Page 9 of A Legal Affair
Against his better judgment, Caleb shook his head and gestured toward the seat opposite his own. When she lowered that luscious rump into the chair, he found himself envying the lucky piece of furniture.
That’s when he should have known he was in deep trouble.
Forcing normalcy into his tone, Caleb asked, “What are you working on?”
“An assignment for Legal Research and Writing. We have to prepare a case brief by the end of the semester.” Daniela slipped off her pink flip-flops and tucked her bare feet beneath her legs, sitting lotus-style in the chair. There was something so earthy, so bohemian, about the pose that Caleb almost smiled.
There they were seated in a richly appointed law library that boasted the largest collection of legal information in San Antonio. Around them were scholarly-looking people roaming up and down rows of bookcases filled with tomes on every legal subject conceivable.
And there was Daniela, sitting across from her law professor and looking as wholesome and appealing as a barefoot contessa. Her scent wafted into his nostrils, summer rain mingled with something exotic that conjured images of gossamer white curtains stirring in a sultry Mediterranean breeze.
Just the essence of the woman could inspire even the most hardened misanthrope to spout poetry—long, flowery sonnets of angst and devotion.
With a supreme effort, Caleb reined in his thoughts. “A case brief, huh?”
She nodded, removing a spiral notebook and a pen from her backpack. “Got any pointers for me?”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly, returning to his own work. “Be as brief as possible.”
She chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sucker-punched him in the balls.
He lifted his head to look at her. “Seriously. A case brief should be precise and get to the point of the issues that have been raised. It should be coherent, focused, well organized and properly cited. You don’t want—” He broke off, frowning as Daniela scribbled furiously in her notebook. “What’re you doing?”
She glanced up, blinking those dreamy doe eyes at him. “I’m taking notes. This is good stuff.”
His lips twitched. “I’m sure your instructor provided the same information. But if you want,” he heard himself saying, “I can look over your case brief before you turn it in.”
Daniela beamed a smile at him that made him feel twenty feet tall. “I’m going to take you up on that offer, Professor Thorne. Thank you very much.”
“Who do you have, by the way? For Legal Research and Writing.”
“Adler.”
Caleb nodded approvingly. “Shara’s a good friend of mine. You’ll like her—she definitely knows her stuff.”
“I’ll bet,” Daniela murmured.
Caleb thought he detected a double meaning in those two words. And then he remembered that she’d been with him yesterday when Shara invited him for coffee. She’d probably reached the conclusion that he and Shara were involved. Not that it mattered one iota what Daniela Moreau had assumed. She was his student, one of many under his instruction.
He’d do well to remember that.
She looked around admiringly at the Doric marble columns, custom chandeliers and rows of mahogany reading tables. “This is quite a library,” she marveled. “Don’t laugh, but I feel like I’m in a movie. When I decided to enroll here, I binge-watched a bunch of films about law school, everything fromThe Paper ChasetoLegally Blonde—plus the sequel.” She grinned. “If you ask me whether I own a pink power suit like Elle Woods, I’ll plead the Fifth.”
Caleb fought the tug of a grin. He didn’t want to find her adorable, but he couldn’t help it. She was irresistible. Fucking disarming.
“Your students are so lucky you’re not practicing law anymore,” she told him. “BigLaw’s loss is definitely the university’s gain.”
“Sucking up doesn’t work on me, Miss Moreau,” Caleb said dryly. “At the end of the semester, you will receive the grade you earned. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“What? You think I was sucking up? I wouldnever.”
“Riiight,” he drawled.
She started to giggle, remembered where they were, and clapped both hands over her mouth to smother the rest of the sound. Her eyes sparkled at him, and damn if something didn’t twist in his chest. Something entirely foreign.
Daniela shifted her weight in the chair, the movement dislodging a curly lock of hair. She brushed it back with her fingertips, and Caleb, half mesmerized, wondered how long it would be before it wiggled loose again.
“I probably shouldn’t confess this to you…” Her voice trailed off.
