wasn’t looking. “I got your message by the way,” she said.
“Oh? And were you going to call me back?”
“Considered it, but now that you’re here, I guess I don’t have to.”
“So, are you going to make me wait all night before you give me your answer?”
Phoebe glanced sideways at Linda, who took that as her cue to leave. “I’ll be with Frank if you need me,” she said to Riley, then headed off down the hall. Riley took her spot on the bench, laying one arm on the back and turning so he faced Anna.
“So? Date or no date?”
She looked at him long and hard, a gentle smile playing on her lips. For a second, he thought she was going to say no, and he felt all his hope dashed…but then she leaned onto his arm behind her and said, “Sure, why not? I don’t have any plans.”
“Well then, it’s a date.” He reached out a hand and tucked one of the curls behind her ear. “Now, are you going to tell me why you called me pirate the other day?”
“You have to admit, you give off that flair. Black leather jacket, tattoos, stubble, and not to mention this,” she said, tugging at his earring. “Honestly, I thought you were going to pull out a cutlass at any second.”
Riley laughed. “Pretty sure I own one of those, too.”
He wasn’t sure how long they sat on that bench and talked about mundane things, but with Anna, it was anything but boring. He could tell she was holding back much of who she was, but then again, wasn’t he doing the same thing? It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, but he had to be careful. This marriage-in-two-months issue was driving him nuts. That and the fact that she did, in fact, work within Yancey’s company somewhere. There were too many unknowns to reveal who he really was. Maybe soon, maybe in two months when he hit the deadline and needed a wife.
A buzzing interrupted his thoughts, but it wasn’t him. Anna glanced down at her clutch but didn’t reach for her phone. Instead, she stared at him, cheeks flushed from their laughing. The light was soft against her face and brought out the green in her eyes. He noticed a slight shimmer around the edges where it faded to grey. He’d never seen eyes like hers and started to lean forward with every intention of investigating further. Her breathing intensified and her chest moved, breasts brushing against him as he hesitated, only inches away. Her lips parted and he was about to lean in for a kiss when her phone buzzed again.
Her eyes fluttered, and she backed away slowly, the moment gone. “Sorry, I really should see who this is,” she said as she reached for her cell.
Riley wanted to take it out of her hands and throw it down the corridor, but she answered and her face fell. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
She was listening to whoever was on the other end, eyes widening and tears welling within their depths. All the color from her face started to drain, and she looked like she was about to slump over on the bench. Riley reached out an arm and gently held her upright until the call ended, and, with shaky hands, she tucked her cell back in her purse.
“I…I have to go,” she whispered and tried to stand, but her legs gave out.
“Easy, Anna, just sit for a second. What’s wrong?”
“It’s ah…that was the hospital,” she said as tears fell from her eyes. “My mother, she was moved to intensive care. I have to go fill out the paperwork. I need to leave.”
“Your mother’s in the hospital?”
She nodded, then stood. “I need to find my date so he can take me. But I’ll see you for our date, right?”
“Course,” he said, walking with her a bit. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
They reached the door to the ballroom, and she shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for this evening, by the way. It would’ve been boring as hell if you hadn’t shown up.” She squeezed his hand, then hurried through the doors to find her date.
Riley went inside, too, just so he
“Oh? And were you going to call me back?”
“Considered it, but now that you’re here, I guess I don’t have to.”
“So, are you going to make me wait all night before you give me your answer?”
Phoebe glanced sideways at Linda, who took that as her cue to leave. “I’ll be with Frank if you need me,” she said to Riley, then headed off down the hall. Riley took her spot on the bench, laying one arm on the back and turning so he faced Anna.
“So? Date or no date?”
She looked at him long and hard, a gentle smile playing on her lips. For a second, he thought she was going to say no, and he felt all his hope dashed…but then she leaned onto his arm behind her and said, “Sure, why not? I don’t have any plans.”
“Well then, it’s a date.” He reached out a hand and tucked one of the curls behind her ear. “Now, are you going to tell me why you called me pirate the other day?”
“You have to admit, you give off that flair. Black leather jacket, tattoos, stubble, and not to mention this,” she said, tugging at his earring. “Honestly, I thought you were going to pull out a cutlass at any second.”
Riley laughed. “Pretty sure I own one of those, too.”
He wasn’t sure how long they sat on that bench and talked about mundane things, but with Anna, it was anything but boring. He could tell she was holding back much of who she was, but then again, wasn’t he doing the same thing? It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, but he had to be careful. This marriage-in-two-months issue was driving him nuts. That and the fact that she did, in fact, work within Yancey’s company somewhere. There were too many unknowns to reveal who he really was. Maybe soon, maybe in two months when he hit the deadline and needed a wife.
A buzzing interrupted his thoughts, but it wasn’t him. Anna glanced down at her clutch but didn’t reach for her phone. Instead, she stared at him, cheeks flushed from their laughing. The light was soft against her face and brought out the green in her eyes. He noticed a slight shimmer around the edges where it faded to grey. He’d never seen eyes like hers and started to lean forward with every intention of investigating further. Her breathing intensified and her chest moved, breasts brushing against him as he hesitated, only inches away. Her lips parted and he was about to lean in for a kiss when her phone buzzed again.
Her eyes fluttered, and she backed away slowly, the moment gone. “Sorry, I really should see who this is,” she said as she reached for her cell.
Riley wanted to take it out of her hands and throw it down the corridor, but she answered and her face fell. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
She was listening to whoever was on the other end, eyes widening and tears welling within their depths. All the color from her face started to drain, and she looked like she was about to slump over on the bench. Riley reached out an arm and gently held her upright until the call ended, and, with shaky hands, she tucked her cell back in her purse.
“I…I have to go,” she whispered and tried to stand, but her legs gave out.
“Easy, Anna, just sit for a second. What’s wrong?”
“It’s ah…that was the hospital,” she said as tears fell from her eyes. “My mother, she was moved to intensive care. I have to go fill out the paperwork. I need to leave.”
“Your mother’s in the hospital?”
She nodded, then stood. “I need to find my date so he can take me. But I’ll see you for our date, right?”
“Course,” he said, walking with her a bit. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
They reached the door to the ballroom, and she shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for this evening, by the way. It would’ve been boring as hell if you hadn’t shown up.” She squeezed his hand, then hurried through the doors to find her date.
Riley went inside, too, just so he
Similar Books
