A Legal Affair

by Smith, Maureen

  “What happened?” Caleb demanded, with fresh alarm.

  “Well, there’s a possibility she might be going into labor. Given her age, and the fact that she’s only five months along, the doctors don’t want to take any chances. Ruth’s been up half the night worrying. This morning she finally decided to fly out there, but the earliest flight she can get to San Diego won’t be until this evening. So I offered her the private jet, and I’m going along with her to lend some moral support.”

  Caleb felt a quiet smile touch his lips. He’d always known that beneath Crandall Thorne’s tough, crusty exterior lay a softie—though it would take nothing short of torture to pry such an admission from his father.

  “Anyway,” Crandall continued, “since the ranch will be virtually deserted this weekend—I gave everyone time off for Labor Day—I thought you might want to invite Miss Moreau up for some horseback riding and…whatever else you two decide to get into.”

  Caleb held the phone away from his ear and stared at it in amused disbelief. He could hardly believe his father, who’d always forbade Caleb from bringing girls to the house whenever Crandall wasn’t home, was actually encouraging Caleb to use the ranch for a romantic getaway with Daniela—a woman who also happened to be one of his students. Granted, it had been years since Crandall imposed any sort of rules on him, and now that Caleb was a grown man, he could damn well do as he pleased. Still…it felt weird to be invited to use his father’s home as a trysting spot.

  Never mind that the idea had already occurred to him.

  “You still there?”

  Caleb smiled into the phone. “I’m still here, Dad. Thanks for the offer…I might take you up on it.”

  “You do that.” Crandall paused, then added almost gruffly, “I like her, son. There’s something special about her. She’s not like the others.”

  By “others,” Caleb knew his father meant the other women he’d dated in the past, many of whom turned out to be after his money and the legal empire he stood to someday inherit from his father. Since Caleb had never been seriously interested in any of those women, he’d suffered little more than a twinge of disgust when they showed their true colors.

  He knew it would be different with Daniela. She, unlike the others, had the power to hurt him. It scared him to realize just how much power she had.

  Keeping his gaze trained on her face, searching for any sign that she was faking sleep in order to eavesdrop on his conversation, Caleb said to his father, “I take it, then, that you approve.”

  A low, gravelly chuckle filled the phone line. “If you’re asking whether I approve of your relationship with a student, the answer is no. I think it’s mighty reckless and dangerous of you, son, and I hope to God you know what you’re doing.” He paused, pushing out a deep breath. “That said, you’re a Thorne, and Thorne men have always marched to the beat of our own drum. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had adhered to the dictates of others, nor would you. Thankfully, to balance our willful natures, the Good Lord blessed us with an abundance of sound judgment. I think you’ve already decided that Miss Moreau is worth any risk you’re taking in being with her, and based on what I observed of the young lady, I think you’ve made the right call.”

  Caleb closed his eyes briefly. “Thanks, Dad. I hope you’re right.”

  “I usually am.” A sly note crept into his father’s voice as he said, “Well, I’ll let you get back to sleep, though I don’t suspect you’ll be doing much resting. Give Miss Moreau my warm regards. I’ll keep you posted on the status of Ruth’s daughter and the baby.”

  “Thanks, you do that.”

  As Caleb disconnected the call and reached over Daniela to replace the receiver, she stirred awake. The thick, silky fringe of her lashes fluttered upward, those big, dark eyes opening and settling on his face.

  When a soft, dreamy smile curved her lips, his heart slammed against his rib cage. “Good morning,” she whispered, her voice a little husky from sleep. “You stayed this time.”

  His mouth twitched as he brushed a lock of hair from her face, his fingers skimming her cheek with the tender gesture. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I live here.”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s right.” She smiled again, and as he gazed down at the unblemished beauty of her face, he wondered what kind of fool he’d been to skip out on the simple pleasure of having her wake up in his arms.

  A running-scared fool.

  “Who was on the phone?” Daniela asked, covering a yawn behind her hand.

