Page 109 of A Legal Affair

“I want you to meet someone,” he said, surprising her.

She looked at the laptop screen, which showed part of a luxurious home office with gray paneled walls and French doors overlooking a huge pool, the water shimmering in the sun.

“He’ll be right back.” Caleb brushed a stray curl away from her eyes and thumbed her bottom lip. “You were gone a while.”

“I know,” she said with a forced laugh. “I got into a long convo with one of your neighbors. She talked a hole in my head.”

Caleb chuckled. “A few culprits come to mind. What was her name?”

Panic dried Daniela’s mouth. “I didn’t actually catch her?—”

“Sorry about that, bro,” a familiar deep drawl interrupted from the laptop. “I had to— Well, hello there.”

Daniela whipped her head around, staring at the man who’d appeared on the screen. Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! You’re Brandon Chambers! Sorry,SenatorChambers,” she quickly amended.

“Call me Brandon.” His dimpled smile was downright disarming. “And you are?”

She must have looked momentarily tongue-tied because Caleb grinned. “Brandon, this is Daniela Moreau.”

He didn’t addShe’s my girlfriend, nor did she expect him to. “It’s so nice to meet you, Brandon,” she gushed.

His smile deepened. “Likewise, Daniela.”

With his decadently rich dark skin, eyes the color of black olives, chiseled features and immaculate goatee, Brandon Chambers had to be the hottest man in history to ever prowl the halls of Congress. His gorgeous face had graced countless magazine covers and cable news programs, even a few musicvideos. Born into Texas royalty, he was a power broker, a relentless firebrand and, remarkably, he didn’t give her the ick like ninety-nine percent of politicians. He seemed to be the real deal, a man of true conviction. It wasn’t surprising that he and Caleb were such good friends.

“Brandon and I met in college,” Caleb told Daniela.

“That’s so cool.” She grinned. “That makes two of your college friends I’ve met so far.”

“Yeah?” Brandon said with lazy curiosity. “Who was the other one? Evander?”

“No, Stuart Epps.”

Brandon and Caleb looked at each other and cracked up.

Daniela’s grin widened. “Poor Stuart.”

“That’s what we used to say.” Chuckling, Brandon hitched his chin toward her baggy shirt. “You went to UT?”

“Oh no, this is Caleb’s. I’m just bandwagoning.” She made the Hook ’em Horns sign and immediately felt like a ditz. It wasn’t her fault, though. Between Caleb and Brandon, there was way too much testosterone-fueled hotness going to her head.

Brandon smiled at her. “Where you from, Daniela?”

“San Antonio.” She waited for him to ask how she’d met Caleb, but the question never came. She wondered if he already knew, if he was only pretending not to know certain details about her. She was trying not to read too much into Caleb’s insistence on introducing her to his good friend. She told herself it didn’t mean anything, but a secret hope had taken root and was slowly, foolishly, starting to bloom.

She grinned at Brandon. “Are you enjoying your August recess from Congress?”

“Definitely.” He put his finger to his lips. “But shhh, don’t tell anyone.”

“Oh, I totally understand. If I were in Congress, I’d take as many breaks from that cesspool as possi—” She broke off, clapping a hand over her mouth. “Shit, I didn’t mean?—”

Brandon and Caleb burst out laughing.

Mortified, she buried her face in Caleb’s shoulder, whispering too loudly, “This is why you can’t take me anywhere!”

He laughed harder and wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

“Daddy!” a child squealed in the background.