“We can’t help it. Whenever we love someone, we give that person power over us, and that influence can linger for a long time even after the love is gone.”

“You know what? I’m tired of being kept under his thumb. I don’t want to fear him anymore. Tegan is right; we should fight back.”

Gosh, when Miss Attorney gets this passionate, she’s so beautiful… I wonder how she looks when she’s making love—

“Did I say something wrong?” Vivian’s voice cuts into my X-rated fantasy.

I cough. “Err… no. Why?”

“You have a weird expression.” Her eyes narrow. “Are you blushing?”

“No, of course not.” I tug my finger at my shirt collar. “It’s just boiling in here. Aren’t you hot?”

She shrugs. “Seems perfectly fine to me.”

“Well, I don’t want to steal any more of your time.” I get up, afraid of what I might say or think next. “I should go.”

Vivian walks me to the door and holds it open for me, but before I can leave, she stops me, her hand gently grabbing my arm.

“Thank you for Saturday,” she says. “And for everything else.”

Her eyes are big and warm… and her mouth is so close. If I leaned down just a few inches, I could kiss her again.

Suddenly, I don’t want to go anymore. I hesitate on the threshold, saying, “I’m glad I could help you and Tegan. It’s great to make a difference in someone’s life.” Then I scramble for something else to say, blabbing the first thing that pops into my head. “By the way, thank you for sending Mrs. Elkins to me. I was surprised the referral came from you.”

Vivian waves me off. “Oh, please, you did the same with the Friedmans. And besides, it was obvious Jade was still in love with her husband. I would never suggest a divorce when it’s not warranted.”

“You did with the Thomases.”

“I hadn’t pinned them down as the second chance type of couple. It took your…”

She flaps her hands, searching for the right word, so I offer, “Shrinking voodoo?”

“Yep, that, to patch them up.”

Vivian watches me, and I frantically search for the next thing to say. Nothing comes, so she speaks again. “Well, anyway, at least the week is almost over. I’ve had enough of work.”

And she’s given me the perfect conversational hook. “I hope you’re doing something less stressful this weekend.”

“Oh, yes. I have a date on Saturday.”

My good mood evaporates.

“Yeah,” I mutter. “I have one of those as well.”

I really don’t want to discuss her going on dates with other men, so I take a step back, putting some distance between us.

“I need to go now and get my thoughts in order before my next clients arrive in twenty minutes.”