Page 74 of A Legal Affair
Daniela frowned, nervously looking around. This wasn’t the way to her house, and it definitely didn’t seem like a shortcut.
Am I about to land a starring role in my own true crime story?
After two miles or so, the Lambo roared to a stop in a secluded clearing, moonlight filtering through the trees and casting long shadows across the lane. The smooth dark expanse of a lake shimmered under the moon.
Caleb cut the ignition and then sat still, letting the silence stretch between them.
When Daniela’s nerves were strained to the breaking point, he turned to look at her with those bottomless dark eyes.
“What are we doing here, Caleb?” The words were barely above a whisper.
“We’re talking.” His voice was soft but carried a dangerous edge. “No one will interrupt us here.”
“And where, exactly, is here?”
He ignored her question. “Tell me what that was about back at the restaurant.”
“What was what about?” she asked, though she knew exactly what he meant.
“That boy. Kolter.” His eyes bored into hers. “Are you attracted to him?”
“No,” she said vehemently. “I told you, he tricked me?—”
“—into a date. Right. That’s what you said.”
She bristled at his cynical tone. “It’s the truth, Caleb.”
“How the fuck did he expect to get away with that?”
“Hell if I know!” Her simmering anger began to boil over. “Do you really think I’d sleep with you and then go out with someone else just two nights later? Is that what you really think of me?”
“I don’t know what the hell to think, Daniela,” he growled roughly, his fingers clenched around the steering wheel. “One minute I’m having dinner with my boss, the next minute I look up and see you walking hand in hand with some other guy.”
“I know it looked bad at first, but why would you assume the worst?” she countered, hurt and anger mingling in her chest. “Why would you just assume that I’d disrespect you after everything that’s happened between us?”
“Whatdidhappen between us, Daniela?” He leaned closer, his eyes burning into hers, all raw emotion and untamed need. “Tell me. Because all I know is that I can’t stop thinking about you, can’t stop wanting you, and then I see you with that little asshole, and all I want to do is rip his fucking throat out.”
A heady mix of fear and exhilaration sizzled through her veins. His fierce possessiveness was intoxicating. It was dangerous, absolutely, but it ignited a scorching fire deep within her, and she couldn’t pretend otherwise.
“So I’ll ask one more time, Daniela,” he said, his voice barely level. “Was it a date or not?”
“You’re not listening to me!” she accused just as his phone buzzed with an incoming call. She’d read enoughCar and Driverreviews to learn how to unlock a Lambo door. So while Caleb was temporarily distracted, she put her knowledge to use and shoved the vertical door open.
“Shit,” she heard him swear. “Daniela?—”
“I don’t need this right now! I’m getting an Uber!” She scrambled out of the car, her feet hitting damp grass. The coolnight air swirled around her, but her skin felt oppressively hot and flushed. She stormed away from the Lambo, realizing, too late, that she’d left her phone and purse behind.
“Get back in the car, Daniela,” Caleb barked, his voice snapping with authority.
She ignored him and kept going. She was fully prepared to ditch her heels and take off running if he suddenly turned into a werewolf. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that—she adored her Giuseppe Zanotti slingback pumps, and they went perfectly with her pink dress. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Her sacrifice would have been in vain, of course, because Caleb was out of the car and upon her in a flash, his long strides easily overtaking hers. She gasped as he grabbed her arm, his fingers firm as he hauled her back against the immovable wall of his body. The scent of him, that intoxicating mix of sandalwood and something richer, overwhelmed her senses, making her weak in the knees.
“Don’t you dare.” The words were a low snarl, his breath warm against her ear. “Don’t you dare walk away from me. We’re not finished yet.”
Her legs wobbled. “I’m sick of arguing with you, Caleb. And what the hell is this place, anyway? Is this where the literal bodies are buried?”
He tensed behind her. “What fucking bodies?”
