A Legal Affair (24 page)

As he sent April off to class and started toward the faculty building, she called out, “Professor Thorne?”

He turned back, one brow arched expectantly.

“Is there anything you want me to tell Daniela when I see her tonight?”

His heart knocked against his rib cage.
Tell her I wish I’d never laid eyes on her. Tell her the sight of her empty seat in class is driving me insane. Tell her I’ll never look at another bowl of vanilla ice cream, or tiramisu, the same way again. Tell her I can’t close my eyes at night without seeing her face, without remembering the way she fit perfectly in my arms. Tell her that no matter how many times I wash the bedsheets, I still smell her in my dreams.

Tell her I love her.

Of course, he said none of those things to April. “Tell her I said hello,” he murmured, because it seemed the only appropriate response he could give without arousing the girl’s curiosity.

Grinning, April lifted her hand in mock salute. “Will do, Professor Thorne.”

When Caleb reached his office, he was startled to find his father waiting for him, hands clasped loosely behind his back as he stood before the oak-paneled wall examining the titles on the bookshelves. “Dad?”

Crandall turned and smiled at him. “Hey there, son. Nice office you have here—nicer than I expected.”

Caleb’s mouth twitched as he stepped inside the room and closed the door. “And here all this time you thought they’d stuck me in a broom closet in the basement,” he said drolly, sitting down behind his desk. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Crandall walked over and picked up the crystal paperweight he’d given Caleb years ago, idly turning it over in one hand before placing it back on the desk. “I had to come into town for a meeting,” he explained, “so I thought I’d drop by and see you.”

Caleb nodded, knowing there was more to his father’s unannounced visit than he let on. “Have a seat,” he offered, waving his father into a chair.

Crandall sat down, then got right to the point. “How long are you going to prolong this ridiculous feud with Daniela?”

Caleb frowned, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed calm that belied the sudden tightening of his nerves. “Did I miss something? Aren’t you the one who brought me the information that Daniela Moreau— Roarke—was a fraud?”

“I did,” Crandall agreed, a touch impatiently. “And it was probably one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”

Caleb thought his ears were deceiving him. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, boy. I wish I hadn’t told you the truth about who she was.”

Caleb’s mouth curved cynically. “Yeah, well, the truth has never been very high on your list of priorities, has it?” The moment he saw his father wince, he regretted the caustic words. “I’m sorry,” he said grimly. “That was uncalled for.”

“It was, but I had it coming.” A quiet, self-deprecating smile touched Crandall’s mouth. “Sometimes I take for granted just how far we’ve come in our relationship, and I forget that the only reason you let me back into your life was that I was knocking on death’s door, thanks to my failing kidney.”

Caleb smiled a little. “That’s not the only reason I wanted a reconciliation with you, Dad. I was tired of being enemies with you. It required more energy than I was willing to expend.”

Crandall laughed. “Only a lawyer would put it that way.” Sobering, he gazed across the desk at his son. “Seems to me that if you can forgive me for the unpardonable sin I committed, you can forgive Daniela.”

Caleb’s jaw hardened. “I don’t want to talk about her, Dad. Contrary to how you may feel, I’m glad you told me the truth about her.”

“Are you?” his father challenged. “Or are you just telling yourself that to help you cope with your regrets?”

“I don’t have any regrets,” Caleb said tersely, “and I can’t believe you’d even suggest that it would have been better for me to remain in the dark about her true identity. She
lied
to me, Dad. She deceived me and betrayed my trust. How can I just overlook that?
Why
would I want to?”

Crandall looked him squarely in the eye. “Because you’re in love with her, son. And if you don’t go to her and make things right between you, you’re going to spend the rest of your life alone and bitter. Or worse yet, you’ll end up married to some woman you don’t even love, and you’ll spend your days and nights wondering about the one that got away.” He paused, then added quietly, “Like I did with your mother.”

Caleb grew very still. Outside the closed door he could hear the familiar sounds of phones ringing and keyboards clicking, could hear the low drone of conversations between his colleagues.

Inside his office, it was deathly silent.

Crandall was watching him intently. “You’ve always known that your mother and I didn’t have the ideal marriage.”

Caleb nodded slowly. “But this is the first time you’ve ever admitted it to me. Why now?”

