Page 17

“Dani,” Ezra practically purrs. “What a nice coincidence seeing you here.”

My eye twitches. “It’s…a coincidence. That’s for sure.”

“Are these your parents?” Ezra looks between my mom and dad, completely disregarding the silent “go the fuck away” I’m signaling with my eyes as he offers his hand to my mother. “Or maybe this is your sister?”

“Oh, he’s a charmer,” Mom says with a flush, taking his hand to shake it.

Dad wags a finger in Ezra’s direction. “I know you. How do I know you?”

“Can’t say,” Ezra answers casually, still ignoring the silent waves of irritation rolling off me. “Dani and I are more ‘closed door’ sort of friends.” My mouth falls open, and my mother gives Ezra a strange look, but then he adds, “I work for another firm.”

Dad snaps his fingers. “Hart! You’re the Hart boy. I’ve followed your career. Hell of a win rate.”

“I appreciate that, sir,” Ezra preens.

“Never had you in my courtroom, unfortunately,” Dad goes on. “Been retired for a while now, but I still keep up with things in the court reports.”

Mom pats Dad’s arm. “Perry was a judge for thirty years.”

“Oh?” Ezra chances a glance at me, his jaw twitching with his tempered smile when he notices my narrowed eyes. “Dani never mentioned.”

“The Heartbreak Prince!” Mom makes a delighted sound before she slaps Dad’s shoulder. “That’s what they call Ezra. So clever.”

About as fucking clever as a Saturday-morning cartoon.

I clear my throat. “What are you doing here, Ezra?”

“Same as you, I imagine,” he drawls, shooting me a megawatt smile that makes me scowl even as my stomach swoops. “Having brunch.” He winks at my parents. “With lesser company, surely.”

“Well, we’re kind of busy,” I say tersely. “So…”

Ezra completely ignores me. “Did Dani tell you we’ll be going against each other on the Casiraghi case?”

“She hadn’t gotten around to it,” Dad says. “You’ve given her a run for her money in the past.”

“It’s because he’s fluent in bullshit,” I mutter.

Ezra remains unfazed. “I’ve definitely never come up against anyone like your daughter. She’s…very good.” He pauses, his mouth hitching in a slow smile. “When she wants to be.”

I feel my neck flush with heat, my nostrils flaring in what has to be a comical expression as I remember the other night.

You can be a good girl when you want to be, Dani.

“Nothing like a little friendly rivalry to make thingsinteresting,” Dad pipes up, oblivious to the fact that Ezra is trying to engage me in some kind of odd mating dance that I refuse to be a part of. “I can’t wait to see how things play out.”

Ezra’s eyes are still fixed on me, giving a surreptitious glance down the front of me before his head snaps back to my parents to flash another practiced smile. “I’m always in for a surprise when it comes to Dani, but it’s never boring.” Ezra checks his watch. “I’d better go back to waiting on my client. It was really great to meet you both.”

“It was nice to meet you,” my mom offers.

Ezra’s eyes catch mine, an annoying twinkle there that lets me know how amusing he finds all of this. “Always good to see you, Dani.”

I can’t manage more than a stiff nod, the familiar knot forming in my belly, one that always seems to work in tandem with the warming of my blood, leaving me aggravated. Especially since I can never really pin down if it comes more from irritation or arousal.

“He seemed nice,” Dad notes as Ezra strides off.

I catch Mom nodding from the corner of my eye. “Handsome too. Dani, have you ever—?”

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I spit out, pushing up from my chair. “I’ll be right back.”