Page 28 of A Legal Affair

“For real. We have to get rid of her before she puts us out of business.”

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Daniela said quickly. “I’m not even supposed to be here, remember? I only stopped by to see how you’re doing, and to commend you for not accompanying Kenny yesterday on his quest to pry information out of me.”

Noah grinned. “You know I don’t operate that way, baby girl.” He paused, searching her face. “But since you’re here, why don’t you fill me in on how things are going?”

“Didn’t Kenny tell you?”

“He mentioned that you ran into Caleb at the library and made small talk, but that’s pretty much it.”

Of course Kenneth would deliberately leave out certain details that suggested she was getting cold feet.

Noah eyed her carefully. “I guess what I’m asking is, how doyoufeel things are going?”

He was asking her, without really asking her, whether she still had reservations about her role in the undercover investigation. The fact that he cared at all was what set him apart from Kenneth. And it was for this reason that she readily confided in him, telling him all about her coffeehouse excursion with Caleb—minus the vanilla ice cream incident.Thatwould be something she kept to herself, savoring the delicious memory like…well, like ice cream and espresso melting on her tongue.

Only better.

“By the way he reacted to the news,” she explained, shoving aside the wicked thought, “I knew something was wrong, even before I heard that his father might be representing Olivares. Why do you think that would bother Caleb so much?”

“Well, based on what Philbin told us, Caleb and his father don’t see eye-to-eye on the type of clients Crandall chooses to represent. Obviously this labor union boss is no exception.”

Daniela frowned, unsatisfied with the simple explanation. “But there was something else, something that went beyond disapproval. It was more of a…quiet rage.”

Noah gave her a long, measuring look. “Do you think it was directed at his father, or Olivares?”

“I’m not sure. And I know it may sound crazy, but I think he’s hiding something.”

“I guess that’ll be your job to find out,” said Noah, rising from the chair and walking to the door. He turned back to look at his sister, his expression unreadable. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, Daniela. There’s a lot at stake here.”

She nodded slowly. “I know.”

Noah didn’t have to tell her how much was at stake. She knew as well as anyone how much they all stood to gain if she successfully completed the mission.

But a funny thing was starting to happen, something she hadn’t admitted to herself until that very moment.

The more time she spent with Caleb Thorne, the less she found herself eagerly anticipating what she and her family would gain at his expense. Instead, her thoughts were increasingly dominated by what she, alone, stood tolose.

11

“You wanted to see me, Professor Thorne?”

“Yes.” He was leaning back against the large table, muscled arms crossed, watching with hooded eyes as she slowly approached the front of the lecture hall. The last few stragglers had shuffled out, leaving her and the professor completely alone, which was both scary and exciting.

She stopped several feet away from him, nervously biting her lower lip. “Yes?”

He crooked his finger at her. “Come closer.”

She obeyed, millions of butterflies flapping their wings inside her stomach with every step she took.

“Closer,” he urged.

Her knees wobbled, but she kept moving until she came to a stop right in front of him.

His eyes darkened with satisfaction. “Good girl.”

Heat rushed to her core, pooling in her panties. She swallowed tightly and licked her lips, slick with Fenty hot cherry gloss. The way Professor Thorne’s eyes tracked her tongue was so hot it should be illegal.

Barely breathing, she watched as he reached out to finger a stray curl that had slipped free from her high bun. He tucked itbehind her ear, the featherlight brush of his knuckles sending a hard shiver through her body.