She turned to find Justin Vail striding toward her, with Daniel trailing a few steps behind. He stood alongside Justin, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“I’m glad I caught you before you left,” Justin said. “I realized that Daniel hasn’t seen any of our nonprofit work in action. I thought he could join you at the Right Path today, get a firsthand look at what you do.”
“Gotta love this immersive training,” Daniel said.
The effort to suppress her laugh nearly did her in. Samiah cleared her throat and nodded. “I’ll be happy to show Daniel the ropes.” She turned to him. “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.”
After they boarded the elevator, Samiah turned, prepared to tell him that he wasn’t fooling anyone with his little end-around move. But before she could speak, the elevator doors opened on the twenty-first floor and several people joined them. It wasn’t until they entered the parking garage that she finally got the chance to call him out on his sly maneuvering.
“You think you’re slick, don’t you?” Samiah asked as they walked to her car.
“What? You think I orchestrated this?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong. This was all Justin.”
“Sure,” she said with an eye roll.
“It’s the truth.” He held his hands up. “Justin asked if I knew anything about Trendsetters’ charitable work. When I said that I didn’t, he asked if I was interested in seeing it play out firsthand.”
“Oh, so an hour after I turn you down for lunch, I’m supposed to believe you’re now here because you want to learn about the company’s ‘charitable work’?” She made air quotes.
“I happen to beveryinterested in my new employer’s philanthropic deeds. To insinuate that I have an ulterior motive for joining you is just wrong, Ms. Brooks.”
She choked on a laugh. “You are so full of shit.”
“Not the first time I’ve had those words directed at me,” he said as they arrived at her car. He held the driver’s side door open for her and draped an arm over the top of it. “But I should warn you, I’ve also heard that I tend to grow on people.” He winked. “Be prepared.”
Was she really expected to resist him? In what universe was it possible to meet someone as genuinely sweet, charming, and incorrigible—but in the very best way—and not reciprocate their obvious interest?
Once in her car, they headed up I-35. Staring out the passenger-side window, Daniel remarked, “I’ve been here nearly a month and haven’t been north of Highway 183. I need to take some time to explore this city.”
“Have you been to Lake Travis yet?”
“No, but I heard it’s beautiful out there.”
“It is. It should definitely be on the list of places for us to hike. Once I’m more comfortable being alone with you.” She held up a finger. “This doesn’t count.”
“It totally counts.”
“It does not. We’re alone, but it’s work-related.”
“Are you making up these rules as we go along?”
“Maybe.” She tipped her chin in the air. “It doesn’t matter when the rules were made, you still have to abide by them if you want me to be your hiking trails tour guide.”
“Well, I guess I’ll need to follow your rules, because I definitely want that.” The rich, deep timbre of his voice set off a faint tremor low in her belly.
Samiah sped up by an extra five miles per hour. The quicker she arrived at the center, the quicker she could escape the confines of this car, which seemed to have contracted since she left the office. Or maybe it was the sudden, potent dose of pheromones whirling around that had taken up all the space.
The directors of the Right Path foster care center were waiting for them when they pulled up to the nondescript building located in a strip mall just off the highway exit. Samiah made introductions and then followed the couple into a cramped, windowless office.
During their nearly two-hour-long meeting, where they were shown the center’s woefully inadequate and antiquated computers, along with the hundreds of files that needed to be digitized, Samiah paid attention to Daniel’s attentiveness. He provided thoughtful suggestions and offered to support the center’s efforts in any way he could.
He is not perfect.
