Freefall to Desire by Kayla Perrin

well.”
    “Hmm.”
    “What?” Alex asked.
    “Nothing.”
    “Why do you seem upset?”
    Brianne blew out a harried breath. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel upset?
    “Because we’re here to find Carter and you’re… flirting. ” She felt ridiculous for saying the words, and yet she couldn’t stop herself.
    “Sometimes a little flirtation goes a long way.”
    As if to emphasize that point, Ginny returned, her ear-to-ear smile revealing that she had good news. “Mr. Knight will see you,” she announced.
    “Great,” Alex said. “Thank you, Ginny.”

    “Follow me, please.”
    Brianne wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Ginny had forgotten she was even there, it was so clear that the woman had eyes only for Alex.
    So what? Brianne asked herself. It wasn’t like it mattered. If Alex had made a love connection, good for him.
    Dean Knight was standing when Alex and Brianne entered his office behind Ginny. He was noticeably shorter than Alex. Though most men who stood next to Alex were.
    He looked part Caucasian, part Asian and one hundred percent cute. Brianne could only imagine that women threw themselves at him. Women who loved men who lived on the edge.
    It was the one thing she hadn’t liked about Carter, though she’d fallen for everything else. She never liked his living on the edge, always fearing it would be the death of him.
    “My assistant says you want to see me,” Dean said, his eyes registering caution.
    Alex walked toward him, his hand outstretched. “Hey, man. How you doing?”
    Dean shook Alex’s hand, still looking guarded. “I’m good. Do I know you?”
    “I’m Alex Thorpe,” Alex said. “And this is my friend, Brianne Kenyon.”
    “Hi.” Brianne raised her hand in a small wave.
    Dean acknowledged her with a nod, then gestured to the two chairs on one side of a large mahogany desk. “Please, have a seat.”
    Brianne and Alex did as he suggested, settling into the plush leather seats. Dean walked around to the other side of his desk and took a seat opposite them. “Now, how can I help you?”

    “A few weeks ago, I called you,” Alex explained. “At the time I asked you if you knew a Carter Smith.”
    Dean’s eyes registered understanding. “Right. I remember.” He paused. “I also remember telling you that I didn’t know anyone by that name.”
    “I know you did, but I’m thinking you might know him by another name. I brought some pictures with me. All I want you to do is look at them and see if the guy in the pictures is someone you know.”
    “Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of anything,” Dean said. His expression was still guarded.
    “The guy we’re looking for is a friend. We…lost touch. I’m just trying to reach out to him. If it is him.”
    Alex spoke casually, and Brianne could see the tension in Dean’s shoulders ebbing away. “Let me see the pics.”
    Alex withdrew the handful of photos from the envelope and passed them across the desk to Dean. Dean flipped through them, giving a good five seconds of attention to each of the first few before skimming the others.
    Shaking his head, he passed the photos back to Alex. “Naw. He doesn’t look familiar.”
    “Are you sure?” Alex asked.
    “I don’t know him,” Dean said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “I’m sorry you wasted your time coming here.”
    “Wait.” Brianne quickly reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. Opening it, she withdrew a photo. Alex could see that it was a picture of her and Carter. He didn’t know why, but it bugged him to know that she was carrying around such a photo.
    Of course he knew why. Because Carter was not worthy of her undying admiration.
    “This is another picture of Carter,” Brianne explained. “As you can see, he’s got a goatee in this photo—whichhe didn’t have in the photos that Alex showed you. Try to look at the facial structure. He might have gained or lost weight—”
    “I said I don’t know who he