He turned to face her. “Look Lindsey, I have obligations I’ve made since leaving the Paxton Group.”

“I’ll beat any price that’s been offered,” she said with hope in her voice. “My father has money.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want your money. The water between me and Edward is far too muddy.”

She made a desperate effort at reasoning. “He’s not capable of working now. You and I have no history. I don’t resemble my father at all.”

His eyes narrowed. “No, I don’t believe you do, but I still can’t come back.”

Hugging herself with her arms, Lindsey turned to face the window. The pinching in the back of her eyes told her, that were he to look, there was a glassy desperation reflected there, the depth of which she preferred not share with Mark. She half expected him to walk up behind her again, but he didn’t. And if the disappointed and irrational desire she was feeling was any proof, she might just be losing her mind.

After a few moments of silence, Lindsey felt she had regained her composure enough to turn and face Mark. He hadn’t moved from where he stood. Her words were soft and forced. “He has this case. Williams is the name. He believes the guy is innocent. It resembles the Hudson case. A lot.” She paused and squeezed her eyes together as she inhaled a steadying breath. Then, forcing herself to look at him, she continued, “I can’t handle it,” she said shaking her head. “Daddy says he won’t trust anyone but me to handle the case, but I just can’t do it.”

“You could still make the decision to hand it off to one of the staff attorneys,” he offered.

Her eyes were hopeful. “Who do you recommend?”

He looked at her a long moment and then shook his head from side to side. “That was one of my issues with Edward, his choice of partners. None of them; I wouldn’t recommend a one of them.”

She said what was going through her mind, speaking half to herself. “This will be high profile. It could damage the firm if handled wrong.”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Look Lindsey, you were good enough then, and you are good enough now.” Then he added, “Paxton does have a few decent attorneys, but not for this type of case.”

“Don’t you understand, I don’t want to do it?” Then through clenched teeth, “Not—this—case.”

Somehow, she felt he would understand. He walked towards her, closing the distance between them. Similarities in their histories alone made him know her in ways some never could. He stopped in front of her. Close. Attraction, warm and unnerving, danced between them like a flare gun ready to launch. Lindsey tried to crush this crazy rush she felt from his nearness. Yet . . . she knew he wanted to kiss her, and she wasn’t sure if he tried, she would stop him.

Where was the woman who said no so easily and never showed her emotions?

* * * * *

Something about this woman got under his skin. Such a tough exterior, yet so much pain underneath. It made him want to touch her, to hold her. She looked into his eyes: emotions glistening in the form of unshed tears.

And somehow he knew he had been given a unique glimpse beneath her exterior. One very few ever saw.

He reached out and tipped her chin up, knowing he shouldn’t touch her, but unable to stop himself. “I bet those green eyes can slice air in the courtroom.” His gaze dropped and lingered on her lush lips. So soft, so full, so in need of being kissed. He couldn’t remember ever getting his business senses blurred by a woman. Yet here he was, thinking about kissing Lindsey Paxton, daughter of his ex-partner.

A woman who was way too connected to a world he had no intention of ever revisiting.

“That was a long time ago,” she said, yet her eyes held a distant look, as if she was remembering.

Mark reached out and playfully tugged at a long blonde curl, wrapping it around his finger. Lindsey sucked in a breath, as if shocked. He suspected she wasn’t. They both felt this strange tension between them. It begged to be acted on.

He offered her a soft smile, trying to convince himself to leave her alone. “You are very hard-headed. Maybe you do resemble your father in some ways.”

Her eyes narrowed, and her response came quickly. “If that’s the case, then you resemble him as well.”

Mark couldn’t hold back his laughter. “You are more interesting than your father ever was.”

She took him off guard by offering a desperate plea. “Will you help me, Mark?”

He hesitated. For some crazy reason, he wanted to help her. He didn’t have the time nor did he have the inclination to be involved with Paxton, but to be involved with Lindsey had appeal. He shoved aside the irrational thought. “I have commitments.”

She reached out and touched his arm. He felt the desperation in her action. “Mark, I can’t take this case. I can’t. I know you don’t know me and have no obligation to help me, but I really, desperately need you.”

He couldn’t help it. He liked the way that sounded. How many men had she ever said she needed? He would bet none. It fired up the wholly male part of him, and made him want to rise to the challenge. He tried to keep the heat raging inside in check. But his finger moved lightly down her cheek, as if on its own accord. She shut her eyes, and he knew she absorbed his touch, rather than fought it.

He leaned forward, near her ear. “You need me, do you?” he teased.

Lindsey opened her eyes. They stared at each other for long, intense moments packed with a potent undertone. Moments that had nothing to do with business and everything to do with attraction. “Yes, I do,” she whispered. “I need you.”

A seductive half-smile filled his face. Her lashes fluttered to her cheeks as if she was trying to hide whatever she felt. “I must admit, you’re tempting me,” he murmured, and his words had nothing to do with Paxton. He wanted to kiss her so damn bad it was killing him. But he couldn’t, and he knew it. She was Edward’s daughter. And she wanted something from him he couldn’t give. With regret, he added, “But I can’t go back to the firm.”

Lindsey flushed red, taking a step backwards in a swift, jerky motion. “Damn it, my father is in a hospital bed. Do you not have a heart?” she demanded.

Well, hell, things sure went downhill fast. One minute he was near kissing her, the next he was being cursed. And try as he might, he couldn’t fight the irritation her words evoked. “According to my reputation, apparently not.”

Her cheeks flushed with anger. “You don’t feel any responsibly to the firm after so many years?” she demanded.

If only she would be reasonable. He felt the flare of impatience. “My responsibility ended when I left the firm.”

Her expression was murderous. “Damn you, Mark Reeves!”

“Yelling isn’t going to get you anywhere,” he told her, angry that she expected so much, and pissed that he was so damn attracted to her. He should have stopped this in the hallway. “Good thing you didn’t use this tactic in the courtroom.”

“I’m surprised you have won so many cases, Mark.” Her tongue was taking on the sharp quality he had heard so much about at Paxton. She hated to lose a battle. Or so he had heard. “Seems you quit when things get tough.”

Mark didn’t immediately respond. This was getting them nowhere fast. He saw no point in being dragged into the heat of the moment. Two people who loved to win engaging in hotheaded verbal sparring would only prove fruitless. No doubt, she would regret her explosion later. It was time to put an end to this.

“I don’t believe I am the one who quit.” Spoken in a low voice, his words held no anger, just truth. The impact was ten times more forceful.

Lindsey all but physically flinched at the remark. He watched the play of emotions on her face, and knew his comment had hit close to home. Her fists were balled so tightly in her hands that her nails were digging into her skin. “I never wanted to be an attorney in the first place. I only did it for my father.” She was being defensive.