“Are you a lawyer?” She dropped into a seat across from him and put her feet up. Let him take what he wanted from that. Her clock had ended a minute and a half ago. Okay, she was still offended over the food.
“No, I’m Easton Tremaine.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Really?”
He frowned. “You know me?”
“No, but you said it like I should.” She couldn’t help chuckling. The average person would have reddened in embarrassment, but Mr. Easton Tremaine compressed very kissable lips into a straight line of annoyance. She’d caught him standing earlier and guessed he reached over six feet. Nice. I wonder if he has a girlfriend.
“I’m here for you. I—”
She laid a hand on his arm and leaned forward, offering her most seductive smile. “I’m flattered, but I like my men to move a bit more slowly.”
They stared at one another for a good minute. Kenzie didn’t know why she gave Easton such a hard time. Maybe because he was so fine and because she hadn’t gotten any for a long time, his sexiness threw her off.
At last Easton broke eye contact, but she didn’t feel like she’d won a stare-down contest. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an envelope, which he offered to her. “Read it.”
For a second, she drew back, thinking he’d served her papers. That is, until she recalled she had no disgruntled exes who might want to sue her, and as far as she knew, she hadn’t pissed off anyone else to that point.
She took the letter. “What’s this?”
To her surprise, this time, Easton did redden, and he cast the magnetic gaze toward the window. His engrossment with passing traffic on the narrow street wasn’t convincing.
She scanned the contents and then stopped to lay the letter on the table. “Your grandfather is something else.”
Easton blinked at her. “Did you see…?”
“Oh, I saw.”
“And?”
She retrieved the missive. “In light of my will’s directives, which are to be followed to the letter, and because I know you, Easton, I am requesting that you visit Kenzie Bridges. She’s the owner of a sandwich shop on Washington Street. She will help you find a suitable wife.”
“Yes.” Easton nodded, as if that settled everything. Money had addled his wits if she had anything to say about it.
She handed the letter back, and he put it away. “No, thanks.”
“Pardon?”
She stood up and pushed the chair under the table, hoping it would clue him in that it was time to leave. When he didn’t move, she walked to the wall and turned off the lights in the serving area. That dimmed the restaurant considerably, but still Easton didn’t budge.
“What do you want from me?”
He stood and strode over to her. His face cast in shadows was no less handsome, but his build and bearing caused her to catch her breath. She’d taken several self-defense classes, so if he tried anything, she could probably hand him his golden ass.#p#分页标题#e#
“I want your help in finding a wife.”
She stared up at him. “You don’t strike me as the kind of man who would march to your grandfather’s drum.”
“No, I don’t,” he admitted. “However, I do want my inheritance.”
“And the wife?”
“To put it simply, in order to gain control of my inheritance, my grandfather has stipulated that I be married and have a child within one year of the reading of his will.”
“Whoa.”
“Exactly.”
“And that brings you to me?”
“Yes, for your help.” He stepped closer, and she found the air escaping the room, leaving little for her to take in. “My grandfather was an astute man, brilliant in business, obviously.”
“Obviously.” She just kept from rolling her eyes.
“I think if he suggested you, he had a reason. I’m willing to take every step he named, even if I do think it’s pointless. I’m only interested in the businesses.”
Kenzie moved around him and walked to the counter. “Sounds to me like any woman will do for you.”
“Right.” He spoke from just behind her. She squeezed the counter to keep from jumping at his warm breath. The hand on her arm insisted she face him, and she did so, raising her chin. Again, the blue eyes captured her. He gave off such an air of superiority and boredom, they might as well be discussing the weather. “In fact, what about you?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”
“You.” He grabbed her hand and turned it palm down, then tapped the spot on her finger, which should have held a wedding band but didn’t. “You’re not married, right? You’ll do.”