“What the fuck? That hurts, man!” Alex West clutched the arms of his chair but tried not to move his leg.

The tattoo artist gripped his ankle. “Aw, don’t be such a whiny-assed crybaby. You’d think after seventy-six tats you could handle a little Chinese symbol. It’s not even that complicated.”

Alex winced as the torture continued. “I didn’t know doing the ankle was going to hurt so much.”

Eddie Ortega sighed and rolled his eyes. “I fucking told you, man. Did you not listen to me when I said the skin on the ankle is thin, and it’s one of the more painful spots to tattoo?”

“Hell, Eddie, I rarely listen to you at all. No, I don’t remember you saying that.”

“Jackass,” the man muttered jovially. “You’re living dangerously, my friend. This symbol for ‘justice’ could very easily become ‘fuck you’ if you’re not nice to me.”

Alex laughed. “I love that! I might get ‘fuck you’ in Chinese for my next tat. There’s something kind of devilish about that. Might make me feel good just knowing I had it.”

Eddie chuckled. “Roguish, and fitting for a lawyer. I like it.” He glanced up when the bell over the front door to his shop sounded and his pretty blonde assistant walked in. “Hey, Mel. Fuck you.”

“Right back at you, pal.” Melanie Madison tucked her purse under the counter and joined them in the back. “Hey, Alex. What’s up his butt?”

“That’s my next tat. ‘Fuck you’ in Chinese symbols. Eddie thought of it, and I can’t wait.”

Her clear blue eyes sparkled. “Ooh, can I do it? I’ve been training with Eddie. I did the last two tats my brother and Trav got, those small hearts? They came out great.”

Alex smiled at her enthusiasm. He knew she’d been working with Eddie for nearly two years in the shop, doing sketches, piercings and front-end stuff. The shop owner had only recently started letting her do some actual tattooing.

Alex had seen the hearts she was referring to. Travis Nelson had been his college sweetheart and they’d been exclusive for a couple of years. But when Trav had headed to medical school in a different state from Alex’s law school, the relationship had come to a mutually agreeable end. They’d remained friends, and Alex had been the best man when Travis had married Melanie’s twin brother, Sam.

“The hearts were great, Mel. Sure, I’ll let you do my next tattoo, if Eddie agrees.”

The gray-haired man nodded as he worked. “It’s a series of basic symbols, so it should be okay.”

She clapped her hands. “Want to do it today?”

“Nope,” Eddie replied before Alex could. “Before a guy gets a design like that, I want to make sure he’s thought about it long and hard. Tattoos are permanent. The snarkier ones require a waiting period. I’d say two weeks. If you still want it after that long, we’ll do it.”

“A waiting period?” Alex blinked. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? I could go down to Southside Tats and get one in about a half hour.”

Eddie never looked up, just kept right on working. “You could, but you won’t.”

“Oh, yeah?”

The older man didn’t reply.

Mel chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Eddie’s customers are loyal. He has more repeat business than any artist you could find on the south side.”

Alex couldn’t disagree. “And that’s just from my friends. How many does Travis have now? Last count I knew was one hundred fifteen.”

“One hundred nineteen,” Eddie replied. “Sam is trying to catch up but Trav won’t let him go too fast. He’s up to ten.”

“He’s totally addicted.” Mel straightened the instruments on Eddie’s table. “He shows no signs of stopping.”

“Next best customer is that teacher friend of yours, Colt Crawford. He’s got eighty-eight.”

“I’m going to pass him soon.” Alex winced as another jolt of pain raced through his ankle.

“Not if you don’t hold still, ya wimp. You might top out at seventy-seven.” Eddie gripped the ankle more firmly and continued.

Mel folded her arms across her chest. “Besides, it’s not a race. You shouldn’t be trying to beat anyone.”

Alex glanced up at her. “So you’re telling me you don’t find guys with multiple tats appealing?”

“I never said that. It just happens to suck that everyone Eddie mentioned is gay. I need to find a sexy, straight guy with a torso full of tattoos. That’ll make my day.”

