“When—”

  “I think it’s my turn now,” he said.

  She nodded and gestured for him to go ahead.

  What should he ask? “Have you lived in St. Louis all your life?”

  “No. My grandmother and I moved here when I was ten.”

  His eyebrows rose at that. What had happened to her mother?

  But he didn’t get a chance to think about that question too much before she asked her next one. “What do you do for a living?” She paused. “I mean, I thought you were in real estate, but...”

  He grinned. “But I live in a really nice house?”

  “Yeah.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I mean, I know you can make a good living as a real estate agent, but...I mean...”

  Daniel smiled and released a soft chuckle. “It’s all right. I know what you mean. And I am a real estate agent. Although, I don’t often look for properties on behalf of other individuals.” He hesitated, wondering what her reaction would be. “I’m more of an investor.”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it again. He knew she wanted to ask another question, but she was trying to play by the rules of the game.

  He took another sip of his water. “Tell me about your grandmother.”

  “That’s not really a question.” There was a little twinkle in her eyes, and he knew she was messing with him.

  “Okay. What was your grandmother like?”

  A smile lit her face as she thought of her grandmother. “She was spunky. She’d tell you her opinion even if you didn't want to hear it.” Ali’s smile faded and a sadness draped over her features.

  Daniel was out of his seat before he knew what he was doing. He closed the distance between them, sat down next to her, and cupped the side of her face.

  “What is it?”

  She waved one of her hands in dismissal. “I just miss her. She always knew what to do, you know?”

  He held her gaze, not missing the extra moisture glinting in her eyes. For some reason, he felt as if this was about more than her simply missing her grandmother. “Is there something you wish you could discuss with your grandmother?” He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I might not be as wise as your grandmother, but I’ll help if I can.”

  Ali shook her head. “You can’t help.”

  “Try me.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment, then she removed his hand from her face and stood. “I think I’m going to go to my room and read. Thank you for humoring me with the game.”

  Daniel stood as well. He wanted to reach out to her, but he stopped himself. “Ali?”

  “I’m fine. Really. Thank you again. For everything.”

  He wanted to make her stay and talk to him, but he knew he had no right. “All right.”

  She nodded, then quickly fled down the hall to her room, leaving him standing alone in the living room, trying to figure out what had happened. One minute, they were playing twenty questions. The next, she was rushing off to her room as fast as her feet would carry her.

  Had he said something inappropriate? He didn’t think so. They’d been talking about her grandmother. While he understood the sadness in her eyes—he still felt the loss of his own grandmother and it had been more than twenty years since she’d passed—but he didn’t think that was it.

  Confused and frustrated, he made his way to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a stiff drink. The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, but he welcomed it. He poured himself another, downed it, and then closed the doors to the cabinet. As appealing as getting drunk might sound, he knew better. He wasn’t twenty anymore and had no desire to deal with a hangover tomorrow.

  It was still early, but the thought of staying in the living room without Ali held no appeal. He checked the doors, the security cameras, and then turned off all the lights except for the one at the end of the hall. There was no sound coming from the direction of her room, so he turned and made his way across the house to the master suite.

  He sat on the edge of his bed and gazed out the patio doors, watching the moonlight as it reflected off the pool. As much as he replayed the last few minutes of their conversation in his head, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what had happened.

  The muscles in his back were beginning to tense. He rolled his neck and shoulders, but it wasn’t helping. He needed to find a way to relax, and he didn’t have a sub handy to flog.

  Well, technically he did have a sub nearby, but she wasn’t an option. So, the hot tub was the next best thing.

  He strolled onto his patio, turned on the hot tub, and headed back inside to give it a few minutes to warm up. While the calendar said it was spring, there was still a bite in the air. He hadn’t tested the water in the pool, but if he had to guess, it was probably close to forty or fifty degrees. Still too cold for an evening swim.

  Ten minutes later, Daniel stripped out of his clothes and padded naked outside to slip into his hot tub. He lowered himself into the warm water, lining one of the jets up with his lower back. Sighing, he tried to let the warmth work its magic.

  CHAPTER 6

  Ali knew she couldn’t avoid Daniel. It was his house after all. But she made sure to wait until the last minute before venturing out of her room and heading to the kitchen for breakfast the next morning.

  Last night, all the feelings churning inside her had come to the surface. It wasn’t only about her grandmother. It was about Daniel, too. Her feelings for him. The longing to have him hold her, comfort her.

  It was difficult enough being around him, knowing he didn’t feel the same way about her that she did him. When he’d touched her...the look in his eyes...it was too much. She’d wanted him to take her in his arms, brush his lips against her skin, and then carry her off to his bedroom.

  She hadn’t been able to control the emotions that felt like a weight on her chest and so she’d escaped, running off to her room.

  As Ali rounded the corner, Daniel came into view. He was at the cooktop, his back to her. She stood there frozen as she watched him flip several pancakes.

  She gritted her teeth and stepped into the kitchen, plastering a smile on her face. “Morning.”

