and smiled for a moment.
“You have a beautiful smile,” Darien said, “and you smile often. I like that.”
“Uh-oh. You’re starting to sound enamored of a nymph. You better watch out or I might work my goddess powers on you.” She chuckled.
“Speaking of you,” he said, “how was your date with that banker you met at Nova?”
“I didn’t have a date with him, but you sound a little jealous. That must mean you like me.” She chuckled again.
Darien was quiet, and Safire finished the last sentence of her notes before glancing up. He was looking at her intently. Then he shifted and drew a folder from his lap.
“I’ve looked at the next set of interviews,” he said, “and I’ve jotted down what I know about the cases. If you take a look when you’re done, you can let me know how much time you’ll need so we can reschedule.”
They were looking at each other as he leaned forward, but when their hands met over the folder, they both looked down, suspended in the middle of a simple gesture.
Safire felt electricity in their touch. It moved from her hand to the pit of her stomach, and from there it crawled up her spine and wound down to the place where her body had started to throb. They both stood at the same time, facing each other across the desk. Safire looked back up at Darien, and what she saw in his eyes was desire.
It wasn’t in Safire’s character to back down from desire. It wasn’t in her to let something go that she wanted without at least trying for it. She’d watched her sister become matronly under the pressure of being mother and father to their younger brother and a caretaker for their elderly great-aunt, who had recently passed away. Safire wasn’t going to get old before her time. She’d learned to contend with the powers that be when they told her she couldn’t—couldn’t get along without a mother and father to help her make decisions, couldn’t make it through college on her own, couldn’t have a good life on only her income, couldn’t do all that she wanted to do. That backbone she carried into all of her dealings. That pluck had become second nature.
Now she stood looking at the desire in Darien’s eyes.
Safire spoke on impulse, “Come out with me tonight, Darien James.”
Darien paused for a long moment. Then he sighed, and his brow wrinkled. “It doesn’t seem to be in the stars for us, Safire Lewis, aka nymph.”
“Why is that?”
“You