sure?''
''I'm never wrong, Lucy.'' She beamed, her eyes flicking to the stairs.
''What are you smiling about?''
''Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,'' she said as she walked out.
I didn't believe her for a second.
Peeking through the drapes, I watched as she ignored the reporter lurking on the sidewalk and hurried down the street toward the T station. Back in my office, I gathered up the files I wanted to take home and placed Michael Lafferty's on top. I locked the door behind me and hesitantly climbed the stairs to SD Investigations. The door was still open.
I stuck my head in but didn't see anyone. ''Hello? Sean?'' I took a step in. ''Mr. Donahue?'' Another step. ''Sean? Hello?''
This office was the same size and layout as my father's, and it was obvious that they'd used the same interior designer. Gleaming hardwoods, thick area rugs, and oversized comfy furniture welcomed me in.
Overhead pot lights shone on the burnt orange walls, creating a soft glow throughout the room. There was a hint of freshly ground coffee in the air, along with strongly scented cinnamon.
''Hellooo,'' I called out a bit louder as I walked through the archway leading to the back offices.
On a console table in the hallway I found the source of the cinnamon—a Yankee candle flickering in the dim light. I could hear the faint sound of a male voice coming from down the hallway—the office directly above mine.
As I neared, the voice became clearer. Sean Donahue was on the phone.
''Yes, I've got it. . . . No, I don't mind. . . . Yes, I'm sure. Raspberry yogurt, Swiss cheese, turkey breast, and toilet paper.'' There was a stretch of silence before he said, ''I won't forget. I didn't lose my mind, Cara.''
I heard the annoyance in his tone and wondered if I should come back in the morning. Then I flashed to the vision of the diamond ring. My stomach turned and my head swirled. I took a deep breath to keep from passing out. What a first impression that would make.
For a second I thought about heading back to the reception area, waiting for Sean Donahue to finish his call, but a quick check of my watch spurred me to interrupt his conversation. Raphael would be here in fifteen minutes.
I stepped into the doorway and raised my hand to knock on the jamb when Sean said, ''I don't know. Late. I have a stack of files on my desk that needs to be taken care of.''
My knock hit the wood just as his desk chair spun away from the window. His body tensed as his gaze jumped to mine.
Whoa.
I leaned against the door frame so I wouldn't fall over.
''Cara, I've got to go; someone's at the door.'' His lips tensed. ''I'll call you before I leave here. Bye.''
He snapped his cell phone closed, rose to his feet.
I didn't think mine would hold my full weight, so I didn't budge.
He wasn't handsome in the classical sense. His face was too angular, his dark hair too short, his neck too thick, and his nose had been broken once, maybe more, and he had a jaw straight from the pages of a superhero comic book. But there was something about him that sucked the breath from my lungs and made my legs jiggle like pudding. Something . . . dare I say it?
Sensual. Alluring.
Now I knew why Suzannah had been smiling.
I'd never had a reaction like this to a man, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. At this point, I wasn't liking it—I'm sure I looked like a perfect fool.
His gaze held mine—he didn't blink or look away. In all my twenty-eight years I'd never seen eyes so gray. A milky gray that glimmered like pearls. They were mesmerizing, his eyes. And I was mesmerized. It took me a good thirty seconds to get a grip.
Clearing my throat, I said, ''Hi.''
''You can talk. I was beginning to have my doubts.''
Heat surged up my throat. Obviously, my appearance hadn't created that same dumbfounded feeling within him.
''I knocked and called out. You didn't hear me.'' I tested my legs. They held. I walked into the room. ''I'm Lucy Valentine. Oscar's daughter.''
His expression