Page 30 of The Billionaire's Classmate

“Hello,” Maria gave him a small smile, and he chuckled lightly.

“I just came by to see how you were doing on the case,” he said easily, coming to lean on her desk.

“Oh, it’s coming along just fine,” Maria said unconvincingly, and Daniel raised a brow.

“May I take a look,” he asked, and held out his hand for her materials.

Maria nodded and handed over her documents. She was horrified that he was here, but at the same time, she was relieved and grateful that he could help her out with the case. She watched him as he read over her new work, and waited silently for his response.

“Excellent work Maria,” he said, looking up at her, his expression no longer teasing. “You are definitely going to make more of an impression this way. I’m very impressed.”

Maria couldn’t help but smile brightly at the praise. She may be embarrassed by their actions with one another, but at the end of the day he was the best in her field, and to be praised by him was a very high honor.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he inclined his head.

Maria took her documents back, but she was aware of Daniel’s eyes lingering on her. She looked back up, and felt her stomach clench as she saw that his eyes did not dance with their customary humor, but were instead sober and contemplative as he looked at her.

“Is… that everything?” Maria asked tentatively, beginning to feel nervous.

“Actually, I had hoped to discuss something else,” he said, and Maria swallowed.

“I know what we did was unprofessional,” Maria began. “And I am going to do my best to keep it in the past where it belongs, so that it won’t impact the quality of my work.”

Daniel frowned and cocked his head.

“Is that really what you want?” he asked, his voice darker and softer than usual, and Maria felt a shiver travel down her spine. Maria could say nothing.

“I wanted to invite you to dinner at my apartment on Friday,” he said, moving to pace about the room.

“Oh,” Maria blinked. “I don’t…”

“Don’t answer me now,” he held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Think about it. I will understand your answer whatever it is. I know about the policy, and you know how I feel about it. I don’t want that to influence your decision. There is something about you that intrigues me, Maria. I have known many women, and I have never been so… fascinated.”

Daniel stopped speaking for a moment, and merely looked at her. His brows were furrowed in concentration, and his eyes searched her face for any emotion. This was hardly the playful, teasing Daniel Boone everyone wrote about in the media. This was a different man before her completely, and Maria was at a loss for words.

“Think it over,” Daniel said at last. “Come to my office on Friday. I want to see what work you have done on your case, and I want your answer. I’ll see you then.”

Without another word, Daniel left the office, and Maria let out a pent up breath. Her head was spinning, and she had no idea what she was going to say to him. The sane part of her mind begged her to say no, but another part of her was full to the brim with excitement that he had even noticed her.

Then again, Daniel had a reputation with women, and maybe this was just his tactic to get her into bed with him. After all, he was a lawyer, and he could certainly lie convincingly. Maria logged that into her brain, and tucked it away. She was still at work, and she still had a case that required her attention.

And Maria did try to focus on her work, but she couldn’t help that her mind always managed to drift back to Daniel. She remembered his words, and she wondered if he was sincere. It seemed that the harder she tried to push the thoughts away, the more she thought of him.

This was even worse on Thursday. She knew that the next day, she would have to approach Daniel and give him an answer. She was horribly worried that continuing such an affair would lead to her demise. He didn’t care about the policy because he was all but famous, and he could easily get another job. She, however, could not afford to lose this job, and she wasn’t sure he was conscious of that fact.

At the same time, though, Maria couldn’t deny the fierce attraction she had to Daniel. She had been attracted to men before, but there was something else with him. He ignited a part of her that she had never even known existed. And along with that, there was something more tender as well. The emotions warred within her, and only served to confuse her.

Friday came before she was ready to give Daniel an answer. She was, though, ready to discuss her case. So, she gathered her courage, and decided to go to his office. She would just have to wing it.

She moved through the hall to his office, and he answered the door as soon as she knocked.

“Good morning Maria,” he smiled.

“Good morning,” she offered a smile in return, ignoring the frantic beat of her heart.

The two immediately moved over to her desk, and Maria wasted no time handing him the case files. Daniel read over them, and she asked him all the questioned she had amassed over the week. Daniel offered his opinions, and Maria took careful notes.