“Because I don’t want to see history repeat itself. I loved your mother, Caleb. God rest her soul, she was a sweet, kind, wonderful woman. But I wasn’t
in
love with her. Not the way you are with Daniela. The minute you two walked into my office, I knew she was the one. No, take that back. I knew she was the one the day you came to me with the idea of offering her an internship at the firm. Aside from the fact that you’d never done that before, there was something in your eyes when you talked about Daniela—something I’d never seen there before. And I’m not the only one who noticed the way you were with her that night. Ruth and Rita did, too. We all spoke about it afterward.”

Caleb scowled. “I’ll try not to be so transparent next time,” he muttered darkly.

“There won’t be a next time,” Crandall said softly. “Daniela Roarke is the only woman you’re ever going to love that way. Take my word for it, son.”

“Your word, huh? Aren’t you the one who told me you had a good feeling about her, that she wasn’t like all the others?”

“She’s not,” Crandall said, undaunted by the biting sarcasm in Caleb’s voice. Pushing out a deep breath, he leaned forward in his chair. “Listen, I’m not condoning Daniela’s behavior. She made a terrible mistake. We all do at some point in our lives.” He smiled wryly. “Except maybe you.”

Caleb frowned. “I’ve never suggested that I don’t make mistakes, but I’d like to think that if given the same opportunity, I wouldn’t have made the same choice Daniela did.”

Crandall gave a diffident shrug. “Maybe, maybe not. We’ll never know. But I’m sure Daniela had her reasons for accepting the assignment, and the moment she met you, she probably regretted those reasons.” He paused. “Think of it this way. If she’d made a different decision, the two of you would never have met. Can you imagine that alternative?”

No, Caleb couldn’t.

He rose slowly from his chair and paced to the window, his hands thrust into his pockets. “There’s a reason you always taught me not to trust beautiful women,” he reminded his father.

“That was cynicism talking, baggage from the past that I never should have burdened you with. You have a chance to make a future with the woman you love, Caleb. Tessa took that option away from me.” He paused, then added somberly, “Don’t rob yourself, or Daniela, of the opportunity to be happy.”

W
hen Daniela arrived at the office bright and early the following morning, Noah stood at the reception desk going over paperwork with Janie. He broke off when he saw Daniela, his expression softening at once.

“Hey, kiddo,” he murmured as she approached. Dark, assessing eyes roamed across her face. “You look a little better today. Did you sleep well?”

“No worse than usual.” Daniela smiled wanly at him, remembering what Janie had told her about Noah’s intention to speak to Caleb on her behalf. It shouldn’t have surprised her. Noah had always been her protector, so she knew how difficult it must be for him to sit helplessly on the sidelines and watch her suffer through a broken heart.

Lifting her hand, she touched his face gently. “It’s okay, Noah. You’re going to have to let me grow up eventually.”

He scowled. “
I’ll
be the judge of that.”

Daniela grinned, knowing he would never change, loving him for it anyway.

She murmured a greeting to Janie, then left the reception area and walked down the hall to her office, where she immersed herself in a mountain of paperwork.

Two hours later, she was so absorbed in her work that she scarcely looked up when Janie appeared in her doorway.

Janie had to clear her throat to get Daniela’s attention, and there was an odd note of excitement in her voice when she announced, “You have a visitor, Daniela.”

Daniela glanced up—and froze. There, standing behind Janie in the hallway and wearing an impeccably tailored dark suit, was Caleb.

Heart pounding wildly, Daniela just sat there, afraid to speak, afraid to move, gazing at the unbearably handsome face that had haunted her dreams and tormented her every waking thought for the past sixty-three days, and counting.

She wondered if he were a figment of her imagination. Had her grief over losing him finally sent her over the edge, where she was now hallucinating and conjuring visions of him?

Janie cleared her throat again, louder this time, and the sound was as jarring as if she’d snapped her fingers under Daniela’s nose. “Daniela,” she said in the same pleasant, courteous tone she used to announce the arrival of their clients, “I believe you already know Mr. Thorne.”

“Of course,” Daniela murmured, getting slowly to her feet on legs that felt like overcooked pasta. “Thank you for showing him back,” she said to Janie, signaling that she could now leave.

