Perfect Fling (Serendipity's Finest 2)

Cole merely grinned. “I’m fine. You?”

“Oh, you know. Surviving this yearly event.” She grabbed a champagne glass from a passing server’s tray. “I know you can’t have one,” she said to Erin. “But how about you?”

Cole shook his head. “On duty.”

“How are things on that front?” Trina asked, sobering.

“Quiet in a way that scares me,” Erin said, repeating what she’d told Cole on the way over.

He pulled her closer, the move not getting lost on Trina, whose eyes lit in approval.

“Well, on to schmooze,” she said. “Catch up with you later. We’re all sitting together since the D.A.’s office took one table.”

“Now that you neglected to mention,” Cole growled.

Erin laughed. “I figured the less you knew, the better.”

“I can handle sitting at Carmichael’s table. Because I’ll be sitting next to you.” His eyes darkened, bringing her back to that moment in the car, when he’d had his hands beneath her skirt and she’d been so close to coming . . .

She shook her head, focusing on his words and not the sizzle behind his eyes. And it was his comment that had her beaming. She knew it and didn’t try to hide how much his words pleased her.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Guessing her intent, he turned his head and her lips met his. It was a brief kiss, but one that was public and filled her with absolute contentment.

“So that’s how it is,” a familiar voice said.

Cole placed his hand on her hip and lifted his head. “Carmichael.”

“Sanders.” He slid his gaze to Erin. “You look beautiful. In fact, you’re glowing.”

Cole’s grip tightened.

“Thank you, Evan.” Before she could continue any conversation, the lights above them flickered.

He glanced up. “I guess that’s our cue to move on to the next part of the evening.”

Erin nodded. “See you at the table?”

Her boss met and held her gaze. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“What was that all about?” Cole asked when Evan walked away.

Erin shrugged. “Beats me. The man’s always got some agenda.”

Cole’s gaze followed the path Evan had taken to the main ballroom. “Then I guess it’s time to see what he’s got planned now.”

Eleven

As always during these sorts of dinners, which Cole had been to in many guises and disguises over the years, the speeches and awards portion of the evening came first. It tended to be a dry, boring, yawn-inducing event no matter which association hosted the festivities. Erin’s Bar Association dinner, which encompassed quite a few New York counties and jurisdictions, was no different.

More than once, Cole was tempted to reach beneath the table and pick up where he’d left off with Erin in the car. Only respect for her prevented him from acting on his dirty inclination, but that didn’t stop him from creating his own fantasies about the idea. Sliding his hand into her warm, wet heat, toying with her while the speeches droned on . . .

“You might want to pay attention now.” Carmichael leaned over and spoke to Cole, snapping him back into the present.

“And now we get to the last award of the evening,” the speaker on the podium said.

Cole didn’t know why this should matter to him but he refocused his attention.

“The recipient of this year’s Rising Star Award, given by the Young Lawyers’ Section of the Bar, is a woman with remarkable legal skills who shows exceptional promise for a bright future in our profession. A graduate of New York University School of Law, our honoree went on to work as an assistant district attorney in the town of Serendipity, Putnam County, where she has worked for the last five years.”