“Ah, the wayward son,” Ms. Jansen said. “I’m glad Alessandro was finally able to convince you to work here. He was worried about you. I’m sorry Val is leaving.”
“Karina!” Val’s voice rang out behind him as she came out of the break room. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Young Mr. DeMarco informs me you’re leaving?” the older woman said.
“Ben got a great job offer…”
Ryan tuned them out and busied himself with straightening the desk. Someone from the marketing department would cover the phone and any walk-ins while they were in the meeting. Wayward son, huh? Good to know what others thought of him because of his father. Another reason he didn’t want to work here. Too many expectations. At Nopalitos, as long as the drinks were first-rate and on time, no one gave a shit whether he was wayward or not.
The tinkling bell brought his attention to the door as Val and Ms. Jansen were heading to the meeting room.
A short figure stood in the doorway, the bright sunlight behind her highlighting her wavy brown hair and putting her luscious curves into stark relief. As she took off her own sunglasses, lake-blue eyes set off by her blue blouse glanced around the room. Holy shit. Elissa. He would never forget her name again, or those eyes. They’d met him every night in his dreams since the debacle of a date. And twice as often since their run-in at Nopalitos. The things he’d imagined her doing…
Fate had brought them back together. Not once, but twice now, and if she was doing the company’s taxes, they’d be working together for a couple months. He had to find some way to capitalize on this bit of luck. He’d regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t at least try.
Her blue eyes passed right by him, found Karina, and she stepped into the building. Then she stopped dead and her head twisted toward him, her mouth dropping open in surprise, the perfect cartoon double take. Ryan gave her his best professional smile. No room for the bedroom eyes and wicked grin he usually served to women he found attractive. Not now that he was the face of DeMarco Properties. But damn, was he tempted.
“Hello, Elissa.” He walked around his desk. “Can I help you?”
fifteen
do you two know each other?
Elissa had ridden with Karina to the meeting at DeMarco Property Management, their first big client of the tax season. Elissa’s phone rang as Karina locked the car door.
“It’s from Henry and Associates. I left a message the other day,” Elissa said.
“Okay. I’ll head in so we’re not late. Join us when you’re done.”
It didn’t take long, moving their appointment tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00. Elissa updated the group calendar and walked in the door. A little bell announced her arrival, and she looked around for Karina. A few chairs lined the walls of the small entrance area and a reception desk sat directly in front of her, with a man in a light blue dress shirt and dark blue tie standing behind it. Ah, there, to the left was Karina, talking with another woman.
Wait. The man was familiar. The way he stood, the smile on his face. Her eyes found him again and, although she stifled a gasp, her jaw dropped. Jerk-Ryan. It wasn’t possible, but there he was with a friendly smile on his face, only a few feet separating them. She closed her mouth and blinked, allowing her eyes to remain closed for a second. How had she not recognized him?
Because the last time you saw him, it was in a bar.
Elissa opened her eyes. She hadn’t expected to see Jerk-Ryan in her client’s reception area. That would be ridiculous.
No, he wasn’t Jerk-Ryan, not anymore. He’d been kind and helpful in the parking lot at Nopalitos. He’d apologized. Not-a-jerk-Ryan? No, just Ryan.
Stop overthinking. Easier said than done.
He was so close she could smell the scent of motor oil and lemons she’d caught a whiff of at the Sandpiper three weeks ago. Had it been so long? Maybe because his face kept making guest appearances in her dreams. His hands and those lips…did things to her. Things that had a blush inching up her neck merely from thinking about them.
His mouth moved, and she caught the tail end of what he said. She took a step back, trying to put emotional distance between them as much as physical distance.
“No, thank you. I’m here with Karina.” Elissa was unfailingly polite. It had served her well but felt wrong with Ryan.
“Oh, do you two know each other?” Karina asked, turning around.
The young woman next to her glanced between her and Just-Ryan, and a small grin turned up her lips. Elissa almost shouted it was nothing like that. But she was afraid she was only lying to herself.
“We’ve run into each other a time or two, here and there,” Ryan said, saving her. “Here, let me show you to the meeting room.”
She brought up the end of the procession and caught herself watching his butt as he led the way. As good as he’d looked on their disastrous date, as good as he’d looked as a knight in shining armor, she liked this professional look even better. Something about a man in a tie. Ryan held open the door, and Elissa walked within inches of him. As much as her brain told her this was a professional meeting, and she was a professional and should act like one, her body sizzled with heat as she passed him, so close she could touch him and claim it was an accident. Her face warmed again, and she turned away before he could see her reaction.
What were the chances they’d be thrown into the same place at the same time three times now? Her brain tried to calculate the odds but stopped as an older woman rose from her place at the head of the table and greeted Karina warmly. She was here for business, not pleasure. It didn’t matter what the odds were, but it was weird how fate kept weaving their paths together. Could the universe be telling her something?
“How are you, Annetta?” Karina wrapped the other woman’s hand with her own.