But Janie lingered. “Would you care for some coffee, Mr. Thorne?”

Caleb’s dark gaze stayed on Daniela’s face as he stepped into the cramped office. “No, thank you.”

As Janie departed, she gave Daniela a huge grin and a thumbs-up sign, both of which were lost on Daniela, who couldn’t take her eyes off Caleb.

Once they were alone, she didn’t know what to say, or how to even start. Whenever she’d imagined this moment, she’d always said…nothing. Because she’d never imagined that this moment could ever come true.

She opened her mouth. “Caleb—”

One dark brow sketched upward. “Do you always greet your clients by first name?” he inquired in the deep, compelling voice she’d missed so much.

Her nervousness turned to puzzlement. “No, but…you’re not a client, Caleb.”

“Don’t be too sure about that.”

Her heart sank. “You—you’re here to use our services?” Of course he wasn’t here seeking a reconciliation. It had been too good to be true.

Without awaiting an invitation, Caleb sat down in one of her visitor chairs. “I need you to help me locate someone,” he told her briskly.

Daniela sat down slowly, disappointment making her throat ache. “Caleb, I really don’t think I’m the best person to help you.”

“Why not? You
are
licensed, aren’t you?”

“Of course. But I can’t…I mean, this is too awkward for me. Maybe one of my brothers can—”

“I don’t want one of your brothers, Miss Roarke,” he interrupted, his gaze intent on her face. “I want you.”

Daniela’s belly quivered at the husky timbre of his voice when he spoke those last three words. “All right,” she said shakily. She searched for a pen and notepad beneath the clutter on her desk. As she did, she noticed Noah and Kenneth passing by her office and glancing inside with unabashed interest. When they doubled back and walked past again less than five seconds later, she smothered an exasperated sigh and got up to close the door.

“Sorry about that,” she muttered to Caleb, returning to her chair. “I can’t get any privacy around here.”

She thought she saw a flicker of amusement in Caleb’s dark eyes, but when he spoke, he was all business. “I’m on a tight schedule, Miss Roarke,” he said, glancing pointedly at the watch peeking from beneath the snowy cuff of his shirt.

“Of course.” Daniela found what she was looking for. With her pen poised above the notepad, she looked at Caleb, and promptly lost her train of thought. “I’ve never seen you in a suit before,” she said, her voice soft with wonder. “You look incredible.”

His mouth twitched. “Miss Roarke—”

“I know, I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me. I’m supposed to be treating you like a real client.” Clearing her throat, she continued in a brisk, professional tone, “This person you’re looking for. How long have they been missing? And is the person male or female?”

“Female,” Caleb answered. “And she’s been missing for thirty-five years.”

“What?”
Startled, Daniela stared at him. “Thirty-five years? That’s a long time!”

“I know,” Caleb agreed softly.

Daniela’s eyes narrowed on his face. “That’s a bit unusual.”

“Not really. It happens more often than you think.”

“Well, yes, I have had clients whose loved ones have gone missing for many years. Thirty-five is a bit…extreme. Anyway, give me a physical description, and be as detailed as possible.”

“Let’s see… She’s about five-seven, though she looks like she could be a bit taller, depending on the shoes she’s wearing. I seem to remember her having something of a shoe fetish.”

Daniela chuckled, taking notes. “Sounds like a woman after my own heart.”

“Oh, I think you would have liked her. She had a great sense of humor, and the most incredible laugh you’d ever want to hear. And she had these quirks. Well, I guess you wouldn’t really call them ‘quirks.’ I saw them as quirks because they’re what made her really stand out to me, things that made her so damn sweet, and memorable.” He paused. “Like eating ice cream with her coffee, instead of just ordering coffee ice cream.”

Daniela kept taking notes, but the tears suddenly blurring her vision made it difficult to see what she was writing.

“She has this thing for fast cars and Harleys,” Caleb continued. “And she loves watching romantic comedies, and golden sunsets. And she can slow dance even when there’s no music playing. I loved that about her.”

Tears spilled from Daniela’s eyes and splashed onto the notepad, smearing ink. She lifted her head and saw Caleb gazing at her with such tender adoration that her heart swelled painfully in her chest.

“You see, the woman I’m looking for had been missing all my life,” he said huskily. “And once I finally found her, I lost her again. I need you to help me get her back, Daniela. Will you do that for me?”

