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I clasped my hands together in my lap.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out my glasses. “I thought you might want these.”
Gratefully, I took the black-framed square lens glasses and put them on. His face came in loud and clear. I pushed myself as far back against the wall as I could, stunned by his beautiful presence. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry if my mother or sister did anything to offend you today.”
I shrugged. “I’m used to it.”
He narrowed his eyes. “That makes it worse. I hope you don’t think you deserved their treatment.”
I began to nervously twist my curls around my finger. “I try not to think about it.”
He pressed his lips together, seemingly unsatisfied by my answer. “Is that why you’re out here all alone?”
“No. I like to be alone.” I had spent most of my life alone, so it seemed natural.
“I’m disturbing you, then?” His tone was playful.
“No,” I stuttered.
“Good.” He leaned back against the wall next to me.
This was totally unexpected. I had no idea what to say or do. All I could manage was getting lost in the spicy scent of his cologne. It reminded me of the soft ginger cookies Naomi made every Christmas.
“Can I ask you a question?” he pierced the awkward silence.
“Sure.”
“Why do you always sit on the floor? I noticed you do the same thing in your office at work.”
Office? It was more like a closet, and I had a bit of claustrophobia, which was why I kept the door open. I supposed that’s how he had noticed my odd habit. I shouldn’t complain—most interns had cubicles. That was one perk of being the boss’s daughter. “Well,” I was embarrassed to say, though nothing should have been able to further embarrass me by this point. “I don’t know how to put it other than I have farther to look up.”
His left brow popped like a Hollywood star.
I smoothed out my dress. “I know it sounds weird. It’s just a reminder that I can always do better.”
A smile grew on his beyond beautiful face.
I bit my lip. “What?”
“You are—”
“Unusual?” I finished for him. “I know.”
“I don’t think you do know. I was going to say intriguing.”
My cheeks pinked. “Intriguing sounds nicer.”
He tugged on one of my errant curls. “I meant what I said.”
I liked that he thought I was intriguing. Still, I had no idea how to behave around him. My body was having all sorts of physiological reactions to him, from a raised pulse to sweaty palms. “You probably want to get back to the wedding,” I suggested out of nerves.
“Not really. Weddings are boring as hell. And this one is particularly . . .”
“Weird?”
“Yes,” he conceded.
“I know it’s hard to watch your parent marry, but after a few times, it gets easier,” I assured him.
“I suppose you would know best, wouldn’t you?”
More than I ever wanted to. “I hope your mom isn’t going to be too heartbroken when this one doesn’t last.”
“She’s been warned,” he grumbled.
“In that case, I hope you won’t hate my father too much when he breaks her heart.”
“I’m good at separating my business life from my personal one.”
“That’s good. I’ve heard Auggie mention you’re a rising star.”
Kane chuckled. “We’ll see. How about you? Your father has big plans for you.”
“Yep,” I sighed.
“You sound like you don’t like those plans.”
I pursed my lips together, thinking about what to say. I didn’t know this man, though technically we were related now. And, sadly, he probably talked to Auggie more than I did. “I love pathology.” It wasn’t a lie; I just didn’t want to specialize in the kind of pathology Auggie expected me to—laboratory medicine. Auggie saw me as the future chief medical officer of Armstrong Labs and eventually taking the helm of the company. I wanted to be a forensic pathologist. Somehow though what I wanted had never really mattered much. So, I would do what I had to do and hope that it would give me what I really wanted—Auggie’s ear and heart.
He tilted his head and studied me once again. “I think you are keeping secrets behind those eyes.”
I shrugged.
He leaned in, his warm breath against my skin making me shiver. “Maybe someday you’ll tell me some,” he drawled in a whisper.
I took a deep breath in and let it out. He was going to make me hyperventilate. When I got control of the flutterings happening all over my body, I peered into his eyes, and for some unexplainable reason, I wanted to tell him everything about myself, even though he would probably think I was a nutjob. Or maybe he was only being nice to me because . . . “How much champagne have you had tonight?”
He flashed me a crooked grin. “Not nearly enough. Would you like to join me for a glass?”
