Free Tempt Me at Midnight by Maureen Smith Page B

gaze, he smiled—a slow, lazy smile that hinted at his irreverent nature.

    The judge frowned and shook his head slightly, no doubt wondering for the millionth time what he’d done to land Quentin—a relentless troublemaker—in his courtroom.

    Lexi grinned wryly to herself. I feel your pain, Judge Greer. Believe me, I do.

    Quentin was facing a formidable adversary.

    It wasn’t the presiding judge, a grizzled relic whose jaundiced glare made it clear he was no fan of Quentin’s. And it wasn’t the team of smug, high-powered lawyers smirking at him from the table across the aisle.

    No, the adversary Quentin faced was fear.

    Lexi refused to be with him because she was afraid. She was afraid to jeopardize their friendship. Afraid to trust him. Afraid to get hurt.

    So somehow he had to find a way to help her overcome those fears so they could be together. It would definitely be a challenge.

    But when had Quentin ever backed down from a challenge?

    “Your cross, Mr. Reddick.”

    Quentin glanced up from the “notes” he’d been furiously scribbling during the defense attorney’s direct examination of their star witness. He’d actually been doodling on his yellow legal pad. Depending on the opposition, he often pretended to take copious notes during witness testimonies. It gave him the appearance of being scattershot, not well prepared. Distracted, even. In reality, he’d heard every word spoken, deciphered every subtle nuance of the witness’s voice.

    And he knew where he’d launch his attack.

    Quentin slowly rose from the table. He never rushed his cue. So he hitched up his pant leg, propped one foot on his chair and proceeded to tie his left shoe.

    A wave of chuckles and guffaws spread across the packed courtroom. At the defense table, someone groaned in disbelief.

    Quentin hid a wicked grin.

    Glancing up from his task, he felt a jolt of surprise when he saw Lexi seated three rows back. After the way they’d parted company last week, he hadn’t expected her to show up for any part of the trial. He was deliriously, ridiculously happy to see her.

    When their eyes met, she grinned and mouthed, Go get ’em.

    He winked at her.

    “Your Honor,” complained the defense team’s lead hired gun. “Mr. Reddick is famous for his courtroom shenanigans. Please try to rein him in today.”

    “With all due respect, Counselor, I’ll thank you not to tell me how to run my courtroom. That said—” Judge Greer leveled a stern glare at Quentin “—let’s keep the theatrics to a minimum, shall we, Mr. Reddick?”

    Quentin blinked, giving him a look of sham innocence. “ Me? Theatrical?”

    A ripple of laughter swept over the courtroom.

    The judge jabbed a finger at Quentin. “You’ve been warned, Counselor.”

    “Duly noted, Your Honor.” He glanced down at the row of expensive, gleaming Italian loafers marching down the opposition’s table.

    “Nice shoes,” he complimented.

    The lead defense attorney gave him a small, patronizing smile. “Whose?”

    “All of them.”

    The audience laughed. A few jurors looked mildly disgusted as they regarded the team of defense attorneys.

    Bingo, Quentin thought. Since the trial began, he’d constantly looked for ways to reinforce the perception of the big, bad corporation armed with an arsenal of high-priced goons. The common man versus the greedy insurance giant. David versus Goliath.

    Everyone loved an underdog. He was counting on this jury to be no exception.

    He sauntered toward the witness stand, where Mary Tanner sat calmly waiting to be cross-examined. Spine erect, shoulders squared, hands folded primly in her lap, she was the picture of perfect composure. She’d been coached, and coached well.

    So it was Quentin’s job to find the crack in her armor and exploit it to his advantage.

    Not unlike what he intended to do with Lexi.

    He’d spent years studying the law, just as he’d spent years getting to know Lexi. He knew the inner