No Strings Attached

lan felt his heart plummet.

This woman... He was sure he had seen her somewhere before, especially those beautiful eyes and the tender, watery smile that lurked within them. The memory was so distant, so faded, he couldn't quite place when their paths had crossed.

lan realized he was losing his cool and quickly adjusted his expression. "If it bothers you, I can move to the table over there," he offered.

"No, it's fine. Have a seat," Liana quickly composed herself after her initial shock.

Clara was mortified and kicked lan under the table in a fit of silent rage, but before she could retract her leg, it was ensnared by lan's strong limbs. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Watching her face turn beet red with annoyance, lan couldn't help but curve his lips into a smug grin. He poured her a glass of iced water and offered it with a chuckle, "Is it just me, or is it sweltering in here? Attorney Clara, you look like you could use something to cool down."

she managed a thin smile. "Thanks, Mr. Hayes, but I can't handle cold drinks-warm coffee

to move past the incident. But lan's voice, slightly deeper than before, broke the silence. "Why is it

but his attempts at discretion only served to

tomato. Even a fool could decipher the significance of that

managed to force a tight-lipped response, "Excuse me, I

lan rose too. "Enjoy your meal. I've got to take a call,"

a gentle look. "He's

seemed surprised." As a psychologist, he was trained to notice the slightest details. Liana shook her head with

bitterness on his mother's face, Brodie served her some comfort food, his voice soft and reassuring. "If you can't remember, then