Love and Other Surprises Read Online Free PDF Page B

impassive. At least he appeared to be paying attention.
    “I told him I thought it sounded terrific.” She scooted forward on the sofa, eager to convince him. “Since I was there at the conception of this development, Matt, I feel like I have a stake in how it turns out. Besides, I’ve always wanted to work on a project with Robert, and this is my only chance.” To her embarrassment, her eyes filled with tears, and she furiously tried to blink them back. Talking about her brother still made her emotional, but the last thing she wanted to do was stage a messy scene in front of Matt. He’d never take her seriously if he thought she was an emotional wreck.
    Through her tear-muddled eyes, she watched him stand. For one terrible moment, she thought he was going to walk out on her. Instead, he crossed the room and sat beside her, lifting both of her hands in his. The tender,sympathetic gesture caught her by surprise, and she stared down at their entwined hands as if they were alien objects. His palms were warm and slightly callused, his fingers strong and brown, his nails short and clean. She was suddenly aware that dusk had fallen and the room was nearly dark except for the light from the fire.
    “Look, Ali, I know how important this project was to Robert—and I can see that it’s important to you. It’s important to me, too, and not just for business reasons.” Matt paused and Ali ventured a glance up at his face. In the soft light, his eyes were the color of hot cocoa, and just as warm and soothing. Her heart thudded in her chest and she wondered how a man could be so comforting and so unnerving at the same time.
    Matt’s thumbs moved across her palms. “Robert was my best friend. It may sound corny, but I see this development as a way of keeping a part of Robert alive. I guess I view it as a memorial to his talent.”
    There was more to Matt than she’d realized—a lot more. She gazed down at their fingers, still threaded together, and felt a sense of connectedness weave its way between them. Matt had genuinely cared for her brother, too, she realized. He not only understood how she felt, he felt the same way. He shared her loss, and he shared her goal. There was a bond between them, a bond stronger than their differences.
    An undeniable tug of attraction coursed through her. She leaned toward him, drawn by some invisible, magnetic force. The firelight, the faint scent of smoke and Matt’s warm hands wrapped around hers somehow smudged the edges of reality. Her gaze took in the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, the faint shadow of his clean-shaven beard, the deep cleft in his chin. She was studying the sensuous curve of his lips, wondering how they would feel on hers, when she saw them move and realized he was talking.
    “What you need to understand is that I have a very well-organized, well-planned program already in place to make that happen.” Matt’s voice was low and gentle and so appealing that it took her a second to comprehend what he was saying. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I’ve got all the bases covered. There isn’t a role for you in this. To be absolutely frank, you’d just be in the way.”
    The words struck Ali like a splash of cold water. She stiffened and pulled away, withdrawing her hands from his. “You’re underestimating the contribution I can make.”
    Matt rose from the chair and strode to the fireplace. He braced his hands against the thick oak mantel for a moment, then turned toward her. “What do you know about home building, Ali? Would you know if the foundation was level, or if the lumber had too many knot holes?”
    Ali smoothed her hair as she tried to smooth her raw, ruffled nerves. “Well, no.”
    Matt folded his arms across his chest. “Would you know if the proper type and amount of insulation had been installed?”
    “That isn’t my area of expertise.”
    “If the electrical contractor is taking shortcuts, would you be able to tell? If the