Tabbysighed in the way I would’ve expected her to. Impatiently. “He can’t bethatgood-looking, Jess, come on.”
Wheelsscraped against solid wood and footsteps came closer to the door. A shadowedsilhouette came into view and I quickly turned around to study pictures ofhouse listings on the wall behind me. I noted that her name was only associatedwith one, and as the door opened, I started to wonder what the hell I’d beenthinking, coming in here instead of the coffee shop.
“Excuseme,” she said in a friendly but assertive voice. “So sorry to keep you waiting.My associate is a little, uh, preoccupied with other clients.”
WhenI turned around, I found myself wishing Jessica had in fact been Tabby. Becausethiswoman would most definitely be a distraction, with her form-fittingblack top and hip-hugging, wide-legged black pants.
“It’sfine,” I replied, my lips curling into a smile, and her features immediatelyfell with instant recognition.
“Sebastian?”she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and tipping her head tocascade her long, auburn braid over a shoulder. She made no secret of lookingme over, narrowing her eyes and pinching her lips, as I casually stuffed my handsinto my jeans pockets. “Whyare you here?”
“Youknowhim?” Jessica chimed in from behind Tabby as she peered over hershoulder. “How the hell do you knowhim?”
Neverbeing one to bite my tongue, I shrugged with nonchalance and tipped my headback to admire the ceiling. “I saw the office, so I thought I’d stop in.”
“Thisisincrediblyinappropriate,” Tabby reprimanded. “I asked you to waitfor me at the coffee shop and youdeliberately—”
“Doyou talk to everyone like this?” I asked, dropping my gaze back to hers. Usingmy dislike toward her tone to cover the fact that I very much liked looking ather and her big emerald eyes.
“Excuseme?” Her arms crossed tighter.
“Doyou talk to everyone like they’re little kids?”
Withwidened eyes and puckered lips, Jessica slid back to her desk with the stealthof a ninja, revealing that few people crossed Tabitha Clarke. I smirked,cocking my head and holding Tabby’s stare.
Watchingthe contracting muscles of her throat as she swallowed her pride, she inhaledand exhaled with the forming of a forced little smile. “I just like things togo according to plan.”
Hertone was tense and controlled. She was angry, trying to disguise it with atight-lipped grin, but her feelings were made apparent in the reddened tips ofher several-times-pierced ears. Flitting my gaze to the hoops curving aroundthe outer shell of each ear, I quickly counted. Seven in each. A high numberfor a straight-laced professional.
Curlingmy lips into a lopsided smile, I nodded slowly. “Then allow me to apologize forinconveniencing your schedule, Tabby. I’ll just be on my way and meet you in,”I lifted my arm to take a peek at my watch, “fourteen minutes.”
Ahot flame flickered in the irises of her green eyes, as fiery as the red in herhair. I was knowingly pushing buttons and it was reckless, given the stakes.She held the key to a relationship with the son I never knew existed, and here Iwas, playing with fire.
Backpedaling,I cleared my throat. “I could order for us, while I wait,” I offered,emphasizing the kind lilt in my tone with a nod of my chin. “Anything inparticular you’d like?”
Inhalinganother dose of calm, she bobbed her head once. “A low-fat vanilla latte,please.”
“Yougot it.” I turned on my heel, dropping my gaze to her feet. Pointy beigestilettos that could probably kill me if she tried.
Noddingpolitely at Jessica, I tapped my fingers on her desk. “Nice to meet you, Jess. Seeyou around.”
Shenodded slowly, following my every step with lust-filled eyes. “Bye, Thor.”
5
tabby
“Who isthat?”Jess blurted, her gazestill glued to his ass as he jogged across the street.
“It’sa long story,” I grumbled through clenched teeth. It really wasn’t. There wasnothing long in simply stating that he was the recently discovered father ofSam’s child. But getting into it meant to further linger on the situation and Ihad other things to mull over.
Like,how he was exactly what I hoped he wouldn’t be.
“Ohno, Tabs. You can’t have a guy likethatwalk in here without droppingsome details.Howdo you know him?”
“Samused to know him,” I loosely explained, heading back into my office.
“Ooh,”I listened to Jess drawl from her desk, bouncing the rubbery eraser of a pencilagainst the wooden surface. “Yeah, that makes sense. He looks like a Sam kindaguy.”
