There it was.
For the thousandth time, he wished the weight of the past didn’t stand like a ten-foot-thick barrier between them.
“They say that men who are so neat have something to hide,” she said briskly as she turned around. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and crossed those long, booted legs.
“Who are they, exactly?”
“Okay. I say that,” she replied with a bewitching little smile.
“I thought women liked a man who picked up after himself.”
“Maybe some women.” Her eyes flickered over him briefly before she glanced out the window at the brilliantly sunny fall day. For a moment, he took pleasure in examining her while his regard went unnoticed. Her heart-shaped face managed to convey delicate, feminine beauty and strength all at once. She wore her bangs long and spiky. They highlighted her large, expressive eyes to perfection. Her hair was loosely curled and tumbled around her upper arms and back, and as always, he experienced a desire to delve his fingers into those glossy locks.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” she prompted.
He cleared his throat and forced himself to focus.
“I was watching you in the waiting room when Liam and Natalie announced they were getting married. I saw your expression. I know I’m not the only one who thinks they’re being impulsive about this.”
Colleen shrugged. “I didn’t make a secret of it. My brother is a wonderful man. He’ll make Natalie very happy. You’ve got nothing to complain about.”
“And you do?”
She stood up quickly. “Not at all. I happen to like Natalie very much.”
“I like Liam, as well. I do,” he said when she gave him an incredulous glance. “Granted, I haven’t always. But he’s gone out of his way to get to know me over the past few months. I know that hasn’t been easy for him, either. I respect the fact that he’s done it for Natalie’s sake. He’s not the first person I’d pick for Nat, but—believe it or not—he’s not the last,” he admitted gruffly.
“Stop. Your benevolence is overpowering me.”
“Cut the sarcasm for a second, will you? I’m trying to talk to you about something serious. You can listen to everyone else on the damn planet. Can’t you do it with me for ten minutes?”
She froze. He hadn’t intended to sound so sharp. Regret swept through him when he saw the color fade from her cheeks. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.
“I care about my sister, and I know you feel the same for Liam. Would it be so awful for us to both think they’re rushing into this marriage? Would it really be so terrible for us to share an opinion on something?”
She glanced away from him. He guessed he’d irritated her, but he sensed she was torn, as well.
“You know what I mean, Colleen,” he continued in a low voice. “Even though you don’t want to admit it, you think they’re making this decision rashly. You don’t want to see Liam get hurt any more than I want to see Nat suffer.”
She said nothing as she stared out the window. Despite her cold expression, he knew if he touched her smooth cheek, she’d be warm.
And soft.
He stood and walked around his desk, moving away from her because he had a sudden desire to move closer. His movement put him in her line of vision. He caught her eye.
“You know I’m right,” he said quietly.
She looked annoyed. “Why do you always have to make a habit of proving that point?”
He shrugged and fell into his desk chair. He stretched and placed his hands behind his head. She glanced down over his neck and chest. He went still in sudden awareness.
She looked abruptly out the window. “There’s nothing we can
do. They’ve made up their minds. You know how impossible it can be to talk reason to two people who are drunk in love with each other.”
“We have nearly two months to make them pause and reconsider their hastiness in the matter.”
Her eyes flashed at him. “We?” she asked, looking haughty—and damn beautiful. He nodded soberly, trying to prove to himself he was affected by neither of those things. He had a lot of experience, at this point, in deflecting Colleen’s burning stares.