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endearing. She was more nervous than he’d thought. Perhaps he should reconsider throwing her into the lions’ den so soon. His parents could be formidable with people of their own kind. With an innocent like Mollie...
    The thought faded. He didn’t want to look too closely at his motivations for subjecting her to his parents. They would be courteous, if a little intimidating, but he expected to keep her within his protection throughout the short trip—
    The concept of his being her knight in shining armor startled him. Knight . The word jarred him. This wasn’t a game of Dungeons and Dragons It was someone’s life. An innocent someone’s life. If she knew his intentions—
    The words had begun to haunt him. He was too used to making a plan and following through without a second thought. And his intent to bury Stuart Fortune—to ruin him—hadn’t kept him from a peaceful sleep, not for a minute.
    His conscience was clear. This was payback, plain and simple. And Mollie’s gains would more than balance any temporary embarrassment or hurt. He would see to that.
    As he turned to go back into the living room, a bit of sparkle caught his eye—the glittery box with the birthday cake and candles on it...open.
     
    “Is that all you’re getting?” Gray asked as Mollie headed for the store exit hours later, her stride determined. “Sandals and a jacket?”
    “That’s all I came for.”
    He’d watched her gaze linger on a few other items—a long, flower-printed dress in shades of green, a jade necklace, a pin that looked like the fairy on her counter bell. He’d been assaulted by an unreasonable urge to see her try on the things she liked, to see her eyes light up as she modeled them for him. Instead he’d pushed that fantasy aside at the same time that he shoved his fists in his pockets.
    He had entered her financial data into her computer. He knew exactly how much money she made. Not enough for luxuries. Soon, though, Mollie. Soon.
    “I suppose you make a list to take to the grocery store, too, so that you avoid impulse shopping,” he said, holding open the door.
    She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Don’t you? You seem like a list kind of person”
    “I don’t shop.”
    “Never?”
    “I don’t grocery shop,” he clarified as they walked toward his car. “I lease the penthouse of a hotel in the Silicon Valley near my office. I’ve never used my kitchen except for cleaning up after eating takeout.”
    He couldn’t decipher her expression. “What?” he asked.
    “If I’d tried to imagine how you lived, I never would’ve come close. I figured you would have a mansion or something, with everything operated electronically by some lights-flashing, computer-brain nerve center. A few servants, maybe. Gardeners. You know, a life style, not just a life.”
    “What would one person do with all that? The hotel takes care of the cleaning. I eat out most of the time or order room service. And except for a computer in my home office, I avoid computerizing anything. It’s too consuming.”
    “Meaning, you like the simple life?” she asked as he unlocked the car.
    “Well, my definition of simple may differ from yours. Or from anyone else’s, for that matter. But complications frustrate me. It’s enough running the company while still designing software. This week has been like a vacation, even though I’ve also worked.” He shut her door, then walked around the car and climbed in.
    “If I didn’t like my job, I would quit.”
    Gray slid the key into the ignition and started the engine. “It’s not that simple for me.”
    “But it’s not impossible?”
    Mollie waited as he considered the question. He seemed to forget the car was running. He seemed to forget her. After a minute she touched his arm. He jerked back, startling her.
    “You left the planet. Is this how you get when you think hard about something?”
    He backed the car out of the parking space. “If you’re looking for someone to pay