As he gazed down at her, tenderness shone in his dark, glittering eyes. “I missed you, too,” he said huskily.
Her heart soared. “You don’t have to say that just because I did.”
He shook his head, his gaze intent on her face. “One thing you’ll learn about me, Daniela, is that I never say things I don’t mean.” He leaned down, taking her lips in a hot, deeply possessive kiss that drugged her senses and left her feeling even weaker than before.
When he lifted his head, she could only gaze at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “Believe it or not,” she murmured, her words sounding slurred to her own ears, “I didn’t come here this morning to seduce you.”
Caleb chuckled softly. “You don’t hear me complaining, do you?”
“Mmm. But you should. I didn’t return the favor.”
Caleb groaned, nuzzling her throat. “Don’t tempt me, woman.”
“Oh, but it’s so much fun,” Daniela teased.
“Don’t be cruel,” he said, drawing away to tweak her nose playfully. He lifted her by the waist and deposited her gently on the corner of his desk before reclaiming his own chair.
As Daniela watched, he deliberately arranged his features into a sober expression. “I’m going to get serious on you now,” he warned her, holding her gaze as if to channel “serious-mood” wavelengths into her. “Are you ready to go there with me?”
Smothering a grin, Daniela gave a dutiful nod. “I’m ready.”
Caleb’s mouth twitched. “I want to run a couple of things past you,” he said, reaching for a pen and a small notepad tucked beneath a sheaf of paperwork. “I’ve been doing some thinking since our last conversation, when we spoke about what you hope to get out of law school. Have you heard of the National Black Law Students Association?”
When Daniela shook her head, he explained, “It’s a national organization designed to improve the educational and social experiences of African-American law students. We have a chapter here at St. Mary’s—the Black Law Students Association. As you already know, African-Americans are greatly underrepresented at the university, particularly in the law school, so an organization like NBLSA is really valuable in providing support and networking opportunities for black law students. NBLSA also sponsors various fund-raisers and community service projects, and hosts a minority law symposium in the spring.” As he spoke, he scribbled in his notepad, then tore off the sheet and passed it to Daniela. “That’s the name and phone number of the NBLSA president. She’s a 3L—”
Daniela, still somewhat dazed from their steamy encounter, gave him a nonplussed look as she accepted the slip of paper. “3L?”
“Third-year law student,” Caleb clarified, his mouth twitching. “Don’t worry. Before long, the abbreviations will be rolling off your tongue. Anyway, if you’re interested in attending an NBLSA meeting or just want to learn more about them, give Sonja a call. She’s always looking to recruit new members, so I know she’d be happy to hear from you. I also think she could serve as a great mentor.”
Daniela gave him a look of tender gratitude. “Thank you for thinking of me, Caleb,” she said sincerely. “Maybe I will give Sonja a call. The NBLSA sounds like a wonderful organization.”
“It is,” Caleb concurred. “The students are terrific, and really committed to fulfilling the mission of the organization. I was the faculty advisor up until last year, when I decided to take a break to work on some other projects. But I left the NBLSA in the good hands of my friend and colleague, Bernard Holt.”
“Does he teach first-year classes, too?” Daniela asked curiously, crossing her legs and propping her elbow on one knee.
“No, but you’ve probably seen him around campus before. There are only three of us here—meaning, three black law professors—so at some point or another you’ll run into all of us.” Leaning back in his chair, Caleb laced his fingers together and rested them on the hard surface of his stomach. “That brings me to the next thing I wanted to discuss with you.”
Smiling, Daniela leaned forward on the desk, her chin resting in the curve of her palm as she made an exaggerated show of giving him her undivided attention. “I’m listening.”
His mouth twitched at her playfulness. “Would you be interested in doing an internship at my father’s law firm?”
Her smile faltered, and she stared at him in bewildered disbelief. “Of course, but…I thought internships were only available to second-and third-year students?”
