She couldn’t change her mind and drive home, she thought with a sigh. If she chickened out in the driveway, it would be a long walk back. It was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? As tempting as her handsome, brilliant, millionaire boss was, he was her boss. This couldn’t end well.
And yet, Brody was nothing like Luke.
Sam had fought this battle with herself since she left the office Friday night. It might be the wrong choice, but the part of Sam that wanted to go on this date won. She wanted to see Brody outside of the office and all his barriers. To know what he was really like. She would be very disappointed to find retinal scanners in his home.
Sam had spent two hours getting ready. Half her closet was lying on the floor of her bedroom from going through her parade of options. She had finally decided on a champagne-colored pencil skirt with a black lace overlay, a black silk tank and lace shrug. She pulled her hair back into a clip to showcase her glittering gold chandelier earrings. Every inch of her body was scrubbed and painted and sparkled. She put on her most expensive perfume and her Sunday-go-to-meeting panties. These weren’t the actions of a woman that didn’t want to go on this date. She needed to silence the negative voice in her head and enjoy her night.
The car slowed and turned onto a narrow neighborhood street. Sam looked out the window at the houses they passed. They were huge. Each one was more of an estate than a home, on a plot of land big enough to fit nearly fifty of her apartments on their lawns. They’d passed about ten homes before they turned into a long, circular driveway. “We’re here, ma’am.”
This was it. The moment she’d looked forward to and dreaded all day. Her heart started racing in her chest, but she had to get out of the car when the driver opened the door. She took a deep breath, grabbed her clutch and stepped out onto the cobblestone drive. “Thank you,” she said.
The driver nodded and pulled away before she could turn back. She faced the sprawling home, admiring the lighting that made the shrubs and trees glow golden. It was multileveled and L-shaped with a three-car garage at the end of the driveway. A covered patio ran along the front, sheltering a few rocking chairs. It wasn’t at all like she expected except for the tiny surveillance cameras pointing to the front door and to where she was standing. That was more like the Brody she knew.
She hadn’t taken a single step when the front door opened and a big yellow dog charged straight for her. The animal was at least eighty pounds, and Sam had nothing but a beaded purse to defend herself. Running was impossible in the four-inch Stuart Weitzman heels she’d chosen for tonight. She could only close her eyes and brace herself for the mauling.
Instead there was the thump of heavy paws against the lapel of her wool coat and a wet glide along her cheek. The weight sent her stumbling back on her heels. She misstepped on the uneven cobblestones and before she could right herself, she and the dog toppled back into a mulch flower bed.
“Chris!”
Sam opened her eyes to find herself nose-to-nose with a golden retriever. She struggled to push aside the overly affectionate canine and get up, but she was no match for its enthusiasm.
“Christina!” A man’s voice shouted again, this time closer and more sternly.
The dog was jerked away a second later, and Sam looked up to see an apologetic Brody hovering over her. He held out his hand to help her up. “I am so sorry. Chris is harmless. She was more excited to see a new person than I expected.”
Sam stood up, dusting the wood chips from her lace pencil skirt and subtly rubbing her bruised rear. “Chris is apparently not as antisocial as you are.”
“Not at all. Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle or anything?”
“No, no,” she said dismissively. “The only thing hurt is my pride.”
Brody smiled and Sam couldn’t help but do the same. It was amazing how quickly she had been able to see past the scars. That charming smile and those soulful blue eyes made the rest just fade into the background.
And then he turned to look down the street. A car was coming toward the house. Sam watched with disappointment as his smile faded in the shine of the oncoming headlights. He was so worried about people seeing him. Sam had seen him. He was growing more comfortable with her by the second, but it appeared that she was a notable exception. Brody was far from strolling through a shopping mall filled with people, or even meeting face-to-face with his own employees.
“Let’s get inside,” he said, reaching his hand out to her.
She accepted it, a tiny thrill running through her as she walked beside Brody up the stairs to the front door. Sam was stunned the moment she walked in. The outside of his home wasn’t nearly as surprising as the inside. It wasn’t what she expected at all. The house was bright and open with light oak floors and white trim. The walls were a soft mocha color. The living room furniture was cream with plush rugs and large windows that ran nearly floor to ceiling.