  “My father.” Caleb told her about Ruth’s daughter, marveling as her eyes softened in concern for a complete stranger.

  “I hope she and the baby will be all right,” she said, and Caleb could tell that she wasn’t merely mouthing an empty sentiment for his benefit; she genuinely meant what she said.

  “I hope so, too,” he murmured. Dipping his head, he brushed a soft kiss to her temple, then drew back and smiled at her. “Monday is Labor Day. What are you doing this weekend?”

  She chuckled softly. “You mean after I somehow manage to drag myself out of this bed and back to my own house?”

  He grinned. “Or, you could just stay here with me.”

  Her expression clouded for a moment, her eyes dropping away from his. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  Hearing the jealous edge to his voice, she gave him a teasing look, the sorrow he’d glimpsed in her eyes a moment ago disappearing. “Because I have other plans,” she told him saucily.

  “Oh, really?” As Caleb gazed down at her, he felt an indescribable wave of possessiveness wash over him. He’d never thought of any woman as his own, had never wanted to. How Daniela had so easily slipped beneath his radar, he still wasn’t sure. But she had. And now he couldn’t look at her without wanting her, couldn’t have her without wanting more.

  And he definitely couldn’t stomach the idea of her being with another man, giving herself to him with the same passion and abandon with which she’d surrendered to Caleb.

  Rolling her onto her back, he climbed on top of her and felt his blood heat instantly at the contact with her lush, silken body. Raising himself above her, he braced his weight on both arms and planted his hands on either side of her head. “I want you to spend the weekend with me at the ranch,” he told her in a tone that made it clear the request was nonnegotiable. “We’ll have the place all to ourselves.”

  She gazed up at him, the edge of her teeth digging into the soft flesh of her bottom lip. “It sounds terribly romantic—”

  “It will be.” Lowering his head, he captured that enticing plump lip, nibbling and tasting her. “Say yes,” he whispered against her mouth.

  “Caleb—”

  He slid his body up along hers in one long, provocative caress, smiling devilishly at her sharp intake of breath. “Say yes, Daniela,” he commanded huskily.

  “No fair,” she whimpered. “You’re playing dirty.”

  Leaning down, he flicked his tongue over her lips, but pulled away before she could kiss him back. She groaned in frustration, making him chuckle softly.

  “All you have to say is one simple word. Yes.”

  Her dark eyes glinting with sudden challenge, Daniela made a move to touch him, but he caught her hand and shook his head slowly, knowing how easy it would be for her to turn the tables on him. All she had to do was slide one foot up his leg, press the silken heat of her mouth to his chest and flick her wet tongue over a flat, dark nipple….

  With a tortured groan, Caleb realized that was exactly what she was doing. Torn between disbelief and awe, he stared down at her, this woman who should have been forbidden, this woman who had the power to find the most hidden corners of his heart and expose them.

  Unable to resist the sweet temptation of her, he lifted her and turned her over onto her stomach. He kissed and licked his way down the silky length of her spine, his tongue discovering places on her back that made her arch in surprised pleasure. As he cupped the lush, curvy swell of her butt
ocks, he felt like he’d died and gone to heaven. He stroked and caressed her tempting rump, his fingertips probing the secret crevice between her thighs, where he could already feel the promise of wet heat.

  He grabbed two large, overstuffed pillows and pushed them beneath her hips, giving himself a deeper angle of penetration as he entered her slowly from behind. Daniela moaned loudly and undulated against him, clutching handfuls of the bed linens in her fists. Grasping the sides of her waist, Caleb thrust high and deep inside her, and her moans became uncontrollable, the wild twisting of her hips nearly making him come. When he withdrew from her suddenly, she whimpered in protest.

  “Caleb,” she begged, “oh, don’t stop. Please don’t stop….”

