"Coughlin, Patricia - Love In The First Degree" - читать интересную книгу автора (Coughlin Patricia)

all the air from the tiny room. Her heart pounded in her chest and she
suddenly felt a rush of the one thing she told herself she could never
possibly feel around Luke: fear Too late it occurred to her that even
if she'd been right about him twelve years ago, a man could change a
lot in that much time.

"Tell me," he repeated, his soft tone more insistent than a shout.

"Actually," she said, "I've never tried a murder-one case before... not
that there's any guarantee that's what the charge against you will
ultimately remain. With plea bargaining "

"Murder two," he interrupted. "Tell me about the last
second-degree-murder case you handled."

She shook her head, annoyed by the direct hit to her most vulnerable
point.

He nodded, his wide mouth forming into a knowing smile as he once again
ran his gaze over her. "That's about what I figured. All right, then,
tell me about the last case you handled, period. You have handled a
case since graduating from Harvard, haven't you?"

"Several," Claire retorted, matching his sarcasm. "As a matter of
fact, I just wrapped up a major case in which I defended a prominent
bank president. Successfully, I might add."

Luke whistled through his teeth. "Big time. And just what was the
prez charged with?"

Claire shrugged. " " Fraud.. and unfair banking practices ," she
added over his smug chuckle. " Go ahead and smirk. Those are serious
charges and it was a very difficult case to argue, much less win. "

Difficult for many reasons she had no intention of revealing to him,
she thought stoically.

"I'll bet," he said. "Just the thought of a fraud charge makes me
shiver in my boots." He glanced down. "Make that sneakers. I'm
shivering just the same. You must be one tough cookie."

"

" Very funny, but this isn't getting us anywhere. "

"Oh, on the contrary," he said in an exaggerated way that left no doubt
he was mimicking her, "I feel we're making real progress in resolving
this whole question of me needing help from you. Tell me, aside from
unfair banking practices, what other sort of work have you done in the
last, oh say, six months?"