Page 12 of When You Give a Lawyer a Kiss

I’ve concluded that his eagerness to have me work with him must be to keep tabs on me and protect the secret that he leadsa double life. But I’d never betray him, and after seeing his incredible artwork—it’s clear he has remarkable talent.

Based on his reaction, I can tell that Dawson Tate isn’t used to compromising or being toldno. He manages the most prestigious law firm in the state and from what I’ve heard, has a talent for bending people’s will to match his own, consequences be damned.

If I have any self-preservation, I would steer clear of him at all costs.

If only that were possible.

“Reese, are you all right? Did you hear what I said?”

“Huh?” I glance over at Noah, who’s staring at me from across the table with a concerned expression on his face.

He sets his textbook down to give me his full attention. “I asked what the logical flaw was with my argument, but your mind must have been somewhere else.”

My face flushes at being caught daydreaming during our study session. “I’m sorry, Noah. I was thinking about Thompson & Tate.”

He offers me a sympathetic smile. “Don’t be. You had a tough first week, and after a long night at the club, I’m surprised you’re even awake right now.”

We walked back to his place after our shift last night, and I crashed on his couch. Even though we didn’t get much sleep, we woke up early to study. We’re both committed to scoring well on the LSAT our first try, which means taking advantage of every study session and practice test we can fit in.

“How was your first all-hands meeting? We didn’t get a chance to talk about it last night.”

I bury my face in my hands, to try to hide my embarrassment. “I met Dawson Tate, the managing partner. He asked to speak with me privately in front of everyone. It was so embarrassing.”I leave out the part where Dawson and Cole are the same person. I’d never hear the end of it.

Noah’s pencil slips from his hand, his mouth gaping open. “You’re kidding me. What the hell did you do to deserve that?”

I sigh in exasperation. “You make it sound like I was sent to see the principal.”

“You’re joking, right? Dawson Tate is infamous. He’s merciless and never loses a case. In fact, most of his cases are settled outside of court because he’s such a master negotiator.” He bends to retrieve his pencil from the kitchen floor. “There’s even a rumor that he’s served time in prison. Whether it’s true or not, it makes him more intimidating.”

“He wouldn’t be able to practice law if that were true.” I point out.

Thoughts of Dawson’s tattooed arms and his abrasive behavior make me wonder if there could be truth to the rumor. More importantly, why does the idea of him having served time make him more appealing?

Noah snickers. “Given his track record, I doubt a pesky prison sentence would deter him from doing anything.”

“Probably not,” I agree. “Regardless, he asked me to be his paralegal.”

More like demanded.

Noah lets out a whistle. “Damn, Reese. That’s impressive. I’ve heard that he only surrounds himself with the best.”

I shift in my seat as I chew on my lower lip. “I turned him down,” I confess.

Even though I’m confident I made the right choice, a shadow of doubt lingers in my mind.

“Hold up.” Noah holds out his hand. “Let me get this straight. You toldtheDawson Tate no? The man who dismantled Victor Mangum’s multibillion-dollar patent claim and made him cry at a televised civil trial, which also happened to ruin his reputationin the tech world? Why would you do that?” He stares at me with a look of disbelief.

I’ve been asking myself the same question. It was a reckless move, but I couldn’t let him steamroll me, no matter who he is.

“Because I already have a job.”

“With a boss you can’t stand,” Noah reminds me.

“And you think Dawson would be any better than Rob?”

He sighs. “That’s a fair point. Just be careful, okay?” He reaches over to give my hand a gentle squeeze. “Dawson is older, more experienced, and has a reputation for being unyielding.”

If he’s so ruthless, why didn’t he have an outburst when I showed up uninvited to his tattoo shop? Granted, he was less than amused, but when he talked to me he lacked the bite in his tone that he had when he confronted Kevin. And his kiss might have been rough, but it sent a shiver down my spine that left me craving more.

---