back becoming ramrod straight.
Dexter chuckled. “You heard me. My brother is digging you. And from your reaction, I’d say the feeling is mutual.”
By the time Marissa got her mouth working, Dexter’s whistle could be heard down the hall.
Chapter 11
T hank goodness for Chad Witter, owner of Data Design and Solutions. He was the angel Marissa found seated in Donovan’s office when she arrived there a full five minutes before his be-there-in-half-an-hour-don’t-be-late command. At least she wouldn’t have to be alone with Donovan.
Dexter’s parting comments had left her reeling, and wondering. Was Dexter speculating when it came to his brother’s feelings about her? And why had he assumed she had feelings for Donovan when she hadn’t even acknowledged those feelings to herself? All of these questions and speculations she hid behind a shield of complete professionalism: asking the right questions, nodding in the appropriate places. But what was really on her mind was Dexter’s comment: he’s digging you. That and images from her dream last night—she and Donovan together, quite alone and quite naked, on the hilltop in the moonlight. Their bodies, sweaty, entwined in the throes of passion. His tongue searching, capturing, devouring. His lips, those lips, those lips moving and talking and…
“Marissa?”
“Oh, sorry, Donovan. I was pondering what Chad just said.”
A quick look passed between Chad and Donovan. “It normally doesn’t take much thought to answer where one graduated college,” Donovan said, his voice laced with humor. “Although understandable that some of us want to forget about those campus days.”
Busted. But Marissa put her 3.8 GPA to use and recovered in a bat of an eyelash. “Forgive me. I’m still thinking about the translation and formatting component to this software, Chad, and ways that by tweaking the columns, this could possibly be used in the categorizing of wines, as well, specifically the new inventory against the present selections, and the exclusive ones developed for the wine bars. It would streamline the entire inventory process, cataloguing by type, year, whatever details are important. I’m sorry,” she said when she realized she was going on and on. She switched her attention from Chad to Donovan. “I know my work here is limited primarily to the customer base, but in my mind, it’s an obvious parallel.”
“No apology needed,” Donovan replied, a flicker of new awareness and admiration in his eyes as he slowly stroked his goatee. From the moment he’d met Marissa she’d seemed to be a study in contradictions. Sort of like an onion, with layer after layer to peel away. But if there was any place that he was certain they could have a fairly innocuous meeting of the minds, it was around business. This was, after all, the only reason she was here, right? Donovan determined at that moment that he wanted to peel back the various veneers to the mystery woman seated near him. And he wanted to start tonight.
After another hour, the meeting with Chad wrapped up. “Thanks for everything,” Donovan said as he stood, signaling the end of the discussion. Marissa stood, as well.
“No problem, buddy,” Chad replied, putting his minicomputer and papers into his briefcase and then joining Marissa and Donovan near the center of the office. “I’m just happy to see our product do what it is supposed to do and that is make our customers’ lives easier and their work more streamlined.” He turned to Marissa. “It was my pleasure to meet you,” he continued, his hand outstretched. “If there is anything that you need, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.” He held her hand in his, his blue eyes sparkling with open admiration. Marissa smiled back, genuinely impressed with the products Chad and his company had developed.
But somebody wasn’t a fan of this mutual admiration society. “Yes,” Donovan said, his voice authoritative as he
Dexter chuckled. “You heard me. My brother is digging you. And from your reaction, I’d say the feeling is mutual.”
By the time Marissa got her mouth working, Dexter’s whistle could be heard down the hall.
Chapter 11
T hank goodness for Chad Witter, owner of Data Design and Solutions. He was the angel Marissa found seated in Donovan’s office when she arrived there a full five minutes before his be-there-in-half-an-hour-don’t-be-late command. At least she wouldn’t have to be alone with Donovan.
Dexter’s parting comments had left her reeling, and wondering. Was Dexter speculating when it came to his brother’s feelings about her? And why had he assumed she had feelings for Donovan when she hadn’t even acknowledged those feelings to herself? All of these questions and speculations she hid behind a shield of complete professionalism: asking the right questions, nodding in the appropriate places. But what was really on her mind was Dexter’s comment: he’s digging you. That and images from her dream last night—she and Donovan together, quite alone and quite naked, on the hilltop in the moonlight. Their bodies, sweaty, entwined in the throes of passion. His tongue searching, capturing, devouring. His lips, those lips, those lips moving and talking and…
“Marissa?”
“Oh, sorry, Donovan. I was pondering what Chad just said.”
A quick look passed between Chad and Donovan. “It normally doesn’t take much thought to answer where one graduated college,” Donovan said, his voice laced with humor. “Although understandable that some of us want to forget about those campus days.”
Busted. But Marissa put her 3.8 GPA to use and recovered in a bat of an eyelash. “Forgive me. I’m still thinking about the translation and formatting component to this software, Chad, and ways that by tweaking the columns, this could possibly be used in the categorizing of wines, as well, specifically the new inventory against the present selections, and the exclusive ones developed for the wine bars. It would streamline the entire inventory process, cataloguing by type, year, whatever details are important. I’m sorry,” she said when she realized she was going on and on. She switched her attention from Chad to Donovan. “I know my work here is limited primarily to the customer base, but in my mind, it’s an obvious parallel.”
“No apology needed,” Donovan replied, a flicker of new awareness and admiration in his eyes as he slowly stroked his goatee. From the moment he’d met Marissa she’d seemed to be a study in contradictions. Sort of like an onion, with layer after layer to peel away. But if there was any place that he was certain they could have a fairly innocuous meeting of the minds, it was around business. This was, after all, the only reason she was here, right? Donovan determined at that moment that he wanted to peel back the various veneers to the mystery woman seated near him. And he wanted to start tonight.
After another hour, the meeting with Chad wrapped up. “Thanks for everything,” Donovan said as he stood, signaling the end of the discussion. Marissa stood, as well.
“No problem, buddy,” Chad replied, putting his minicomputer and papers into his briefcase and then joining Marissa and Donovan near the center of the office. “I’m just happy to see our product do what it is supposed to do and that is make our customers’ lives easier and their work more streamlined.” He turned to Marissa. “It was my pleasure to meet you,” he continued, his hand outstretched. “If there is anything that you need, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.” He held her hand in his, his blue eyes sparkling with open admiration. Marissa smiled back, genuinely impressed with the products Chad and his company had developed.
But somebody wasn’t a fan of this mutual admiration society. “Yes,” Donovan said, his voice authoritative as he
Similar Books
