Page 21 of His Long-Lost Baby
As we start brainstorming, I can feel the energy between us building. Our ideas start to flow freely, and we bounce off each other effortlessly. I can’t remember the last time I worked with someone so in sync with me.
I can see where Quinn gets her intelligence and creativity from.
But not her empathy. This man doesn’t have a shred of that, and I need to remember who I’m dealing with.
“What about a lighter shade of this?” James reaches over and taps my tablet, and his hand brushes mine. It’s a small gesture, but it sends a jolt of electricity through me. I can feel my face flush as I quickly pull my hand away, trying to ignore the way my heart is racing.
“Y-yeah,” I stammer. “That’s great.”
He goes around the desk and picks up his coffee from earlier. “Good. Let’s see how that looks.”
I can’t help but notice that he’s not looking directly at me. Did he notice my reaction when he touched me?
Did he feel what I did?
It doesn’t matter. James Garris is the kind of man who chews women up and spits them out. Just look at what he did to Quinn’s birth mom.
“I’ll make the change.” I focus on the screen again.
“It’s almost lunch. I’ll have something ordered in so we can keep going.”
Of course he doesn’t leave his office for lunch. Does the man do anything other than work?
Other than hitting gym, that is. Even through his suit, it’s clear he’s perfectly toned.
I bite my lip. What’s wrong with me? I’m here on a mission!
“How does salad sound?” James picks up his phone to call his assistant.
My heart beats a little faster as I nod. I’ve found an in, and I’m gonna go for it before I lose my nerve.
I wait until he’s placed the order and hung up. “Salad is perfect,” I say. “High blood pressure runs in the family, and I just want to do what I can, you know?”
My cheeks warm. Will this work?
“Hmm.” He nods and picks up his phone.
I swallow hard. “What about you? What sort of things run in your family? Allergies, say… or asthma?”
My voice squeaks at the end, and James looks at me like I’ve grown a second head.
He sets his phone down on the desk and crosses his arms, studying me for a moment. “Why do you ask?”
I shift in my chair, feeling suddenly exposed. “Just curious, I guess. It’s always good to know your coworkers’ medical history, in case of emergencies or anything like that.”
James raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
I nod, desperately trying to maintain eye contact. “Yes, it’s just a precaution. I mean, you never know when something might happen and you need to know if someone has a history of heart disease or something like that.”
He leans back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on me. “I see. Well, fortunately for me, I have a clean bill of health.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. O-kay, so that’s good…
But what about the rest of his family?
“Do you have any siblings?” I ask, then smile big. “I’m an only child.”
Hopefully, that was a smooth-as-butter transition, and it just looks like I’m trying to get to know him better.