assistant, who looked up as Kate and Barrett entered the small reception area. “May I help you?”
“Hello,” said Kate, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and offering a warm smile, despite the fierce hammering of her heart. “Kate and Barrett English here to see—”
“Me.”
***
Étienne would have known her anywhere.
His eyes drank in her loveliness after such a long absence from it—the golden blonde of her thick, wavy hair that beckoned him with its softness, wordlessly urging him to touch the glossy lock recently tucked behind one ear. His fingers curled around the crooked curve of his cane, bracing himself as she turned from the receptionist, raised her chin, and trained her summer-sky blue eyes on his. They widened just slightly as her lips parted, tilting up in a small smile as her breath caught with a barely-there gasp of wonder. Her face softened in recognition or remembrance as Étienne gazed back at her—her features at once so familiar and so missed, he wouldn’t have thought it possible after so many years. But the way his heart lurched and galloped confirmed what Étienne already knew: Kate English was still a weakness for him. Even all these years later, she was Kate and he was Étienne—and once upon a time, he had loved her madly.
“Étienne,” she finally said in a quiet, slightly husky voice. She held out her hand, which trembled just a little. “It’s been a long time.”
He was a fool to expect he could take her hand without experiencing the same jolt of electricity he’d felt the first time he ever touched her, but it still surprised him. The way their hands fit together, the way his blood rushed fast and hot, gushing through his thundering heart like it hadn’t been twelve years since he’d held her soft, naked, willing body against his, but only twelve days, twelve hours, twelve minutes ago instead. Staring at their joined hands, he swallowed thickly, then—distracted by Barrett clearing his throat behind her—dropped her hand and took a clumsy step back.
“Hello, Kate. Thank you for coming.” Then he turned quickly to Barrett—knowing his cheeks were uncharacteristically flushed—determined to stay professional. “Barrett.”
“Ten,” said Barrett, extending his hand with a cool nod.
“J.C. is waiting for us in the conference room.”
“Lead the way,” said Barrett, placing his hand on the small of Kate’s back.
Étienne turned, leaning on his cane, hating the way he probably looked—weak and hobbled—while she looked as vibrant and strong and beautiful as the day he’d met her. He could smell her perfume just behind him, something clean and fresh like soap, or fresh laundry, or fresh cut grass, cool between his toes on a starry spring night. Hobbling carefully down the hallway, he asked himself why the hell he didn’t let J.C. greet them, but realized he hadn’t given the matter any thought. The moment he’d heard the light squeak of the glass reception doors, he’d bolted up from his seat near the conference room door and made his way down the hallway, as if pulled to her. It had been more than a decade since he’d seen her face, but suddenly it was like he wasn’t able to bear the separation another second. It made no sense at all, especially because he was so determined to protect his newfound freedom.
“Here we are,” he said, stopping at the conference room door to allow Barrett and Kate to precede him into the room.
“Barrett. Kate. Thanks for coming today,” said J.C., standing and reaching across the table to shake hands. “Shall we sit?”
“I think Kate should come with me,” said Étienne without thinking.
J.C., who’d already sat back down, looked up in surprise. “Oh?”
“Mmm. We, uh, well, we have to discuss the legal issues, and your time would be better spent discussing the merger plans.”
J.C. looked at Barrett, who shrugged as he took a seat at the table. “Does that work for you, Kate?”
Kate had
“Hello,” said Kate, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and offering a warm smile, despite the fierce hammering of her heart. “Kate and Barrett English here to see—”
“Me.”
***
Étienne would have known her anywhere.
His eyes drank in her loveliness after such a long absence from it—the golden blonde of her thick, wavy hair that beckoned him with its softness, wordlessly urging him to touch the glossy lock recently tucked behind one ear. His fingers curled around the crooked curve of his cane, bracing himself as she turned from the receptionist, raised her chin, and trained her summer-sky blue eyes on his. They widened just slightly as her lips parted, tilting up in a small smile as her breath caught with a barely-there gasp of wonder. Her face softened in recognition or remembrance as Étienne gazed back at her—her features at once so familiar and so missed, he wouldn’t have thought it possible after so many years. But the way his heart lurched and galloped confirmed what Étienne already knew: Kate English was still a weakness for him. Even all these years later, she was Kate and he was Étienne—and once upon a time, he had loved her madly.
“Étienne,” she finally said in a quiet, slightly husky voice. She held out her hand, which trembled just a little. “It’s been a long time.”
He was a fool to expect he could take her hand without experiencing the same jolt of electricity he’d felt the first time he ever touched her, but it still surprised him. The way their hands fit together, the way his blood rushed fast and hot, gushing through his thundering heart like it hadn’t been twelve years since he’d held her soft, naked, willing body against his, but only twelve days, twelve hours, twelve minutes ago instead. Staring at their joined hands, he swallowed thickly, then—distracted by Barrett clearing his throat behind her—dropped her hand and took a clumsy step back.
“Hello, Kate. Thank you for coming.” Then he turned quickly to Barrett—knowing his cheeks were uncharacteristically flushed—determined to stay professional. “Barrett.”
“Ten,” said Barrett, extending his hand with a cool nod.
“J.C. is waiting for us in the conference room.”
“Lead the way,” said Barrett, placing his hand on the small of Kate’s back.
Étienne turned, leaning on his cane, hating the way he probably looked—weak and hobbled—while she looked as vibrant and strong and beautiful as the day he’d met her. He could smell her perfume just behind him, something clean and fresh like soap, or fresh laundry, or fresh cut grass, cool between his toes on a starry spring night. Hobbling carefully down the hallway, he asked himself why the hell he didn’t let J.C. greet them, but realized he hadn’t given the matter any thought. The moment he’d heard the light squeak of the glass reception doors, he’d bolted up from his seat near the conference room door and made his way down the hallway, as if pulled to her. It had been more than a decade since he’d seen her face, but suddenly it was like he wasn’t able to bear the separation another second. It made no sense at all, especially because he was so determined to protect his newfound freedom.
“Here we are,” he said, stopping at the conference room door to allow Barrett and Kate to precede him into the room.
“Barrett. Kate. Thanks for coming today,” said J.C., standing and reaching across the table to shake hands. “Shall we sit?”
“I think Kate should come with me,” said Étienne without thinking.
J.C., who’d already sat back down, looked up in surprise. “Oh?”
“Mmm. We, uh, well, we have to discuss the legal issues, and your time would be better spent discussing the merger plans.”
J.C. looked at Barrett, who shrugged as he took a seat at the table. “Does that work for you, Kate?”
Kate had
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