Body of Evidence

An explosion of thunder jerked Evan from his thoughts. In the next instant the lightning lit up the room with an eerie glow, then the lights went out, cloaking the room and the city beyond the windows in inky darkness.

Evan reached blindly for a chair, co

He’d stay right here, he thought, in case Je

Evan slouched lower in the chair so he could rest his head on the top and allowed himself the luxury of being aware of nothing but Je

She’d been a tremendous help to him as he’d gone over the jury applications, he mused. Her input had been intelligent, and she’d often thought of details about the person that hadn’t occurred to him. He couldn’t think of even one woman he’d dated who was remotely interested in the i

Just as they would as wife and husband.

Just as they would as mother and father.

Just as they would…forever.

“Ah, man,” Evan said wearily, dragging his hands down his face.

He couldn’t go on like this.

Once this trial was over he was going to sit down with Je

Yes, once he won this trial for Je

Evan straightened in the chair, his mind racing and the sudden wild tempo of his heart echoing in his ears.

What? he thought. Repeat that one, Stone. Once he won this trial for Je

Those things were probably there somewhere in his beleaguered mind, but first and foremost was the deep and heartfelt desire to not disappoint Je

Damn it, he had to get a conviction. He had to win…for Je

His eyes having become adjusted to the darkness, Evan looked at Je

For Je

How strange and complex was this thing called love. It brought to the fore aspects of himself he didn’t even know he possessed, a whole section of his i

Oh, he liked being in love with Je

Evan leaned forward and gently brushed a silky strand of hair from Je

“I love you, sweet Je

And now there was more. She brought so much into his life and now there was more. A son. Their son. Their baby boy. He wanted to win this trial for his son, too, so that someday when he told his boy what had been going on when his parents fell in love, he’d be able to a

He had to win in that courtroom.

For Je

For their son.

For himself.

And when the trial was over he was going to tell Je

Yes, a momentous question had been answered tonight…he was irrevocably in love with his sweet Je

The lights suddenly came back on, startling Evan so much that he jumped to his feet and bumped the sofa. Je

“What?” She struggled to sit up, then blinked and shook her head. “Did I fall asleep? Well, that’s mortifying. Big help I am.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, Evan. I feel like a three-year-old who needed a nap and just conked out.”

“Which means you’re a very exhausted lady, who is calling it quits for today and heading home,” he said, extending one hand toward her. “Up. Out.” He glanced at the ceiling. “The storm is even cooperating, and it’s not raining so hard.”

Je

“Could I interest you in the last slice of cold pizza?” he said, his voice gritty.

“No, thank you,” she said, her arms floating up to encircle his neck.

“Well, how about the last couple of inches of your soda, which is now flat and warm?”

“No, thank you.”

“I can offer you about three or four hours more work examining jury applications?”

“No, thank you,” she said, smiling. “I’m brain dead. They’d all sound the same at this point.”

“Well, shucks and darn, ma’am,” he said, “I guess I don’t have one thing to give to you that you’d be interested in.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Stone,” she said, shifting to tiptoes and brushing her lips over his once, then twice, then gaining courage to do it one more time as she felt a tremor sweep through him. “I think you have exactly what I want and need right now.”

“Oh?”

“Kiss me, Evan,” she whispered.

“I live to serve,” he said, then his mouth melted over hers.

It was an explosion of senses. The kiss was as wild and intense and raging as out of control as the storm outside had been. The thunder of nature’s fury was now the pounding tempo of their hearts. The brilliant lightning was the razor-sharp awareness of the marvelous differences between a body soft and a body hard and muscled that made them perfect counterparts. The swirling, beating rain was transformed into churning, pulsing desire deep within them.

But while the storm beyond the windows had been cold, what was consuming them was hot, burning flames that licked throughout them. The kiss intensified and breathing became labored as passions soared.

Evan lifted his head a fraction of an inch and spoke close to Je

“I want you so damn much,” he said, hardly recognizing the raspy tone of his own voice. “Ah, Je

I love you, Evan’s mind hammered. No, this was not the time or place to declare his love for her. The Gardner trial possessed too much of them now. He wanted that done, finished, the slate wiped clean so he could concentrate totally on the future. A future he could only hope and pray would be spent with Je

“I want you, too, Evan,” she said softly.

“Je

“Yo, in the room,” a man yelled. “Cleaning service. Is anyone here?”

Je

“Yes,” Evan hollered, then cleared his throat. “We were working in here, but we’re finished for tonight. Come on in.”

A man appeared in the doorway to the conference room, pulling a cart stacked with supplies.