Page 102 of Sin Bin

Meadow glanced away and took an angry swig of her champagne, annoyed with herself for letting his whoriness get under her skin.

The next time she looked around, he was at the refreshment table talking to the president of the astronomical society. He stood with that loose-limbed stance of his, hands tucked into his pants pockets. He appeared to be listening intently, nodding from time to time, occasionally nudging his glasses up his nose. When he cracked a joke, the president threw back his head with a raucous belly laugh.

Meadow could barely refrain from rolling her eyes. It was disgusting the way Logan had turned a roomful of seemingly intelligent people into starry-eyed sycophants. She remembered what her aunt had told her that morning about Hunter Duchene’s ability to mingle in high society. These weren’t Logan’s peers and he didn’t share their interests, but he was holding his own just fine. Truthfully, she didn’t know whether to feel proud or annoyed.

As if sensing her thoughts, he looked across the room to where she stood. The way his eyes locked on hers made her wonder if he’d been keeping her in his sights the entire time he’d been socializing.

He gave her a smile that sucked the air from her lungs. Miss you, he mouthed. Be there soon.

She turned away without acknowledging his words or his smile. As she drifted away from the chatty couple to look at more photographs, a voice spoke behind her.

“I’m so glad I didn’t skip tonight’s reception.”

She turned to find an attractive black man standing there. He appeared to be in his early thirties, medium height with deep brown skin and hair cut in a low fade. He had warm brown eyes that sparkled with intelligence behind trendy wireless frames.

He smiled and extended his hand. “Ephraim Fleming.”

“Hi.” She smiled, shaking his hand. “Meadow Ryan.”

“Lovely name for a lovely lady.” He gave her an appreciative perusal. “How is it that I’ve never seen you around before?”

“I’m new in town,” she explained. “I just moved here from Las Vegas.”

“Las Vegas? Wow.” He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone from Sin City.”

She grinned. “I get that a lot.”

He shifted closer to her. “So what brought you to Denver?”

“A new job.”

“Really? Congratulations.” He had a nice smile. It didn’t sock her between her thighs or set her pulse racing. But it was warm and gentle, the kind of smile that made the recipient feel special.

“So what do you do?” he asked.

“I’m a social worker.”

“Oh?” He looked so disappointed that she raised an eyebrow at him.

He gave a rueful chuckle. “Forgive me. When I arrived tonight and saw you—this beautiful young black woman with killer legs—I selfishly hoped you might be a professional astronomer. There aren’t too many of us in the field.”

Meadow could feel her face light up. “You mean you work in the field? You’re not just a hobbyist?”

His eyes twinkled. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a hobbyist—”

“Of course not.”

“—but, yes, I do this for a living. I teach physics and astronomy at the University of Denver.”

Meadow just about swooned. “A physics and astronomy professor,” she breathed appreciatively. “That’s so wonderful.”

He grinned, enjoying her obvious delight. “So you’re an amateur astronomer, huh?”

“I am,” she said with a beaming smile. “Stargazing has always been a passion of mine. I attended astronomy summer camp as a kid and minored in astronomy in college. But, alas, my passion for helping others overrode my fascination with the solar system.”

Ephraim grinned. “Smart, beautiful and compassionate?” He whistled softly. “Be still my heart.”

She smiled and fluttered her lashes, making him laugh. He had a pleasant laugh. She wondered how he felt about adopting.

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