“I’m sorry.”
He sniffed a laugh. “You had your wake-up call with the boyfriend who wanted an in with your princess, but mine was a lot costlier. A lot harder to handle. In some respects, I don’t think you ever recover when someone so young dies.”
“No, you don’t. I’m starting the school project because of a friend who died. The schools were her dream.”
He frowned. “Your schools are someone else’s idea?”
She nodded. “Yes.” The limo pulled up to the curb outside her hotel. Kristen continued anyway.
“Aasera lived in Iraq. Her brothers were educated but she wasn’t. She begged them to teach her to read and write and they did. She said it opened up a whole new world for her and she decided that she wanted to create schools for girls.”
“And you picked up her crusade?”
“After she was killed by a suicide bomber.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Dean reached across and took her hand. “There aren’t a lot of people who can say they understand and really mean it.” He held her gaze. “But I do.”
She could see in the depths of his dark eyes that he did understand, and she felt another one of those clicks of connection. This one more important than attraction or likes and dislikes. They’d both suffered a tragedy that had changed them. It was no wonder she kept feeling they meshed.
“I do this to honor her, but also because knowing her, hearing about her dream, I learned how important it was.” She shrugged. “Her cause is now my cause.”
The shrill sound of Dean’s phone invaded the quiet. He winced. “It’s the one I have to answer.”
She nodded, glad for a few seconds to pull herself together before they said goodbye. Because this was it. They no longer had a reason to stay together. She’d gone to his party and lunch and both were over. Winslow Osmond wanted him to take his team to Grennady, but he didn’t see the value in doing that. This time tomorrow he’d go back to being the ruthless businessman he always was and she’d be home, getting ready to step onto the world’s stage as a founder of an organization that built schools.
After she got out of this limo, she’d never see him again.
Dean clicked the button to answer his phone. “Dean Suminski.” He paused for a few seconds, then said, “Mrs. Flannigan. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?”
He paused as the older woman talked. Suddenly feeling awful, missing Aasera, confused by all these feelings she had around Dean, Kristen buttoned her coat and slid across the seat to the limo door. Why prolong the inevitable? She barely knew him, and what she’d discovered only proved he was married to his business. And, really, she should be okay with their parting. She’d need all her mental and emotional energy to start her charity. Neither one of them had time for the other. Why belabor the issue with a goodbye in a busy hotel lobby?
Just when she would have opened the limo door, Dean caught her hand again.
“We’d love to. Seven tomorrow. We’re looking forward to it.”
She faced him as he clicked off the call. Though she hated the way her breath stuttered when he held her hand, happiness filled her at the possibility that this wasn’t goodbye.
“You have another event?”
“Yes and no. We’ve been invited to a private dinner with the Flannigans.” He smiled. His dark eyes lit with pleasure. “She wants to talk to you about your schools. Tomorrow night at seven.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“OH, MY GOSH! She wants to talk to me?”
Kristen looked at him, her stunning green eyes wide with excitement and he laughed. “You’ll do fine.” She drew in a long breath. “I had a few hiccups in my confidence today.” She caught his gaze. “But you helped a lot.”
A wave a pleasure flowed through him, but he didn’t let himself wallow in it. He might be with Kristen for another party, but he wouldn’t indulge the emotions he experienced around her. Especially the relief he’d felt sharing his story about Nina. Not because he didn’t like the feelings she inspired in him, he did. He liked them too much. Keeping his distance was for her protection.