Secrets that Simmer by Ivy Sinclair

expectant look. “It’s good,” she admitted.
    “Everything is good here,” he said confidently.
    “So now that we’ve ordered our food and our wine, how about we get down to business?” Maggie didn’t want to get too far afield of their true intention there by appearing as if she was the slightest bit interested in anything other than Tony’s case.
    Tony chuckled. “What is it about you? Can’t you ever just loosen up a little bit and have some fun?”
    “I don’t have time for fun,” Maggie said. Then she realized the fallacy of her words. She had just quit a job she loved. She had more than enough free time on her hands now, but she wanted to put it to good use. “That was why I’m here. I’m here to work.”
    “Okay then, let’s get down to it.” Tony pulled out a file out of his briefcase. “I have a confidentiality agreement here. You’re welcome to take your time looking it over, but know that I can’t tell you the full details of the case until you do. I won’t tell you the defendant’s name, where he lives, or the circumstances around his particular personal situation.”
    “That will make giving an opinion a bit more difficult,” Maggie said as she took the thick document from him. She didn’t plan to sign anything until she could give it a thorough review.
    She was a bit intrigued; she had to admit. Given Tony’s reputation, he could have his pick of any case he wanted. It seemed that he usually picked ones that had high visibility. The ability to be able to see things on this side of the fence was exhilarating and more than a bit flattering. She had to wonder what kind of case he would decide was appropriate to consult with her on.
    “I’m sorry, but I’m just not at liberty to share that until you sign the NDA. Hopefully we’ll get everything else settled in the next couple days and then there will be full disclosure. In the meantime, though, I need to write an opinion to be provided back to the courts in preparation for trial. To start, hearing some of the details, I’d like to hear how you would start to build your case if you were the prosecutor.”
    “So you’re looking for me to tell you where I’d try to poke holes in the defense’s case?” she clarified.
    “There’s no reason to be modest, Maggie. You were on your way to becoming one of the best prosecutors in the country when it comes to shifter murder trials. I know for a fact you have received five job offers in the last six months. You didn’t even interview for any of them. I’m surprised.”
    No more so than Maggie was at that point in time. She had to wonder what else Tony knew about her life or why he cared. “I love living in Copper City. It’s my home. Ever since I was little, I’ve had a sense of responsibility to try righting the wrongs in the world. I don’t have anything against shifters, no matter how the press tries to paint me. It’s just about doing what’s right and protecting the people who live here. I didn’t choose what I do; it chose me. I didn’t see any point in entertaining any job offers when I already was doing what I loved to do.”
    Tony had a thoughtful smile on his face that made her uncomfortable. Maggie realized that she had just spilled far more about herself than she had intended. Tony was a psychologist as well as a medical researcher.
    “What?” she asked nervously as she took another sip of wine. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
    “I can see why juries like you. You speak with a lot of passion despite your obvious analytical leaning, and it comes from your heart.”
    Maggie wondered if she was being analyzed. Suddenly, she felt like she was the one on trial. She took the confidentiality agreement in her hand and did a quick scan of it. She needed the distraction. There wasn’t anything that jumped out at her as being something that she necessarily needed or wanted to negotiate. She took out a pen and signed it before pushing it back to him.
    She cleared