spurred Danielle to action. “I’ll say good-night as well,” she told Caleb, glancing briefly to Travis as she backed away.
“We can talk tomorrow,” said Caleb.
The words brought Danielle to a halt. “Were you looking for me today?”
She and Caleb had met briefly when he arrived Thursday night. But she’d understood he was going to be busy all day. At least that’s what Katrina told her. Now she realized she’d never actually checked with Caleb.
Caleb shook his head. “I’d have called you. Tomorrow’s fine.”
“Okay,” Danielle nodded, relieved. “I’ll be there.”
“I’m done, too,” said Travis, breaking away from his brother, and coming up next to Danielle.
Her stomach gave an involuntary quiver of excitement.
Caleb glanced back at the closed door. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think the party’s winding down.” He started forward.
Reed and Katrina were far ahead in the lobby, disappearing around the central fountain.
“Thanks for entertaining Katrina,” said Caleb. “I know Reed appreciates it.”
Danielle gave a short laugh. “Katrina entertained me. I feel like I’ve been playing hooky all day long.”
“You put in way too many hours,” said Caleb.
“A lot of lawyers put in more hours than I do.”
She couldn’t help thinking about Randal and the others at Nester and Hedley. How hard did they work? What was the pace like in D.C.?
“I’m in the north tower,” said Caleb, pointing to an elevator sign, and turning toward the hallway. “’Night.”
“Good night,” Danielle called after him.
She and Travis walked a few feet in silence.
“I’m west,” she told him.
“I know.”
She remembered he’d walked her to the elevators that first night.
“How was the bachelor day?” she asked.
“No insurance claims from the dune buggy races,” he said, reminding her of the policy she’d reviewed for him yesterday.
“That’s good news. Who won?”
“Alex.”
Danielle gave him a suspicious look. “The groom? Was the fix in?”
“Maybe a little. Reed and I rocked at paintball. We took it for the yellow team.”
Danielle couldn’t help but smile at the pride in his voice. “First the bull riding, and now paintball. There’s just no stopping you, is there?”
“No, ma’am, there is not.” There was a wry note in his voice, as he reached out to press the call button for the west tower elevators.
Two older women joined them waiting.
“You don’t need to wait for the car,” said Danielle.
“My suite’s up there, too.”
Six
T he middle elevator car pinged, the red up arrow lighting. Three men strode with them into the elevator, along with the two older ladies. Danielle pressed eighteen and moved into a corner, while Travis pressed thirty-four, the top floor, and shifted to stand beside her.
One of the three men took a lingering, visual tour of her white slacks and blue tank top. She ignored him, but Travis stepped in front of her, lifting his chin and folding his arms across his chest.
She couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. For some reason it sent a shot of warmth through her chest. It was gentlemanly, she told herself, kind of sweetly old-fashioned.
The men filed out on the fourteenth floor, and she stepped out from behind Travis, smiling and shaking her head. “You didn’t have to—” As she moved farther, her shoulder bag snagged on the elevator rail, jerking out of her hand, clattering upside down to the floor.
Danielle swore. Travis turned at the sound. And the two older ladies stared at the items bouncing on the floor.
Travis crouched to help, while Danielle scooped up her wallet and cell phone, snagged a makeup bag, her keys and a hand mirror. She stuffed them into the open bag, checking the floor to make sure nothing more embarrassing had slipped out.
Then she realized Travis had gone still. She twisted her neck to look at him, freezing in horror when she saw the envelope in his hands. Her boudoir photos had fallen
“We can talk tomorrow,” said Caleb.
The words brought Danielle to a halt. “Were you looking for me today?”
She and Caleb had met briefly when he arrived Thursday night. But she’d understood he was going to be busy all day. At least that’s what Katrina told her. Now she realized she’d never actually checked with Caleb.
Caleb shook his head. “I’d have called you. Tomorrow’s fine.”
“Okay,” Danielle nodded, relieved. “I’ll be there.”
“I’m done, too,” said Travis, breaking away from his brother, and coming up next to Danielle.
Her stomach gave an involuntary quiver of excitement.
Caleb glanced back at the closed door. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I think the party’s winding down.” He started forward.
Reed and Katrina were far ahead in the lobby, disappearing around the central fountain.
“Thanks for entertaining Katrina,” said Caleb. “I know Reed appreciates it.”
Danielle gave a short laugh. “Katrina entertained me. I feel like I’ve been playing hooky all day long.”
“You put in way too many hours,” said Caleb.
“A lot of lawyers put in more hours than I do.”
She couldn’t help thinking about Randal and the others at Nester and Hedley. How hard did they work? What was the pace like in D.C.?
“I’m in the north tower,” said Caleb, pointing to an elevator sign, and turning toward the hallway. “’Night.”
“Good night,” Danielle called after him.
She and Travis walked a few feet in silence.
“I’m west,” she told him.
“I know.”
She remembered he’d walked her to the elevators that first night.
“How was the bachelor day?” she asked.
“No insurance claims from the dune buggy races,” he said, reminding her of the policy she’d reviewed for him yesterday.
“That’s good news. Who won?”
“Alex.”
Danielle gave him a suspicious look. “The groom? Was the fix in?”
“Maybe a little. Reed and I rocked at paintball. We took it for the yellow team.”
Danielle couldn’t help but smile at the pride in his voice. “First the bull riding, and now paintball. There’s just no stopping you, is there?”
“No, ma’am, there is not.” There was a wry note in his voice, as he reached out to press the call button for the west tower elevators.
Two older women joined them waiting.
“You don’t need to wait for the car,” said Danielle.
“My suite’s up there, too.”
Six
T he middle elevator car pinged, the red up arrow lighting. Three men strode with them into the elevator, along with the two older ladies. Danielle pressed eighteen and moved into a corner, while Travis pressed thirty-four, the top floor, and shifted to stand beside her.
One of the three men took a lingering, visual tour of her white slacks and blue tank top. She ignored him, but Travis stepped in front of her, lifting his chin and folding his arms across his chest.
She couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. For some reason it sent a shot of warmth through her chest. It was gentlemanly, she told herself, kind of sweetly old-fashioned.
The men filed out on the fourteenth floor, and she stepped out from behind Travis, smiling and shaking her head. “You didn’t have to—” As she moved farther, her shoulder bag snagged on the elevator rail, jerking out of her hand, clattering upside down to the floor.
Danielle swore. Travis turned at the sound. And the two older ladies stared at the items bouncing on the floor.
Travis crouched to help, while Danielle scooped up her wallet and cell phone, snagged a makeup bag, her keys and a hand mirror. She stuffed them into the open bag, checking the floor to make sure nothing more embarrassing had slipped out.
Then she realized Travis had gone still. She twisted her neck to look at him, freezing in horror when she saw the envelope in his hands. Her boudoir photos had fallen
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