Forever Blake (Once Upon a Player Book 3) by Elena Matthews (free books to read .TXT) 📗

She sets her fork against the container and jumps from her seat to grab a couple of documents from a pile on the floor. Returning to her seat, she slides them across to me. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made a few copies. You’ll see some of the irregularities highlighted in yellow.”

I focus my attention on the bank statements. My eyes trace over a few deposits that are highlighted.

“I’ve noticed the payments they receive from clients range from forty thousand up to a couple of million. That makes sense since they renovate and build houses. But I also noticed that every couple of days, they receive a small number of payments of around five to ten grand, which seems odd against the bigger payments if you’re looking closely but most people might just chalk it up to added interest.”

I glance up from the bank statements as Reagan continues, “I actually called the company on my cell and pretended I was a stuck-up housewife. I told them I wanted to discuss renovations for my home. When they asked what my budget was, I told them around twenty thousand. The sales guy outright told me that renovations start at forty grand and upward. I mean, it’s plausible that the small payments could be for extras for renovations, but those payments became more frequent when your client was undergoing his chemo. So, it’s also plausible that it could be drug dealers depositing dirty money.”

Unable to do anything other than stare at her, I just marvel at how fucking amazing this woman is…and I don’t mean just as an intern, just her as a human fucking being. She just keeps on surprising me…day after day.

“What is it? Do I have food on my face?” she asks, obviously getting paranoid.

Shaking my head, I blink and refocus my attention, so I’m no longer staring at her.

“No, nothing like that. You’re going to make one hell of a lawyer one day.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really, because your work today shows great potential, and nice touch on calling them. You have great initiative, and what you found could be a cause for concern. Good work,” I praise her, and she beams at me with her stunning smile that punches me in the goddamn chest.

She’s your intern. You have to stop with all the fucking feels, man.

“So, what’s next?” Reagan asks.

“Well, you’re going to head on home because it’s nearing eight now, and I know for a fact that you’ll be in at seven in the morning tomorrow.”

She waves her hand in a dismissive way. “I’m okay. I’m not even tired.”

“Another thing that is important for successful lawyers is the need to get their beauty sleep. You can’t fight other people’s battles on little sleep. So, go home and do just that. Sleep.”

She pops her hands on her hips, narrowing her gaze on me, and I know she’s about to go all feisty on my ass. “And what about you? Are you going to head on home?”

“What do you think?” I ask with a crooked smile.

“But you just said that it’s important for lawyers to get plenty of sleep, and you’re a lawyer. Or are you a fraud like Mike Ross in Suits and you didn’t actually go to law school?”

Eyeballing her, I say, “Who the fuck is Mike Ross?”

She snorts. “Do you watch any other TV, apart from The Big Bang Theory?”

“Yes, but I tend not to watch shows related to my field. It’s like medical dramas; they’re so incorrect on facts and details that it isn’t even funny.”

“Well, you’re hardly watching it for the facts, Blake. If that were the case, people would be able to call themselves a doctor after watching several seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.”

“Christ, could you imagine? That would be a scary-ass world,” I say lightheartedly, chuckling low.

“Look, we’re getting off topic here. If I’m going home, then you should too.”

“Reagan, I’m a junior partner. It’s a rarity if I get to go home before nine. And like I said earlier, I sometimes don’t even make it home.”

“Well, as your intern, then I shouldn’t either.”

“That’s the thing—as an intern, you get the luxury of an eight-to-six job. Appreciate it before it’s too late.”

“Well, when I signed on to be an intern here, I wanted the full experience, not an intern you’re afraid to break with a few late nights. So, if you’re staying, I’m staying.”

We somehow find ourselves in a stare-off, and when my eyes begin to sting and I desperately want to blink, I know there is no chance in hell she’s going to back down. That’s one thing I find mesmerizing about her. She has this natural fight against the machine attitude that I love so much.

Blinking, I push out of my chair and stand. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of bossy?”

The grin she throws my way is borderline psychotic. “Yes, all my life. It’s how I know I’ll make an awesome lawyer someday.”

I nod my head in agreement as I make my way back over to my desk. “I have no doubt about that. None whatsoever.”

“So, are you going to let me stay?” she asks as I settle myself into my chair and shift the mouse of my laptop to wake it back up.

“Yes, I am, but just to spite you, I’m going to stay here until ten.” Her eyes widen at that, and I laugh. “I’m totally kidding. If I’m here until ten, then there’s really no point in living. Even Mr. Perfect needs his sleep.”

“Just so you know, I can deal with anything you throw my way.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Oh, she’s going to regret she ever said that.

The next week passes by, and the more headway Reagan and I get with the money laundering case, the closer I find us becoming. I mean, since she became my intern five weeks ago, I’ve struggled with being around her, but lately, it’s like someone has flicked the switch, and my feelings for her