Page 26 of Saving the CEO

And yet, he seemed to have the opposite effect on her.

The way she stared at him, her mouth agape and eyes open wide, was not the reaction any man wanted from a woman he’d just opened up to. Scarlett not only looked surprised, she seemed horrified.

Yes, he had definitely said too much.

“I meant that without you,” he explained matter-of-factly, “there would be no marriage or children to speak of. You are the matchmaker, after all.”

“Oh!” Her expression brightened as she laughed. “Of course, that’s what you meant. Well, it is my job, you know. I’m all about making sure my clients get their happy ever after. That’s why you hired me, right?”

Devin grunted in agreement. Hired—that one word spoke volumes. Theirs was a working relationship, nothing more. Scarlett spent time with him because she had to, not because she liked his company. If their time together had proven anything, it was how much he frustrated her. No wonder she seemed so eager to put some distance between them.

Scarlett now stood to his side about three feet away, pointing her golf putter at him like a weapon. She waved him forward. “Why don’t you start?”

Devin studied her expression, wishing he could read her thoughts. There was so much he didn’t know about her. All this time, he had been the one talking about himself, about his needs and his wants. For the first time since he met Scarlett, he wanted to learn about her. Who was this woman who was able to get him to let his guard down so easily? What were her needs and what did she want?

As with any goal he decided on that was worth pursuing, he made up his mind in that moment to find out more about Scarlett. And he’d use this game of golf to do just that.

“I usually say ladies first,” he replied, “but in the spirit of rule number six, I’ll go first. But there is something I would like to propose to make this game more interactive, since that is the goal of our meeting today.”

Scarlett’s brows rose. “Are you trying to do my job now?”

“I’m merely making a suggestion.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“For every hole in one we hit, we get to ask the other person a question.”

“Hmm.” She pursed her lips as she thought. “You’re trying to make this interactive and competitive? I can get on board with that. The only thing I don’t like is that I didn’t come up with the idea first.”

“How about I give you partial credit? I’m sure you’ve rubbed off on me these past couple of weeks with all the advice you’ve been giving.”

“That’s really good to hear, especially given our—how shall I put it—challenging start.” Her green eyes lit up with humor. “I guess it’s true what they say—you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

“Are you calling me old now?”

“I meant mature.”

“Aren’t I only a couple of years older than you?”

“A couple is two. You’re half a decade older. When I was born, you were already learning your ABCs.”

“Actually, I started reading when I was four. By age five, I’d already taught myself how to play the piano.”

Her jaw dropped. “I change my mind. You are old. How did you teach yourself to read music?”

He held up a hand and shook his head. “No questions until you get a hole in one.”

“Okay, fine. Hurry up then, Grandpa! I want my turn!”

If anyone else had called him Grandpa, Devin would have put them in their place. Yet Scarlett’s teasing tone made him smile with ease. He quickly obliged and stepped forward.

The first course was nice and easy with its flat surface and unobstructed pathway. He placed his ball on the ground, lined up his putter, and swung. The bright green golf ball rolled its way over six feet of red and blue synthetic turf until it fell into the hole at the end. Devin pumped his fist in a sign of victory.

“Nice!” she exclaimed. “My turn now!”

“Hold on, I get to ask you a question first.”

“I was hoping you’d forgotten in your old age,” she teased. “Go on, let’s get it over with.”

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