“You’re working in the right place.” Alex waggled his eyebrows.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but most of Eddie’s clients don’t look like you, Trav or Colt. They look more like—”

“Me?” Eddie laughed and ran a hand over his long gray beard.

“Not even that good,” she admitted and fingered the braid running down his back.

They all laughed. The pair had a good relationship, but Alex knew Eddie was old enough to be Mel’s father. Hell, maybe even her grandfather. He wasn’t sure how old the man was—sixty-something. Mel was in her mid-twenties. They were a friendly couple, but not in that way. At least from what he knew.

With his love of tattoos, Alex saw them pretty often. And with his recent lack of a love life, he saw them even more. Tattoos satisfied a desire that was hard to explain to a person who didn’t have any. Without a more engaging way to spend his free time, Alex was often there, poring over books, searching for his next design.

The needle zinged him again and Alex frowned. “Are you almost finished?”

“I’ll be done when I’m done, ya malcontent. And if you keep complaining, it’ll be three weeks before you can come back for the next one.”

Alex leaned back and smiled. “Fuck you, Eddie.”

“That’s the one.” Eddie nodded and kept working.

* * * *

Alex pulled his Audi A5 Cabriolet convertible into the double garage of his split-level ranch style home, which was tucked away in a secluded Chicago neighborhood. The lot sizes were so large that the nearest house was half a block away. Alex knew and liked his neighbors, but he really enjoyed the privacy.

He entered the kitchen and opened the fridge for a bottle of water. The blue labeled stuff was pricey but he didn’t care. He’d worked damn hard to put himself through law school with very little help from his parents, who would have liked to, but didn’t have the means. Five years into owning his small firm, he kept as busy as he wanted and made a nice living. Larger firms had tried to entice him over to their teams, but he liked working alone. He hadn’t crunched the numbers because he was sure the pay would be better, but being his own boss counted for a lot. Alex was content with what he had. He lived comfortably since he’d managed to pay off his student loans and place nice down payments on the house and car. He’d also paid off some of his parents’ bills. He didn’t need much more than that.

His cell phone rang and he pulled it from his jeans pocket. He didn’t recognize the number. “Alex West,” he answered.

“Mr. West, my name is Lucinda White. Ron Fox gave me your number. He said you did some work for him recently and he was very pleased.”

Alex scrubbed a hand over his face. One of the pitfalls of being his own boss was having his personal cell number out there, which resulted in phone calls at all damn hours. He appreciated the word of mouth business, though, so he pasted a smile on his face and hoped it carried over to his tone of voice. “Yes, ma’am, I did. How can I help you?”

“I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but my construction company was served with an injunction and until we can clear this mess up we’ve got a lot of men who are going to be standing around on my dime.”

“You work for a construction company?”

“I own the Harbor-White Construction Company, with my partner, Kyle Harbor. We’ve been going over this all weekend and I finally decided I just needed to call you. We were hoping to meet with you tomorrow to see if we can’t get this mess figured out.”

“What’s the injunction for, Ms. White?”

“I’ll be damned if I know. Kyle understands that part of it better. Could you possibly squeeze us in first thing? I hate to be pushy, but being timid never got anyone anywhere, especially a woman in the construction industry.”

Alex felt certain she had a point there. “I appreciate honesty and straightforwardness, ma’am. I’m certain I can work you in tomorrow. Of course, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to help until I see the paperwork and have more details.”

“Of course.” She breathed an audible sigh of what sounded like relief. “Thank you. So first thing in our office is six-thirty. I suspect your office might keep slightly different hours.”

He laughed. “You got that right. ‘First thing’ in my office means nine o’clock. So why don’t we say eight-thirty, in case my secretary has already booked an appointment for nine.”

“That would be wonderful. Ron said you’re in the building on the corner of Webb and Vine?”

“Yes, ma’am. Parking in front. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“We’ll be there. Thanks again.” She ended the call.

