Excerpt of Slow Hand by Victoria Vane

Wade raked his hand through his sandy hair with a curse.
“Damned vegan tree-huggers will destroy our entire state
economy.”

Iris rolled her eyes as if anticipating a full-blown
tirade. “Be back in a jiffy.” She winked at Nikki as she
slipped out the door.

Nikki grinned. “I take it you’re not a card-carrying member
of the Green Party?”

“No.” His gaze narrowed and brows pulled into a frown.
“You’re not one of them I hope.”

“Who me?” Nikki shook her head. “No, sir-ee, I’m a live-
and-let-live Libertarian and a longtime omnivore. My
grandparents had a chicken farm in Lavonia. I betcha didn’t
know Georgia is the country’s biggest chicken producer.”

“No, ma’am.” His shoulders visibly relaxed. “I didn’t, but
then I’m not a big chicken fan myself.”

She let her gaze travel over him in a slow appreciation of
his tall, lean, muscular frame. She guessed he stood at
least six-three in his boots. “I suppose not,” she said.
“It would be only prime grass-fed beef and Idaho potatoes
for you.”

He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned on the
door frame studying her. “Miz Powell, if I didn’t know
better, I’d think you were undressing me with those pretty
blue-green eyes of yours.”

A guilty flush infused her face but she refused to give him
the advantage. She opted for a strong offense instead. “So
what if I was? Weren’t you quite fixated on my ass at
Denver airport?”

He raised a sandy eyebrow. “You noticed that, eh?” His
confession came with a shameless grin attached.

She jutted her chin. “Quid pro quo, Counselor. What do you
say to that?”

He approached her slowly, the smile in his eyes
transforming in a blink to a wicked gleam. A gleam that
promised very bad things. His reply sent a warning signal
to every nerve in her body. “I’d say, why just use your
eyes?”

Dear God, he was trouble with a capital T.

He closed the space between them in two long strides.
Instinctively, Nikki backed up as many steps—but her ass
hit the desk. Before she realized what he was about, he’d
caught her hips and lifted her onto it. He held her hostage
with his gazed locked on hers, his arms braced on either
side of hips. “There’s something real interesting going on
here,” he remarked at length.

Nikki swallowed hard, her gaze wavering. “I already told
you I’m not interested. I don’t do casual hookups.”

“You think that’s what this is about?”

“Isn’t it?” she asked, intentionally blithe.

He shook his head. “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe. I’d be lying
if I said I didn’t feel a damn powerful attraction to you.”

She’d never had such a strong reaction to another man
either. All he had to do was look at her to get her pulse
racing and her insides quivering. And right now he was too
damned close for comfort. She shifted backward, trying to
create some distance, but there was nowhere to go.

“Don’t you have to be in court soon, Counselor?” she
reminded him in a voice that came out breathless.

“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “Guess I got a bit sidetracked.
You’re turning out to be a big distraction, you know that?”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such an
imposition.”

“I said a distraction not an imposition. There’s a big
difference. I didn’t realize until now just how badly I’ve
needed such a distraction.” He stepped away with a
reluctant sigh.

Her pulse still hammering in anticipation, Nikki exhaled
the breath she hadn’t realized was trapped in her chest.

Wade spun toward his office. “Help yourself to the phone
and anything else while I get cleaned up.” He paused again
on the threshold. “Of course, you’re welcome to use my
office if you need greater privacy.” He added over his
shoulder with a look of devilment. “Or in the event any
wild impulse overtakes you while I shower.”

He went to work on his shirt buttons. His collar was soon
wide open revealing a generous show of muscular chest that
make her hands itch to rip it off him. She diverted her
gaze and curled her itchy hands by her sides.

“Have no fear, cowboy,” Nikki replied in a tone meant to
disguise the warm flush that had come over her. “I
corralled all my wild impulses long ago.”

“Did you, now?” He still stood in doorway, head cocked.
“Somehow, I think you may have missed a few strays.”

“Maybe I need to make myself clearer. I have an aversion to
cocky cowboys.”

Just keep telling yourself that, Nikki. Maybe if you repeat
it often enough it’ll become true.

“Is that so?” His brows flew upward. “I can’t say I ever
met a woman with an actual aversion to me.”

“Don’t take it personally. It’s nothing against you in
particular, but to your type.”

“And what do you think you know about my type?”

“Since I don’t have a pole handy, enough to keep you at
arm’s length. Besides that, this whole line of conversation
is entirely inappropriate in light of professional ethics,
don’t you think? You are my attorney, after all.”

“Well, darlin’”—he scratched his unshaven jaw—“there’s a
little hitch to that.”

“What do you mean? You said you’d help me.”

“And I will, but you can’t engage my professional services
until I know who you are.”

“I’ve told you who I am!” she insisted.

“Sweetheart, I’m a lawyer, and according to the law, your
claim don’t weigh without authentication.”

“Authentication?”

“Proof.”

“So what are you saying? That you don’t believe me?”

“I’m not saying that at all. Only that our professional
relationship will commence once you get your ID. In the
interim”—his gaze slid over her in a way that threatened to
melt her insides—“you’d best find yourself a nice, long,
sturdy pole.”