“Um, why don’t you come into my office?” I suggested, before he could respond. Then I turned to lead him inside. No point doing this out here where someone might overhear. I’d heard a couple of my co-workers come in while I was web-stalking him; only a matter of time before someone wandered out of their office in search of coffee or Jolie, and found him standing here. A lost unicorn, abandoned at reception.
He followed me inside and said, “Thanks,” when I forced myself to meet his eyes again.
I closed the door behind him.
“I’m Ashley,” he said, before I could figure out what to say. His blue eyes had locked on mine, and I couldn’t have looked away if I’d been on fire. Then he gave me a slight smile, as if to say,But you knew that already.
“Hi,” I repeated stupidly.
His gaze dropped to my lips. “We met in Alaska…”
“Uh…”
“And you schooled me about roses the other night.” His gaze drifted down my fitted dress.
“Right.”
“I, uh, went by that grocery store a couple times trying to find you, so, full disclosure…” His eyes met mine again. “I was hoping to run into you again.”
Oh, God...
“I hope it’s okay that I came by,” he went on. Andholy shit… his voice was beyond sexy. Distracting. I had a hard time just following what he was saying. “… had no other way to reach you. I saw you yesterday, walking in here, and then I took a look at the company website. There was a photo of you with some other women, so I figured you worked here.” He rubbed his hand through his hair. “Jesus. I just heard myself. Was that creepy as shit?”
“Um. No. It’s fine…”
“Honestly, I thought maybe I’d come in here with some made-up interest in interior design, but then I realized that was stupid. I just wanted to talk to you. I, uh, thought we could talk.” His dark eyebrows drew together, doing that James Dean thing, and I couldn’t take it.
“Right,” I said, awkwardly. “Sure. Um, my name is Danica.”
“Danica…” he repeated.
“Yes. Um, Dani. But most people don’t really call me that. It’s kinda more my sister’s name…”
He studied my face, like he was trying to follow what the hell I was saying. Clearly, he had no idea that the girl he’d met in Alaska had a twin sister.
Then I tried to start to explain about the twin thing. I really did. But the words just wouldn’t come. I was totally falling apart under the pressure of his blue eyes.
They were so damnblue.
Dear God, this was embarrassing.
I just didn’t want to embarrasshim. Or hurt him or anything, like maybe my sister already had?
Why the hell did he want to see her again, anyway? She gave him a fake phone number, for Christ’s sake.
Hadn’t he figured that out?
I glimpsed Madeleine through the window, strutting in through the front door. She disappeared into her office, and I reached for my doorknob. “Excuse me one minute,” I said, gesturing at one of my chairs. “Please, have a seat. I’ll be right back.” Then I hurried out.
When I burst into Madeleine’s office without knocking, my stylish aunt was seated behind her minimalist retro-modern desk in one of her signature black figure-hugging dresses, her dark hair smoothed down to her shoulders. She arched an eyebrow at me but barely glanced up from her laptop. “Where’s the fire?”
“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered under my breath as I shut the door. “I’m gonna have to kill her this time. Like really kill her. You’ll come visit me in prison, won’t you?”
“What did she do now?” Madeleine asked, her gaze on her computer screen as one manicured finger casually clicked at her mouse. She could’ve been online shopping. She didn’t even ask who I was referring to. She didn’t have to. Madeleine was well aware of my sister’s ways, so none of this alarmed her.
“Do you remember that bachelorette party Daniella went to in Alaska?” I asked her, flustered, overly-aware that Ashley Player was waiting in my office.
“No.”
