“Are you okay, sir? You don’t quite seem yourself.”
Like she knew him. She gnawed on the side of her lip, wishing she’d kept her big mouth shut. His reserve kept everyone at a distance, even higher-up executives who’d worked with him for years. She was a newbie, inexperienced in the ways of office politics and Mr. Duncan.
“Let’s just say today hasn’t turned out as expected.” A grim smile twisted his lips.
“I apologize. I had no business prying.”
Sighing, he ran a hand through his brown hair, leaving it ruffled. She’d never seen him anything but perfect. The glossy strands looked silky-soft all mussed and somehow made him more human and approachable. More masculine. Her fingers twitched with the desire to touch.
Grace threw the emergency brake on her thoughts and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. Time for a strategic retreat.
“If there’s nothing else …” She started to rise.
“You haven’t touched your coffee.”
“Right.”
Sinking back into the chair, she picked up the delicate china. The rich coffee aroma liquefied her resistance and she relaxed a little, sipping quietly. A dab of cream and a touch of sweetness. Why she was surprised to find the coffee just right, she didn’t know. Mr. Duncan did everything to perfection. It was one of the reasons his company was so successful.
She glanced up. He was watching her. Something in his eyes made her cheeks heat, but his strained expression kept her butt planted firmly in the chair. He looked grievous. Lonely?
“So.” Desperate, she searched for a safe topic of conversation. She lifted the cup to her mouth, sipped and absently licked a stray drop of coffee from the rim. “Did you grow up in Boise?”
His gaze, which had been on her lips, returned to her eyes. She had a sudden urge for lip liner and glossy lipstick. Mr. Duncan settled back. He seemed relieved, as if he’d been afraid she would abandon him.
Wow. She totally needed to get a grip.
“Yes. What about you? I know you graduated from Purdue then worked in the Chicago area for several years before moving here. Did you grow up in Lafayette?”
She blinked. Did he pay such close attention to everyone he hired? Duh. Of course he did. No reason he’d pay special attention to her.
“I grew up in Northern Indiana by Lake Michigan. I lived in Michigan City for a while, then spent all of high school with a family that lived near the border of Michigan City and LaPorte.”
“That’s right. You grew up in foster care. Not an easy childhood.”
Her eyes had to be as big as saucers. She shifted uncomfortably. “How did you know that?”
Amusement brightened his eyes. “You did consent to a full background check, Miss Debry.”
“Well, yes. But I…that is …” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t know the extent of what such a check would reveal. Or that you would remember it.”
He inclined his head. “You interest me.”
Grace blinked. Interested him like an insect squashed between two slides and pressed into the plate beneath a microscope lens? “No.”
His eyebrows rose. “No?”
Her face heated. “No, it wasn’t difficult growing up in foster care.”
“Ah. Good.”
She fiddled with her cup. That was a lie, but she didn’t share her past. Besides, her mind had gone completely and utterly blank. In a gulp, she finished her coffee and gently set the cup and saucer on the low table.
Mr. Duncan met her gaze. “What brought you to Boise? It’s a long way from the Midwest.”
“I got tired of the crowds. Chicago is a beautiful city, but it’s congested and rundown. I wanted a change.”
“Why Boise?” He leaned forward. “You could have gone anywhere. You have excellent references. You’re young. The world is your oyster.”
A slight smile revealed a dimple on his left cheek. Attraction zipped through her veins without permission.
Stomach tightening, Grace licked her lips. “I Googled it. Boise sounded small enough to offer room to roam, yet large enough to offer the amenities and shopping I enjoy. Plus, the athleticism of the area appealed to me. Skiing, cycling, hiking. The Greenbelt.” She gestured toward the river. “I was able to find a great condo overlooking the Greenbelt and the Boise River, just past Katherine Albertson Park.”
A great condo easily broken into … The scene in her kitchen flashed in her mind. Her hands shook and she tucked them beneath her legs, focusing on the here and now. She chewed on the corner of her lip. Reduced to rambling. Time to go. She didn’t care how lonely he seemed. He was handsome and wealthy. No way was he lonely.
“I need to get back to work.” Grabbing the cup and saucer, Grace rose and ducked behind the elaborate bar set-up. She washed her dishes and returned them to the sleek wall-mounted cabinets. Turning to leave, she abruptly backed into the cabinet. Mr. Duncan lounged against the granite counter.
She’d never realized how big he was. Other than his demand for perfection, she hadn’t allowed herself to notice anything beyond his extravagant signature on her paychecks. Not his broad shoulders. Not his incredible eyes. Definitely not the way he moved, that somehow communicated “great in bed” to all her feminine transponders.
“Housekeeping takes care of dirty dishes.” His disconcerting dimple winked into existence again.
“I know.” She stepped closer, but he didn’t budge. “Um, I need to sort through the bids for the Peterman Project and select the contractors for the interior.”
He nodded, his gaze unwavering. There was more than enough space between him and the wall to get past. Still, her nerves stuttered and her breath hitched.
“Well, I’ll just get back to work then.” She edged past him.
He didn’t move, but his brown eyes sparked with some emotion that made her long to further investigate this new side of her enigmatic boss.
Grace wasn’t too proud to admit she all but ran. Confused and alarmed by the arousal humming through her, she hurried back to the safe walls of her office. The comfy custom chair embraced her. The bubbles floating across her monitor mesmerized her.
“So, how’d it go?”
She startled like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Luke hung halfway into her office, staring with obvious lust at her coveted corner office.
“How did what go?”
He frowned. “The meeting with Mr. Duncan. I heard your report was late.”
“Oh, right. Well, uh, he wasn’t happy. He said to make sure it didn’t happen again.”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s it?”
“You needn’t sound so disappointed.”
Returned to his usual cheeky self in a blink, he grinned. “Hey, I fully intend to have my name on this door at some point.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but you’ll have to wait until I either do something really stupid or get promoted.”
“No doubt. You wanna get lunch?”
Pulling out the estimates for the Peterson Project, she started sorting them into categories. Plumbing, electric, flooring. “Not today. I was industrious and brought a healthy lunch from home.”
“Far be it for me to compromise your lovely curves.”
She