“Most are,” Caleb agreed. “For example, you can only qualify for a judicial internship after you’ve completed your first year. But we’re talking about a private firm here, which means that the hiring of interns is at my father’s discretion.”
“Does he normally hire first-years?”
“Not normally,” Caleb admitted. “But he would consider it, if a particular student came highly recommended.”
Daniela’s eyes widened. “You would recommend me?”
He inclined his head. “I would.”
She felt a surge of excitement, even as her conscience pricked her. She glanced away from him for a moment. “I—I couldn’t let you do that for me, Caleb,” she murmured.
His lips quirked into an ironic half smile. “Believe it or not, Daniela, I’m not making this offer because we’re involved. I think you’re a very intelligent, mature young woman, and your strong work history can be substituted for your lack of legal experience. In light of the conversation we had on Monday, I believe you could really benefit from interning in a law firm. It would give you a terrific opportunity to learn how the criminal justice system works and to gain firsthand knowledge of the legal profession. If nothing else, at the end of your internship, you may decide a law career is absolutely the last thing you want.”
Daniela grinned. “Or it could turn out to be my life’s calling.”
Caleb smiled faintly. “Could be. Now, I have to warn you up front that my father puts his interns to work, and there’s nothing remotely glamorous about the work they do. You’ll be doing everything from typing lengthy court documents and assisting the paralegals with their research, to serving coffee to clients and running personal errands for the senior associates. It won’t be a cakewalk, but I can guarantee that you’ll learn a great deal and come away from the experience with a tremendous addition to your résumé. So, are you interested?”
Daniela laughed. “Are you kidding? I’d have to be crazy to pass up on the opportunity to intern at San Antonio’s top criminal defense firm.”
“Good,” Caleb said with a brisk nod. “I’ll let my father know. Now, there’s just one other thing.”
“What’s that?”
“He’d like to meet you in person.”
Daniela’s heart knocked. “You mean your father personally interviews interns?”
Caleb gave her a look of wry amusement. “You obviously don’t know Crandall Thorne. He monitors everything at the firm, right down to the price of bulk pens. For as long as I can remember, he’s been involved in the hiring of each and every new employee, from attorneys to mail clerks.”
“Wow,” Daniela murmured.
“I know,” Caleb said, his mouth twitching. “To say my father is a control freak would be a huge understatement. But the firm is very important to him, and, to his credit, he’s always made the right hiring decisions, which has largely contributed to the success of the business.”
Daniela nodded. “When would he like to set up the interview?”
“As soon as possible. Are you available tomorrow evening? I thought we could all have dinner together at his ranch.”
Daniela’s mouth went dry. She could hardly believe that she was soon to meet the powerful, notorious Crandall Thorne in his own domain. When she’d accepted the undercover assignment earlier that summer, never could she have imagined that such a golden opportunity would present itself, seeming to fall right into her lap. Kenneth and Noah would be extremely pleased, she thought, then suffered another pang of guilt, this one sharper than th
e first. Caleb, out of a genuine desire to help her with her career, had gone out of his way to speak to his father on her behalf, all but securing an internship for her that any of her classmates would kill for.
And she would repay his generosity by deceiving and betraying him.
“Daniela?” Caleb’s deep voice broke into her grim musings. She blinked, and realized that he was watching her quietly as he awaited her answer.
She forced a relaxed smile. “Tomorrow evening sounds perfect, Caleb.”
He nodded, his dark gaze lingering on her face another moment before he reached into his desk drawer and withdrew a small white business card. “I’ll pick you up at five-thirty,” he said, scrawling on the back of the card, then handing it to her. “In case you have any questions or need to cancel at the last minute, here are my home and cell phone numbers.”
“Thank you,” Daniela murmured, accepting the card. She glanced at her watch, and saw that it was already close to ten-thirty. If she didn’t get moving, she’d be late for her next class. And yet, she wanted nothing more than to stay right where she was. She wanted to spend the rest of the day with Caleb, sequestered alone with him as if they were the only two souls in the world.
