He’d spent a lazy day yesterday, still thinking about her. Finally, he had called his trusted florist to send her flowers. The one thing he loved about Jacob’s Florist was their discretion. Frazier could send a woman an arrangement of flowers and not read that he’d done so in the newspaper.
And speaking of the newspaper…the photograph splashed across the local page had shown just how good he and Rylee had looked together. Even better, the reporters had done the job Rylee had given them, not linking them romantically, but using the forum to discuss the charity.
It was obvious that the reporter who’d written this column had been in awe of her. He’d even ended the piece by saying Rylee Danville was definitely an asset to Connelly Enterprises. Frazier had news for the reporter--Rylee was more than an asset. She was someone Frazier wanted…badly. Now, he just had to figure out a way to let her know.
He continued to gaze out the window until he finally saw her car pull into the parking lot. If he’d had any doubt about how great his desire for her was, it was dispelled at that moment. She got out of her car, wearing another sexy looking pencil skirt that hugged her curves, and his heart started racing.
Had she liked the flowers he’d sent? More importantly, had she been surprised to get them? Would she expect him to make the next move? Because he would be making one.
He continued to watch her until she entered the building and was no longer in sight. But when he moved away from the window, he noticed Mattie had come into his office and was staring at him. “I didn’t hear you, Mattie.”
“Obviously. It appears you were quite taken by something outside that window.”
He wasn’t about to comment one way or the other. Walking over to the coat rack, he removed his jacket. “I take it my calendar is pretty full this week.”
“Pretty much. You have a meeting with all department heads on Wednesday.”
That made him ask, “Has Hank returned?”
“No. He won’t be back for another week. Rylee Danville will be sitting in for him.”
Frazier tried keeping the satisfied smile from his face. He nodded.
“Did you see the article about the gala in yesterday’s paper?”
There was no need to pretend he didn’t know what article Mattie was talking about. “I did. The reporter did a great job of letting people know about what was really important—the charity.”
He went to his desk and sat down as she was placing files in front of him that needed his immediate attention. But her silence didn’t fool him any. She had more to say. One…two…three…
“Rylee Danville did a wonderful job at that event, didn’t she? She has what it takes, I think.”
He probably shouldn’t ask but he did anyway. “What it takes for what?”
She smiled. “A lot of things.”
Frazier didn’t say anything. He wasn’t a fool. Mattie could always read him like a book. His request for Rylee’s HR file had probably been a dead giveaway.
“Do you need me for anything else, Mr. Connelly?”
“No, Mattie, that will be all. What time is that meeting on Wednesday?”
“At eleven.”
That meant he had two more days to wait before he could see Rylee again, other than watching her from his window. And though he had a lot of work to do before Wednesday’s meeting, he doubted he’d be able to concentrate. And that was a first. In the past, Connelly Enterprises had always come first with him. But it looked as if thosedays were over. And for some reason, that thought didn’t bother him.
He noticed Mattie still standing there. Glancing over at her, he asked, “Anything else, Mattie?”
She smiled. “I just wanted to say that I saw the photo of you and Ms. Danville in the paper. You made quite a pair. She looked gorgeous, so much better than those ‘wanna-ring-on-their-finger’ socialites you’re known to date.”
When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Don’t you think?”
“Don’t I think what?”
“That Ms. Danville looked beautiful Saturday night.”
Knowing she wouldn’t leave until she got an answer, he said, “She looked beautiful, alright.”
As if that was all she wanted to hear him say, Mattie gave him a wide smile, then walked out the door, closing it behind her.