Page 2 of Mine This Time

Chapter Two

Nash

“Who?”

“Mari Channing,” Lydia, my personal assistant, replied.

I didn’t recognize the name. “What does she need?”

Lydia shrugged, pursing her lips before adding, “She’s rather insistent and would like to meet with you.”

I glanced at my watch. “I only have five minutes.”

“As if I’m not aware of that, Nash,” Lydia replied, her lips quirking slightly in a smile.

Lydia’s smiles were rare. She tended to have a rather severe look with her close-cropped silver hair and whip-thin build.

With nothing more than a narrowing of her eyes, she could make one think twice if she disapproved.

Although I was technically her boss, I was under no illusions.

Without her, my business wouldn’t be what it was.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Now, Lydia, you don’t usually let anyone screw up my schedule. What in the world did Mari Channing say to persuade you that this interruption was worthwhile?”

Lydia stepped into my office, pulling the door closed behind her with a distinct click. “She’s looking for Brett Henson.”

“Oh, that idiot. Did she say why?”

Brett, or rather the “idiot” as I’d just called him, had asked me about an investment opportunity for a restaurant in New Orleans.

He’d lied through his teeth, and I fucking knew it.

He was a name-dropper if I’d ever met one.

I’d unceremoniously escorted him from my office this morning after he showed up unannounced.

“You know how I draw up a profile on anyone who wants to meet with you about investment opportunities?” Lydia prompted.

I didn’t get to where I had in business and investments without being smart about it.

When Brett initially contacted my company about an investment opportunity via email, I immediately did my homework.

I declined meeting with him as a result.

But then, he showed up like an ass. He was arrogant with just enough polish to maybe fool someone less suspicious than me.

“Yes. I scanned the information you found and declined to schedule a meeting with him. But you knew that. Lydia, you know practically every moment of every day of my life,” I replied.

Lydia’s brown eyes twinkled. “Obviously. I know what happened with Brett. But you might not have noticed the name of his girlfriend. Mariana Channing. She goes by Mari, and her older brother is Max Channing.”

My eyebrows hitched up. “Interesting. I didn’t catch that detail. I was mostly focused on the financials and skipped the personal info. What in the world could she want?”

“I’m not sure, but I thought you should speak with her.”

“I’d guess Max saw right through Brett as well. I’m also guessing Brett hooked up with Mari thinking she might be a path for him to Max and other useful contacts,” I mused.

Lydia simply shrugged. “Shall I bring her in?”

“Of course. Now I’m more curious than anything. Call ahead to my lunch meeting and let them know I might be late.” Fortunately, the lunch meeting in question was nothing critical.

Moments later, Lydia had exited my office and returned, holding the door open and gesturing for Mari Channing to enter.

I stood from my desk, rounding it to approach Mari.

I’d seen many beautiful women in my life, but Mari took my breath away.

She had glossy dark curls that fell in a loose tumble around her shoulders.

Her blue eyes were like the ocean, the rich blue deep and layered.

She had a smattering of freckles on her cheeks, and her nose turned up at the end.

Her mouth was slightly crooked, and her lips were plump.

Nothing was remarkable about the way she dressed, as she wore just a pair of capris and a loose blouse. My eyes dipped down to the shadowed valley between her breasts, taking in the amber hue of her skin. My body tightened in response as I approached her, and I distantly marveled at this.

“Nash Reynolds,” I said when I reached her, holding my hand out reflexively.

“Mari Channing. Thank you for seeing me,” she replied, her palm cool in mine.

I felt a subtle tremor running through her, and concern pricked at me. Releasing her hand, I gestured to a pair of chairs by the windows that looked out over the Mississippi River.

I was unaccountably concerned about Mari. I hadn’t gotten to where I had in life without being able to read people well, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was distressed. When I glanced toward Lydia at the motion of the door, she mouthed, “Be nice,” right before closing it.

I rolled my eyes. Obviously, I was going to be nice to Mari. I might’ve thought her boyfriend was an idiot, but she’d done nothing to imply she was. Plus, I knew her brother through our business endeavors and considered him nothing other than entirely upstanding.

“Have a seat,” I said when she hesitated.

Mari sat in one of the chairs, smoothing her hands over her thighs. She then clasped them together on her knees as she crossed her legs. Her fingers laced together, tightly enough that I knew she was barely holding it together.

My curiosity was growing by leaps and bounds, but so was my concern. “Can I get you anything? I have coffee right here in the office if you’d like some.”