  Daniel laid the spatula on the counter, turned, and looked her over from head to toe. His brow creased in concentration. Had he been worried about her?

  Of course he had been. He took care of her. That’s what he did. That was who he was.

  She sat down at the island, trying to look casual. “Pancakes, huh?”

  He stared at her for a long moment, then grabbed the spatula again and removed the pancakes from the griddle. “I thought maybe you could use some comfort food this morning. I also made eggs and sausages.” He nodded toward a covered plate already on the table.

  Ali felt as if she needed to apologize. She wasn’t sure why, but she’d obviously upset him when she’d run off. “I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have left like that.”

  “It’s all right. I was close to my grandmother, too.”

  He thought she’d left because they were talking about her grandmother. She wished that were true, but she also wasn’t going to correct him.

  He carried a plate full of pancakes to the table, and she followed.

  Taking her seat, she didn’t say any more and tucked into her pancakes.

  Three hours later, Ali was sitting at her desk, going through an email her boss had sent her the night before. Twenty items. All numbered.

  She’d managed to get through the first six before he called her into his office. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Did you get the list I sent you last night?” Grant Jacobson asked.

  “Yes. I’ve been working on it.” Why he asked, she had no idea. Every morning when she came into the office, she had an email from him waiting for her.

  He nodded but didn’t look up from whatever he was working on. “What are you doing Thursday night?”

  His question was unexpected. “Um...”

  Her boss didn’t give her time to formulate any more of a response. He handed her an envelope, then went back to what he was doing. “One of the hospital’s largest donors is holding a fundraiser. Normally, I take my wife.”

  She stared at the envelope in her hand. Was he asking her to go with him? “Um...” She sounded like a broken record. Why couldn’t she say something?

  “Since I’m unable to go this year, you’ll need to go in my place.”

  Ali breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t asking her to be his date. Thank heavens. She wasn’t sure if she could stand next to him for hours and pretend she liked him.

  He went on. “It’s black tie. Do you have a dress you can wear?”

  “Yes. I—”

  “Good.” He paused. “And you’ll need a date.” Finally glancing up from his papers, he looked her in the eye for the first time. “Surely that won’t be a problem. You have a boyfriend or...something?”

  The way his gaze raked over her made her skin crawl. “Um. I’m sure I can find someone to go with me.”

  Lowering his gaze, he began scribbling something on the paper in front of him. She had no idea how long she stood there, but apparently it was too long. “Don’t you have work to do?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Ali turned on her heels and scrambled out of his office.

  Her heart was pounding by the time she returned to her desk. She turned the envelope over and lifted the flap. Removing the invitation, she read over the details.

  The fundraiser was being held at one of the posh hotels downtown. She’d never been there herself, but she’d heard they had a huge crystal chandelier in the lobby. The dinner started at seven o’clock, which meant she would have to get home, change, and make it back downtown in two hours. While not impossible, it was going to be tight.

  And then there was the issue of a date. Ali chewed on her bottom lip. Maybe Justin could go with her.

  As soon as the idea came to her, she knew it wouldn’t work. Mr. Jacobson said it was black tie. Justin wasn’t a formal type of guy. She doubted he had a tux hanging in his closet and there wasn’t time for him to rent one and have it fitted.

  Peeking in her boss’s office, he had his back to the door, his phone to his ear. That meant he would be on the call for a while. She grabbed a stack of papers that needed to be shredded and stuffed the invitation in her purse before slinging it over her shoulder.

  As soon as she stepped into the elevator, she pulled out her phone. Kim answered on the second ring. “What’s wrong?”

  Kim and Ali texted back and forth throughout the day, but it was rare either of them called the other. Between Kim’s meetings and Ali’s boss, texting was easier...and safer. “Can you meet me for lunch today?”

  “Are you okay?” The concern in Kim’s voice was impossible to miss.

  “Yeah. I just need to run something by you, and it can’t wait.”

  “Okay. Let me check.” She paused. “When did you want to meet?”

  Ali checked the clock on her phone. It was only ten thirty. She normally didn’t take lunch, if she took a break at all, until one. But she didn’t want to wait that long. “Noon?”

  “At the usually place?” Kim asked.

  The elevator dinged, letting her know she’d reached her floor. She exited, still holding the phone to her ear. “Definitely.” Ali was in desperate need of some chocolate, and no one had better chocolate mousse than Giorgio's.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah, but I’ve gotta go. See you at noon.” Ali disconnected the call before her best friend could grill her any more. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spill everything to Kim, but there were too many people around and she didn’t want someone to overhear.

  Like clockwork, one of the biggest gossips in the hospital strolled out of the mailroom. “Ali!” Joyce’s smile was friendly, but Ali knew better. The woman would throw anyone under the bus if it suited her.

  “Hi, Joyce.”

  “Picking up mail?” she asked.

  “Nope. Just dropping off some papers to be shredded.” Ali lifted the stack of papers in her left hand.

  “That little bit?” She waved her hand in dismissal. “Isn’t your boss keeping you busy enough?”

