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It felt a little claustrophobic with the door closed, but I didn’t want anyone coming by to stare at me. I raided my stash of cookies and turned on some Enya. I was obsessed with Celtic music. Yep, I was an anomaly. No country music for this southern girl. With the folder and chocolate chip cookies in hand, I was ready to tackle the report my father had so kindly gifted me. I would have preferred a microscope or a kitten.
An hour into the report, my eyelids were drooping as I read about each highlighted project, their objectives, and whether their goals were met or not. The only project of interest was the one Kane’s department—sales, marketing, and commercial development—had submitted. Their department had blown their sales goals out of the water. Kane was mentioned for brokering a huge deal with a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland. No wonder my father often touted him. After trying to make sense of all the numbers, I was about ready to bang my head against the wall. My above average IQ wasn’t helping me for some reason. Or perhaps I didn’t care enough to understand.
A knock on the door saved my head from being banged against the wall.
“Come in,” I called, too lazy to extricate myself from the papers that were holding me hostage on the floor.
An unexpected but handsome head popped in. Kane smiled when he saw me on the floor covered in papers. “Hey there.”
Wow. I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to how beautiful he was. It was the first time since Naomi I kind of wished one of my dad’s marriages would last, just so I could admire Kane’s face during the holidays.
“Hi,” I said, way too breathy. “What’s up?”
He let himself all the way in and shut the door. “I thought I would drop by and say hi.”
“Oh.” I bit my lip. “That’s nice.” That sounded lame.
His smile said he didn’t mind how idiotic I sounded. How odd.
“It sounds like I should have worn a kilt in here instead of a suit.”
A girlish laugh escaped. “I like your suit. I mean, it’s Enya.” Oh my gosh. I was ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, he looked amazing in his dark suit but I didn’t need to mention it.
“Who?”
“She’s an Irish singer. She lives in a castle all by herself.” Why did I say that last part?
Kane drew closer. “Is that your dream? To live in a castle by yourself?”
I tucked some hair behind my ear. “No.”
Kane sat next to me and leaned against the wall. Like everyone else today at the office, he stared at me. I wasn’t sure which was making me feel like I might combust more: his gaze or the closeness of his body.
“Let me guess, you dream to live in a place with no furniture and high ceilings so you always have far to look up,” he drawled.
“You’re teasing me.”
“No, I’m not. Remember, I’m intrigued.”
“I remember,” I whispered through massive heart palpitations. Surely, he couldn’t be intrigued by me. “Cookie?” My nerves had me holding up the bag that Miss Rae, our housekeeper, had given me before I left for the office today. She was more like my grandma who Auggie paid to cook and clean.
With a grin, Kane reached into the bag and grabbed a cookie. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kane didn’t eat the cookie, but he continued to study me. “So, what is your dream?”
Oh, I had a few, and for some strange reason I had this unrelenting desire to tell him what they were. Though what was the point? “Today, I’m dreaming that I can make sense of the first quarter reports.”
His brow creased. “I don’t believe that’s what you dream about.”
“You’re right, but Auggie wants me to understand.”
“Well, you’re in luck. I’m free to take you to dinner and make sense of those numbers for you.”
I must not have heard him right. “Did you say you wanted to go to dinner with me?” I stammered.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. You don’t have to just because we’re related now.”
His face pinched into a frown. “Scarlett, we aren’t related.” He sounded almost angry.
I leaned away from him afraid I had upset him. “I’m sorry.”
His features immediately softened. “Don’t apologize. I’m sorry. It’s just, I don’t want you to see me that way.”
“Okay.” That was fine by me. I never wanted to think of him as a brother. I had some other titles in mind that were as unattainable as any of my other dreams.
“So, dinner and numbers tonight?”
I nodded without thinking, so mesmerized by his golden-brown eyes.
“Great.” He stood and held up his cookie to me. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
I nodded again. I had lost the ability to speak and think. This was like a dream. I was waiting for someone to throw a bucket of cold water on me and wake me up.
