Jamie glanced at her watch on the way to the kitchen. She still had half an hour or so before Trevor was due to arrive. It was a good thing she’d been ahead of schedule this evening for a change.
“I forgot to ask if you take anything in your coffee,” she said a few minutes later, carrying a filled mug back into the living room.
“No, I take it black.” He smiled as he accepted the cup from her. “Thanks.”
She sank onto the couch beside him and picked up the form he’d laid on the coffee table. Clark sipped his coffee while she looked it over, asked a couple of questions, and then signed it with the pen he handed to her. She returned the pen and folded the form along its original lines.
“Good coffee,” Clark said, setting the mug on a coaster.
She smiled. “You look a bit more relaxed now.”
“Yeah. It’s been a stressful day. First chance I’ve had since breakfast to sit down and unwind a little.”
“The high-powered life of a small-town accountant,” Jamie murmured.
He made a face at her. “I know mockery when I hear it,” he said, but showed no sign of offense.
“Not mockery,” she assured him. “I was just teasing.”
“Jamie Flaherty’s specialty.”
She shrugged. “I just can’t resist sometimes.”
He turned on the couch, resting one arm on the back. His jacket parted, revealing his pudgy middle, ruining the studly pose he seemed to be attempting. “You always make me smile, I’ll give you that. I enjoy spending time with you, Jamie.”
A warning bell rang in her mind. Apparently, she was slipping. She usually sensed when someone was going to make a move on her. She’d assumed Clark saw her as no more than a friend and client. Sure, they’d flirted a little, but she’d kept it light and impersonal. At least, she thought she had.
“I enjoy being with you, too, Clark,” she said briskly. “It’s nice when you can be friends and professional associates.”
“Maybe we could have dinner one night next week? I mean, since we enjoy spending time together and we’re already friends…”
Clark must have been one of the few people not plugged into the Honoria grapevine. Either that, or he was ignoring reports that she had been seeing Trevor. “Thank you for asking, Clark, but I—”
The doorbell cut into her tactful reply. Trevor was early, after all. What interesting timing.
“That will be my dinner guest,” she said, standing. “And, Clark—it’s Trevor McBride.”
He grimaced, his arm falling to his side. “Oh, boy.”
“Be nice,” she said, pointing a warning finger at him. “This is not a courtroom and you aren’t adversaries here.”
Clark stood and slipped the form back into his jacket pocket. “I’ll be going. There’s no way I can make small talk with that bloodsucker.”
Resisting an impulse to roll her eyes, Jamie opened the door. “Hi, Trev.”
“Whose car is that—oh.” Trevor’s face hardened when he spotted Clark over her shoulder.
Apparently keeping Jamie’s instructions in mind, Clark nodded stiffly. “Trevor.”
Trevor hadn’t been given orders to “be nice.” “What are you doing here?”
“Clark is here on business,” Jamie interceded quickly. “He was just leaving.”
Trevor stepped into the room, clearing the doorway. “Don’t let me detain you.”
Clark turned pointedly to Jamie. “Thanks for the coffee.”
She nodded. “Give me a call if there’s anything else I need to sign. I’d be happy to stop by your office and save you a trip.”