The Intern: Enemies To Lovers

They turned silent with a bit of shock on their faces.

“What I’m looking at right now is a bunch of fuckoffs, gossiping like some fucking hens, clucking about shit you shouldn’t be talking about.” I took a final drink of my coffee and threw the paper cup in the trash. “I’m sure the Dalton brothers would be pissed to hear that you’re wasting the firm’s billable hours, talking about how badly you want to fuck their younger cousin.” I nodded toward the door. “Get to work. Now.”

They said nothing.

They just filed out, one by one, until I was left alone with the caterer.

I thought the quietness would be a relief. I thought I’d find some satisfaction in putting those boys in their place.

I didn’t.

I just got angrier.

I left the kitchen, and as I made my way down the hallway, one of the clucking hens was parked at Hannah’s desk, a smile now covering his face.

I was positive I was going to lose my shit.

She was supposed to be working on the Spade case, reading the notes, putting together a report that I wanted on my desk before she left.

Instead, she was basking in his attention, just like when she’d admired the flowers and worshipped the card and cherished the text exchange that followed.

Sweat covered my clenched palms, as if I’d just taken off a set of boxing gloves, and as I neared the doorway to my office, about to tell the motherfucker to get lost, I heard, “Declan …”NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

The voice was familiar enough to know it had come from one of the Daltons, but I was too worked up, seeing far too much red, to identify which brother it was.

The clucking hen was using everything in his inventory to charm her. His efforts earned him laughter-a carefree, sweet sound that I didn’t hear often enough. That was probably because all I did was upset her. But it didn’t end there. She was also smiling at him, a sight so genuine that it made my fucking chest hurt.

“You all right, buddy?”

I turned toward the voice, Jenner now less than a yard away.

Am I all right?

The fury moved into my throat when I hissed, “Yeah.”

“I’ve been calling your name. Didn’t you hear me?”

I took another glance at Hannah. She was running her fingers across the bottom of her mouth, back and forth, drawing the hen’s attention to that spot.

My favorite spot.

A spot that would make him think about her perfect lips wrapped around his dick. But the thoughts wouldn’t end there; they’d spiral, bloom into questions, like how hard she could suck, if she would swallow, if she was the kind of girl who would enjoy it.

The hen was lost in a goddamn hard-on, and Hannah thought she was just brushing something off her mouth.

I was going to kill someone.

Jenner patted my back like he was burping a fucking baby. “Declan?”

I swallowed, trying to calm myself before I exploded on my friend. “What do you need, Jenner?”

He leaned his shoulder against the wall, the small section of space between my office and the one next door. “I had a thought I wanted to run by you.”

“I’m listening.”

“You’re planning on going to Wyoming to view the land that’s in dispute, am I right?”

Walter’s land. The pictures showed the property was in Jackson Hole, several acres that sat directly in front of the Grand Teton. A place that, for years, had been on my list to visit. I’d just never made it there to vacation.

“Yes.” I cleared my throat, forcing myself not to look at Hannah. “Of course.”

“Then, I think you should bring Hannah with you.”

I followed his gaze to her desk, and when I reached the back of her chair, I wouldn’t look any further.

“It’s not customary for our interns to travel, but I think it would help her connect the visual dots of the case and give her some hands-on experience. Besides, she has a personal connection to Walter, so if she has questions and wants to lead any discussions, he’ll be patient with her.”

I’d planned on going at the end of this week. I was going to take the corporate jet to Wyoming, spend a night, possibly two, while the rest of my team stayed here.

Traveling with Hannah hadn’t even crossed my mind.

But I didn’t hate this idea at all. In fact, I fucking loved it.

I just didn’t want her cousin to know that, not when I’d begged the brothers to reassign her. I needed him to think I was against it. I needed to show as much resistance as he was expecting.

“Jenner, are you sure? I don’t know if she’s ready for something so hands-on, in your face. I’d prefer to go alone and-”

“She’s more than ready,” he countered. “I realize you do things a bit solo. I’m the same way, to be honest, but Hannah isn’t just any team member. She’s a Dalton.”

A point I couldn’t forget. I didn’t need the reminder.

If she wasn’t a Dalton, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

A trip together meant time on the private plane.

Two rooms in the same hotel.

Dinners.

“Understood,” I said.

When he touched me this time, it was on my shoulder, praising me like a goddamn dog. “I knew you would.”

He disappeared down the hallway, and I finally glanced at Hannah again, the hen still at her desk.

I couldn’t take another second of this.

“Hannah!”

The hen was startled by my sound, his back going erect, his eyes immediately flitting to me.

Hannah slowly swung her chair around, giving me her full face.

“You”-I pointed at him-“get to work. This is your last warning. I’m not going to tell you again, and you”-I nodded toward Hannah-“get in my office.”

I took a seat at my desk, and within a few seconds, she walked in with a notebook in her hand.

“I thought you wanted to be quizzed?” I waited for her to sit. “Or did that little boy get you so frazzled that you’re afraid you won’t remember what I’m about to say?”

She set the notebook on the chair beside her, placed the pen on top, and crossed her arms. “What do you need to tell me, Declan?”

Oh, this fucking girl.

She tested me at every opportunity.

Challenged me.

Her attitude was so nonchalant that I wanted to tie her hands behind her back and show her what submissive really looked like.