Her breath was ragged, but she chuckled. “I’m still recovering.”

After we showered, she wrapped a towel around herself.

“Oh, hell, no. You are putting on actual clothes.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll eat you instead of dinner.”

She grinned. “I don’t think I’d mind.”

“Come on, tempting girl. Put on some clothes.”

Pouting, she complied, heading to her bedroom.

“I don’t have a T-shirt big enough for you,” she called. “But if you want to walk around shirtless, I won’t mind.”

“Should I just not put on clothes at all?”

“You won’t hear me complain about that.”

I didn’t put my shirt on in the end, because I needed to let it dry. Watching Val peek at me while we were bustling about the kitchen gave me a lot of satisfaction. For once, she was the one at a disadvantage.

“You were singing earlier,” she commented.

“Really? I didn’t notice.” I didn’t usually sing, Val had this effect on me—I was extremely relaxed and also extremely turned on around her. Val arranged the sandwiches I’d made on two plates at the counter.

I massaged her shoulder blades, partly because they were still a bit hunched, and partly because I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

“You’re still a little tense.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. My lawyer will handle it. I’ve discussed all the options with him; I had just hoped it wouldn’t come to it.”

“How good is he?”

“My lawyer?”

“Yes.”

“He’s one of the best.” She gave me his name, and I wasn’t too happy. He was good, but I was better.

“What if I took your case?”

She turned around, her eyes widening before she shook her head. “No, that’s not a good idea.”

“Why not? I’m a very good lawyer—”

“I don’t doubt that, but I think it’s smarter to separate our professional and personal lives.”

She looked down, and I got the hint. In case things between us didn’t work out, it was easier if we kept the two spheres separate. I understood the message. A vein pulsed in my temple. I didn’t like it one bit, but I understood it.

“Val, I want to be honest with you. Whenever I’m with you, it just feels surreal. This past week, I’ve thought more about you than anything else. I know my life isn’t easy, but I’d like for us to enjoy this between us. As I said before, without expectations. You said you want to take things easy and I respect that.”