o’clock.”
As the line went dead, her heart thundered in her ears. The sound of his voice whipped through her veins like electricity, stirring visions of him so real, it was as if he were right here with her now.
She hit ‘erase’ and rushed to her bedroom to get ready. Even though she had no clue what she was doing, and wished with all her heart for a divine intervention to save her from her fate, she was not going to chicken out. She’d said she would be there, so she’d go . . . straight into the lion’s den.
With her heart in her throat and her stomach feeling like she’d swallowed a lead balloon, Kyle parked her Prius behind Jed’s Mustang and made her way to his front door. Under any other circumstance, she would’ve appreciated the contrast their vehicles made sitting by each other. It was absurd.
She pressed the doorbell and smoothed her sweaty palm on her jeans. She’d hemmed and hawed and fretted about what was appropriate to wear for meeting him today, but in the end, she decided that he could make due with her in jeans. She wanted to be comfortable since she’d be doing battle with him on his home turf . . . literally. And he’d been the one to insist on an informal meeting at his home, so he could—
The door opened and his welcoming smile disarmed her. “So you’re not a chicken after all.”
She clenched the laptop case tighter in her hand. How could he confuse her emotional radar her like this every time she saw him? “No. I’m not.”
He opened the door wider. “Come in.”
She brushed by him. “Thanks.” He smelled like he was fresh from the shower. She turned as he shut the door. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks.”
She set down her things and studied the living space around her. He truly did have a lovely place. It was open with plenty of natural light. The walls were painted a pleasant shade of soft jade and though the furniture was sparse, it looked comfortable. She turned to study the nearest painting. It was Oriental in design, which was no big surprise to her after all she’d seen of his studio. She turned back to him. “You love Asian art, don’t you?”
He stepped into the kitchen area and pulled out a pitcher. “Tea?”
She nodded.
He poured two glasses then pointed to the painting she’d been looking at. “I picked that up in Japan. I studied tattooing there for a while.” He padded over and handed her a drink. “I love everything about their culture. It’s really beautiful.”
He studied the art while he spoke, but she studied him. It was the most he’d ever said to her that wasn’t sarcastic and didn’t contain the dreaded Muffet.
“Wow,” she finally said with a smile. “I’ve never been out of the country.”
He turned back to face her. “Really? A little rich girl like you?”
She flinched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey, don’t get offended. I just thought your family seemed like the type that would travel the world. You know, vacay on the Riviera. Have a second home in Switzerland. Something.”
She knew it was easy for him to get that impression. Most people did. She shrugged as if it were of no consequence. “Daddy always worked too hard. Those years when we were little he was just building the business so it took all of his time. And Mother took her vacations alone or with her girlfriends while Bryan and I were sent off with friends.” She looked Jed in the eye. “The furthest I’ve been is skiing in Aspen. So, no, I’ve never been out of the country.”
A look of sadness crossed his face for a fleeting moment. “Well, you should. There’s a whole big world out there.” He tilted his head toward the dining room table where he’d already set up his own laptop and had several stacks of papers. “Shall we?”
“Of course.”
They got right to work, and true to his word, he was very picky about his business. He’d done a respectable job of keeping things organized on his own, but she could see
As the line went dead, her heart thundered in her ears. The sound of his voice whipped through her veins like electricity, stirring visions of him so real, it was as if he were right here with her now.
She hit ‘erase’ and rushed to her bedroom to get ready. Even though she had no clue what she was doing, and wished with all her heart for a divine intervention to save her from her fate, she was not going to chicken out. She’d said she would be there, so she’d go . . . straight into the lion’s den.
With her heart in her throat and her stomach feeling like she’d swallowed a lead balloon, Kyle parked her Prius behind Jed’s Mustang and made her way to his front door. Under any other circumstance, she would’ve appreciated the contrast their vehicles made sitting by each other. It was absurd.
She pressed the doorbell and smoothed her sweaty palm on her jeans. She’d hemmed and hawed and fretted about what was appropriate to wear for meeting him today, but in the end, she decided that he could make due with her in jeans. She wanted to be comfortable since she’d be doing battle with him on his home turf . . . literally. And he’d been the one to insist on an informal meeting at his home, so he could—
The door opened and his welcoming smile disarmed her. “So you’re not a chicken after all.”
She clenched the laptop case tighter in her hand. How could he confuse her emotional radar her like this every time she saw him? “No. I’m not.”
He opened the door wider. “Come in.”
She brushed by him. “Thanks.” He smelled like he was fresh from the shower. She turned as he shut the door. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks.”
She set down her things and studied the living space around her. He truly did have a lovely place. It was open with plenty of natural light. The walls were painted a pleasant shade of soft jade and though the furniture was sparse, it looked comfortable. She turned to study the nearest painting. It was Oriental in design, which was no big surprise to her after all she’d seen of his studio. She turned back to him. “You love Asian art, don’t you?”
He stepped into the kitchen area and pulled out a pitcher. “Tea?”
She nodded.
He poured two glasses then pointed to the painting she’d been looking at. “I picked that up in Japan. I studied tattooing there for a while.” He padded over and handed her a drink. “I love everything about their culture. It’s really beautiful.”
He studied the art while he spoke, but she studied him. It was the most he’d ever said to her that wasn’t sarcastic and didn’t contain the dreaded Muffet.
“Wow,” she finally said with a smile. “I’ve never been out of the country.”
He turned back to face her. “Really? A little rich girl like you?”
She flinched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey, don’t get offended. I just thought your family seemed like the type that would travel the world. You know, vacay on the Riviera. Have a second home in Switzerland. Something.”
She knew it was easy for him to get that impression. Most people did. She shrugged as if it were of no consequence. “Daddy always worked too hard. Those years when we were little he was just building the business so it took all of his time. And Mother took her vacations alone or with her girlfriends while Bryan and I were sent off with friends.” She looked Jed in the eye. “The furthest I’ve been is skiing in Aspen. So, no, I’ve never been out of the country.”
A look of sadness crossed his face for a fleeting moment. “Well, you should. There’s a whole big world out there.” He tilted his head toward the dining room table where he’d already set up his own laptop and had several stacks of papers. “Shall we?”
“Of course.”
They got right to work, and true to his word, he was very picky about his business. He’d done a respectable job of keeping things organized on his own, but she could see
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