Page 102 of A Legal Affair

He chuckled. “Never said I would.” He angled his head to look down at her flushed face. “Just so we’re clear, Daniela, you’re spending the weekend with me.”

She smiled drowsily. “Yes, sir. Not like you really gave me a choice,” she mumbled, her eyelids drifting closed. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

As Caleb followed her into dreamland, three words he’d never spoken to another woman drifted through his mind.

I love you.

31

Daniela woke up to the scent of cigar smoke.

Not the smelly kind that used to cling to her grandfather’s clothes. This was an earthy, nutty, spicy scent—a peppery mix of sharp cinnamon and burnt oak that seduced her olfactory senses.

She could feel herself smiling as she came more fully awake. She was warm and naked under the covers. There was a lingering soreness between her legs, and her tousled hair fell over her face.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Caleb sprawled in an armchair at the end of the huge bed. His chest and feet were bare, and he had on drawstring gray sweatpants. He was scrolling through his phone while puffing on a fragrant, premium cigar.

Daniela brushed her messy curls away from her face and whispered, “Hey, you.”

His eyes lifted to meet hers. “Hey.”

Feeling wonderfully limp and replete, she pushed herself up onto her elbow and gave him a lazy smile. “What’re you doing over there?”

“Looking through your Instagram.”

A frisson of panic shot through her, instantly tightening her muscles.Oh shit. He’s digging. What does that mean???

Trying to play it cool, she quipped, “Good thing I deleted all my thirst traps.”

Caleb didn’t laugh or even crack a smile.

Her nerves jangled. “That was a joke, by the way.”

“Hmm.” He took a puff from his cigar and blew a perfect smoke ring, watching it drift into the air and disperse.

Resisting the urge to squirm or fidget, she said casually, “I didn’t know you smoked cigars.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other, Daniela.”

“That’s true.” She swallowed a tight knot in her throat. “I’d like to change that.”

He sucked in another lungful of smoke and exhaled through his nose, his eyes never leaving hers. “Would you?”

“Yes.” Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it above the sound of her shallow breathing. Could he hear it, too?

“Is something wrong, Caleb?” She forced a little laugh. “Are you weirded out by my sanitized Insta page?”

“Sanitized,” he repeated in a low murmur. “That’s a good description for it.”

Her heart lurched in her chest. This must be how he made prosecution witnesses feel on the stand, second-guessing every breath they took and every answer they gave. Why the hell had she asked him that question, invokingthatparticular word?

She tucked a curl behind her ear, trying to act and sound normal. “You think my page lacks personality?”

“Nah.” Caleb twirled his cigar between his thumb and forefinger while examining it. “I think it’s…interesting.”

Noah had set up her Instagram page with strategically curated posts, stories and reels. As an ex-cop, he had experience creating fake social media accounts to catch criminals. Though they’d started off with fake followers and likes, once Danielatook over the page, she began attracting organic fans who seemed to enjoy her inspirational quotes and quirky ramblings about law school. She’d even exchanged a few friendly DMs with other first-year law students. To the casual observer, her page looked totally legit. But something had obviously triggered Caleb’s Spidey senses.

Daniela tried to lick her lips though her tongue felt thick and dry. “Before starting law school,” she explained, “I cleaned up my socials in case any professors or prospective employers looked me up. I want to be taken seriously. That’s why you don’t see too many selfies. Or shoe porn.”