Free Ross 01 Unleashed by Cherrie Lynn

wanna play?” he asked, a spark of mischief lighting his eyes. It broke through the somberness that was threatening to drag her down.
    “Truth or dare? Are you serious?”
    “Why not?” He reached over and lightly pinched her bare arm. She shivered.
    “Aren’t we a little too old for that?”
    “Weren’t we then? You’re only as old as you act. Come on. Truth or dare?”
    She grinned. “Truth.” She wasn’t much of a dare person. He knew that, damn him.
    “All right. You were on a pre-law track with me in college. But you didn’t go on to law school. You once told me you lost interest, yet you work for an attorney. So what’s the story?”
    Well, that was quick enough that he’d been stewing over it for a while, she decided. For a moment, she chewed a fingernail, gaze cast downward to the tabletop. She could feel him watching her. His hands were in her field of vision, resting there on the table, and she momentarily got caught up in studying them, imagining all the naughty things they could do to her. Beautiful, beautiful hands, strong and long-fingered. She’d felt their touch many times, but never in the way she fantasized about the most.
    He’s waiting, dummy! Did you ever have a thought that didn’t involve getting him naked?
    She snapped back to attention, looking at him and schooling her expression. “I was…talked out of pursuing a law degree.” Given a flat-out no was more like it.
    A line appeared between his black brows. “It’s never too late.”
    “Right. And how do you propose I support myself for three years while I go to school? It could be done, but it would involve sacrifices I’m not willing to make right now. Like moving back home to my parents and listening to them ask me every day when I’m going to forget this nonsense and go back to being ‘a good wife’ to Todd.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    She shrugged off the gnawing regret that plagued her whenever she thought about it. “I wanted to do family law. Just from what I’ve seen working for Jack, I don’t think I could ever do criminal—too much grit and violence and pain. I really admire you for facing the dark side like that. I just want to fight for people who are in my situation and worse. People with kids. I know I could make it, if I had the chance.”
    “I know you could, too. And you’re right, I think it would be perfect for you. What I do…yeah, sometimes it is hard to leave it all at the office when I go home at night. Still, there’s nothing like giving someone a chance to get on the stand and face down the person who hurt them.” He was twirling his empty margarita glass, his gaze fixed and intent on some distant point. “To see their strength shining through. It’s really incredible.”
    “I only have to watch you do the job to know you feel that way. And I have no one to blame but myself for letting Todd hold me back.”
    “I’m sure you made what you thought was the best decision at the time. You should really keep thinking about a way to do it, though, Kels. Yes, it’s three years of sacrifice, and you’ll start to think you must be a masochist for putting yourself through it. But it’ll go by before you know it. I know my dear friend Jack probably isn’t paying you near what you’re worth.”
    “I can make it on what I earn,” she protested. “He’s good to me. He did my divorce pro bono. Todd and I didn’t have much to fight over, really. We sold the house, but we didn’t have much equity. I took my stuff and he took his.”
    “At least Jack helped you out on that. He’d deserve a beat-down otherwise. Anyway, what you’re doing, it’s good experience. You could still do so much more, though.”
    She was touched he seemed so passionate about her future, but his green eyes were burning too intently at her. “Okay, enough of that,” she declared. “Evan Ross, truth or dare?”
    The wicked grin that spread across his face was maddening. “Dare.”
    Oh, he would. She had him go up to a