Her laugh was sharp. “No, thank you.”

“Well then, what can I do for you?”

“I understand you met my boyfriend, Brett Henson, this morning. I was wondering if you happened to know where he was.”

Interesting. Apparently, she didn’t know where he was. I elected to go for a direct approach. I found that it often saved a lot of time.

“I certainly don’t. But considering you’re aware he met with me this morning, I would imagine you could figure out where he was.”

Mari’s nostrils flared as she considered me. Pink bloomed on her cheeks. “Mr. Reynolds?—”

“Please call me Nash,” I drawled.

Her lips tightened in a line before she nodded.

“Nash, then. Brett brought me here for a weekend, and now he’s gone.

Gone, gone , if you understand my meaning.

His phone is shut off, and I can’t reach him.

I also learned the last day on the lease at his condominium was yesterday.

As far as I can tell, he’s left me. I can deal with that, but I have a few loose ends to tie up, and I’d like to reach him. ”

Brett was more of an idiot than I’d assumed. To be fool enough to leave Mari Channing at all, much less in this manner, was beyond stupid.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but I don’t know where he is.

How in the world did you find out he had a meeting with me today?

It wasn’t a scheduled meeting. He barged in and demanded to talk with me.

Considering that my assistant wasn’t even here yet, I gave him a few minutes of my time before tossing him out. ”

Mari leaned back in her chair, releasing her death grip on her knees. “Are you serious?” she asked sharply.

“Quite. If I understand you correctly, it sounds as though he’s left you high and dry?”

Those stunning blue eyes met mine, flashing with anger as she stood. “Yes. That asshole.”

I mulled over the situation for a moment, surprising myself when I spoke. I usually planned things through, but then Mari seemed to tap into a vein I didn’t even know I had. I wasn’t about to let her walk out of my office. Not right now.

“If you’d like me to find him, I can certainly do that.”

Mari spun back, her brows arching in question. “You can?”

“Of course. Tracking people down is something I do as part of security for my business, and I have a friend who’s a private investigator. He can usually sniff out someone who’s trying not to be found. Your Brett?—”

She cut me off, slicing her hand through the air sharply. “He is not my Brett.” Her gorgeous eyes flashed again, a restrained passion simmering in their depths.

“Okay, then. Not your Brett. Nonetheless, I can still help you find him.”

She stared at me, catching her bottom lip in her teeth and utterly distracting me for a moment. I gave myself a mental shake, a hard one. I wasn’t prone to offering help, nor was I susceptible to being drawn to any woman this easily.

Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath, letting it out with a soft sigh. “I don’t really know if I want to find him.”

Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees. “No? Then what are you doing at my office looking for him?”

Mari’s eyes narrowed, her gaze coasting over my face. “I don’t know. He’s just gone, and I guess I thought perhaps I could find him. I’m not so sure it’s worth it.”

She turned away to look out the windows, and I stood. With the way the chairs were situated, angled toward each other, we were perhaps a foot apart. Her scent drifted to me, musky with a hint of vanilla.

Everything in me tightened, and it felt as if the air around us was sparking with electricity. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew I didn’t want Mari to walk out of this office. If that happened, I might never see her again.

None of this was the least bit rational. I prided myself on being a completely rational person, even in personal matters. So much for that when it came to Mari.

“I suppose I’ll go then. Thank you for your time,” she said with a slight hitch in her voice.

“Let me at least get you lunch,” I heard myself saying.

Those blue eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening slightly. “Oh, that’s not necessary. I—” Her stomach growled, quite audibly. Her cheeks flushed again, and she rolled her eyes. “I promise, my stomach isn’t actually trying to answer the question for me.”

My lips quirked in a smile. “I wouldn’t presume that. But I insist. Let me take you to lunch.”

I elected not to let her think too hard about this by turning and sliding my hand down her back, then nudging her forward slightly.

Conveniently, there was a light knock on my office door right then, and Lydia opened it.

I considered it convenient because it interrupted Mari’s chance to brush me off too quickly.

“I was just checking to see what your plan was for lunch. You have a call on line one from Danny Kent,” Lydia said.

Danny happened to be one of the men I was supposed to be joining for lunch. I nodded to Lydia as I began walking across the office with Mari following at my side. “You can let Danny know I’ll give him a call this afternoon, and that I need to cancel for today. Mari and I are having lunch.”