Just This Once, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge #3) by J.H. Croix

for me to be there. I’d like to coordinate with your boss on a protocol for situations like this.”
    Somehow, Becca managed to hold up her end of the conversation. Aidan asked about her cases, and she recalled how easy he was to talk with. He was curious and asked good questions. Her anxiety eased as they exited her apartment, and he drove her to work. She forgot her tension until he pulled up in front of the courthouse and glanced her way. Before she could think, he leaned over and brushed his lips across hers.
    His quick touch, and the air came to life around them. Heat buzzed through her. He leaned back and nodded. “How about I give you a ride home since I’ll be back here anyway?”
    Lost for words, she nodded and climbed out of his car. She watched as he drove away, his black sedan weaving quickly into traffic. She made her way inside and immediately got swept up into the relentless pace of her job. Every day was filled with hours of fielding calls, meeting with clients, attending hearings and generally running herself ragged. Ever since she’d written off any chance of a relationship, she’d thrived on how completely her job engulfed her mind. Today, she found her mind wandering time and again to Aidan. She worried over whether she’d made the biggest mistake of her life. However, she had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams at wiping Kyle from her mind. Aidan had so completely imprinted his body on hers, her senses could recall nothing but him. As she went about her day, she caught glimpses of him around and about the courthouse and attached offices. His presence was a distraction and a comfort at the same time.

Chapter 9

    Aidan’s phone vibrated as he was walking into the parking garage to fetch his car. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Ellie’s number flashed on the screen.
    “Hey Ellie, what’s up?”
    “Hey Aidan! Thought I’d call and let you know I’m at your place.”
    “You are?”
    “Yup,” she said brightly. “I have a meeting with a gallery tomorrow, so I thought I’d come down tonight. That’s okay, right? You always say to come anytime.”
    He would usually have said that was always the case, and it was okay tonight. It’s just now he had to find a way to explain not being home, if by chance Becca seemed open to him staying with her again. Or, he had to adjust on the fly and accept all he’d be doing with Becca tonight was giving her a ride home. He forced his attention to his call.
    “Of course, it’s fine. Want me to pick up some takeout?”
    “I thought I’d cook dinner. I stopped by the grocery store and have all the stuff for drunken noodles. Maybe stop and pick up some wine though. I forgot to get some, and you have next to nothing here,” she said wryly.
    “Got it. I’m giving Becca a ride home, so once I drop her off, I’ll head home.”
    “Why don’t you ask her to come for dinner? I’d love to see her.”
    “Sure. See you in a bit.”
    He slipped his phone back into his pocket and made his way to his car. His footsteps echoed through the parking garage. Right before he’d walked to his car, he’d told Becca to meet him out front in a few minutes. She’d been busy putting away the mountains of files on her desk. As he pulled his car around to the front of the building, he considered Ellie’s unannounced visit was probably a good thing. He needed to move slowly with Becca. Dinner with Ellie would force him to keep things light.
    A short while later, he walked around his car to open Becca’s door. He cornered the front of his car to find her standing there, her arm hooked over the edge of the door.
    “Beat you to it,” she said with a wide grin.
    He chuckled and walked past her to tug the back door open. He snagged the bottle of wine he’d picked up on the way home. “Follow me,” he said.
    He led the way to the door that led from the garage into his apartment. As he entered the security code, he considered what Becca might think