Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(27)

Grayson shrugged, then pushed away from the table and headed for the fridge.

Seething, Claire followed. “How does anyone stand working with you?”

He took a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator. “I get along fine with my colleagues, but thank you for your concern.”

She tilted her head, giving him a disbelieving look. “I’ll just bet you do.”

“I’ve been nice to you, Claire. It’s you who’s making the unrealistic demands.”

“Unrealistic? Making sure my dog is safe is unrealistic? Wanting to let my parents know I’m safe is unrealistic? And trying to keep from flunking out of law school is too much to ask?” Her mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

“When there’s a contract out on you?” He narrowed his eyes. “You’d better believe it is. I know you’re probably used to getting whatever you want, but it’s not going to happen with me.”

All Claire could do was stare at him as the words hit her like a sledgehammer. Grayson had the same misconception about her as Professor Moore and so many others did—that she was spoiled and entitled because of who her father was.

Humiliation coursed through her but she forced her spine to straighten. Grayson Matthews didn’t know her. He had no right to judge.

“Is it my turn to analyze you now?” Not bothering to wait for a response as he sipped his juice, she stiffened and stood up straight, narrowing her eyes at him. “You jump to conclusions before you know the facts. That’s not the best personality trait for an investigative agent, if you ask me.”

Grayson didn’t look up but his jaw clenched, a clear sign her jab had hit its mark.

Feeling slightly better, she whirled and escaped from the room. From now on, she’d quadruple her efforts to avoid Agent Grayson Matthews.



Early that evening, Claire sat in the kitchen with Jeremy, sharing a simple dinner of soup and sandwiches as they got to know each other better. When he asked about school, she told him about her capstone project. After she gave him an overview of Chris’s case, Jeremy asked a few questions about studying law, ending with the one she dreaded.

“What’s your specialty going to be?”

Under the table, she dug her fingers into her thighs. For some reason, the question always made her uncomfortable.

From an early age, Claire had understood her role within the family—to build on the Parker family name and enhance their image. So far, she’d done her job well. In her opinion, at any rate.

But the result? Here she was, working toward an advanced degree that would place her in a career she wasn’t passionate about. Each time she thought about it, her stomach churned.

She shook off the thought and gave Jeremy a tight smile. “Most likely I’ll do corporate law.”

It was the safest choice. Anyway, once she secured a position and got into a routine, surely everything would be okay. She’d get into the swing of things, right?

Jeremy halted, his spoon in midair, and gave her a dubious look. These federal agents must have been trained in interrogation tactics, because he seemed to pick up on her hedging. When he raised an eyebrow at her in challenge, she gave in and came clean.

“Okay, the truth is I’m not sure I want to be an attorney. My dad was a lawyer before he got into politics, and he’s always wanted me to go to Georgetown like he did. So that’s what I’m doing. I like parts of it all right, but sometimes I wonder if this is what I should be doing with my life.”

“They put a lot of pressure on you?”

Uncomfortable with that question, she stared at her plate. “I suppose. Law school is competitive and high-pressure, the work load is crazy, and I have to balance that with missing class sometimes to go with my dad on the campaign trail.” She picked up her spoon and stirred her soup. “It’s not like I can say no to my parents, you know? But being gone means I’m always in hot water with my professors, especially one of them who thinks I’m just coasting my way through school.”

“And what do you want?”

Claire sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I need to figure it out, and soon. I’ll be graduating in May.”

He chewed a bite of his sandwich and swallowed before saying, “The case you’re working on now seems to interest you.”

“It does. If I had my choice, I’d probably practice criminal law. But the thought of explaining to my parents that my future clientele will be criminals . . .” She gave Jeremy a wry smile. “I’m not so sure that will go over well.”

Seeming to sense her discomfort, Jeremy changed gears. “So, you were MIA at a meeting on Chris’s case Friday, and now you’ll miss another one tomorrow?”

Embarrassed, she nodded.

“I can have our admin call your professor. Joanne would be happy to do that for you.”

Claire blinked at him as the words registered. “Really?”

“Sure.”

Why didn’t Grayson offer that? She shrugged off her annoyance and thanked Jeremy.

“Grayson said he’d get a note to my professor, but I’d feel a lot better if you’d make sure she was contacted. It’s important.”

“Give me the info after dinner and I’ll leave a message for Joanne. It’s no problem.” He checked his watch. “But it’s after hours now, so she won’t be able to call until first thing tomorrow morning.”