Page 9 of Unraveled

He grinned back. “I thought it might.”

She flipped through the papers, found the correct tab, then hastily scrawled her name and the date on the lines. He filed it away, then snatched up the bottle of champagne. “Come on. After all this, you deserve a drink.”

Leaving the briefcase behind, he pushed past her in search of the kitchen, leaving her to follow at her own pace. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he stumbled to a stop as a streak of white blew past his feet. A tiny, curly white-haired dog eagerly circled him, and he knelt down to scratch the dog behind the ears. “Hey, there.”

Audrey’s footsteps stopped just behind him, and he glanced at her over his shoulder. “What is he?” He glanced back at the dog. “Or is it a she?”

“He. His name is Peanut.”

She watched him with a strange sort of expression, and he tipped his head at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head bemusedly. “He’s usually not a big fan of men. He hated Scott.”

He grinned and gave the dog one more good scratch before rising to his feet. He set the bottle of Dom on the counter and turned toward Audrey. “You know what they say, dogs are an excellent judge of character.”

She made a derisive sound in her throat before directing her next words to the dog. “Looks like your instincts are broken, Peanut. He’s a lawyer.”

She said it like it was a dirty word, and he couldn’t help the laugh that rumbled up out of his throat. Dramatically, he slapped a hand over his heart. “Dr. Stanton, you wound me.”

A mischievous smile broke over her face. “Not yet.”

He loved that smile. She didn’t do it nearly enough, but the curve of her mouth completely transformed her face. She was still out of his league, but the smile made her softer, more human… more approachable.

“You didn’t dislike me so much a few minutes ago,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes playfully. “You do have your uses, I guess.”

He loved this side of her—the one that was open and unguarded. Though he knew almost every detail of her life, he hadn’t really had a chance yet to meet the real Audrey and learn what made her tick. It was something he planned to rectify immediately.

“Let’s break this sucker open. Where are your glasses?” She gestured to a cabinet, and he pulled two flutes down. “Would you like to do the honors, or should I?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never been good at that kind of thing.”

“All right.” He peeled the foil off. “I guess it’s my turn, then.”

“Just don’t break anything,” she warned. “I’ve seen videos where those things ricochet and shatter windows. I wouldn’t want to have to sue you for damages.”

He grinned at her. “I’d find a loophole.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t contain the smile that overtook her pretty mouth. “No doubt you would.”

He extracted the cork with little difficulty, but she still jumped at the loud pop that resounded in the room. The liquid fizzed as he poured it into the glasses, the crisp aroma reaching up and tickling his nose. He recorked it, then extended one to her and picked up his own. “To new beginnings.”

She lifted her glass and touched it to his. “To cheating husbands.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re horrible at this. You can’t toast to that.”

“I certainly can,” she retorted. “That’s why we’re here today.”

He let out a beleaguered sigh. “Fine, keep your toast. I’ll just have to come up with another one. To…” He threw a flirtatious smile her way. “To beautiful, intelligent company.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “To a great pair of boots.”

The smile slipped from his face as his eyebrows drew together in confusion. What was she talking about?

“For when the crap gets too deep,” she clarified, her lips twitching with humor.

He studied her for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “You’re something else, you know that?”