When she looked up again, she saw a softness in his eyes that made her wonder if he’d read her thoughts, or if he, too, felt the same way. Holding her gaze, he got slowly to his feet.
“Better not be late to class,” he said quietly.
With a reluctant nod, she slid off the desk and rounded the corner to retrieve her purse and half-empty bottled water from the floor. At the door to the office, she paused and turned around to face him. “Thanks again for looking out for me, Caleb. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate it.”
He inclined his head briefly. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening, Daniela.”
She mustered a winsome smile before opening the door and slipping out of the room. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of Caleb and the pending dinner date with his father that she scarcely noticed Shara Adler hovering in the doorway of an office across the hall, watching Daniela’s departure with a look of cold calculation.
Daniela remained in a melancholy mood for the rest of the day, plagued by a guilty conscience that warned her what she was doing to Caleb Thorne was wrong, no matter what she told herself to the contrary. She’d entered his life under false pretenses, pretending to be someone she wasn’t, pretending to have career aspirations she didn’t possess. And although Caleb claimed his reasons for helping her had nothing to do with their personal involvement, Daniela knew better, which only compounded her guilt.
She wished Caleb were an ogre—a cold, ruthless monster she’d have no qualms about deceiving. She wished his eyes didn’t glow with genuine pride when he spoke about his students and their commitment to a campus organization. She wished the sight of him didn’t take her breath away, and the sound of his voice didn’t do dangerous things to her heart rate. Heck, she even wished he was lousy in bed.
She wished for something, anything, that would make her duplicity more acceptable, less…reprehensible.
She was still brooding when she arrived at Roarke Investigations that evening. Since it was after hours, the reception area was empty, the venetian blinds were drawn closed and the phones were silent. As she started toward Kenneth’s office, the sound of angry male voices caused her to frown and hurry to the doorway, where she discovered her brothers on their feet and squaring off across Kenneth’s desk like two raging bulls.
“Leave it alone, Noah,” Kenneth was saying tersely.
“I think she has a right to know,” Noah growled.
Daniela crossed her arms and propped a shoulder against the doorjamb. “Who has a right to know what?” she calmly inquired.
Two pairs of dark eyes set in strikingly similar faces swung toward her. For a moment both men looked surprised to see her, and then Noah scowled and glanced away.
“Hey, sis.” Kenneth greeted her in a strained voice. “What brings you to this neck of the woods tonight? Don’t you have a lot of studying to do?”
Daniela pointedly ignored the diversionary tactic. “Am I interrupting something, fellas?” she asked, dividing a speculative look between the two men. “What were you arguing about?”
Noah remained silent, a muscle working at the edge of his jaw as he glared stonily at his older brother.
“Noah and I were having a little disagreement about the best way to handle one of our clients,” Kenneth explained through clenched teeth. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Isn’t that right, Noah?”
Instead of answering, Noah shook his head in disgust and started for the door, muttering under his breath, “I’m outta here.”
“Noah, wait,” Daniela said, reaching out to detain him with a gentle hand on his arm. She lifted her gaze to search his taut features, wondering what had angered him so much. “What is it, Noah? You can tell me.”
“I already did,” Kenneth said irately from behind his desk. “It doesn’t concern you, El. Now let it go.”
Daniela looked askance at Noah, and after another tense moment he inclined his head in the briefest of nods. “It’s all right,” he said in a low voice, but Daniela wasn’t convinced. Worse still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the two brothers had been arguing about her, though she couldn’t begin to fathom what may have led to the volatile confrontation she’d stumbled upon.
