Bang Buddies With Benefits by Cindi Madsen

In the courtroom, I pride myself on how many times I can get the judge to bang the gavel and threaten me with contempt. Outside of work, I don’t have time for extra drama, which is why I’m perfectly happy with the no-strings arrangement I have with my bang buddy, Zac.

Unfortunately, my old-school colleagues consider a single woman a risk and are dragging their feet to make me partner. In order to effectively smash the patriarchy and survive the summer of couple-type events, I could use a fake fiancé. Zac’s also in a bind—his brother’s upcoming nuptials are filled with complications galore—so we strike a deal involving plus-one benefits. At first, all we can agree on is that we’d never actually work as a couple. But discovery is an important part of every case, and the more I try to blow off our growing connection, the louder my heart yells “I object.”