Daniela nodded, tears of inexpressible joy flowing freely down her face. Caleb got up slowly, and before she knew it she was on her feet, rounding the desk and rushing into the open arms that awaited her. They closed around her with breathtaking force, holding her fiercely against him. Daniela clung to him just as tightly, fearing he would disappear if she let go.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered fervently. “I’m so sorry for what I did, Caleb. So sorry I hurt—”

Cradling her tear-soaked face in his hands, Caleb bent his head and crushed his mouth to hers, swallowing the rest of her apology in a searing kiss that Daniela returned with equal desperation.

“I love you,” Caleb uttered fiercely against her mouth. “I don’t care about anything else. Just don’t ever leave me again.”

Her heart soared at his words. “I won’t,” she promised, so deliriously happy she didn’t bother reminding him that
he
was the one who’d left her. “I love you, Caleb. Love you so much.”

He drew back, still cupping her face in his hands. “Do you love me enough to make it legal?”

Daniela stared up at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Are you…are you proposing to me?”

His loving gaze swept her face. “That’s exactly what I’m doing,” he said huskily. “Will you marry me, Daniela?”

Overcome with emotion, Daniela threw her arms around his neck, kissing him with all the love and ardor that had been bottled up inside her for too long. It wasn’t until she felt Caleb smile against her mouth that she realized she hadn’t given him an answer yet.

Keeping her arms looped around his neck, because she couldn’t bear the thought of not touching him in some way, she pulled back slightly and looked at him. “I can’t think of anything that would bring me more pleasure than becoming your wife,” she told him in an achingly tender voice.

Grinning with elation, he lifted her into his arms and swung her around, making her squeal in delight. Instead of setting her back down on her feet, he planted her on the desk and stepped between her legs. Holding her gaze, he drew her hand to his lips and slowly, deliberately, kissed each fingertip. Her lashes fluttered as heat skirted along her nerve endings and pooled in her belly. She wanted him. She’d gone without him long enough.

He leaned forward, his eyes darkening, causing the blood to race through her veins. “Do you remember our first kiss?” he whispered against her mouth.

Daniela smiled at the delicious memory. “As I recall, it was in a closet not much bigger than this room.”

He chuckled low in his throat, nibbling her bottom lip. “That was when I knew I was a goner. You’re the only woman who’s ever made me lose control like that.”

Smiling with pleasure, Daniela slid her hands up his hard, muscled chest and reached to unbutton his shirt, desperate for the feel of his naked skin. “By the way, what’s with the suit?”

“Faculty seminar downtown,” he muttered distractedly as he tugged her blouse free of the waistband of her skirt. “Enforced dress code.”

Daniela giggled. “And you actually
complied?
”

“I haven’t been myself lately.” He pulled pins from her upsweep until her hair tumbled down to her shoulders. With a masculine sound of approval, he sank his hands into the thick mass and slanted his mouth over hers in heated demand. They couldn’t get enough of each other, couldn’t get close enough.

A sudden thought penetrated the steamy fog of desire clouding Daniela’s brain. Caleb groaned softly in protest as she drew back and gave him a worried look. “What about your father, Caleb? Doesn’t he hate me?”

Caleb’s mouth curved in a wry smile. “My father believes you’re his only hope of ever getting any grandchildren. Believe me when I tell you he doesn’t hate you.”

Daniela grinned. “In that case, I’d better give him
plenty
of grandchildren. The more, the better.”

Caleb chuckled, a wicked sound that curled her toes. “In
that
case,” he drawled, making love to the pulse beating wildly at the base of her throat, “we’d better get started right away.”

As their hungry mouths fused together, Daniela thought fleetingly of locking the door so that no one could walk in on them by acccident. But then she remembered the scene she’d stumbled upon between Kenneth and Janie, and she decided a little payback wasn’t such a bad thing.

Caleb lifted his head and looked down at her, all the love in his heart evident in his smoldering gaze. “This is forever,” he told her in a deep, intoxicating voice filled with lasting promise.

Daniela gazed up at him. “I’m looking forward to it,” she whispered, then closed her eyes as his warm lips reclaimed hers in a kiss that showed her just how exquisite forever could be.