Something had come over me at seeing Wells in this place, our usual tension pooling in my belly at being in his proximity. Nicco's lingering touches drove me wild, and with each heated look, I was on the verge of erupting. When he slipped his fingers in me while in a crowded room, the allure of the salaciousness had me careening over the edge.
Opening my eyes, I hadn't expected to see Sax, Mr. Sin personified himself, watching me. His magnifying eyes acted like a homing beacon, drawing him to me. I should be worried that all my worlds appeared to be colliding at an underground fighting ring, but I didn't care. Not now, at least. Pushing myself to feel everything, I embraced the recklessness, enjoying not thinking of the consequences for once.
My lust-riddled brain hadn't connected the dots. If Sax was here, Atticus was likely to follow.
When I heard his voice, the rough timber sent shivers down my spine. The memory of our lunch and the way they'd enclosed me on the bench together sent naughty images through my head in my current state. Tilting my head toward his voice, I hadn't expected to find Atticus with a blonde woman on his arm. When his words penetrated my brain, I couldn't stop the gasp from leaving my lips.
I wanted to ignore the crushing sense of disappointment and shock I suddenly felt weighing on me and the feeling of betrayal coursing under it. Opening myself up for one emotion had left me vulnerable to experience all of them. I couldn't focus on those right now, so denial became my best friend. We had one lunch. He was the guardian of my client. There was absolutely nothing between us. So whatever I was feeling would need to bury itself as it had no place in my life.
Atticus's eyes shifted over to me, shock and perhaps desire flared briefly as we were held suspended in time. He hadn't expected to find me here, and I guess, hadn't noticed me either when he'd walked over. Between my hair being up, the riskier clothing choices, and being in an abandoned warehouse altogether, I was probably the last person he expected to see here. I know he was for me.
A tiny tendril of fear coursed through me. Hopefully, since we were at the same place, he wouldn't judge me as being incompetent to help his sister. My private life had no bearing on my skill set, but not everyone could separate the two. I once had a colleague who'd been on a dating site, and when a parent of a client found out, they refused to allow their child to be seen by them. Forgetting the fact they only knew because they were on the same site. People were strange creatures.
A single blink of his lashes transported us back to the present, and the sound returned with a racket of noise. The words he'd spoken echoed around in my head. Fiancée. Fiancée. Fiancée.
Wrapping my hands around my glass, I wished it'd been colder so it could cool the heat my cheeks were feeling. I focused on the ice as it clinked against the glass, willing myself to quit showing my emotions so easily. Too many things had happened in the span of a few minutes, and it felt like I was on a tilt-a-whirl.
Peeking up through my lashes, I found Sax holding my gaze. I could hear Nicco speaking with the couple, but the words didn't filter through. Atticus and I acted like strangers, worse than strangers actually. It was standard protocol and part of the confidentiality agreement, but it didn't make me feel good about it. The fact it hurt was a red flag, but the alcohol coursing through me had muddled my boundaries.
The fact was, I could only acknowledge them if they acknowledged me. So why was I hung up over it? Sax's eyes swirled, and for the first time, I witnessed vulnerability from the sexy brute of a man. An arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling my body closer to Nicco, but my eyes stayed firm with Sax's.
In his eyes, I found myself.
Recognizing the emotions churning within him, I offered him the one thing I could. Acceptance.
Sax's ice-blue eyes held fire and ice within, and at my silent offer, I saw relief. His pain was deep, his wounds considerable, and his soul dark. And I wanted it. The realization stunned me, but I couldn't deny it. I wouldn't.
"Mas, this is beautiful, but you can call her Loren," Nicco joked, obviously unaware of our history. I waited to see how he'd play it and if he would acknowledge me this time with the direct introduction.
"Ah, Mrs. Carter, what a pleasure to find you here. Though, I do admit it's not the first place I pictured you," Atticus's smooth timber proclaimed. The satisfaction he wasn't going to deny our relationship had me feeling bold.
"Oh, what kind of places do you picture me in?"
The question purred out in a seductive drawl I hadn't known existed. My earlier boldness coursed through me, filling me with more confidence than I've ever felt and made me daring. I placed my hand on Nicco's thigh, staking my own claim, and pushing the boundaries outside my office. A tiny voice told me to go further, but I didn't want to pervert anything between Nicco and me. I would never want to use him, so, fortunately, the sane part of me won out in the end. But the hand had been enough as I watched Atticus's nostrils flare a smidge, his jaw tense.
"I know where I picture you," Sax mumbled, but I heard it, and my skin heated at the undertone.
"I can assure you, Mrs. Carter, that was a figure of speech."
I didn't miss the biting tone or the way his eyes hadn't left where my hand laid. Nicco had been watching everything trying to put the puzzle pieces together and finally caved when he couldn't place anything.
"So, how do you know Loren, cousin?" Nicco inquired, jealousy and doubt in his tone.
Ah, shit. His words had the lust leaving quickly as I realized the implications and world of shit I'd placed myself in. Questions started to run through my head at the ethics of things that were admittedly harder to do with the alcohol in my system.
"Attie Bear, I'm bored. When does this fight start? Where are we going to sit?"
I could almost picture her stomping her foot as the whine left Michelle's mouth. I'd blocked her out of my vision, an unconscious desire to make her not exist, so her question had me jerking, the tension breaking between Atticus and me.
His arm tensed around Michelle, and for a second, it felt as if he wanted to push her away from him, but at the last second, he turned and addressed her.
"Michelle, darling, how about you find a table and order whatever you like? I'll be along shortly."
At his order, Michelle did one of those girly squeals before kissing his cheek. I'd zeroed in on him, and perhaps I was overanalyzing things, but I cataloged each little movement as they happened. He tensed at her gesture, and I'd even go as far to say he cringed as her lips brushed his cheek. Atticus' jaw ticked more, and he seemed to sag in relief once she stepped away. It didn't make sense to me, but he'd always been a beautiful enigma I'd wanted to figure out.
Atticus hesitated for a brief moment before unbuttoning his suit jacket and sitting down next to Sax. The sexy neanderthal barely budged over, leaving Atticus with a small space to fold his six-foot frame into. It was comical in a slightly cruel way. The therapist part of my brain wanted to dissect their relationship and uncover the root of the palpable tension between them. It was obvious something had occurred between them based on how differently they interacted from six hours earlier.
"I feel like I'm reading a book, but I'm missing a chapter or two. Anyone care to enlighten me?" Nicco quipped, but for the first time, I heard a hint of steel running through his words. He didn't like being out of the loop, but I couldn't be the one to inform him, so I had to wait it out as anxiety grew within me. I'd never been put in this situation before, and I wasn't sure how to handle it.