Alex tossed his phone onto the counter and took a long pull from his water bottle. The new case sounded interesting enough, or maybe it was Lucinda White who seemed intriguing. He’d never been captivated by a pretty woman, but a sharp wit and an intelligent mind were attractive traits for anyone. He found himself looking forward to their meeting.

* * * *

Alex was in his office sipping coffee and reading the Tribune headlines by eight a.m. His secretary, Denise, usually arrived by eight-thirty. He’d texted her about the early appointment and she showed up fifteen minutes early.

She poked her head into his office. “Morning, Alex. How was your weekend?”

“Good. How about you?”

Denise waved a hand. “As usual this time of year—football, football, football. Roger can’t seem to remember he’s not a scout anymore. Still thinks he has to DVR every college game the machine will hold. And try to watch them all by Sunday, so he can record the pro games.”

Alex chuckled. Before her husband had retired, he’d spent twenty years with the Chicago Bears and, before that, another ungodly amount as an assistant something-or-other for the Illinois Fighting Illini college program. Alex wasn’t much for football, but he admired Roger’s enthusiasm and had loved Denise, a friend of his mother’s, for as long as he could remember. “Old habits die hard, they say. Maybe he doesn’t know what to do with himself these days.”

“What to do with himself?” The large, dark-skinned woman snorted. “Child, I have a honey-do list that’s a solid page long. That man is just trying to ignore it.”

“Hell, Denny, I probably would too if someone was trying to pin that list on me. Thanks for coming in early. And thanks for remembering not to call me ‘child’ when we’re in the office.” He shot her a look but, by her smile, he could tell she’d spotted the twinkle in his eyes.

“Child, I wiped your snotty little nose back in the days when you thought a legal tort was a pastry. You won’t catch me saying it in front of a client, but, like I tell Pippa, when we’re alone you can just get over it.”

Alex forced himself to swallow his mouthful of coffee and not spit it across his desk. He shot her another look before shaking his head. “Yeah, and Pippa tells me that arguing with you is like trying to baptize a cat.”

Denise nodded as she opened the blinds. “You got that right. Futile, wasted effort. Thanks for making coffee. I brought bagels, I’ll set them out in the conference room.”

“Appreciate it, Denny.” He smiled at her back as she walked out. She’d been an experienced administrative assistant at the time he’d hired her, and her daughter Pippa had just graduated as a paralegal. Between the two of them they’d brought Denise up to speed with most of the legal jargon she needed, and she’d been a valuable asset to his office, what with the paperwork and her accomplished organizational skills. Denise just knew when he needed assistance and called Pippa to help out if they got busy. Her daughter appreciated the side jobs, and the arrangement worked well for all of them.

The bell over the front door jingled and Alex heard Denise greet his client.

“I’m Lucinda White. Mr. West is expecting me?”

“Of course, Ms. White. Right this way, you’ll be meeting in the conference room. May I bring you a cup of coffee?” Her voice grew softer as they went down the hallway to the other end of the suite.

Alex listened to one more voicemail message on his phone before he stood and buttoned his jacket. He stepped into the small bathroom adjoining his office and checked his appearance in the mirror. He bared his teeth to make sure everything was in tip-top shape, then headed down the hall.

The client was speaking to Denise as he joined them. “My partner’s meeting me here. He had to run by a job site real quick.”

“I’ll bring him right in,” Denise assured and nodded to Alex as she slipped out.

He smiled at her then turned his attention to the redheaded woman standing before him. Gorgeous redhead, he amended his thought, admiring the thick, flowing hair that framed her face and landed past her shoulders. She wore a short white dress with a halter top that revealed her ample cleavage. Gold hoops dangled from her earlobes, matching her chunky necklace and the big bangle bracelets that adorned each wrist.

Alex had to smile, and extended his hand. “Good morning, Ms. White. I’m Alex West.”

She clasped his hand and shook it firmly. “Please, call me Cinda. I’m so relieved you agreed to meet with us today. This has really been such a worry.”

Denise returned with two cups of coffee and placed them on the table.

“Thank you.” Cinda smiled at her warmly.

