by Karen Booth
* * *
Emma stared off at the city as she rode in the back of her black Escalade on the way to work. Her inability to focus was surely from no sleep after Empire State last night, and that was all because of Daniel. He was everything she’d never been able to find in a man—easy on the eyes and a true gentleman. It was hardly fair that his rich British accent came in a package six feet and several more inches tall. His manner and pure refinement made him seem too good to be true. But someone had saved her from a lifetime of embarrassment last night, and she had the tux jacket back at her apartment to prove it.
When she arrived home last night, she’d considered grilling Henry, her building’s doorman, for Daniel’s apartment number. She’d considered showing up on his doorstep, returning his jacket and asking him to undo the tiny hook that was holding up her dress. She’d fantasized about loosening Daniel’s tie, unbuttoning his crisp, white shirt and spreading her hands across his broad chest...
But she had done none of those things.
He had gone to meet someone, presumably another woman. Never mind that Emma wasn’t a woman who took charge, especially not when it came to unbuttoning. Her history with men was limited and disappointing—she’d gone to bed with only one, and he’d been such a jerk about her inexperience, telling her that a woman should know what to do without needing to ask him. Emma wasn’t a mind reader. She’d only wanted someone who could be patient with her.
Plus, she was foolishly glossing over the most upsetting revelation from last night. Daniel hadn’t recognized her from the elevator in their building. He’d taken notice only once she was wrapped up in a ten-thousand-dollar gown, and made up by two professionals who’d devoted an hour to the pursuit. But everyday Emma, with her freckles and propensity to babble when she got nervous? He hadn’t noticed her at all. That told her all she needed to know. Daniel the mysterious Brit would never let her take off his shirt. She was out of his league.
The Escalade rounded the corner onto Thirty-Seventh Street and pulled up in front of Eden’s. A cluster of people with cameras were waiting by the central revolving doors.
“What the heck?” she muttered to her driver, Gregory. “I wonder if they got a tip about a celebrity shopping at the store this morning.”
“I don’t like the looks of this. Do you want me to drive around to the south entrance, Ms. Eden?” Gregory asked.
Emma waved it off. “No. It’s fine. They’re not interested in me.”
Gregory exited the car and rounded to her door as she hopped out onto the sidewalk. The photographers swarmed her. All she could see were cameras and arms and faces.
Emma! Emma!
Are you and Daniel Stone dating?
Did you know he’s opening a store in New York?
They barked their questions, shouting her name. Gregory begged them to stand back so she could get into the building unscathed. She shuffled across the sidewalk in heels, while everything they’d just said hit her. Dating? Mr. Brit? It had to be. How many Daniels had she been seen with? Exactly one.
Gregory blocked the photographers from getting into the store while Emma ducked through the revolving door. Duane, the hulking head of Eden’s security, was lumbering toward her, hitching up his belt and looking frazzled. “Ms. Stewart. I’m so sorry. I chased two photographers away from the south entrance, but I had to stay and deal with the shoppers lined up to get into the store.”
“Shoppers?” Emma kept walking toward the executive elevator bank, Duane at her side. “Do we have an event this morning?”
“So you don’t know?”
“Know what?” Was she really so out of the loop that the head of security knew more about the goings-on in the store than she did?
“You’re the event, Ms. Stewart.” Duane jabbed the button to call the elevator. “You. Your dress. Your date last night. Those women outside are lined up to buy the dress you wore to Empire State.”
With a ding, the doors slid open, but Emma was frozen in place. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Duane held the elevator and ushered her on board. “It sounds like you need to see the papers. I need to get back to the crowd outside. Only five minutes until the store opens.”
“Papers?” Emma muttered to herself as she made the short ride upstairs. The instant she stepped off the elevator, Lizzie popped up from her seat. “Mindy and Sophie are waiting for you.”
At this point, this came as no real surprise. Thank goodness Duane had given her a heads-up. “Is this about the photographers downstairs?”
Lizzie nodded. “And the tabloids.”
It was all starting to come together. Sheer horror shuddered through her. Had someone managed to get a photo of her dress split wide-open? That was not the fashion statement her sisters had hoped for her to make. For the second day in a row, she marched into Sophie’s office.
“Feeling better?” she asked Sophie. Emma was legitimately concerned, but she was also stalling. She didn’t want bad news to end the spell of last night.
“Something I ate. I’m sorry I left you in the lurch with Empire State.”
Mindy, who was sitting in a chair opposite Sophie’s desk, crossed her legs and tutted. “I am not the lurch.”
Uh. Yes you are. Emma wanted to say it so badly as she took the other chair. “You did leave me alone in a room full of hundreds of people.”
Mindy slid a newspaper from Sophie’s desk and casually tossed it into Emma’s lap. “You didn’t seem to have any problem making friends.”
Emma could feel the deep crinkles forming on her forehead. There before her was a photograph of her kissing Daniel on the cheek. She could see her own fingers curling into his biceps. How one photograph could convey so much longing, she wasn’t sure. Hopefully, it was only her interpretation and not the way the rest of the world saw it. “Wait a minute. How long have you two known about this? Why did nobody call me?”
