Chapter 2 #2
The question greeted Daniela as she entered the one-story bungalow she shared with her mother.
Balancing a purse, a backpack and a large plastic bag filled with the remaining supplies she’d had to purchase for school, Daniela kicked the door shut and divested herself of her baggage before sinking gratefully into the nearest armchair.
Sanjuanita Roarke, curled up on a sofa slipcovered in persimmon suede, smiled at Daniela over the paperback novel she’d been reading. “That bad, huh?”
Daniela groaned, throwing her head back against the chair.
“I am so freaking exhausted, Janie. Between Civil Procedure and Contracts, I have a shit-ton of reading to do—and this was just the first day.” She groaned again.
“Don’t these people know I need to wash, condition and retwist my hair, which will take all damn night and then some? ”
Her sister-in-law laughed, setting aside her romantasy novel to scrape her own dark hair into a ponytail. “No one ever said law school would be easy. In fact, no one in their right mind would claim such a thing.”
“Girl, you ain’t lying. I’ll probably wake up in a cold sweat tonight after having nightmares about appellate briefs, pleadings and torts.
” Daniela frowned at the ceiling. “I must be insane to willingly put myself through this. After studying for the CPA exam, I swore I’d never subject my brain to that kind of torture again. ”
Janie snorted. “What’re you talking about? You aced that exam, and Kenny says you hardly studied at all.”
“Your husband greatly exaggerates.” Daniela sat up and nudged off her wedge sandals, wiggling her freshly pedicured toes against the Persian rug she’d practically plundered from an antiques dealer. “How’s the patient doing?”
“Sleeping. Stayed awake long enough to take her meds and swallow a few spoonfuls of tortilla soup before it was lights-out again.”
“No more fever? Nausea?”
“Not since this morning. Dr. Molina says the best thing for her is to get some rest—that’s what her body’s craving, anyway.”
“I know,” murmured Daniela. “I wish there was some way to convince her to cut back on some of her extracurricular activities—like volunteering at the senior center or heading the women’s ministry at church.”
Janie grimaced, her thick brows furrowing together until they nearly touched. Her face was a soft oval characterized by high round cheeks, full lips and a dimple carved into her chin, which lent an impish charm to her beauty.
“You know your mother. She figures as long as she’s not earning a salary for what she’s doing, then technically she’s not violating the doctor’s orders not to work.”
Daniela scowled. “I’ve tried asking some of the church members to talk some sense into her, but everyone seems to think ‘doing the Lord’s work’ will only rejuvenate her.
I’m sorely tempted to tell Pastor Wiggins that Mom and the organist are hooking up.
That might convince him to relieve Sister Roarke of her duties. ”
Janie gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“Wouldn’t I? I’m a desperate woman. Having my mother around for years to come is more important to me than preserving her reputation at church.”
“But she’s not having an affair with the organist,” Janie pointed out, then frowned. “Is she?”
“Of course not.” Daniela winked. “She thinks Deacon Hubbard is way hotter.”
Janie laughed and shook her head, dislodging a stubborn chunk of glossy hair from the scrunchie she wore. “Speaking of hot men,” she said, reaching up to repair her ponytail, “how’d it go with Professor Thorne?”
Just hearing the man’s name made Daniela’s pulse skip several beats.
“Well, we sorta got off to a rocky start when I showed up ten minutes late to class.” Grimacing, she told her sister-in-law about her ignominious arrival and Caleb Thorne’s smirking rebuke that’d sent a rumble of laughter around the lecture hall.
“If I could’ve melted through the damn floor, I would have.
To make matters worse, I think I came in the wrong entrance.
The door was open but…ugh, I’m so confused.
I probably should’ve done some recon before starting this assignment. ”
Janie grinned sympathetically. “On the bright side, at least you got his attention.”
“Yeah, but somehow that’s not the strategy I had in mind.”
“What is your strategy?”
Daniela frowned, biting her bottom lip. “To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know.
I mean, I know Kenny and Noah spent weeks prepping me and giving me pointers on how to do undercover work, but none of that really prepared me for the real thing—the moment of truth, when I walked into that classroom and saw ‘the mark.’” She shook her head, lips curving ruefully.
“In hindsight, I wish I’d known what Caleb Thorne looked like beforehand.
My brothers had photos, of course, but I refused to see them.
