The Intern (The Dalton Family #4)(2)

She set the folder she’d been holding onto the desk behind her, her arms falling to her sides, her posture now having a visual edge. “Is it true that on—”

“Hannah …” I crossed my arms over my chest, the back of my suit jacket pulling as my shoulders flexed. I waited until her eyes met mine. “The witness is important, but the jury is who matters. They’re the ones you need on your side. Don’t forget to look at them. Engage them. Direct each point at them.”

“The jury. Right.”

“Start again.”

She walked over to where the standin jury was sitting, her body pressed against the wooden half-wall of the jury box, and that was where she began to question her witness.

And in that moment was when Hannah really started to shine. Where she courted the jury, dangling each carrot so methodically that they were fucking chomping for more.

Who is this girl?

And how the hell is she this good?

Already?

The moment she finished with her witness, she locked eyes with me the entire way back to her seat.

She didn’t smile.

She didn’t need to.

I saw it in her gaze, the satisfaction in each of her steps.

I couldn’t look away.

I couldn’t take my fucking eyes off her.

But once her ass was in that chair, I forced myself to glance away, and I went to the center of the room, the scent of her hitting me in the damn face. I didn’t let it deter me. I didn’t lose myself in thoughts, wondering if her pussy smelled just as sweet. Instead, I took inventory of the students while I raised my hands in the air and clapped.

“Congratulate her,” I told them. “That’s how it’s done.”

Professor Ward joined me, waiting for the room to quiet before she said, “I would like to thank Mr. Shaw for taking the time to join us today.” There was a round of applause. “As I’ve said to you all before, he’s become one of the most successful lawyers to ever graduate from USC, and as one of his professors, I would like to think I had something to do with that.” She squeezed my arm. “For a select group of you—more specifically the top six performers in today’s class—Mr. Shaw has graciously agreed to chat with you one-on-one, giving you an opportunity to ask him questions and discuss his experience.”

There was a loud rumble among the group.

“Mr. Shaw, who would you like to pick for this evening’s meetup?” Professor Ward asked.

Three women. Three men. That was the only fair way to do it.

The top performers were clear in my mind.

I mulled over the jury, where many of the students were sitting, and pointed to three familiar faces. Then, I shifted toward the back of the classroom, where the rest were standing, and I chose two more.

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.”