  Ali forced herself to keep smiling. “Speaking of busy, I need to get moving. Have a good day, Joyce.”

  Brushing past the woman, she entered the mailroom, found the shred bin, and dumped her stack into it. Luckily, Joyce was nowhere to be seen as she headed back to the elevator.

  The next hour and a half dragged. But her boss, thank heavens, left her alone.

  At eleven fifty-five, Ali logged off her computer, grabbed her things, and made a beeline for the elevator. Unfortunately, Grant Jacobson decided to leave at the same time. His mouth turned down in a disappointed frown as he got on the elevator and pushed the button for the parking garage. He glanced at his watch. “You’re taking lunch early.”

  “I’m meeting a friend.”

  He didn’t comment.

  The elevator jerked as it reached the first floor. The doors opened and she couldn’t exit the elevator fast enough.

  It took her another five minutes to reach the restaurant. Kim was already there waiting, and Ali slid into the seat across from her. “I already put in our order.”

  They always got the same thing when they came here. “Thanks,” Ali said.

  “You’re welcome. Now, tell me what’s going on.” Kim paused. “And don’t tell me nothing because I know better.”

  Ali removed the fundraiser invitation from her purse and pushed it across the table toward her friend.

  Kim examined it, then handed it back. “I take it you have to attend?”

  “Yes.” Ali bit the inside of her cheek. “And I’m supposed to bring a date.” She leaned closer as if she were sharing some secret. “Justin doesn’t happen to have a tux tucked away in his closet, does he?”

  Her friend laughed. “Not that I’ve seen.” Then Kim sighed. “Although, he would look really good in a tux.”

  Ali flopped back in her chair. “Drat!”

  Kim stared at her friend. “I bet I know someone who might have a tux hanging around. And who will go with you if you’d ask.”

  “You do?”

  Her friend nodded, pressing her lips together, trying to suppress a smile.

  It took Ali a few moments to realize why. When it hit her, she shook her head. “No. I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Kim was no longer hiding her amusement. “You said the man has money, so he most likely owns a tux or can get his hands on one quickly.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “But what?” Kim paused long enough for their server to bring their food and leave them alone again. “Look, you don’t have many options here. This fundraiser’s in two days, right?”

  Ali’s shoulders slumped. “What if he says no?”

  Kim snorted. “You need him. He’s not going to say no.”

  Her friend was right. Daniel would probably say yes if she asked him to go with her. The thought of asking him had her stomach doing summersaults, but it wasn’t as if she had a lot of options. “Okay, I’ll ask him.”

  “Great!” Kim twirled her pasta around her fork. “Now tell me how you got roped into this in the first place.”

  It was after seven by the time Daniel drove his SUV into his garage. Mr. Birch had countered his offer and Daniel had spent a large portion of the day going over figures and deciding how to proceed. He opened the door to his home and was immediately hit by the smell of food.

  He took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of roasted chicken and something sugary. But it wasn’t the promise of good food that had his heart rate accelerating.

  Tossing his keys onto the side table, he removed his jacket and headed toward the kitchen. As he emerged from the hall, he heard a noise, then a mumbled curse. Ali came into view, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, exposing the curve of her neck.

  She reached for a paper towel to clean up whatever she’d spilled on the counter. A smile spread across his face as he watched her move. She was wearing the apron his daughter had given him for Christmas several years ago. It was too big for her, the fabric wrapping all the way around her and hanging past her knees.

  He must have moved or something because her gaze drifted in his direction a moment before she jumped, letting out a little gasp. Then she composed herself.

  “I didn’t hear you come home.”

  Her cheeks were flushed, but he wasn’t sure if that was from the shock of seeing him or the heat of the stove. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s all right. I guess I was too focused on what I was doing.”

  Daniel walked toward her, taking in the mess on the counter. It was littered with flour, both white and brown sugar, and chocolate chips. “Are you making cookies?”

  “Chocolate chip.” She wiped her hands on the apron, then crossed to his pantry cabinet. “You like cookies, right?”

  “Of course. Doesn’t everyone?” When his kids were younger, they’d made cookies every weekend. It was part of their special time together. One of the rare bonding moments he’d had with them once they’d become teenagers and it wasn’t cool to hang out with their dad.

  Ali took a deep breath and released it before removing a bag of pecans. “Nuts or no nuts?”

  He was beginning to feel as if he were missing something. She was smiling, but it wasn’t reaching her eyes.

  Daniel removed the bag from her hand and placed it on the counter. “Tell me what’s wrong?”

  She averted her eyes. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Ali, look at me.”

  Obediently, she met his gaze. There were worried lines around her eyes.

  He stood and waited.

  She shifted her weight and started to look away, then caught herself.

  Daniel waited.

  “I need to ask you a favor.” Ali closed her eyes. “I have to attend a fundraiser on Thursday night and...” She paused. “I have to take a date.”

  Several thoughts swirled in his head at once. Thoughts of her in a beautiful dress, smiling and mingling. Then his mind went to places it shouldn’t.