Instead of sitting, he rocked on the balls of his feet. "I wasn't trying to mislead you when I said my name was Gray. My friends really do call me that."
She would never use the nickname again. They weren't friends. "You want an honesty medal just because you didn't set out to mislead me?"
"What I want is to apologize. I understand if you don't forgive-"
"If?" She gripped the edge of her desk. "As in, you think there's a possibility I will? That just proves we jumped into bed too quickly. Because if you knew me at all, you'd understand how big a deal lying is." She didn't add that lying was only one of his crimes against her. The other, more humiliating one was how he'd made her feel foolish for falling so fast. How many times had she admonished Meg to look before she leaped instead of giving her heart away casually?
Not that I gave him my heart! Sharing a sweaty, naked night with someone wasn't the same as falling in love. But she'd definitely been able to envision falling for him down the road. What had happened to her usual caution? The way he'd slipped past her defenses, effortlessly seducing her into lowering her guard, was unforgivable.
"This isn't actually a good time to talk," she said tightly. "I have a dinner date."
The muscles in his jaw visibly clenched. Was he bothered by the idea of her going out with another man, or did he think she was fibbing in order to get rid of him? There's only one liar in this room.
Whatever was running through his head, he tamped down his temper. In contrast to the blue fire in his eyes, his voice was pure courtesy. "Would there be a better time for us to talk?"
"I have a lot of showings this week," she evaded. "I'm surprised you even caught me in the office."
"It wasn't a coincidence. I saw your car in the lot when I drove by. And when I say drove by, I mean went three blocks out of my way to check if your car was here." He shoved a hand through his hair, making parts of it stand on end and eliminating some of the resemblance to his refined brother. "If I could go back and change things, Dani..."
She flinched. In the privacy of her apartment, his saying her name had been like a verbal caress. Now, it was insult on top of injury.
His gaze was a raw plea. "I can't stop thinking about you."
"Try. Very hard." She jerked her eyes away from his, refusing to be swayed. He looked genuinely sorry, but Tate had sounded sorry when he called to say he couldn't marry her, too. After-the-fact apologies were no reason to cave. Neither were mesmerizing blue eyes. Where was her self-discipline? She was the Major's daughter, a former basketball star who'd played an entire final quarter on a sprained ankle. "I don't want to see you again."
He sucked in a breath, his expression mutinous.
"Nothing you say is going to erase what happened," she interjected before he could speak. "And my father is meeting me here in a matter of minutes. You need to be gone before he arrives. He probably knows fifty ways to kill you with a paper clip." She picked one up off her desk and brandished it in warning.
"Worried about my safety?" Sean's lips twitched in a wan smile. "That must mean you care about me a little."
"I just don't want to risk blood in the carpet. My clients would find that off-putting."
Thinking she might evict him faster if she physically escorted him out, she rose and came around her desk. Strategic fail. She'd overestimated her immunity to his nearness. As she got closer, she noticed how good he smelled. She imagined she could feel the heat from his body. She certainly felt the heat in his gaze.
He stared at her, charged silence crackling around them. For a second, she thought he might be reckless enough to reach for her. What would she do if he tried to kiss her? The idea that he might be just that unpredictable-or that, worse, her body might be traitorous enough to respond-spurred her into action.
Giving him a wide berth, she hurried to the door, breathing easier once it was open again. "You shouldn't come back to this office unless you're selling a house. Or buying one." She flashed a saccharine smile. "In which case, I'd be happy to recommend one of my colleagues."
Shoulders slumped, he headed toward the doorway. Seeing him dejected felt unnatural, like seeing a majestic wild animal caged. Errant compassion tried to surface, but she squelched it.
He paused beside her, a sad half smile playing about his lips. "You know, it's my birthday. At least I know what to wish for."
He'd told her he was turning thirty-four today. With all that had happened, she'd forgotten.
Standing this close to him, recalling what it felt like to be in his arms, she couldn't help wishing things were different, too. But she resolutely brushed away the pointless what-ifs. "I don't back down, Mr. Grayson. No amount of wishing is going to change that."
"Probably not." He stepped out of her office, throwing her one last look over his shoulder, this one displaying more of his usual spark. "But stranger things have happened."
* * *
DANI AND HER dad had a favorite Italian restaurant near the Perimeter. The food was well worth the inevitable traffic, but he picked her up at her office so they could at least catch up while they sat sandwiched between semitrailers and frustrated moms in SUVs. Unfortunately, that also gave them a lot of time alone without the distraction of deciding what to order or enjoying their dinner. His chatter about a recent bowling tournament and a summer fishing trip he was planning with other retired Army buddies only took them so far. He kept turning the conversation back to her life, unappeased by her declarations of how much she loved her job.
"That's work, Danica Leigh. I want to know about you. Your personal life."
No, you really don't.
He switched lanes to get them closer to their approaching exit. "You don't look like you've been sleeping well." Trust the eagle-eyed Major to notice-and be blunt enough to comment on it. "The thought of you pining for that no-good... I know a West Point guy who went on to be CIA. I bet if I call in a few favors, we could have Malcom disappear."
She laughed. "Don't say things like that at the restaurant. If someone overhears, they may not realize you're joking."
Her father shot her a pointed look.
"Dad, I am not heartbroken over Tate Malcom. I wish him and the new missus health and happiness." Well, happiness might be a stretch. But she didn't wish that an anvil would fall on either of them anymore or that Tate would suddenly contract a rare wasting disease. "He wasn't right for me. Honestly, looking back, I'm a little surprised you liked him." Looking back, she was surprised she'd liked him.
But Tate was attractive and deceptively charming. They had similar backgrounds and compatible long-term goals, so in sync on the big issues that she'd overlooked seemingly trivial irritations. When you found a guy who whole-heartedly supported your career, shared your philosophies on life and knew what it was like to grow up with only one parent, how much should it matter that he got cranky when you wore high heels?
Her father was mulling over her statement about liking Tate. "He may not have been specifically who I would have chosen for you, but I trusted your judgment. You've always had a good head on your shoulders."
Heat rose in her cheeks as she recalled her wild weekend. Yeah, she was the epitome of careful judgment. She squirmed in the passenger seat, feeling as though she was sixteen again, on the verge of being busted.
"But if he wasn't the One, well, there are other fish in the sea," he added.
Dani rolled her eyes. "We've got 'good head on my shoulders' and 'other fish.' We just need 'where one door closes, another opens' for the cliché hat trick."
Her father grinned. "Smart-ass."
"I know there are other fish, but I don't think I'm interested in recasting anytime soon." She should take the advice she frequently gave Meg about not rushing headlong into anything. Her rash impulse to take Sean home with her had been a total mistake.
Really? Because it was the best night you've had in... All right, an enjoyable error in judgment, but an error all the same.
"You do still want to get married?" her dad pressed. "I'd hate to see you live your life alone just because Malcom's too dumb to know what he had."
"I haven't technically sworn off men for all time, but I'm in no hurry to race down the aisle."
He didn't respond, but he was scowling, which surprised her.