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“I wonder if I’ll have trouble getting him to accept my plan for the fundraiser, seeing as he doesn’t like women and all.”
“He likes women.” It came out a little louder than he’d meant it to, but that was the second time she’d said it, and he wanted her to know it was far from the truth. “He just gets a bad rap because he’s a private person and people misinterpret him. In reality, he’s a pretty great guy. You should give him the benefit of the doubt before judging him so harshly based on gossip.”
She shrugged. “You’re probably right.”
“What’s your name?” he asked, dying to put a name with that beautiful face.
“Genevieve.” She extended her hand.
He took her hand in his, squeezing gently as he shook it, savoring the soft feel of her palm against his.
“And you are?” she asked.
The truth was right on the tip of his tongue, but instead of telling her his real name, he heard himself say, “Kurtis.” It wasn’t a total lie. Kurtis was his middle name, after all.
He wasn’t sure why he’d done that, only that she had made it clear what she thought she knew about Sebastian “Sea Bass” Schultz, and for the briefest of moments, he imagined what it might be like to get to know a woman without his family’s name or the rumors about him affecting the way she saw him.
And there was another part of him that didn’t want to give another woman a chance to hurt him the way he’d been hurt in the past.
A smile spread across her face, making his heart skip a beat. “Happy to meet you, Kurtis.”
“You too, Genevieve.” He couldn’t hide his smile either as he looked at the stunning creature before him.
She checked her watch. “If I don’t go soon, I’ll be late for my meeting.”
But she hesitated as she looked into his eyes. She seemed torn, like she needed to go, but maybe she didn’t want to. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part.
“What department are you in?” she asked.
His mind quickly searched for a job that would work closely with fundraising events. “Public Relations.”
Her smile returned. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“You can count on it,” he replied.
“Bye,” she said.
“Good luck at your meeting.”
She looked over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye. “Thanks for the truffle.”
Once she’d left the shop, Sebastian took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He’d never been so instantly drawn to a woman before.
“She’s a pretty one,” Linda said from her place behind the counter.
“Yeah.” His eyes were still fixed on the door.
Linda chuckled, bringing him out of his trance, and a sudden panic hit him. She was on her way upstairs. To meet with him.
“See ya tomorrow, Linda.” He managed a quick wave over his shoulder and heard Linda laugh as he darted out the door, down the hallway, and around the corner to the private executive elevator. He pressed the “up” button and practically pried the doors open before they even had a chance to part. He pushed the button for the seventh floor then jabbed the button to close the doors several times, even though it didn’t help the doors to close any quicker. Why did it feel like the elevator was moving slower than it ever had before? It seriously had to be going half speed.
When the doors finally opened, he bolted down the hallway, sliding across the freshly waxed tile floor as he made a beeline for his brother’s office.
The door was wide open, and Augustus was seated behind his desk, but instead of looking at his computer, he was on his phone.
“Oh, Gus, thank God you’re here today!” Sebastian exclaimed.
“Thought I should make my weekly appear—”