out of her hair and
change into sexier clothes. Ready, she rang the doorbell.
He opened the door, delicious in his dress
shirt with its sleeves rolled up and unbuttoned at the collar. He
smiled at her, looking her over in a way that sent tingles up and
down her body. "Come in."
Her goal had been a sperm donor—she hadn't
been optimistic about finding anyone to share her life. Even if she
set aside the fact that she had too much money, she wasn't an easy
person to live with. She'd been on her own too long—she was too set
in her ways.
But there was something about Rob. With him,
she felt like it could work, and her gut reactions had never led
her astray.
The puppy ran up to greet her. Kneeling,
Kristin scratched it in all usual places. "Hey there, Chanel."
The dog woofed once and then trotted away,
obviously satisfied with the attention.
"What did the vet say?"
"He gave her a clean bill of health," Rob
assured her. "He was impressed, given she was a stray."
"She's an impressive dog."
"I think so. Come this way." Rob led her down
the hall.
She started to tell him she remembered the
way to the study, but then he veered and led her into the dining
room. She paused in the doorway, not liking the room for its
coldness and formality. She wanted to ask him if they could move to
the floor in his study, but all the documents on the table confused
her. "What is all this?"
"What I wanted to talk to you about. Sit." He
pulled out a chair for her and then took the one across from
her.
Too far away. She almost moved to the seat
next to him, but then a database schema on the table right in front
of her caught her eye. Picking it up, she slowly sat down. "This is
for one of your stock databases?"
"Yes. It doesn't perform the way we'd
optimally like, and I haven't found the right person to fix it. But
I have a feeling you might be the right person."
Frowning, she stared at the paper. "In what
way?"
He began to describe what he used the
database for and how it fell short of what he needed. The
augmentations he wanted were a piece of cake—a junior database
admin could accomplish them.
Except he was asking her to do them.
She liked that he thought she was The One,
but she'd have preferred if it wasn't because of her tech
knowledge. She'd left that world behind.
But it wouldn't take much to do what he
wanted. It was easy for her, and it'd benefit him. She'd look at
this like a test. If she passed it, she was in. He was trusting her
with his business, and she knew for a man like him that meant a
lot. He didn't think their worlds were compatible, and this was her
chance to show how well-matched they really were.
So she focused and asked him a few more
questions about how he and his team used the database.
At first, Rob looked startled but then he
answered her eagerly.
She made some notes and then considered the
work. It wasn't hard, but she'd have to work on it at night, after
her shifts at Grounds for Thought. And she wanted to add a couple
customizable features to the interface that Rob needed in the long
run. She pursed her lips, estimating. "It'll take me two weeks,
maybe three."
He stared at her. "You really can do it."
"Well, yeah. I'm perfect for this. I'd have
to be stupid to say I'd do it if I couldn't."
"Then why are you working at the café? There
are countless tech jobs these days, especially for someone
good."
"Maybe no one will hire me," she said
blithely, looking down at her notes.
"You were hired at the café."
"Eve has low standards," she lied. "So are
you going to feed me any time soon? Because I didn't eat
lunch."
He frowned at her as he stood up. "You need
to eat more regularly."
"Yes, sir." She rolled her eyes and followed
him to the kitchen.
He glanced at her as he opened the
refrigerator door. "I'm serious."
"I've made it thirty-eight years without
major mishap. I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself."
He froze and gawked at her. "You're thirty-eight ?"
"Yeah." She arched her brow as she
change into sexier clothes. Ready, she rang the doorbell.
He opened the door, delicious in his dress
shirt with its sleeves rolled up and unbuttoned at the collar. He
smiled at her, looking her over in a way that sent tingles up and
down her body. "Come in."
Her goal had been a sperm donor—she hadn't
been optimistic about finding anyone to share her life. Even if she
set aside the fact that she had too much money, she wasn't an easy
person to live with. She'd been on her own too long—she was too set
in her ways.
But there was something about Rob. With him,
she felt like it could work, and her gut reactions had never led
her astray.
The puppy ran up to greet her. Kneeling,
Kristin scratched it in all usual places. "Hey there, Chanel."
The dog woofed once and then trotted away,
obviously satisfied with the attention.
"What did the vet say?"
"He gave her a clean bill of health," Rob
assured her. "He was impressed, given she was a stray."
"She's an impressive dog."
"I think so. Come this way." Rob led her down
the hall.
She started to tell him she remembered the
way to the study, but then he veered and led her into the dining
room. She paused in the doorway, not liking the room for its
coldness and formality. She wanted to ask him if they could move to
the floor in his study, but all the documents on the table confused
her. "What is all this?"
"What I wanted to talk to you about. Sit." He
pulled out a chair for her and then took the one across from
her.
Too far away. She almost moved to the seat
next to him, but then a database schema on the table right in front
of her caught her eye. Picking it up, she slowly sat down. "This is
for one of your stock databases?"
"Yes. It doesn't perform the way we'd
optimally like, and I haven't found the right person to fix it. But
I have a feeling you might be the right person."
Frowning, she stared at the paper. "In what
way?"
He began to describe what he used the
database for and how it fell short of what he needed. The
augmentations he wanted were a piece of cake—a junior database
admin could accomplish them.
Except he was asking her to do them.
She liked that he thought she was The One,
but she'd have preferred if it wasn't because of her tech
knowledge. She'd left that world behind.
But it wouldn't take much to do what he
wanted. It was easy for her, and it'd benefit him. She'd look at
this like a test. If she passed it, she was in. He was trusting her
with his business, and she knew for a man like him that meant a
lot. He didn't think their worlds were compatible, and this was her
chance to show how well-matched they really were.
So she focused and asked him a few more
questions about how he and his team used the database.
At first, Rob looked startled but then he
answered her eagerly.
She made some notes and then considered the
work. It wasn't hard, but she'd have to work on it at night, after
her shifts at Grounds for Thought. And she wanted to add a couple
customizable features to the interface that Rob needed in the long
run. She pursed her lips, estimating. "It'll take me two weeks,
maybe three."
He stared at her. "You really can do it."
"Well, yeah. I'm perfect for this. I'd have
to be stupid to say I'd do it if I couldn't."
"Then why are you working at the café? There
are countless tech jobs these days, especially for someone
good."
"Maybe no one will hire me," she said
blithely, looking down at her notes.
"You were hired at the café."
"Eve has low standards," she lied. "So are
you going to feed me any time soon? Because I didn't eat
lunch."
He frowned at her as he stood up. "You need
to eat more regularly."
"Yes, sir." She rolled her eyes and followed
him to the kitchen.
He glanced at her as he opened the
refrigerator door. "I'm serious."
"I've made it thirty-eight years without
major mishap. I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself."
He froze and gawked at her. "You're thirty-eight ?"
"Yeah." She arched her brow as she
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