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“Call me Sky,” she insisted.
“Okay, Sky.”
As Skylar neared the door, a familiar and very handsome face stepped into the doorway.
“Kurtis!”
FIVE
Sebastian had been distracted all morning. He’d sat at his desk and spent the last hour toying with the idea of heading down the street to Genevieve’s office to invite her to lunch. That smile of hers overshadowed all other thoughts and made it impossible for him to get any work done. He finally caved and took one of the company golf carts to get between buildings quickly. What he hadn’t expected when he arrived at her office was to run smack dab into his sister.
“Kurtis!” Genevieve sounded excited to see him, which made his heart soar.
Skylar’s eyebrow raised as her eyes met his. “Kurtis?”
“Good afternoon, Miss Schultz.” His voice squeaked a little, and his eyes locked with his sister’s, willing her to play along.
“Miss Schultz?” Her head tilted in amusement as Sebastian moved into the room. “So, you two have met.” She looked back and forth between the two of them.
Genevieve nodded. “Kurtis was the first person I met this morning down in the gift shop.”
“Was he?” Skylar looked pleased, as if she was racking up all the favors he was going to owe her after this. She patted him on the arm. “That’s our Kurtis. Such a friendly and welcoming guy.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said pointedly.
Her eyes narrowed at him calling her ma’am. “Now, Kurtis, you know I’ve told you again and again to call me Sky.”
“Sorry, Sky.”
“Can I call you Kurt?” she asked teasingly, obviously attempting to hold in the laughter.
“I prefer Kurtis.”
“Well, that is your name.” She eyed him. “Isn’t it?” She moved past him, and he turned his back to Genevieve and gave his sister a piercing look before she walked out into the hallway.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Genevieve.
He did his best to look calm as he walked out the door, even though he felt nothing of the sort.
“Sky,” he whisper-shouted after her.
She slowed her steps so he could catch up. “What are you doing, Bash?” she asked quietly.
He caught her up on all that had happened that morning. “Do you know how long it’s been since I really got to know someone, since someone got to know me, without the Schultz name getting in the way?”
“Sebastian.” Her voice held a warning.
“Never, Sky. Never.”
She looked down, sadly.
“She’s different. I can just tell. But I need to be sure she’s for real … before I tell her who I am.”
“Oh, Bash.” She squeezed his arm. “I understand what you’re saying, and I know what you’ve been through, but I don’t think lying to her about who you are is the right way to go about it.”
He hung his head a little. “It just happened. I promise I won’t let it go on for too long.”
Skylar shook her head. “This is so not like you.”