“We were strategizing,” Sophie said. “Trying to figure out what Daniel Stone is up to.”
“Up to? What does that mean? You know him?” Emma tried very hard to squash down her hurt feelings. Mindy and Sophie were a unified front and Emma was the third wheel.
Mindy turned to her and shook her head. “You really don’t know who he is, do you? Or what he is, to be more exact? He’s a Stone.”
Confusion whirled in Emma’s head. “I’m sorry. A stone?”
Sophie bugged her eyes as if she couldn’t believe Emma was so dense. “Stone’s of London. Department store? The biggest in Europe? They’re the reason Eden’s was never able to get off the ground overseas.”
“I’ve never even heard of it. This guy is part of the company?” Her vision returned to the paper and she opened it up to the main article. As she read, the weight of this hit her. “Oh. Wow. They think he’s opening a department store in New York?”
“Why else would he be here?” Sophie asked. “Jake did some digging and found out that Daniel’s been looking at commercial real estate properties. His agent is Charlotte Locke. She’s the sister of one of Jake’s closest business associates.”
“He’s been looking at big properties,” Mindy added. “Definitely big enough for a department store.”
“What does this mean? Could they put us out of business?” It would be just Emma’s luck that she would essentially win the life lottery by meeting a guy as sexy as Daniel, only to have everything crumble to dust in her hands.
“They could not only put us out of business, that’s likely their sole aim. Daniel’s mother hated Gram. My guess is he cozied up to you last night for information,” Sophie said.
“But I approached him.”
“You did?” Mindy asked, incredulous.
“He lives in my building. I recognized him from the elevator. Don’t forget that I was all alone in a room full of five hundred strangers.” Emma sank back in her seat. “There’s
no way he talked to me because I’m associated with Eden’s. He didn’t even know who I was.” She picked at a spot on her pants. “I don’t even think he recognized me at all. That’s how memorable I am. Apparently.”
“He’s playing dumb,” Sophie asserted. “He’s up to something. I know it.”
Lizzie poked her head into Sophie’s office. “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s been a run on the designer department downstairs. We’ve completely sold out of the dress Emma wore last night.”
“Hey. That’s something.” Emma sat a little straighter, proud of herself for doing something positive for the store.
“Also, Emma,” Lizzie continued. “Daniel Stone is on the line for you.”
Emma’s heart was now residing in her throat. Apparently today was capable of getting exponentially more bizarre.
“Like I said. Up to something.” Sophie seemed entirely convinced of her theory.
Emma still wasn’t buying it. If he did know who she was, he’d done a convincing job of being nothing but a gentleman who didn’t remember her. “What do I do?”
“Take the call,” Mindy said. “We’ll put him on speaker in here.”
Emma shook her head. She’d had enough of Mindy and Sophie treating her as if she had no autonomy. “I’ll take it in my office.” She got up from her chair and met Lizzie at the door.
“You can’t keep this from us,” Sophie pleaded. “If you talk to him, we need to know what you’re talking about.”
“You two sent me into that fashion show on my own and I’m the reason there are women buying up Nora Bradford dresses downstairs. I’ve earned the right to speak to Daniel on my own. Trust me, I’m not going to let him do anything bad to Eden’s.” She turned to Lizzie. “Please put him through.”
“Right away.”
Emma hurried into her office, her mind and body buzzing with anticipation and excitement and more than a little worry. What if Daniel really was cozying up to her to get information about Eden’s? What if he was out to destroy them? She didn’t have time to think about the what-ifs. She had to answer the phone. “Good morning.” She feigned as much confidence as she could.
“Good morning, Ms. Stewart.”
Emma sat back in her chair, relishing the way the sound of his voice made her feel lighter and warmer. She could get used to hearing him say those four words, especially if he whispered them across the pillow. “Calling about your jacket? I told you I’d get it to you.”
“I’m phoning because I embarrassed myself last night. Now I know what you meant when you asked if I knew who you were. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were one of the Eden heiresses.”
Emma laughed quietly. “That’s not how you should have known me. I’m by far the lesser known of the three. Most people have no clue who I am, Mr. Stone.”
“Please call me Daniel.”
“Only if you call me Emma. And like I said, most people don’t know who I am.”
“I’d say that’s their loss.” His voice was low and even a bit gravelly. Emma’s mind flew to the photograph of their kiss on the cheek. She should have gone for it and planted one on his very sexy mouth, especially if those were the kinds of words that were going to come out of it.
“It’s okay. I prefer to hang back.”
“That’s not what your dress suggested.”
“It’s not my habit to let my zipper split open at a fashion show.”
Now it was his turn to laugh. She realized how much she loved the sound, which was not a good development. Mindy and Sophie might be right. What if Daniel Stone was up to no good? “I just happened to be the lucky bloke who witnessed it.”
Heat bloomed across her face. It felt as if her cheeks were on fire. “That was a one-time occurrence, hopefully. Just like I’m hoping that you hiding your true identity from me won’t happen again.”
