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“You’re not wrong.” A wry grin lifted his lips.

“Nuh-uh.” I pointed a finger as we reached the exit. “You’re not about to start ganging up on me like Declan. We already have one Snark Queen up in here.”

He lifted his palms. “Fair, fair. Well, let me know if you’ve got any other good Tesla biographies to share.”

I pushed the door open and held it for him. “Don’t tempt me. I’ve got a whole stack.”

“Send them my way. See you tomorrow, Henry.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.” I marched to my car. I’d had enough embarrassment for one day. Time to pack it in and unwind for the night.

And maybe tomorrow morning, my secret admirer would strike again.

ChapterThree

They struck again.

Another little chocolate sat at my desk, and the need to figure out who could be behind the gift roared hotter. It was Friday, which meant I’d have a whole weekend away from this mystery. Some irrational part of my brain told me if I didn’t figure out today, the secret admirer would slip through my fingers.

First, though, I wanted to try the chocolate.

This one had a milk chocolate exterior with a dark brown dusting overtop. When I sank my teeth into it, the rich flavors of espresso and chocolate burst on my tongue. Ngh, yes. So damn good. I’d arrived extra early today, but a few people were already here. Granted, most employees were probably in the break room grabbing a coffee before the workday started.

Maybe Denzel was among the rabble. He was the only one I hadn’t struck from my list, which seemed flimsier by the second.

I pocketed the note, wanting to savor it later, and dropped my messenger bag to the floor, then walked toward the break room. Chatter floated my way, and when I peeked my head inside, several coworkers were gathered around. Including Denzel.

My heart slammed hard. Maybe he was the one? He was an attractive guy, broad-chested with a big laugh. Of course he stood in the middle of a group of people, conversing. Unlike yesterday, this time I wouldn’t make an ass of myself. I’d enter the conversation, draw the conversation out, and then weave in a subtle question. Because clearly, I knew subtlety.

“What’s the whole crowd about?” I asked as I approached Denzel, Marcy, and two other people, probably from the marketing department.

“Denzel’s showing us pictures from his vacation to Morocco,” Marcy said. “It looks like such a fun trip.”

He flashed me a broad grin. “I just got home yesterday, so this is my first day in after two weeks. Wish me luck.”

Damn, another stab of disappointment pierced me.

He hadn’t been here, which meant he couldn’t have been my secret admirer.

“Wishing you tons of luck.” I tried to force cheer, but frustration welled up within me. Who the hell could it be? Not that my list was exhaustive, but I’d tried to narrow it down based on the people I’d interacted with at the very least. Was there some elusive hottie in the workplace slipping my mind? I passed them, aiming for the coffeemaker, as if this had been a stop along the way. To my relief, Jacob stood next to it, a cup of black coffee in his owl mug.

“Did you know the tiniest owl in the world is called the elf owl?” I poured some coffee into my red-and-blue-striped mug. I hadn’t known that until last night, but I liked lobbing random owl facts at Jacob when I could.

He grinned. “I did, and they’re adorable.”

“Hey, Raspberry Boy,” Steve called, and I flipped him off. It was a good thing he hadn’t been my secret admirer.

“What was that about?” Jacob asked, arching a brow.

“Me, inserting my foot into my mouth over trying to figure out who my secret admirer is.” I scratched my head. “I’m at a loss. I went through my whole list of guys who might be interested in me and struck out with each one.”

“Have a new book for me?”

“Yes, back at my desk. Let’s go, and I’ll get it.”

“If I left Post-its in your Tesla copy, I’m sorry,” Jacob said. “I like taking notes when I read denser books.”

I snorted. “As long as you’re not one of those monsters who marks up the book itself, I don’t mind.”