Page 12 of Saving the CEO

He dismissed her compliment with a wave of his hand. “Jace had a hard time when he was growing up. I do what I can to be there for him.”

“That says a lot about you, Devin. Women love a man who takes care of his family.” She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a slight blush color his cheeks before he tipped his head down. For someone so sure of himself, she was surprised he had a hard time taking a compliment. Not wanting to make him more uncomfortable, she returned to her guessing. “Okay, I’m sure this next one is a lie. You claim to have been in a band during college. Unless it was a band made up of business majors …”

He lifted his gaze and met hers. The smirk she’d grown used to seeing on his face reappeared. “You think you have me all figured out, don’t you? You assume business majors can’t sing or play instruments?”

“I didn’t say that. But being in a band presumes that you’re someone who likes being in front of an audience and performing and, correct me if I’m wrong, I really don’t think that’s who you are.”

“Fine, you’re right.”

“Yes!” Scarlett tapped her heels under her desk in a little victory dance. “I knew it. You weren’t in a band.”

He cleared his throat. “No, you’re still wrong. Iwasin a band, but I left because I didn’t like performing on stage. That part you guessed right.”

Scarlett nearly swallowed her tongue. He might as well have said that he’d been part of the circus because that would’ve been just as unbelievable. “What instrument did you play and what type of band was it?”

“Guitar and keyboard. Mostly pop songs. Jace wrote the lyrics, and I came up with the melodies. He recruited two guys from our Economics class to play the bass and drums. They still tour with him to this day.”

She threw up her hands and tossed aside the paper she’d been holding. “You’re telling me you could’ve been a rock star like your brother, but you gave it up to work in the corporate world? Why would you do that?”

“Besides not wanting to be in the spotlight?” he drawled in that no-nonsense way that she was becoming familiar with. His tone was more matter of fact than snarky. “Our grandfather needed someone to help with the family business. Jace and Bekah weren’t interested, and none of our cousins were either, so it was left to me.”

“You did it out of duty.”

His expression grew thoughtful. “In a way, yes. It was also a gesture of appreciation to my grandfather. He took the three of us in after our mom got sick.”

“What about your dad? Where was he?”

“He took off one day and didn’t come back. Haven’t heard from him since.”

Scarlett’s heart plummeted to her feet. The faraway look in his eyes revealed a lot more than he said. Bekah had mentioned their family’s history to her before, but she’d said she had been too young to remember most of it. Devin, on the other hand, sounded like he remembered far too much. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry you went through all of that.”

“Don’t be. We were better off with my grandfather.” A muscle in his jaw clenched as he ran a hand through his hair. “That’s enough of my past. You can leave those details out of my profile. I doubt any woman would find that appealing.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. Women love guys with a tragic past. Haven’t you seenBeauty and the Beast? Never mind, you don’t look like the type of guy who watches animated films.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I have, at least three times. It was Bekah’s favorite.”

“Then you should be able to understand why Belle fell for the Beast the more she got to know him.”

“Because she liked rehabilitating wild animals?”

“No, silly! Because she saw past the Beast’s gruff exterior and into his heart. And she knew there was a genuinely sweet guy inside who just needed to be loved. And since women tend to be caretakers, they find that challenge kind of appealing.”

That muscle in his jaw twitched again. “And you think I’m like the Beast? That the love of a woman will heal all my scars?”

She took a moment to reply, weighing her words carefully. “I don’t know. I don’t know you well enough yet, but from what I do know so far, I think you have a soft side that you keep tucked away. A woman’s love won’t heal you completely—only God’s love can do that—but it could help.”

His expression hardened. “I’m not here for anyone’s pity. If you intend to match me with one of those caretaker types, I’ll pass.”

The growly man from yesterday had reappeared. Scarlett softened her tone as she replied, “Noted. Tell me then, what are you looking for in a wife?”

Without hesitation, he replied, “Someone who thinks for herself and speaks her mind. I want her to have her own interests and goals. She needs to be able to stand on her own two feet.”

Scarlett quirked a brow. She appreciated that he had respect for strong, independent women, but she wondered if he realized what he was asking for. “Have you ever dated a woman like that?”

“Why does it matter if I have or not?”

“It matters because this hypothetical woman that you’re talking about sounds a lot like you. And from what I’ve observed in my line of work, having two people with the same intense and passionate personality traits together can get quite explosive. Ka-boom!” She imitated the sound of an explosion. “It would be like being married to yourself. Can you imagine what that’d be like?”

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