Hadley, however, had crashed the network in Blaise’s brain. He’d rebooted, but his synapses weren’t functioning normally, and he had no idea what to do about it.
She stepped inside from the patio and closed the door. “Everything’s clean outside.”
“Iris must have taken care of it earlier. She left.”
“Oh.” Hadley glanced around, rubbing her thumb across her fingertips. “Is there anything else that needs to be done?”
“If there is, I have people who will take care of it tomorrow.” He patted the cushion next to him. “Come join me.”
Her expression pinched, but she did as he asked. “So…”
Blaise wasn’t ready to talk about the kiss. He’d start with the reason she was here. “What did you think of Wes?”
She blinked slowly as if not expecting that question. “Wes is charming and handsome. Not to mention smart but not in a talk-over-your-head way. Given he’s the heir to one of the wealthiest families in the country, he checks all the boxes.”
“Yours?” The question shot out before Blaise could stop it.
Hadley lifted her chin with defiance gleaming in her eyes. “I don’t date clients.”
Just kiss them.
No, that wasn’t fair. Blaise had kissed her first. “Wes isn’t a client.”
At least not yet.
“No, but I’m not interested in him.”
That wasn’t enough information for Blaise. “Not your type?”
“I don’t have a type, but many women would call Wes a catch.” Hadley tilted her head. “I wasn’t able to dig too deep into his past or his future plans. If I had, he would have known something was up, so there are unanswered questions where he’s concerned. But I learned a few things about him I didn’t know.”
That was good. “What about Dash?”
A smile lit up her face. “Dash is funny. He bounces from gamer boy to genius nerd in seconds. If I didn’t know he was twenty-eight, I’d say he was in his early twenties. Social skills aren’t his strength, but I’m guessing he’s occupied by other things he deems more important than chitchat since he’s quick to warm up and talk when that’s necessary. I thought he was sweet.”
“Even when he called you my girlfriend?”
Her cheeks reddened. “Well, other than that. But I am concerned…”
Was she attracted to Dash? Sweat dampened the back of Blaise’s neck. “What?”
“He and Iris. They act like a couple when they’re together.”
“They’ve been best friends since high school. That’s all.”
Her nose wrinkled. “You’re sure?”
Blaise nodded. “Dash can be oblivious, but friends are important to him. That includes Iris. He’d be lost without her. She keeps him in line.”
“Sounds like more than a friendship.”
“It’s not.” Blaise spoke with confidence. “The only games Dash plays are video or board games. If somethingwasgoing on between them, we’d know. Everyone would know.”
“I believe you. And that’s good because an attractive, successful geek worth billions also checks many boxes.”
Blaise had a similar nerdiness but kept that hidden. Would Hadley be interested in that side of him?
He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. “Does that mean you’ll add them to your client list?”
