“No. It’s my real hair.” She smiled to herself at how annoyed her family’s PIs would be by now.
“And Kerri’s really your real name? Like, for real?”
Despite herself, she laughed. “Okay, I deserved that. Yes, I promise. Everything you see before you is the real me.”
He nodded as he studied her coppery hair, bright as burnished pennies. “I like the real you. So, recovered from the trip?”
“Feels like it. An afternoon nap can do wonders.”
“Just imagine. Now you can nap every day.”
“Until I get a new job.”
He tucked a wayward tendril of hair behind her ear, his fingertip brushing the crescent curve oh-so casually.
She suppressed a delicious shiver.
“You could always negotiate naps into your contract.” He extended an arm. “Shall we?”
She rested her hand inside his elbow and matched his long stride, her high heels making the job easier. The silk of her pants brushed her legs as she walked; her thighs and calves prickled with Ethan’s nearness. His dark cologne seemed to invade her. It was the same scent he’d worn seven years ago. Good god. She couldn’t believe she still remembered how sexy he’d smelled, down to the exact undertone.
Outside the lobby, he opened a door to a sleek Aston Martin for her. She cocked an eyebrow. “Is this for me to drive around town after you bring me back?”
He laughed. “Uh, no.”
She climbed inside and ran her hand surreptitiously along the stunningly beautiful dashboard. This wasn’t just a car. It was a pinnacle of design and engineering.
Ethan maneuvered the vehicle out and onto the highway. He drove with absolute control, and she felt she could trust him with her life. The sensation sent equal parts thrill and fear through her, and she cleared her throat.
“So whose BMW was it?” she asked.
“Natalie’s. A present from Alex because he thought she needed something other than her Audi convertible.”
“What was wrong with her Audi?”
“Not a damn thing. But the trunk is a little small.”
“I can’t believe she gave me her brand new car to drive around in.”
He shrugged. “She’s not here to use it.”
“Yeah, but usually friends lend each other clothes. Accessories. Maybe a cell phone.”
“Usually friends aren’t married to billionaires who’re determined to spoil them rotten.”
“And who couldn’t wait to marry her so she could be his in every way.” Kerri half-slumped, half-leaned back in her seat. Ethan’s casual comment splintered something in her heart, something she’d never suspected was there. She didn’t care about money or the billionaire treatment; she’d been born into one of the wealthiest families in the world. But a fierce longing surged when she thought about the emotional bond that Natalie obviously had with her husband.
Kerri wanted a bond that strong with a man who’d love her the way she was, thought the sun rose and set on her…but she was also self-aware enough to know she was unlikely to have that want fulfilled. She had no idea how to deal with emotional entanglement. She’d never learned how to be on the receiving end of love, never learned how to love in return, the give-and-take of a confident woman who knew she deserved closeness and affection.
She believed people could learn and change, but she didn’t think she could ever change this aspect of herself. It was something as innate as her eye color.
“You all right?” Ethan asked.
“Just a little hungry. Speaking of which, what’s for dinner?”
“Something home-cooked, unless you object.”
“Not at all.” She made her tone light and airy. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in ages.”