Read Online Trouble by Ann Christopher - Free Book Online

Jamal was wearing a white shirt, tie and dark pants. He was also carrying a stack of papers.
    â€œYou told me to make these copies, man,” he complained.
    Then he saw Dara and froze, his mouth dropping open.
    Mike struggled not to laugh at Jamal’s stupefaction. Dara could certainly make a first impression.
    â€œJamal, this is Dara,” he told him. “She’s our intern for the next few months. Be nice to her. Show her around. Help her out.”
    Jamal took her all in with one sweeping glance. Then he broke into a grin as he came around to Dara’s side of the desk and shook her hand.
    â€œYou’re beautiful,” he told her.
    â€œMan, get your hands off her,” Mike snapped before Dara could respond. “And don’t try any of your sorry moves on her, either. I’ve already warned her about you.”
    Jamal hung on to Dara’s hand and grinned at Mike. He had the kind of speculative gleam in his eye that always put Mike on his guard. The kid saw way too much for a youngster.
    â€œI can pull more little shorties than you any day of the week, Pops,” he said to Mike over his shoulder.
    Dara laughed.
    â€œGet out,” said Mike, annoyed now, his eyes on Dara’s hand still wrapped in Jamal’s. “You got those copies finished yet?”
    Jamal looked back at Dara and jerked his thumb at Mike. “You see what we’re dealing with? I’m outta here.”
    Dara laughed again as Jamal left. “When do you two take your act on the road?”
    For the life of him, Mike couldn’t think of anything to say.
    Not when she smiled at him like that.
    â€œWell,” he finally said, standing. “I should let you get back to work.”
    â€œOh,” she said, her smile wavering. “Okay.”
    â€œHere you are!” said a voice from the hall.
    Sean’s voice.
    Frozen with guilt-induced paralysis laced with a healthy tinge of annoyance, Mike recovered enough to take Sean’s hand when he walked in and settled on the edge of Dara’s desk as if he owned the place.
    â€œI heard about the acquittal, man,” he told Mike over his shoulder. “Congratulations.”
    â€œThanks,” Mike said tightly.
    Sean had obviously come to collect Dara for their
friendly
evening together, Mike thought. Realizing he’d balled his hands into fists, he shoved them in his pockets.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” Dara asked Sean.
    There was a hitch in her voice, Mike noticed, and she fidgeted in her chair.
    Sean smiled down at her. “I thought we could grab dinner at the new sushi place on the river, if you’re finished here.”
    Yeah, okay. Mike needed to get out of there before his head exploded. “I’ll see you two later.”
    â€œWhat about basketball next week?” Sean called after him.
    Mike stared at his brother’s face and tried not to think about punching it.
    â€œYeah,” he told Sean as he left. “I’ll call you.”
    Dara watched Mike go, feeling rattled. She really needed to work on getting used to his physical presence. He was such a huge creature. So tall, so imposing, so disturbingly … masculine. The room seemed to shrink when he came and grow when he left. And the energy felt different—more charged—when Mike was there. It was like having a tiger come and go.
    And his commitment to helping others, like Jamal, surprised her. She’d thought reputable attorneys, like Mike, the ones with expensive suits and nice offices, somehow sniffed out the thugs and only represented the Truly Innocent. But Mike wanted to make the legal system available to everyone, and she admired him for that.
    Admiring him did funny things to her insides.
    â€œDara,” Sean said, waggling his fingers at her. “Hell-o-o! Anybody home?”
    As usual, his dimpled smile was contagious. She couldn’t help but laugh. Thank goodness he’d resigned himself to being friends