Chapter 5
Chapter 5
“ W ell, hello,” her highway rescuer said, smiling again.
“You,” she repeated.
“You already used that one,” he said.
“I think I might be out of words,” she said.
“Are you Babs?” he asked.
She nodded. “You can’t be Darren.”
“Can’t I?” he said, smile widening. “Why not?”
“You’re…” Hot. Nice. Hot. “A brunette.”
One hand reached up to touch his freakishly thick mane. “I apparently inherited all the brown hair genes. And the tallness.”
“Uh-huh,” she agreed, nodding again. He was tall, over six feet, with broad shoulders. And he was well muscled, a fact she ascertained when he was hefting tires like they were pebbles. And now all six feet whatever of him was going to be her roommate. “Your car has Florida plates.” Smooth, Babs. Blurt all the random things. Why don’t you go ahead and tell him how hot he is for a geology nerd?
“Aren’t you the observant one? It’s a rental.”
“Right, right,” Babs said, nodding again like a well-trained seal.
“You were really serious about repaying that kindness. Thanks for taking me in. Apparently I was homeless until you did so.”
“You’re…” hot, so ridiculously hot, “welcome. I was popping in to brush my teeth before lunch, which now that I’ve told you is information I realize you don’t need to know. Excuse me.” She ducked into the bathroom, closed the door, and leaned on it, squeezing her eyes closed as she tried to get a breath. Calm, calm, calm. It’s only Maggie’s brother. Maggie’s. Brother. The bad one, that means he’s off limits on multiple levels. She took a deep breath and faced herself in the mirror, frowning. The hair she’d wrangled into a tidy updo that morning was half undone, thanks to her flight up the stairs. Her chubby cheeks were flushed, and was that a mascara smudge? Yes. Great impression, Babs. You look like an actual insane person.
She brushed her teeth, reapplied gloss, touched up the remainder of her makeup, took down her hair and shook it out. She reached for the door, thought better of it, sniffed her armpit, and hastily reapplied deodorant.
Darren remained in the middle of the room, arms crossed as if waiting for her to exit. And still smiling the megawatt, ridiculously appealing smile. “Wow, you must have a magical toothbrush. It changed your hair.”
You noticed my hair? “It was a special order from a late night infomercial. It also slices and dices.”
He laughed and she smiled, relaxing a bit. She and Maggie had the same sense of humor. It would stand to reason Maggie’s brother would, too. Maybe she could do this. They could be pals, have a few laughs, keep things casual. “You’re too cute, Babs,” Darren said, reaching out to brush a twisted lock of hair away from her face. It was an innocuous little touch, but Babs’s stomach bottomed out and dropped away.
“I should get to lunch,” Babs replied, her voice now a soft squeak.
“Is it a work thing, or are outsiders allowed?”
“It’s casual, no classified stuff,” she said.
“And what would a group of accountants classify as classified?” he asked, tone wry.
Babs remembered something Maggie told her about him, that in the early days of her job Amelia speculated with Darren over the possibility Maggie was a spy. Darren had laughed it off, disbelieving. Apparently he still didn’t believe it, despite the high unlikelihood a former Navy SEAL like Ridge would become the head of an accounting firm. And what of Ethan? The man was living, breathing testosterone. Did he really believe he was a number cruncher?
“You’d be surprised,” she said mildly. Babs was good with secrets; she’d been dealing in them a long, long time.
“Excellent. Shall we?” He opened the door for her, allowing her to precede him through.
“My, but your manners are impeccable,” Babs commented.
“Surely Maggie has told you about our mom. She would, in her words, tan my hide if she thought I was anything less than an absolute gentleman all the time.” He paused, his glance darting to her. “Well, not all the time.”
Babs faced forward, resisting the urge to fan her overheated cheeks. Maggie’s hot brother was flirting with her, and doing a remarkable job of it, too. “Oh, my,” she managed to mutter.
They reached the elevator, and he pushed the button. “Please don’t tell me Maggie made you swear not to have anything to do with me.”
“No, she said…” she faced him and broke off midsentence.
“Said what?” he asked.
“I don’t remember,” she said, which was true. Maggie had told her a lot of rotten things about Darren over the last few years of intense work situations. At the moment, Babs couldn’t remember one of them.
“Good, that gives us a chance to start with a clean slate,” he said.
“Start what? Don’t you live in California?” she asked.
“Maggie didn’t tell you?” he asked. The elevator arrived and they stepped inside.
“Tell me what?”
“I took a job in DC. I’m moving here.”
When the elevator closed, it was the sort of reflective stainless steel that allowed Babs to see her reflection, cheeks flushed, eyes bugged. “Well, Merry Christmas to me,” she mumbled.
He laughed as the door opened in the lobby, and everyone turned to look. Everyone was already there, Maggie, Amelia, Ethan, Ridge, Blue, and Jane.
“Sisters,” Darren said, nodding as they made their approach.
Amelia scowled. “Why do you have to greet us like we’re in a cult?”
Darren reached out, attempting to ruffle her hair, and everyone held their breath. No one, but no one was allowed to ruffle Amelia’s hair. She pushed his hand away and jabbed his side, causing him to suck in a sharp breath and drop his hand.
“Darren, we meet again,” Ethan said, pushing Amelia behind him. Babs wasn’t certain if it was a protective or preemptive measure.
“Ethan,” Darren said, nodding politely. “Or do you prefer I call you…”
“Ethan’s fine,” he interrupted.
Babs perked up. Ethan’s real name was a mystery, known only by a few. Apparently Darren was on that list. She glanced speculatively up at him. What were the chances she could get him to tell her? Blue, Maggie, and Ridge wouldn’t. No one else at work knew it. Sensing her eyes on him, he looked down and tossed her another wink. She faced forward. Had anyone else caught that? Only Jane stared back at her, eyes raised in question. Babs shrugged helplessly. Wow, Jane mouthed. I know, Babs mouthed in return.
“Everyone ready? I’m starving,” Ridge said.
Everyone turned and began filing toward the conference room where their catered lunch awaited. Babs and Darren brought up the rear. His fingers landed lightly on her lower back, urging her forward. “After you.”
She wanted to blurt things, ridiculous things about how very attractive he was, about how much she enjoyed the winks and smiles and flirtatious little touches. Instead she stared at his lips, until it became obvious she was frozen, staring at his lips. Say something clever; be cute; be flirtatious and aloof. “You have lickable teeth,” was what came out.
He sputtered a laugh. “I can honestly say no woman has ever wanted to lick my teeth before.”
“That you know of,” Babs blurted again and this time pressed her hand over her eyes, forcing a deep breath. “It’s been a stressful morning. Can we try that again? Because I know I did not just tell my friend’s little brother I want to lick his teeth, which for the record, I do not. That’s not a thing with me, like some kind of dental fetish.” She chanced a glance at him through her fingers and saw him watching her, amused. She lowered her hand. “What I meant to say, in non-moron speak, was that you have a nice smile, Darren Eldridge, and it’s so pleasant to formally meet you at last.” She put out her hand for him to shake.
He took it and held it as he spoke. “I’m delighted to meet you too, Babs Mitchell, but I have a slight problem.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I think maybe I actually do want to lick your teeth.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, releasing it as they reached the conference room and he opened the door.