Attractive Nuisance (Legally in Love Book 1) Read Free Page B

occupied the smallest, cheapest dive in the whole of Prescott. The only way she could go cheaper was if she found a freeway underpass, and unfortunately the freeway didn’t run through Prescott.
    Dang. Her love of that car was coming back to bite her already. Shiny, imperial blue metallic 3-Series, just five years old. It was the BMW 335i with the twin power turbo engine, moon roof, head-up display, lane departure warning—it was luxury and elegance and pure driving joy. And it cost the lion’s share of her monthly salary. Her mother would have frowned and told her, with a raise of the eyebrow, that it was an investment that didn’t increase in value.
    But oh, how Camilla loved it. The BMW looked almost as good as that fine young attorney over there. Sigh. What was his name?
    “All rise.” The bailiff demanded she come back to earth. In walked the bear, lumbering and slavering. Okay, not slavering, but it wasn’t hard to envision. Go ahead. Pour a bunch of honey on her and let him eat her alive. She might as well be a meal, the way things looked right now. Stupid of her to even think she’d be considered for the deputy job after that last performance.
    It took all her residual pride to keep herself upright while the judge arranged things on his desk, a move likely calculated to torture the attorneys and the defendant, like an animal that toyed with its prey before devouring it. Camilla bated her breath.
    “The prosecution and the defense have both made their arguments,” Judge Harper began with a growl. “And while there were some inadequacies in the closing arguments presented by the County Attorney’s office, I believe they ultimately proved that the evidence weighs heavily against the accused. Mr. Tipton, my ruling is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage. This has a mandatory sentence of six months in jail.” He banged his gavel and turned Mr. Tipton over to the custody of the jailers.
    Camilla plopped back in her chair. What just happened? She’d botched it beyond recognition but still won? Holy cannoli.
    “Way to go.” Sheldon patted her shoulder. “You just pulled off a miracle. In fact, that might have saved your shot at the deputy position. Now, take that to Falcon and tell him what you deserve.”
    Camilla, still too stunned to speak, collected her files like a robot and walked with glazed-over eyes to the back of the courtroom.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that—er, Miss Sweeten, is it?” A man’s deep voice poured over her like warm Hollandaise sauce, her favorite.
    She turned and saw its owner—the guy who’d ruined her whole mojo. Oh, and he was even better up close. And smiling. Wow, the teeth. How much had his parents forked over for that orthodontia?
    He got a little grin. “No wonder they call you The Judge Whisperer.”
    “Excuse me?” Camilla coughed. What in the heck? No. No one was saying that. Except this guy, which confirmed he made up the “Jury Whisperer” thing about himself too. In fact, he probably threw it at her to get her off kilter. It worked. Snap. But only momentarily. She steeled her nerve and turned to greet his sparring with a barb of her own. “Have we met?”
    “Zane Holyoake.” He extended a hand. Dang it. It wasn’t one of those lily soft hands that had never done a day’s work outside the office. No. It had calluses and crusty edges and a truly firm grip. Curse him. Well, Camilla could return a good grip, herself.
    “Wow, nice handshake. I’m new in the county attorney’s office. Just came over from Flagstaff, and your boss told me, I mean our boss told me I had to come down and watch you work. Seriously. You had that judge eating out of your hand.”
    This guy was either a bold flatterer or else he lived in an alternate reality. “Oh, is that how you saw it?” She knew he hadn’t, and he had to be laughing behind those eyes at her. If only she could explain away her erratic behavior—but certainly not