"Evan Williams Lennox."
The judge's voice is tight and bland, like a puke-colored rubber band stretched until it's about to snap. But the name...there’s no way it can be that girl's, with her heirloom pearls and her little preppy court uniform.
No girl that high class could be named after whiskey.
I turn my head and catch her walking up, and I don't even remember taking a seat, but all of a sudden, my ass is back on one of those shiny benches, focusing on the front of the courtroom as old Schwenzer puts the girl through hell, spits her out, and drags her back for more.
"Ms. Lennox, could you explain to me how exactly it was an accident that you wound up burning down some of the oldest trees in the entire state of Georgia?"
Behind her old lady glasses, Schwenzer's eyes are bright with glee. She must come from an ancient line of executioners who really enjoyed the profession.
"It was an accident because I never meant the trees any harm, ma'am. I was only trying to burn some personal items."
That damn voice is hot and husky in my ears. I know I should leave now, but, again, I hold back, just for one more minute.
"Burn some personal items? On someone else's property? You're lucky you didn't light the entire house on fire, Ms. Lennox." She raises her eyebrows and scans the charges. "I have half a mind to let you spend a week or two in a correctional facility."
The girl lets out this soft little gasp, but I know Schwenzer's bluffing out her ass. "But I won't. This time. Your record has been clean so far, and I imagine this was the result of a night of carelessness. But you caused serious damage, and you have to accept punishment for that. You will pay the owners of the property for the damages, you will pay your court fines, and you will be spending your free time for the next few weeks in community service. Don't let me see you here again."
Judge Schwenzer waves a hand to dismiss her, and the girl takes the papers, looking like she'd rather die than begin the long walk of shame from the bench to the doors. Those cold eyes don't even flurry in my direction when I hold the door open for her.
I follow the sweet curve of her ass as she races to the outer doors, her red heels clicking on the tiles so fast, I'm sure she's about to trip and face-plant any second.
Every cell in my brain tells me that the smartest thing I can do is get my paperwork in order, pay my fine, figure out what community service I'll have to wrestle through this time, and get the hell away from this girl and this whole crazy day.
But I'm not really thinking with my brain when I get to the outer doors. She's already across the parking lot, about to key the paint around the door lock of a silver Lexus because her hands are shaking so hard.
I stand a few feet away so I don't spook her more.
"Evan?"
Her name feels good in my mouth, and I like the shocked and pleased look in her eyes when she hears me say it.
"Oh. Hi. I have to...uh, I have to get home now." Her voice is thick, and I keep my eyes on hers, waiting for the tears.
They don't come.
"You have to visit your parole officer. Schwenzer went light on you. Don't piss her off."
The words are technically a warning, but I don't say them that way. It’s just information, just something for this pretty girl to think about before she blows her own foot off with a shotgun by leaving in this sleek little ride without finishing her paperwork.
And, maybe, part of me hopes I'll get a few more minutes with her before I head back home and force myself to forget her forever.
She lifts one foot a couple inches off the ground and lets her shoe slide off her heel and just hang there, half off, half on.
"Does it take long?" Her voice is sweet and rough at once, like sugar would be if you rubbed it hard on your skin.
For some reason, that shoe hanging off her foot makes my brain cloud over and I want...I want a thing I definitely can't have with this girl. I stuff my hands in my pockets, a reminder to my stupid body that this is a hands-off situation.
"Not too long. Follow me."
I smile at her, at first just to show her she has nothing to be freaked out over, but when she rolls this tiny, shy smile my way, I can't hold back the weird surge of something deep and fucking good that spills through me. I feel like whistling. And I also feel like I should run in the opposite direction.
Fast.
Instead I stay by her side, catching the scent of cotton candy and magnolia, and just a little undercurrent of ash.
"You looked so relaxed." Her voice is jittery and she jangles her keys in her hands in a quick, nervous rhythm. "In the courtroom, in front of the judge, you looked like you didn't care what happened to you."
She flicks her eyes in my direction and twists those classy pearls at her throat.
I have this second where I wonder what she'd look like in just that necklace and nothing else, but I rein in my perverted mind so I can answer her.
"I'm used to being here. And I was a little nervous. I'm trying not to get any jail time on my record. But I've been in front of Schwenzer three times this year, so she's about done with my ass. I have no clue why we got off so light."
I'm about to joke that maybe old Schwenzer got lucky last night, but I'm not going to push it with this girl. We're already closer than I meant to get, and I'm not sure how
