He’d give her two minutes. He didn’t have time for an interview. Even if it was his GothGirl.
When he stepped into his office, she pivoted toward him. No longer a teen, the woman before him took his breath away. Regardless of how he felt about her, this visit wasn’t personal and she was not his. “Hello,Alexandra.”
“Thank you for seeingme.”
Had she worn her hair down on purpose knowing how much he loved that? She looked stunning, even in a simple brown dress. Damn her for barging in and bringing the heat with her. “Speaking to me now, areyou?”
For a split second, her eyes danced with that familiar spark. Then, she cleared her throat. “I’m here onbusiness.”
“Wilde Innovations doesn’t grant interviews. I’ll show youout.”
Alexandra had been rooted behind his desk eyeing the framed photos lining his bookcase. She lifted one and glided toward him. Her intoxicating wild flower scent brought back a rush of memories. The way she’d press her body into his before she’d kiss him breathless or the passion in her touch when they’d make love. His heart thundered in his chest. One lingering glance at her mouth and his cock twitched.Perfect lips. Truth was, most everything about her was pretty fucking amazing.Damn, I’ve missedher.
“I thought I knew you once,” shemurmured.
He snapped out of his thoughts. “No smalltalk?”
“We don’t do small talk.” She turned the photo toward him. “I learned about your sister—yoursister—from my research on the tech winner of some lame techcontest.”
He puffed his chest. “I didn’t win alamecontest.”
“Oh, I see.” Her eyebrow arched in defiance. “So, now it’s an important one?” She stood dangerously close. “You knew every little thing about me, but I have to read the following quote in an article about you. ‘My life’s work is committed to finding my sister, Sophia, abducted when she wasfourteen.’”
She narrowed her eyes, steeled her spine. But when she gazed into his eyes, he glimpsed hersadness.
“Let’s sit,” hesaid.
Still clutching the picture frame, she sashayed past him and eased onto his sofa. Her feminine scent wafted in his direction. When she crossed her killer legs, he had to look. If this were some kind of power game, that simple move gave her the clearadvantage.
“How have you been?” He joined her on thesofa.
She set the picture on her lap, then tapped the glass with her fingernail. “I’ll answer your questions when you answer mine. Why didn’t you tell me you have a sister who’d beenabducted?”
He appreciated that she spoke of Sophia in the present tense, like she was still alive, somewhere on this giant globe. But any comfort he felt from Alexandra’s thoughtful reference fell away as he recalled the most gut-wrenching period of his life. “The short answer isKimberly.”
Without displaying the slightest reaction, she said, “I’d like to hear the long answer,please.”
His chest tightened. The last time she’d said, ‘”please” she’d asked him to make love to her, one last time. As he peered into her soulful brown eyes, he knew he would make love to her again, if sheasked.
“You were sixteen when Sophia was abducted,” he said. “You were a quiet teenager who hid behind yourGoth.”
“Goon.”
“Your mom was concerned that if you learned what had happened to Sophia you’d become more withdrawn or afraid to leave thehouse.”
Alexandra placed a soft hand on his shoulder and the warmth from her fingers seeped through his dress shirt. “I’m so sorry this happened to your sister and to your family. I wish I’dknown.”
Even after all the years, the familiar way her long fingers caressed and kneaded his muscles sent blood pumping through him. He studied her face. The tiny upturn of her nose. The depth of compassion in her eyes. It would be effortless to pull her into anembrace.
With a tender pat, she let go. “It’s time for me to hear the entirestory.”
“Are you here as Alexandra Mitus or Alexandra Reed, thejournalist?”
Her breath came out in a harrumph. “Does thatmatter?”
“When it comes to my sister, I don’t give a damn about ratings or market share or net profit. And I don’t give a fuck about somecontest.”
On a huff, she crossed her arms. “You would if it helped bring her home,Crockett.”