He cleared his throat. “You didn’t tell me your whole story, either.”
“I told you I work for Eden’s. That much is true.” She still felt that way, like she was an employee and not a real part of the team. Not even her newfound wealth made her feel like an Eden. While Mindy and Sophie continued to tell her what to do and micromanage her, she would always feel like that.
“You own a third of the Eden empire. You’re far more than an employee. I could ask what your motives are. After all, you approached me.”
Motives. That was the most pressing question between them, wasn’t it? Was Daniel Stone up to something nefarious? The mere thought of answering his question made Emma’s heart thump harder. “You want the truth?” She could hardly believe she’d offered.
“Always.” His British accent and smooth delivery were chipping away at her resolve.
“I approached you because I was all by myself and you were by far the most handsome man in the room.”
“I see.”
“Does it disappoint you that it wasn’t because you’re a Stone?”
“Not at all. I always enjoy knowing where I stand.” He was playing things quite close to the vest, which not only made Emma nervous, it made her curious.
“Don’t we all?”
“I suppose that’s true.”
The gears in Emma’s head were turning. She had to find out where she stood with Daniel. She had to find out what he was up to. If she played her cards right, Daniel Stone might end up being a real boon. It could give her the chance to learn more about an important competitor’s plans. It would help her prove her worth to Mindy and Sophie, all while spending time with the sexiest man she’d ever met.
“I do feel as though I owe you the favor of returning your jacket in person. After all, you did rescue me last night.” She smiled, lazily drawing her fingertips back and forth across her collarbone. If Daniel were to show up at her office right now, she’d have a hard time containing herself.
“It’s what a gentleman would do.”
“Is that what you are, Daniel? A gentleman?”
“I’m whatever you need me to be.”
Emma doubted that greatly. “When can I bring you your jacket?”
“I could come by your office? Maybe take you to lunch?”
Emma could think of nothing better, but she also didn’t want Mindy and Sophie breathing down her neck. They were deeply suspicious of Daniel and his motives. Emma was concerned, of course, but she’d have been lying if she said that wasn’t partially eclipsed by a deeper desire to see where their flirtation might lead. Mindy and Sophie both had exciting men in their lives, so why couldn’t Emma? “I have a very full day today. Why don’t I bring it by your place this evening? Does seven work?”
“Even better. If you give me your cell number, I can text you the address.”
If Daniel was embarrassed by the fact that he hadn’t known she was one of the three Eden heiresses, what she was about to say next was going to be a bit more painful. “I already know your address, Daniel Stone.”
“Been doing a bit of your own detective work?”
“It wasn’t hard. I live two floors below you.”
Five
London traffic was considered some of the worst in the world, but Daniel was starting to think New York might have it beat. He pulled back the sleeve of his suit jacket to consult his Rolex. Six fifty-five. He was going to be late.
If Emma was a prompt person, and something told him she was, she would be waiting on his doorstep by the time he arrived. Between his tardiness and other missteps, he’d be surprised if Emma would wait for very long. Perhaps he’d arrive home only to find his jacket hanging on the doorknob of his apartment. One could argue that he hadn’t been a complete ass. He’d rescued a woman in distress with his coat. He’d walked her to her car. He also hadn’t realized she lived in the same building. If ever there was a sign that he was preoccupied with work, that was it.
“Sorry we’re so jammed up in traffic,
Mr. Stone.” His driver made eye contact via the rearview mirror.
“Not your fault.”
“At least it’s not raining, right?”
Indeed, it had rained for much of the afternoon, but the night was clear and beautiful. At least his walk with the dogs later this evening would be a good one. “So right.”
Another fifteen minutes and his driver pulled into the parking garage of his building. Daniel quickly bade him farewell and rushed to the bank of elevators, only to be stopped by Henry, the doorman.
“Mr. Stone. There’s a problem. I tried to call you, but we must not have your correct cell number down here at the desk.”
“Problem?” Daniel had already pressed the button for the elevator.
“Your dog walker never showed.”
“What?”
Henry shrugged. “I’m just glad you got here. Hopefully, your apartment won’t be too much of a mess.”
Daniel blew out an exasperated breath. “Thank you, Henry. I appreciate the information. Remind me tomorrow morning to get you my mobile number.”
“Will do.”
The elevator dinged to announce its arrival and Daniel stepped on board, worrying twice as hard about what might be waiting for him upstairs. An angry Emma and an epic dog disaster? He arrived on his floor and the doors slid open. Emma was sitting on the leather-upholstered bench next to the elevator, his jacket draped over the seat next to her.
“I’m late. I’m so sorry,” he said.
She rose to her feet, her eyes warm as they quickly found his. He felt stuck for a moment, grappling with the realization that he’d run into this woman in the building and hadn’t noticed her. He was losing his touch.
“It’s no problem. I tried to wait by your door, but the dogs kept barking.” She gathered the jacket and looped it over her arm. “I didn’t have a chance to have it cleaned. I hope that’s okay. It’s a beautiful jacket. I see that it has a Stone’s label.”
