Page 7 of Captivated By You

“Sure.” She glanced at the menu and then up at me. “Shall I order if the server comes over?”

“Yes, please do. I’ll have the ribeye steak. Rare.”

I made for the restrooms, and once I was out of sight, I called my assistant. Used to being on call twenty-four seven, she answered on the first ring.

“Asher, what do you need?”

If I wasn’t shaking with anger, I’d have chuckled. As it was, I did well enough to hang on to my phone. “Sorry to call on a Friday night.”

She let out a resigned sigh. “I’ve worked for you for five years. I can count on one hand the number of Friday nights youhaven’tcalled.”

This time she coaxed a snicker out of me. “I’m surprised you haven’t quit.”

“And leave you all alone? You’d be a complete mess without me.”

“True story.”

“So?”

“Can you get in touch with HR and have them send everything they have on file for Brandon Forster? I need it in my inbox by the morning.”

“Of course. I’ll get right on it.”

“And after that, contact security and have them download the CCTV feeds from the Seattle property for the last twenty-four hours and send them directly to me.”

“Gotcha. Anything else?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks, Priya. Enjoy your evening.”

I hung up, driving all thoughts of Brandon Forster to the back of my mind. There was plenty of time for reprisals. Right now, “Ethel” deserved my full attention. She’d had a crappy day because of the actions of one of my employees, and I intended to make it up to her by ensuring her evening turned out far better.

I slipped into my seat and beamed at the gorgeous woman sitting across the table. “Sorry about that.”

“Not a problem. I ordered your steak. You wanted it well done, right?” Her honey eyes twinkled.

“Perfect,” I replied smoothly, taking a sip of scotch.

She giggled. “Oh, you’re good, Ant.”

I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin on the back of my hand, and I just stared at her. She returned my attention with interest, her pupils dilated until only a ring of gold caressed the edges. The sight reminded me of a total eclipse of the sun.

Over dinner, I learned I had a lot in common with my unexpected companion. We each had two brothers, although hers were identical twins. Our families drove us crazy, but we loved them fiercely. She adored rock music, running, and being outdoors. So did I. The more time that passed, the greater my belief grew that fate had brought this perfect stranger into my life for a reason. I just hadn’t figured out what that reason was yet.

Our server cleared away our dinner plates, and we both declined dessert. But as the end of the evening approached, I was loath to just walk away. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed someone’s company as much as I’d enjoyed spending time with the beautiful woman sitting opposite.

I folded my napkin and set it on the table. “Can I be honest with you?”

“I’d rather you were.”

“I don’t want the night to end.”

She stared at me, unblinking. “Neither do I.”

“You’re stunning.”

“You’re drunk.”

I chuckled and held up my glass with my free hand. “This was only my third scotch of the night, and I haven’t even finished it.”

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