2

I finally landed in front of Hannah’s desk.

Her scent was the strongest over here.

It was more than just vanilla.

It was like a fucking cake.

Something I wanted to eat.

Savor.

Ravage.

“And you, Hannah,” I said. “The rest of you who weren’t chosen can leave. The ones who were, please hang back, and I’ll give you instructions on where we’re going to meet.” I waited until everyone was gone, except for Professor Ward and the six winners, and said, “I’d like to go to a place that’s a little less formal than the classroom. Where we can relax and speak freely.” If I was going to spend more time with Hannah, I wanted to do that with a scotch in my hand. “When I was a student here, Nikki’s was my favorite bar. Let’s meet there in twenty minutes.”

While the six students shuffled out of the room, I grabbed my briefcase from one of the desks and turned toward Professor Ward. “Will you be joining us?”

“I’m afraid not.” She coughed, her voice scratchy from age. “I think it’ll be good for the students to have some time alone with you. A chance to speak without being surrounded by academia.”

“I understand.”

Her hand returned to my arm—a place she had never touched when she was my professor. “I appreciate you doing this, Declan. I know today didn’t incur any billable hours, but it’ll go a long way in their eyes.”

I gripped the leather handle, feeling the slickness on my palm.

Anticipation.

That was what grew there.

The thought of seeing Hannah outside of a school setting, if she would be as enthralling when she wasn’t standing before a jury.

“I’m happy to do it,” I replied. “I just hope they learned something today.”

“I assure you, every second you spent with them was invaluable.” She lowered her hand toward mine, a grip that was so motherly. “How are things at Smith & Klein? You’ve been there since you graduated. I assume all is well?”

“They recruited me during my first year of law school with an offer I couldn’t refuse. But I’ll be honest, Professor; Smith & Klein had promised to make me partner, which should have happened almost a year ago, but they have made no move to do so. I’ve been dodging offers for years, but it might be time to entertain some.”

She raised her finger and grinned. “Nothing wrong with dipping your toes in the shark tank.”

“I think you’re forgetting I’m a great white.”

Her grin widened. “From the very beginning, I knew you were going to be something special, Declan.” Her long gray hair fell into her eyes. She moved it away from her face before she looped her arm through mine. “Wherever you end up, they’re going to be very lucky to have you.”

I winked at her. “You’re right about that.”

She walked me to the door. “Be good to those kids tonight. Except for one, they weren’t born with your sharpness or charisma. They could most definitely stand to learn a lot from you.”

I couldn’t help myself.

I had to know.

“Who’s the exception?”

Her smile was warm and deliberate. “I think we both know that answer.” She patted me on the shoulder as we reached the doorway, her arm leaving mine. “I’ll see you next semester, Declan.”

She wasn’t asking.

I gave her a gentle nod and went down the hallway, exiting the double doors at the end, leaving the building that I had countless memories of, where I’d spent all three years of law school.

Rather than getting into my seventeen-year-old Toyota, like I once had all those years ago, I slid into the driver’s seat of my McLaren 720S.

As I shifted into first gear, quickly leaving my parking spot, a call came through my Bluetooth. The center screen on the dashboard showed a name that made me chuckle.

Dominick Dalton.

Dominick along with his two younger brothers and parents were the owners of the largest law firm in California.

He also happened to be a good friend of mine.

There were only two reasons that motherfucker would be calling me at this hour.

Something in my gut told me it wasn’t to meet up for drinks since requests like that usually came through a text.

That left option B, which meant things were about to get very interesting.

“Dominick,” I said as I connected the call. “How can I help you, my man?”

“You can come work for me.”

Damn, I was good—and always right.

I turned at the light, not needing to hide my smile since he couldn’t see it. “Do you treat your girlfriend the same way? Not giving her even a second of foreplay, just sticking it right in, hoping she’s wet?”

“You sick bastard.” He laughed. “Don’t act like this is the first time I’ve asked. Hell, I’ve done everything but fucking beg you to come join my team. What else could you possibly want, Declan?”

I wanted him to sweat.

There was no question Dominick’s firm was the best. With the wealth of clients they represented and the different areas of law, it would be a litigator’s dream to work there. They had several on their team, but what they lacked was a fucking pit bull. Dominick knew that. That was why he’d been recruiting me for years.

“I don’t hear the need in your voice,” I teased. “And I don’t have a contract in my hand with a number that’s going to make me hard.”

“It’s in your email.”

I stopped at the red light and pulled up my inbox, quickly downloading the contract, scanning each line until I found the salary.

It was impressive.

I assumed it was also more than any litigator in his office made.

But they weren’t me, nor did they have my reputation.

“I need you to double that salary.” I continued reading until I reached the section where my hourly wage was listed and what I would be invoicing his clients if any of the cases went to trial. “You can double my hourly f*e as well.”

“We both know this isn’t about money. If that was what you wanted, you would have asked for it a long time ago.”

It wasn’t often that I interacted with someone as perceptive and keen as myself.

“What is it about, then, Dominick?”

“You want me on my knees.”

That was exactly what I wanted.

Dominick Dalton was the boss, but that didn’t mean he dominated this friendship, and if I was going to work for his company, one thing needed to be clear.

I wasn’t going to bow down to anyone even if that person’s name was on my paycheck.

“If this is your attempt at that, you’re doing a shitty job,” I told him.

“Declan, Declan, Declan. In all these years I’ve known you, you’ve never changed.”

I turned into the parking lot of the bar and found a spot, shutting the car off and raising the phone to my ear, the Bluetooth disconnecting. “That’s why you want me. You know what you’re going to get, and that’s a ruthless motherfucker who’s going to fight for your clients.”

“Is that a yes, then?”

I opened the door and climbed out. “I’ve got to go, Dominick. We’ll catch up soon.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

I laughed. “Not a fucking chance.”

I hung up and made my way inside, finding the group of students congregating by the bar, several rows of empty shot glasses lined up in front of them. It looked like they had started without me.

“Does everyone have something to drink?” I asked, checking their hands to make sure they were holding something.

I received nods and yeses from everyone besides Hannah.

She shook her head, and I asked, “Why not?”

“I’m just waiting for the bartender to finish making mine.”

I moved in next to her, needing to place my order, the closeness causing my arm to graze her shoulder.

Goddamn it.

Even in here, a bar older than me, with an overwhelming stench of spilled beer and mildew and college-aged sweat, I could still smell her.