So, this was the man everybody thought held the title “The Sexiest Man Alive”. Since he hadn’t noticed her, it was easier to assess him, and so far, her friends hadn’t been mistaken in their description. As his fans flocked around him in an uproar of eagerness, Brad’s pearly white smile broadened.
Unable to control it, her gaze wandered over him. His sleeves were rolled up just below the elbow, and her attention was drawn to the white cotton stretching against his bulging biceps. He had the broadest chest she’d ever seen that narrowed down to what looked like a tight waist.
Breanna’s jaw dropped open in complete awe. A spark of charisma surrounded him. Yes, this man was definitely the most perfect man she’d ever seen. His handsome looks and charm radiated like a two-thousand-watt light bulb. It was a good thing he didn’t turn his radiant smile on her.
“It certainly makes my day to see your beautiful faces and be in your company,” he greeted with a knee-buckling grin.
Casually, he turned his back to her so she couldn’t see his face any longer. But something oddly familiar struck a chord in her memory. Where had she heard that voice before? Before she could recall, her co-workers began talking loudly and disturbed her thoughts.
Brad held up his hands for silence. “It’s just me. You don’t have to yell.”
Each girl glanced around the group, looking as if they couldn’t decide who would speak first. Brad turned his attention to the woman on his left. “Okay, Jackie, darlin’, you first. What’s been happening with you?”
In annoyance, Breanna listened to each girl around the circle tell Brad about the recent events in her life. She wanted to scream at them to move away from her desk, as she knew their loud voices would disrupt her working on her present assignment – an assignment her boss had trusted her to take care of quickly.
She shifted her gaze lower to his faded jeans that looked worn throughout the buttocks—and oh, what a backside. Shame washed over her. She shouldn’t be checking him out like this. Didn’t she despise men who did that very same thing to women?
Quickly, she looked up to his face to make sure he hadn’t been watching. When she met his stare, shame quickly changed to humiliation and her face burned with embarrassment. The corner of his sculptured lips rose in a teasing grin. She swung around in her chair toward her computer, not wanting to look at him anymore.
Her ears picked out every little sound he made, and she prayed he wouldn’t say anything about how she’d ogled him. Why had she felt the urge to check him out like that? She’d always known beauty came from within. Besides, she had Tom, although his looks couldn’t compare to Brad’s. Poor Tom wasn’t even in the same league.
She tried to concentrate on her work, but Brad’s baritone voice bothered her. Strange, but she still felt as if she knew him, or at least had heard his voice before. Her mind scrambled to remember why he sounded so familiar.
He laughed, and warmth spread throughout her body. At that moment, her memory returned.The man in the cab!His friends that night had called him Montgomery, and the girls in the office said he was Brad Montgomery.
She closed her eyes and let out a small groan, hoping he hadn’t recognized her.
Behind her, she heard the group discussing a party.How long until he leaves?Would she be able to get her assignment done before five o’clock today?
“So, where are we going to have the party?” Brad asked.
“We had it at my place last time,” Becky said. “How about having it at your place, Amanda?”
“Can’t. I’m having my carpets cleaned. How about you, Eve?”
“No, not tonight. My ex-husband had to go out of town for a business trip, so he won’t be picking up the kids.”
“How about you, Jackie?”
The questions circled the group, and the answer remained negative. Suddenly the ladies’ voices quieted so that Breanna couldn’t hear what they were saying.Good. Maybe they’ll leave so she can concentrate on her work.
A few minutes passed, and she calmed her temper and went back to her assignment. Suddenly, through her computer screen, the image of a man drew her attention.
“Hello again, sweetie.”
She froze. He had recognized her one week ago, after all! Now she had to face him. The problem was, she didn’t think she could without acting like a complete idiot. With a sinking heart, she wasn’t looking forward to his disappointment when he saw her in the light of day. What would he think of her now? And why did it suddenly matter?