“Yep, thanks.” Alex nodded to Denise then pulled out a chair and motioned to his client. “Please, have a seat.”

She did, and he sat next to her.

He fingered his cup and chose his words carefully. “I’ve gotta admit, you’re not at all what I expected.”

Cinda laughed. “What did you expect?”

He shook his head. “I can’t answer that without sounding like a clod. Let me just say that if you dress this way on the job site, I’m amazed your crew gets anything at all done.”

A hint of a blush colored her cheeks. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing? You’re correct, I’d get catcalled right and left if I wore this dress to work. I suppose I was trying to impress you a little bit. You know, catch more flies with honey?” She batted her eyelashes.

Alex chuckled. He was two seconds away from admitting he was gay when Denise approached in the doorway.

“Here you go, Mr. Harbor.” She motioned the other client in, then stepped back.

“Kyle, good, you found us.” Cinda waved him over. “This is our lawyer, Alex West.”

Alex was glad she’d introduced him because for a moment he’d forgotten his own name. Kyle was at least six foot one with a thick head of bushy, dark brown hair. It was damp, as if he were trying to tame it. The hair didn’t seem to be cooperating and was spiking out anyway.

Full, nearly straight eyebrows accented his deep-set eyes. Alex couldn’t be quite sure what color they were without staring and he suspected he was staring enough already.

He clambered to his feet and extended a hand to the man who was just slightly taller than him. Kyle’s suit coat stretched tight against his broad chest. Alex guessed he didn’t wear it often. Perhaps, like Cinda’s dress, it was worn for show when meeting the lawyer. He bit back a grin, thinking how much more impressed he was with the man’s jacket than the woman’s dress.

“Mr. West, I’m Kyle Harbor.” Kyle clasped his hand and shook with enthusiasm.

Alex nearly melted at the Texas twang in his new client’s voice. He cleared his throat and reluctantly released the warm hand. “Kyle, pleased to meet you. Call me Alex. Come in, have a seat. Did Denise offer you coffee?”

The handsome hunk gave a small wave then took the chair next to Cinda. “She did. I’m fine.” He set a large brown envelope on the table and proceeded to open it. “I’m not sure how much Cinda has told you, Alex, but we got this injunction Friday and frankly it’s a bunch of bullshit.”

Alex chewed the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning like a fool. The way Kyle said ‘bullshit’ with his laid-back drawl was hotter than hell. Suddenly, the meeting had taken a turn that was very different from what he’d expected.

Kyle removed some papers and shoved them toward Alex. “The Historical Society of Downtown Chicago is sayin’ we didn’t use due diligence when we drew up the plans for the housin’ development we’re working on.”

Cinda jumped into the conversation. “We did what was required and more. You’ll see we have all the permits and everything is in order.”

Kyle pulled more papers from the envelope. “I’ve got those all right here. Hell, we went over and above what was called for and we never heard a word from the surroundin’ neighborhoods when the zonin’ notices were published. It wasn’t until one of the local business owners figured out we’d included a small shoppin’ center in the development, and realized it might compete with his stupid little store.”

Alex held out a hand. “Let’s see that stuff. Might as well give me everything you’ve got.” His heart leaped in his chest the moment he’d said the words. He hoped they didn’t sound as dirty as they did in his rapidly spinning mind.

“Well, hell.” Kyle scooped everything up. “I’m not sure you’ll need all this mess, but I brought it just in case.” He set everything on top of the envelope and pushed it toward Alex.

“This is good—the more you’ve got, the better.” Aw, fuck. Alex’s cock went hard. He prayed that he wouldn’t be asked to stand for a few minutes because that would be a big problem. He stared at the paperwork, trying to focus on the case. “So you’re zoned for multi-use?”

“Damn straight.” Kyle nodded and made eye contact. “We dotted the ‘i’s’ and crossed all the ‘t’s’… More fuckin’ paperwork than I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t think they have a leg to stand on.”

Cinda shook her head. “It’s not what we think that matters, sugar.”