  Caleb shuddered convulsively as he reentered her, taking her with the same hot fervor of the night before, driving into her with a force that was sure to chase any remnant of doubt from his mind. He thrust hard and fast, hearing her breathless little cries, feeling her slick, velvet warmth envelop him as if she were his very own custom-made glove. He slid his arms around her body, groaning at the delicious fullness of her breasts, the silk of her skin, the moist heat of her mouth as she suckled his thumb. He was amazed at the sense of rightness, of belonging inside her. He wanted their lovemaking to last forever, but knew he couldn’t hold on much longer.

  She cried out his name as her body clenched around his penis in pulsing contractions, milking a climax from him that tore a savage growl from his throat.

  Breathing hard, he kissed the sweat-dampened curls at the nape of her neck, then gathered her into his arms and drew them down onto the bed.

  Daniela snuggled up against him. “You don’t play fair,” she protested sleepily.

  He chuckled, low and soft. “Not when I want something badly enough.” He angled his head to look down into her flushed face. “Does this mean you’ll spend the weekend with me?”

  She smiled lazily. “You didn’t exactly give me a choice,” she mumbled, her eyelids drifting closed. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

  And as Caleb followed her into dreamland, three words he’d never spoken to another woman drifted through his mind.

  I love you.

  A few hours later, Daniela climbed off Caleb’s Harley and removed her helmet. Tucking it beneath one arm, she gave him a demure smile. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “Anytime,” Caleb said softly. He lifted his helmet enough to uncover his face, the shadowed growth on his jaw making him unbearably sexy. As memories of their erotic lovemaking marathon filled her mind, she felt her cheeks grow warm.

  “I had a wonderful time,” she murmured.

  “Me, too,” Caleb said. “I’ll be back at six to pick you up.”

  She smiled, anticipation quickening her heartbeat. “I’ll be ready.”

  Their gazes held for a heated moment. Daniela stepped forward, cradled his face between her hands and pressed a sweet, silky kiss to his mouth. When she drew away, the eyes that met hers were smoldering.

  “Make that four o’clock,” Caleb said huskily.

  Daniela gave a low, sultry laugh. “I’ll be ready.”

  With a darkly seductive smile, he resettled his helmet over his head, revved the motorcycle’s engine, then roared off down the street.

  Daniela stood watching until he’d disappeared around the corner. Then, feeling like a lovesick school-girl returning home from her first date, she turned and skipped to the house.

  Pamela Roarke awaited her in the living room, where she’d apparently witnessed the whole scene from the window. Daniela drew up short, her face heating with embarrassment at getting caught.

  But then elation at seeing her mother took over, and she threw her arms around Pamela. “Mom, you’re home! I missed you!”

  Pamela chuckled dryly. “Could have fooled me.” She drew back, looking vaguely amused as she searched her daughter’s face. “Who was that young man on the motorcycle?”

  Daniela shrugged. “Just someone I met at the university,” she replied, trying to sound offhand—but not so offhand that her mother would think she was engaging in cheap, meaningless flings with random men.

  Pamela looked skeptical. “Just someone, huh?”

  “Yes, just someone.” She dropped a kiss onto her mother’s soft, fragrant cheek before heading toward her bedroom. “I want to hear all about your trip to Houston—”

  “Then why are you walking in the opposite direction?” There was a trace of humor in her mother’s tone.

  Daniela glanced over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. “Because if I stand there a minute longer, Mom, you’ll have me confessing to everything I’ve done over the past week. Give me time to get my story straight.”

  At that, her mother laughed.

  Thanks to Deacon Hubbard, who arrived an hour later to take Pamela out to lunch before escorting her to a gospel choir concert at church that evening, Daniela was spared from having to answer her mother’s questions about Caleb.

  As she observed the warm, friendly interactions between Pamela and the quietly handsome church deacon, a pleasant suspicion took root in her mind, and she found herself wondering if her mother and Lionel Hubbard were falling in love with each other. And then her mind went a step further: If the two got married, Daniela wouldn’t have to worry about her mother growing old alone.

