wondered if he had. “I’m fortunate, Mr. Saxon. I’m good at what I do and can comfortably support my daughter and myself. I don’t have to chase commissions. I can choose the challenges that interest me.”
One silver eyebrow arched at her. “Oh, I’m a challenge?”
“Of course,” she admitted without hesitation. “Saxony House has been around for a very long time and has in-house counsel, not to mention a long-standing relationship with two of the top fifty firms in the city.”
“Saxony House is my family’s business. Like you, I’m fortunate that my name allows me to live comfortably.” He paused, watched a construction crew digging up a street. “I’m bored with retail, Kara. That baby girl—”
Abruptly, he broke off and turned to face her more directly. “Please forgive me because this is going to sound so arrogant. You know what my family is worth? What I’m worth? Marnie never got to see her fourth birthday. I could have helped her, helped her parents, if I’d known the biggest obstacle blocking her treatment wasn’t government approval, but insurance forms and copays. If they’d come to me in time, I could have covered it all and not noticed the dent. I spend my days planning sales events and ordering next season’s couture and a little girl died.” He shook his head and turned to look out the window again.
Kara said nothing. He was wrong, though. He didn’t sound arrogant.
He sounded human.
*
To Reid’s surprise, he slept like a baby despite the sounds of the city playing outside his window and woke up refreshed. He grabbed a quick shower, shaved, and drained two cups of coffee before leaving the house.
He was halfway to Kara’s building when he realized he had a problem.
“Damn it. Travis and Trevor.”
Yeah, it was kind of hard to certify somebody on CPR without the CPR practice dummies. He made a quick detour back to the fire house, took the cases from the storage closet, and hailed a cab at the curb.
He made it to Kara’s building with five minutes to spare. He hauled the two cases from the taxi just as a sleek black SUV slowed to a stop. He didn’t spare the car a second glance until Kara Larsen stepped out of it—followed by some smooth rich dude who looked old enough to be her father.
“…not arrogant at all. I think you’re incredibly sweet.” He heard Kara tell the guy, who smiled, shook his head, and murmured something in response Reid couldn’t hear. Whatever it was made Kara’s face go all soft and trembly and suddenly, Reid wanted to pummel the man.
Wait, what if he was actually Kara’s father?
“I’ll be in touch, Mr. Saxon.”
Yeah, so definitely not her dad. Reid watched this Saxon watch Kara stride on high heels into her building and then realized he’d need a hand hauling the dummy cases up to her floor. He hurried after her, glaring at Saxon as he climbed back in his fancy ride.
He caught up to her at the elevator. “Hold the door, please.”
A small hand jutted through the door just before it slid shut. “Oh. It’s you.”
A sarcastic retort floated on his tongue but he swallowed it back when he got a good look at her. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not really.”
She looked straight ahead, watched the floor indicators light up in turn.
“Neither did I.”
It took her a minute and then she sniffed once. “Funny.”
Third floor. “So, you, ah, dating the Dos Equis guy?” He waved his hand toward the street.
Her head snapped around. “The Dos—do you mean Mr. Saxon?”
When he said nothing, she rolled her eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Mr. Saxon is a new client. When he heard Nadia was sick, he gave me a ride home.”
Fourth floor. The doors slid open and she stepped out, heels clicking on the floor, keys jingling in her hand. “And what do you care anyway?”
Damn good question.
She opened the door to her apartment for him. He wheeled Travis and Trevor into the living room where he’d
One silver eyebrow arched at her. “Oh, I’m a challenge?”
“Of course,” she admitted without hesitation. “Saxony House has been around for a very long time and has in-house counsel, not to mention a long-standing relationship with two of the top fifty firms in the city.”
“Saxony House is my family’s business. Like you, I’m fortunate that my name allows me to live comfortably.” He paused, watched a construction crew digging up a street. “I’m bored with retail, Kara. That baby girl—”
Abruptly, he broke off and turned to face her more directly. “Please forgive me because this is going to sound so arrogant. You know what my family is worth? What I’m worth? Marnie never got to see her fourth birthday. I could have helped her, helped her parents, if I’d known the biggest obstacle blocking her treatment wasn’t government approval, but insurance forms and copays. If they’d come to me in time, I could have covered it all and not noticed the dent. I spend my days planning sales events and ordering next season’s couture and a little girl died.” He shook his head and turned to look out the window again.
Kara said nothing. He was wrong, though. He didn’t sound arrogant.
He sounded human.
*
To Reid’s surprise, he slept like a baby despite the sounds of the city playing outside his window and woke up refreshed. He grabbed a quick shower, shaved, and drained two cups of coffee before leaving the house.
He was halfway to Kara’s building when he realized he had a problem.
“Damn it. Travis and Trevor.”
Yeah, it was kind of hard to certify somebody on CPR without the CPR practice dummies. He made a quick detour back to the fire house, took the cases from the storage closet, and hailed a cab at the curb.
He made it to Kara’s building with five minutes to spare. He hauled the two cases from the taxi just as a sleek black SUV slowed to a stop. He didn’t spare the car a second glance until Kara Larsen stepped out of it—followed by some smooth rich dude who looked old enough to be her father.
“…not arrogant at all. I think you’re incredibly sweet.” He heard Kara tell the guy, who smiled, shook his head, and murmured something in response Reid couldn’t hear. Whatever it was made Kara’s face go all soft and trembly and suddenly, Reid wanted to pummel the man.
Wait, what if he was actually Kara’s father?
“I’ll be in touch, Mr. Saxon.”
Yeah, so definitely not her dad. Reid watched this Saxon watch Kara stride on high heels into her building and then realized he’d need a hand hauling the dummy cases up to her floor. He hurried after her, glaring at Saxon as he climbed back in his fancy ride.
He caught up to her at the elevator. “Hold the door, please.”
A small hand jutted through the door just before it slid shut. “Oh. It’s you.”
A sarcastic retort floated on his tongue but he swallowed it back when he got a good look at her. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Not really.”
She looked straight ahead, watched the floor indicators light up in turn.
“Neither did I.”
It took her a minute and then she sniffed once. “Funny.”
Third floor. “So, you, ah, dating the Dos Equis guy?” He waved his hand toward the street.
Her head snapped around. “The Dos—do you mean Mr. Saxon?”
When he said nothing, she rolled her eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Mr. Saxon is a new client. When he heard Nadia was sick, he gave me a ride home.”
Fourth floor. The doors slid open and she stepped out, heels clicking on the floor, keys jingling in her hand. “And what do you care anyway?”
Damn good question.
She opened the door to her apartment for him. He wheeled Travis and Trevor into the living room where he’d
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