He glanced at said hellion. Unfortunately, his fleeting impression at the courthouse had been dead-on. Jax Lee was trouble of monumental proportions. Impulsive. Headstrong. With a mouth to match.
Worse...everything about her made him hot.
Honey-colored hair, wild and unrestrained, hung in waves down her back, while the small tattoo on the inside of her right wrist enhanced her unruly air. And, as if that weren’t disturbing enough, her long legs were bare beneath the cutoffs. Her black cowboy boots were decorated with a line of red thread that twined around the ankles and climbed higher, as if wanting to hold more of her close; he knew the feeling.
Curbing his reaction had been doable until he’d discovered the sound body had indeed come with a sound mind, the sharp wit and keen intellect triggering a need the likes of which he could no longer ignore. Unfortunately, intellect did not equal common sense. Or sanity. Her amusing mouth was sassier than all his past girlfriends’ combined, but her reckless nature made her a risk.
A risk he had no choice but to take.
Pushing the doubts aside, Blake settled back and focused on the oddly enticing sight of her lightly jiggling foot. Obviously, the lady was incapable of holding still.
Or keeping her opinions to herself.
“What will it take to change your mind?” he said. “Money?”
She rolled her eyes, as if to say his attempt was lame.
“Whatever your weekly salary is, I’ll triple it,” he said.
“No thanks,” she said smoothly. “I’m sure you can find someone else.”
“Nikki refuses a hired aid. And the only other family I have is my mother, but she was the one who encouraged Nikki to drive herself to the courthouse today.” At Jax’s curious look, he felt obligated to attempt to explain Abigail Bennington, an impossible feat. “My mother doesn’t believe in setting limits.”
A fact that had been okay when his father had still been alive. After his death, Blake had been the one left to pick up the slack, striving to see that a then twelve-year-old headstrong Nikki made it to adulthood in one piece. No easy task.
He tipped his head. “As a matter of fact, you and my mother would get along great. She believes everyone should lead with their heart, too.”
The smile she sent was laced with a touch of reproach. “Smart lady.”
“Yes. But my mother also believes in love potions, tarot cards and the validity of the psychic hotline,” Blake said drily. “So take that for what it’s worth.”
Her smile grew bigger. “Your mother sounds wonderful.”
Abigail Bennington was frustrating. Exasperating. And notoriously unreliable. As much as he cared about her, dealing with his mom wasn’t always easy. Luckily, she was also very lovable in her own wacky way.
Wacky, just like the beautiful woman with the tiny tattoo. Her wrist rested on her lap, and he discreetly tried to make out the picture. But he only managed to get an eyeful of a bare, tanned and very toned thigh.
A few more moments passed filled with awareness, and he forced his eyes back to her face. “Look,” he said reasonably, “Nikki needs company, and I’m currently involved in a case that’s requiring a lot of my time. And my mother has a social calendar that would put the First Lady to shame.” He blew out a breath. “Most of Nikki’s old high school pals have moved away. And the few that still live here have jobs. Honestly,” Blake went on thoughtfully, “I think she’s missing her friends.”
Jax’s foot stopped its incessant wiggling, and she crossed her arms, a small frown stealing across her face as she nibbled on her lower lip. Obviously she was rethinking her refusal, more moved by compassion than money. Information he fully intended to take advantage of.
“Nikki had been looking forward to her summer break for months,” he said, pressing on. He’d had years of practice reading juries, and Jax’s sympathy was easy to see. He almost had her. “Now she’s stuck at home. What she needs is someone closer to her age for company.” Truthfully, he thought his sister needed a keeper, but he kept that tidbit to himself. “So she won’t feel so...alone.”
Jax heaved out a sigh, turning to face him. “Okay, I’ll do it.” Blake’s blood surged in triumph. “But I have one condition,” she said.