I know that sounds crazy and unorthodox, but I didn’t want to have preconceived notions about the man based solely on his appearance. ”
“I should have warned you. As soon as Kenny told me about the assignment—which, by the way, I had to pry out of him because he was being so damn secretive—I googled Caleb Thorne.” Janie made a low feline sound. “Girl, that man is fine as fuck.”
Daniela groaned. “Words can’t even begin to describe. That face. That body. That hand tattoo. And let’s not even talk about his voice.”
“No, let’s,” Janie urged. “How does it sound?”
“Deep, dark, smooth as melted honey. By the time class was over, I’d left a puddle on my seat.”
Janie shrieked with laughter and then clapped a hand over her mouth, belatedly remembering that her mother-in-law was fast asleep in a bedroom down the hall.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Daniela confessed. “Just between you and me, I already feel like I’m in way over my head. I mean, I’m a nerd with a glow up. A number cruncher whose idea of a wild time is hunting for antiques. What the hell do I know about being a femme fatale?”
“Bullshit,” Janie laughingly scoffed. “I’ve seen you bat those long lashes and toss that pretty hair when you want something badly enough—like that antique rug under your feet.
” She grinned at Daniela’s sheepish expression.
“Seriously, El, I don’t think you’ll have to become a seductress to accomplish your mission.
Think about it. Smart, gorgeous men like Caleb Thorne get hit on all the time.
He’s probably been slipped more thongs and phone numbers than he can count.
Stand out from the crowd. Be yourself. Something tells me Caleb won’t be able to resist getting to know the real you. ”
“As much as that’s possible, considering I came into his life under false pretenses.” Daniela pulled in a deep breath, suppressing a pang of guilt over the duplicitous role she’d been asked, and had agreed, to play.
Janie gave her a sympathetic look, understanding her predicament. “It’s gonna be okay, El.”
“I hope you’re right.” Daniela sighed.
Janie glanced at the diamond-encrusted wristwatch that had been a tenth-anniversary gift from Kenneth.
Then she rose from the sofa, stretching her limbs with the fluid grace of a gymnast—which she’d been in another lifetime.
“I have to pick up the kids from school. They won’t appreciate Mommy being late on the first day—or any day, for that matter. ”
Daniela smiled softly, thinking of her seven-year-old niece and nephew, fraternal twins who’d both inherited their mother’s intolerance for tardiness.
“Give KJ and Lourdes my love. And thank you so much for coming to the rescue with Mom today, and for agreeing to come back tomorrow. I really appreciate it.”
Janie waved off the gratitude. “Believe me, looking after your mom—flu and all—beats picking up after the twins any day of the week.” A wistful note in her tone made Daniela wonder, not for the first time, whether Janie regretted her decision to quit her job in exchange for full-time motherhood.
With an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, Janie had been climbing the ranks at a top advertising firm when she learned she was pregnant—with twins, no less.
She and Kenneth had decided it was best for one parent to stay home with the children, and Janie had been the unanimous choice.
She hugged Daniela and retrieved her belongings, then headed for the front door.
“Oh, that reminds me,” she said over her shoulder, “call Kenny whenever you can. He’s been trying to reach you all day—he wants to know, of course, how everything went this morning.
He kept complaining because you weren’t answering your phone.
Guess that’s because you accidentally left it on the kitchen counter this morning.
” Janie’s wicked grin told Daniela that she’d enjoyed making her husband sweat it out.
Daniela chuckled, getting up to follow Janie to the door. “Serves him right. If he thinks I’m going to be checking in with him every minute of the day like this is Charlie’s Angels, he’s got another think coming.”
Janie laughed all the way to her white Escalade parked in the driveway.
Long after she left, Daniela stood at the window thinking about her sexy law professor and the impossible mission she’d embarked on.
She hadn’t been lying when she told Janie she felt like she was in over her head.
A man like Caleb Thorne would not be easy prey, despite what she may have secretly hoped.
He was shrewd, tough and powerfully seductive.
When he looked at her with those midnight eyes, she could hardly remember who was supposed to be the hunter, and who the hunted.
Her attraction to him was a serious weakness she couldn’t afford.
One way or another, she’d have to find a way to keep sight of her goal. Buying her mother’s dream ranch was the goal. Falling victim to Caleb Thorne’s animal magnetism was not.
As long as she stayed the course and remained focused, she would escape this mission unscathed.
Failure was not an option—not when her mother’s future happiness hinged on the successful outcome.