Kenneth and Noah Roarke had long ago outgrown their rumbling days, when they hadn’t seen eye-to-eye on anything and had settled their disagreements by throwing punches at each other. As they grew older and matured, they’d reached a peaceful accord in their relationship, a bond that was solidified when Noah decided to follow his big brother into law enforcement. Although they had worked in different areas—areas that frequently clashed over bureaucratic matters—the Roarke brothers had remained fiercely loyal to each other, defying anyone who dared to criticize the other. When Kenneth decided to leave the police department in order to start his own private detective agency, Noah’s loyalty to his brother had transcended his love for being a cop; within a few months he’d resigned from the force and partnered with Kenneth on the risky business venture.
Although the two men didn’t always agree on everything—after all, their personalities were as opposite as night and day—they rarely ever argued, resolving their differences by diplomatically agreeing to disagree.
Which was why the scene she’d witnessed tonight set off a warning alarm in her brain. But, fortunately for Kenneth—who seemed especially determined to keep her in the dark—Daniela had bigger fish to fry at the moment.
“Could you hang out for a minute?” she gently appealed to Noah, who still had one foot out the door. “I need to run a couple of things past you and Kenny.”
His expression softened, and this time it was he who ran a critical eye over her face. “Is everything okay?” he asked gruffly. Without waiting for an answer, he laid the back of his hand against her forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”
Daniela nodded, gesturing him into one of the chairs opposite the large mahogany desk. “I’m fine. I just need to call an impromptu staff meeting. Please, have a seat,” she half ordered Kenneth, who was watching her with mounting curiosity.
By the time she sat down next to Noah, she had both of her brothers’ undivided attention. She drew a deep breath, then blurted, “Caleb Thorne has offered me an opportunity to intern at his father’s law firm.”
Her announcement was met by stunned silence. The two men stared at her, then at each other, before Kenneth broke into a wide, satisfied grin.
“I’ll be damned,” he exclaimed, shooting his brother a triumphant look. “She works fast, doesn’t she?”
“Apparently so,” Noah murmured, quietly scrutinizing his sister’s face. Daniela knew he was wondering how she’d pulled off such a feat, and in such a short amount of time. She had no intention whatsoever of telling him.
“Congratulations, El,” Kenneth
said, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands behind his head. He looked almost as pleased as he had the day the twins were born; at any moment Daniela expected him to whip out a chilled bottle of champagne and begin making toasts.
“It’s not a done deal yet,” she said wryly. “I still have to be interviewed. By Crandall Thorne himself, if you can believe it.”
“I can,” Kenneth said briskly. “I’ve heard that he’s involved in the hiring—and firing—of anyone who’s ever worked for him. He’s very protective of the firm, and he doesn’t trust many people.”
“Great,” muttered Daniela. “He’ll take one look at me and know I’m a fraud.”
“I don’t think so,” Kenneth said. “You’ve got Caleb fooled, and I’ve heard he’s even less trusting than his father.”
Instead of reassuring her, this news only made Daniela feel even worse about her treachery. Because Caleb trusted so few people, he probably had greater expectations of those he permitted into his inner sanctum. If he ever learned the truth about Daniela, he would be furious. Although she hadn’t witnessed the full magnitude of his temper, somehow she knew she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.
“Don’t worry about the interview with Thorne,” Kenneth assured her. “Just be yourself, and you’ll have him eating out of the palm of your hand.”
Daniela’s eyes narrowed suspiciously on her brother’s handsome face. “Was that a compliment you just gave me?”
Kenneth looked affronted. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I’ve been saying from the very beginning that you’d have no problem pulling off this assignment, and I was right. Here we are at week two, and you’ve already got Caleb Thorne pulling strings to get you a job at his old man’s firm. It’s like I said before. You’re our secret weapon.” He jabbed an accusing finger at Noah. “He’s the one who didn’t think you could handle going undercover.”
“I never doubted Daniela’s ability to pull off the assignment,” Noah corrected, speaking for only the second time since Daniela’s big announcement. “What I was concerned about was what she’d have to do in order to pull it off.” He gave his sister a meaningful look.
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