“Everett?” he asked, knowing full well who he was.
“That’s right.” Looking down at him, Scarlet added, “Matheson III.”
“Impressive name,” Daniel drawled.
“He’s an impressive man.”
Obviously not too impressive. He might have taken Scarlet out a couple of times but he hadn’t held her attention. And she was the kind of woman who deserved a man’s full attention, whenever and wherever she pleased. But she obviously felt strongly about dear Everett. He’d be a clod not to acknowledge that now.
Stopping behind the sofa, Cara spoke to her friend. “If you need privacy to call, use the study or my bedroom.”
“I could be a while.” Scarlet collected her designer tote off the sofa’s end and wound the strap securely over her shoulder. “I don’t want to hold you all up.”
Cara’s brow creased in concern. “Must be important.”
Scarlet nodded. “It really is.”
At the door, she apologized again and she and Cara hugged, after which Max dropped a parting kiss on her cheek and Daniel offered to see her down.
“No need,” Scarlet replied firmly. “I’m fine.”
“What I mean is, I’m going, too,” Daniel explained to Max and Cara. “You guys don’t need a third wheel.”
“You and Max don’t see each other often enough,” Cara pointed out. “Of course you’re not in the way.”
But Max gave his fiancée’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Plenty of time,” he said. “We’ll catch up another time.”
During their grindingly slow descent, Scarlet stood on her side of the elevator, Daniel stood on his. The Cold War had nothing on this. Any moment the bomb would hit and all hell would break loose.
“For our friends’ sake,” she finally said, glaring at the metallic doors, “you and I need to get along. I want to make clear, once and for all, that can’t happen if you’re constantly hitting on me.”
“I know.”
She blinked across at him. “You do?”
“As much as I want to pursue this—” and enjoy more of Scarlet’s company on more personal terms “—I won’t.”
Arching a brow, she crossed her arms and looked ahead again. “That’s way too easy.”
“It’s the truth.”
Maybe sometime in the future, she’d let down her wall and they’d get together. But right now she was dead-on about their friends coming first and him needing to respect boundaries. By nature he was strong-minded and competitive but never antisocial.
“Think we can start again?” he asked.
“On a just-friends basis?” She rearranged her arms, then wound them tight again. “Frankly, I’m not sure I trust you.”
“I’ll put together some references.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should.”
But when they got off the elevator and journeyed across the building’s lobby, her stride became less ardent, her expression less pained.
“If Cara trusts Max and Max trusts you,” she said as he opened the foyer’s glass door for her, “I guess I can cut you some slack and move on.”
Pleased, he moved with her out into the evening air, which smelled of a change on the way. As a young couple walking their black schnauzer strolled by and a rain cloud swept over the full moon, Daniel tipped an imaginary cap.
“I’ll be seeing you, then.”
Scarlet surrendered a small but genuine smile. “No doubt.”
He headed for the parking lot next door. Rounding the corner, he flicked a glance back. He’d expected to see her heading off to find her own car. Instead, she was standing on the curb, flagging down a cab. Pulling up, he set his hands low on his hips as the odd spot of rain hit his head. The cab sailed past. A moment later, so did another. When the raindrops grew heavier, Daniel walked back.
She was fishing around in her tote as he joined her. Startled, her focus kicked up.
“Daniel. I thought you’d gone.”
He hooked a thumb toward the parking lot. “My car’s that way.”
“I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”
“This one’s nonnegotiable. Our friends would never forgive me if they knew I left you standing here alone, waiting—” he fanned out his palms, studied the sky “—with the clouds about to let loose into the bargain.”
“If Cara knew the circumstances—”
“She’d tell you to set pride aside and take the lift.” With a flourishing wave, he indicated the way to his car. “Your gilded carriage awaits.”
She looked set to argue but then a sudden wind picked up and she saw reason. Sliding the strap of her tote back up on her shoulder, she headed off. Daniel fell in step beside her.
Soon they were nestled in his vehicle’s bucket seats and Daniel ignited the engine. He set the wipers on low and, after she supplied an address, he pulled out. During the next few minutes, her frostiness thawed more. She even started a conversation, but Daniel assumed it was to be polite more than anything.
“Do your family live in Australia?” she asked.
“Dad’s in Sydney. Foster dad, actually,” he corrected himself, then added, “My mother died some time ago.”
“Oh, Daniel, I’m sorry. She would’ve been proud of your success. Were you very young?”
“Old enough to remember,” he said, swallowing the pit that swelled whenever he thought of those early years, of what had happened and the price they’d all paid. Not a subject he ever elaborated on. Not with his closest friend. Not with anyone. Scarlet, of course, wasn’t to know that.
“What about your father?” she asked. “Your biological dad. Hope I’m not prying.”
He increased the wiper speed. “It’s a topical question, given Ariella Winthrop’s situation. Guess the verdict will be out soon there.”
“Guess so.”
Daniel slid a look across at her. Eyes on the road, Scarlet had her lips pressed together. Did she know something most of the world didn’t? Ariella would want to share the results of that paternity test with her closest friends, but Scarlet obviously wasn’t the type to break a confidence. Full credit to her.
“Either way, that story will give the media grist for a good while to come,” he said.
“You’re in the information-sharing business, too,” she pointed out.
“But Waves truly is about freedom of speech. Everyday people like you and I get to decide what needs to be discussed.”
“You class yourself as ordinary?”
“Just a regular bloke.”
“Great to know obscene wealth hasn’t affected you. We’ll ignore the fact you’re driving a Lamborghini.”
With no traffic in the near vicinity, he changed gears and showed his passenger—for a few gravity-challenged seconds—why he was in love with this baby. When he dropped speed again and Scarlet’s hands released their death grip on her thighs, he asked, “What about your family?”
“I’ll tell you if you promise not to do that again.”
He changed down another gear.