Alex pretended to read the injunction while his mind raced. She’s calling him ‘sugar’. Are they more than just business partners? He cleared his throat. “She’s right about that, unfortunately. This matter will be going before a judge. It’ll be my job to convince him or her that everything was done according to the law.”

Cinda pressed her palms together. “So you’ll take our case?”

He smiled at the excitement in her eyes. “I will. I’m going to have to go over everything, of course, but it looks to be fairly simple.”

Kyle slapped the table. “Yes! Damn glad to hear that. Every day our crews aren’t workin’ is costin’ us a bundle.”

Alex caught his gaze. “I can’t promise how fast I can get the case heard. These things take time.”

The man’s handsome face fell. Before he could reply, Alex spoke again.

“But I can promise to try, as hard as is humanly possible, to move this thing along. That I can do.”

A smile creased the corners of Kyle’s mouth and he nodded. “That’s all we can ask. Thank you, sir.” He extended a hand across the table.

Alex shook with him once more then pulled his arm back, willing his erection to go away. I can think of a lot more things to ask, my friend. One hell of a lot more things. He chased the sexy thoughts off and smiled. “I’ll get started on this right away. I’ll need some signatures later—can you give me your office address to have the papers messengered over?”

“Here you go.” Cinda pulled a business card from her small clutch purse and handed it to him. “We’ve got a trailer set up on the job site, at this address. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks.” Alex added the card to his stack of paperwork. “I’ll be in touch soon. I’m sorry, I should have offered you a bagel. Denise brought them in this morning.” He pointed to the plate of assorted bagels under a glass dome in the center of the table.

“I’m fine.” Cinda stood. “Just looking at that many carbs adds a pound to my weight. But thanks.” She smoothed her dress.

Alex didn’t think she had much to worry about but didn’t dare say that. Not only would he come across as a letch, but he might make her think he was interested when he definitely was not. She was a knockout, no doubt. He just wasn’t knocked out by women.

Kyle stood next. “I’m good. Thanks again for taking our case.”

Alex took stock to make sure he was okay to stand and decided he was. He rose and offered his hand to Kyle. “Absolutely. We’ll get this taken care of. Don’t you worry.”

When the handsome man smiled, his eyes crinkled. “Good to hear. We’ll talk to you soon.” He turned to leave.

Alex hated to see him go but most definitely wanted to watch him leave. Before he could get an eyeful, Cinda clasped his hand and shook it.

“See you later, Alex.” The wink she shot him oozed sensuality.

He smiled and nodded as the clients walked out. It was fairly obvious he and Cinda were going to need to have a talk. On the bright side, if she was openly flirting with him, she must not be involved with Kyle. Neither of them wore a wedding ring. He had some research to do.

After depositing their paperwork on his desk, he returned for a cinnamon raisin bagel and smeared it with cream cheese.

Denise joined him in the conference room. “Mrs. Cardwell phoned. The city trash truck pinned her car in and she’s running fifteen minutes late. I told her it was fine. You don’t have another appointment after hers for an hour.”

Alex licked cream cheese off his thumb. “No problem. Gives me a chance to eat this and look at the Harbor-White stuff. Hey, can you text Pippa and see if she’s available tomorrow morning to file this motion?”

“Will do.”

He returned to his office and, after polishing off his bagel, pulled up the search engine on his computer. He typed ‘Kyle Harbor’ and hit enter. Many entries came up, but the first ten were not the right guy. Before he could go to the next page his intercom buzzed.

“Alex, Mrs. Cardwell is here,” Denise said.

He pressed the button to reply. “Give me five minutes then bring her back, please.” He cleared the search on his computer and stacked the Harbor-White paperwork on the table behind his desk, then reached for the Cardwell file. Time to switch gears. The woman and her husband were going through a messy divorce and couldn’t agree on a thing.

He cast one last, wistful glance at the injunction from his newest clients, then took a deep breath and let it out. He’d think about them later. Okay, him. He’d think about Kyle Harbor later. Yep, he’d definitely have to think long and hard about that one. Alex smiled then cleared his throat as he opened the Cardwell file.