  And she wouldn’t have to feel so guilty about not getting her mother the ranch.

  After seeing the couple off, Daniela treated herself to a long, leisurely bubble bath. As she soaked in the hot, steaming water scented with her favorite bath crystals, her thoughts invariably turned to Caleb. She fantasized about him, reliving every sensuous detail of the past twenty-four hours, blushing when she found herself becoming aroused.

  She had no business spending another hour with him, much less the entire weekend—a three-day weekend, at that. When she’d agreed to go for a ride with him the night before, she’d told herself it would be the very last time. And now here she was, preparing to be whisked away to his father’s stunning, secluded ranch for what promised to be the most romantic weekend of her life.

  It was an opportunity she couldn’t refuse.

  And though she knew she was being selfish, that it was wrong to prolong her relationship with Caleb when they could have no future together, she wasn’t about to cancel her plans with him.

  Daniela rose from the clawfoot tub, wrapped her body in a big fluffy towel and padded to her bedroom. After dressing in a pale linen skirt and a pink tube top, she packed her overnight bag, wishing she hadn’t thrown away all of her sexy lingerie when she’d declared her no-dating moratorium a few years ago.

  Not that she remained clothed for very long in Caleb’s presence anyway, she thought, a wanton smile curving her lips.

  Caleb arrived an hour and a half later, clean-shaven and incredibly handsome in a pair of khaki trousers and a hunter polo shirt that showed off his powerful physique.

  As his gaze ran the length of her, his eyes glinted with frank male appreciation. “Are you ready?”

  Daniela nodded. “First I want to give you something.” As he raised a curious brow, she went into her bedroom and returned carrying the framed photograph of the Majestic Theatre that she’d bought from April.

  Caleb looked surprised as she handed it to him. “You don’t have to—”

  “I know,” she interrupted softly. “I want you to have it, Caleb.”

  “But you like this photo. That’s the reason you bought it.”

  “True,” Daniela admitted. “But you also liked it, and were it not for the fact that I beat you to it, you would have bought the photo first. So please take it, Caleb. I insist.” When he continued to hesitate, she added quietly, “I think we both know that the Majestic Theatre has more sentimental value for you than me.”

  He gazed at her with an expression of such tender warmth that her throat closed. “Thank you, Daniela,” he said huskily. “This is a wonderful gift.”

  Daniela felt the sting of tears behind
her eyelids. She swallowed hard. “It’ll give you something to remember me by,” she joked, then wished she could take back the revealing words.

  Hearing the note of finality in her voice, Caleb frowned a little. “Are you going somewhere?”

  Instead of answering right away, Daniela reached up and touched his face, her fingers splaying across the hard line of his jaw, the sculpted softness of his mouth.

  I love you, she thought. I’ll never forget you.

  Caleb had grown very still as he awaited her response. “Daniela?”

  She mustered a wobbly grin. “Of course I’m going somewhere,” she said lightly. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re both supposed to be going somewhere.” She glanced at her watch. “And if we don’t get out of here before my mother returns, we’re going to find ourselves in the hot seat, the kind that makes what you put us through in class look like child’s play.”

  Chuckling softly, Caleb picked up her overnight bag, then followed her from the house with his hand resting in its familiar place at the small of her back.

  It was one of those simple pleasures that Daniela would remember, and ache for, long after he was out of her life.

  Chapter 18

  On Tuesday morning, Caleb was riding high on an emotion that could only be defined as euphoria. He’d spent the most incredible weekend with Daniela, a weekend in which they went horseback riding, dined by candlelight, slow danced under the stars, talked into the wee hours of the morning and made love so often, it became difficult to discern where one body ended, and the other began. He couldn’t get enough of her, in bed or out of it, and that was an unprecedented experience for him.

  All too soon Monday had rolled around, signaling the end of their time together in their own private paradise in the mountains. As Caleb drove Daniela home, he was already thinking of ways to get her alone again.