The tightness in her shoulders relaxed. At least he wasn’t a boy in blue come to bust her. But forget his smoldering looks. He was like the rest of them, going for cheap lines, hitting on the woman behind the bar. “Yeah, where’d you hear that? Facebook?”
He smiled briefly, shook his head. Damn, he had a fabulous smile. Straight, white teeth and a knowing grin. But she knew better than to fall for a hot stranger simply because he was handsome. She’d done that before, and it had kicked her in the ass. That’s why she was a No-Strings-Attached kind of woman these days. Not that she’d had any attachments of any sort lately – she had too much trouble to untangle herself from before she could even think about getting tangled up in love, let alone the sheets.
“No. Your sister told me. McKenna, I believe.”
Oh.
Oh yes.
It all made sense now.
And far be it from Julia to ever doubt her big sister. Because McKenna’s assessment was one hundred and fifty percent correct. He was smoking hot. Un-be-lievable. And he was no longer a stranger. He was sister-approved, he wasn’t a cop, and he wasn’t a heavy, so she shucked off her worries. “Clay Nichols,” he said, offering a hand to shake. Nice firm grip. Before she knew it, she was thinking of other uses for those strong hands.
“Julia Bell.”
“So how’s your day working out for you, Julia Bell?”
She laughed once. Not because it was funny, but because it was such a simple and direct question. It wasn’t a cheesy line. “It’s not too shabby,” she said. “And yours, Clay Nichols?”
He shook his head, let out a long stream of air. “Long, annoying, but ultimately victorious.”
“What, are you a fighter?”
“Nah. Just a lawyer,” he said then took a drink of the beer. He nodded to the glass in admiration. “Insert lawyer joke here.”
“A lawyer walks into a bar,” she said, then stopped to shoot him a playful stare. “Actually, that’s not a joke. That’s me giving a play by play.”
He laughed. “You are an excellent commentator so far.”
“Why thank you. I can keep it up all night,” she said.
“All night? Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow, and his lips curved up in a wickedly sexy grin.
“It just might be. So, you were victorious. That mean you won your case?”
“Just won the right terms in the negotiations. My client is happy. That’s what matters.”
“What kind of law?” she asked, praying he wasn’t going to say something seedy or sleazy – like personal injury law.
“Entertainment law,” he said in that deep, rumbly voice that she was already digging.
“I’m a big fan of entertainment. Movies and me, we’re like that,” she said, twisting her middle and index finger together.
“Likewise. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy the work. But I know what it is, and I know what’s not. I’m not saving the world. I’m not putting the bad guys behind bars. I’m just trying to help actors, directors, and TV show hosts get the best deals they can get. Put on a show, make some people happy. That’s all I do.”
Julia tapped the side of his beer glass. “And I believe I’m in the same field then. I’m not curing cancer. I’m not saving the whales. I’m just mixing a drink, or pouring a beer, and trying to make someone’s night a little better. That’s all I do.”
A grin spread across Clay’s face and Julia admired the view. He was a fine specimen of man, with a chiseled face, and hair that could be held onto hard when you needed to. But more than that, their simple conversation was just that – nice and easy. She’d often thought being able to really connect with a guy meant having a deep discussion on the meaning of life. But hell, she had little interest in that these days, given all the crap that was chasing her down, all the things she wanted to shuck off. The past, and the debts she carried from it, were a hard heavy weight on her shoulders. Maybe tonight she could forget about them for a bit. Have a conversation that wasn’t about all that she owed. Besides, nice and easy suited her mood. If someone asked her to define the meaning of life lately, then as far as she could see was to try to be happy as best you could. Right now, she was enjoying the way it was easy to talk to Clay Nichols.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
He wasn’t pretentious. He wasn’t pushy. He had a directness about himself and what he did for a living that was refreshing.
“To entertainment,” she said, raising an empty glass in a toast.
“And to being entertained.”
“Let’s see if you can keep that up,” she said, issuing a challenge, because she craved a distraction like this. The last few months of her life had been far too tightly wound. Too much pressure. Too much trouble. Too many things she shouldn’t have to deal with, but was stuck with. Tonight, she wasn’t going to think about all the things chasing her. Tonight was for fun and for admiring the fantastic view. Sometimes, a woman just needed to to flirt off her stress.
“I’m up for it, Julia. I’m definitely up for it.”
* * *
That McKenna was right. Hell, she was more than right. Her sister was hot as sin with those curves, those br**sts, and the perfect kind of hips that he’d like to get his hands on. Her hair was lush and reddish brown. Her lips were full and ripe for kissing. As well as other things. But more than that, she was feisty, with that smart mouth firing off innuendo with every word. She could dish it out, and she could take it. After the day he’d had, after the way his days went in general, he wanted a night like this.