But for now, she would not mention his name because she didn’t want Adam to turn down this project.
Adam leaned back on the bench. “I know Jessica looks out for you.”
He stared at the trees across the path from them, clearly thinking. He didn’t seem happy and, other than his protectiveness of her, she wasn’t sure why. He was usually right on board to try something edgy.
She gazed at him with wide eyes. “You said you’d give me a chance to do something new. To broaden my horizons. Please, Adam. Let me do this.”
Ashley pulled into the driveway of the stately, gray brick house. An immaculate garden lined the curved walkway leading from the interlock brick driveway to the entrance.
She pulled down the visor and glanced in the mirror. Her dark auburn hair was a bit mussed, so she grabbed the brush from her purse and ran it through the long waves that flowed past her shoulders. She reapplied her burgundy lipstick, too. Then she opened the car door and got out.
As she followed the walkway her stomach fluttered. She shifted her purse to her other hand. She was more than a little nervous about this meeting with Darien Gallagher. What she hadn’t told Adam was that the friend that knew Mr. Gallagher very well was her and Jessica’s best friend, Helen. Because he was her stepfather.
At least, he used to be. When she and Jessica and Helen were in high school, Helen’s mother had remarried. The man, who was quite a bit younger than Helen’s mother, was rich, mysterious, and intensely sexy. He had this air of authority that sent quivers along her spine, and his aloofness made her long to uncover his secrets.
When he and Helen’s mother had come to their graduation, every girl in school had drooled over him. His devastating good looks and air of authority made Ash’s heart somersault every time she’d seen him. Even though he was older, Ash had had inappropriate fantasies about the man.
The thought of him made her even more nervous now.
She walked up the three steps to the front door. The entrance was stunning with a stained-glass door and matching sidelights, in a simple diamond pattern.
When she used to go over to Helen’s to hang out, she’d always been conscious of his presence. He was usually working in his den, but sometimes she’d see him when he went to get a drink, or he’d be reading the paper in the living room. Sometimes when Helen’s mom would invite her over for dinner, she’d feel his gaze on her, sending quivers down her spine.
Once she caught sight of him taking a swim in the pool and she’d been astonished at his hard, muscular body. To her shock, she’d had hot dreams of him that night.
She’d always felt self-conscious around him. He was Helen’s stepfather. Tall, gorgeous, and intimidating. Not that he’d ever tried to intimidate her. Her heart thumped as she remembered how he would look at her with those dark, unreadable midnight blue eyes, and smile. In those instants, she’d always felt like the most special person in the world.
She knew it had just been her fantasizing. She was just a friend of his stepdaughter’s. He was polite, but she was barely of notice to him.
Now he’d agreed to help her with her article and she was thankful for that.
She sighed and knocked on the door.
The door opened and Ashley found herself gazing into Mr. Gallagher’s deep midnight blue eyes. The sight of him took her breath away. His dark wavy hair gleamed in the light from the entryway. He wore black jeans and a blue-and-white-striped shirt, yet his attire did not feel casual. Something about the way it hung on his large frame. Neat, streamlined, almost as if the clothes had been tailored to his body. Which they probably were. He was a very wealthy man. This house—which she could tell from the grounds and the elegant entryway behind, with the sparkling chandelier and marble floor—was clearly very expensive, and it was just one of many he owned.
But what affected her the most, standing here in front of him, was the sheer power of his presence. There was a natural air of authority about him that had nothing to do with the age difference between them.
“Ashley. Welcome.”
“Thank you.” She barely stopped herself from stammering the words. She hadn’t realized she’d been gritting her teeth until she opened her mouth to speak, so she concentrated on relaxing her jaw.
“May I take your coat?”
She slipped off her short leather jacket and handed it to him. He opened the closet door and hung up her jacket, then turned to her again. His gaze settled on her face, then perused lower, down her body. God, she felt underdressed in her faded jeans and lace-trimmed T-shirt. She could feel her shoulders stiffening as he examined her.
Then he smiled and some of that tension eased.