Page 9 of Saving the CEO

Emerald gasped. “You’reScarlett’s client? Oh, she wasn’t kidding!”

He quirked a brow in her direction. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s nothing! Forget I said anything.”

“I happen to have a very good memory, so please don’t insult me.”

Her face flushed. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Mr. Kendall. It really was nothing.”

Amber shot Emerald a wide-eyed look that told Devin she was the oldest sibling. “Emerald, how many times do I need to remind you that the client is always right? Tell Mr. Kendall what Scarlett said. She wasn’t kidding about what?”

“Just about how, um, tall and handsome he is.”

Devin’s jaw hung slack as he processed this information. Was Scarlett attracted to him? “She said that?”

“She also mentioned how hardworking and successful you are,” Emerald rushed on to add. “Enough talking! Let me take you to her office. Right this way!”

He followed her down a short hallway to the last door on the right. There was no time to consider the ramifications of Emerald’s revelation, but he did wonder if that was why Scarlett had been so touchy with him yesterday. His jaw clenched with frustration. Women! Who knew how their minds worked? Even if he cared to understand them, it was nearly impossible to do so. All he knew was that he ought to keep his distance from his matchmaker. The last thing he wanted to do was give her any wrong ideas.

“Red?” Emerald called out and gave the door a quick knock. “Your client, Mr. Kendall, is here.”

“Coming!” The impossibly cheerful voice grew louder as the door swung open. “Hi, Devin!”

Devin blinked hard as if a bright ray of light had blinded him. He found himself face to face with a woman dressed in professional attire. She wore a bright pink pantsuit with a gray sweater and matching pink heels. Long, dark curls drew attention to her creamy complexion. Her light makeup had a natural appeal. But it was her smile—bright, sweet, and welcoming—that paralyzed his tongue. For the first time in his adult life, he felt his neck flush. This woman, whoever she was, could not be more beautiful.

“Have a seat! I don’t expect you to stand for our meeting.”

Hearing Scarlett’s voice coming from her mouth made him do a double take. How could it be? The person he’d met yesterday had been a shadow of a woman—young, inexperienced, and too confident for her own good. The woman standing before him today appeared polished, put together, and mature.

Dumbfounded, he sat down in the chair Scarlett directed him to. By this time, her sister had left the office, leaving the two of them alone. Devin swallowed hard and wiped his palms along his black slacks. He needed to get his head back in the game. There was only one reason he was here and that was to save his family’s company. He couldn’t afford to be distracted, especially not by something as shallow as appearances. Running a hand down his face, he took a deep breath and strengthened his resolve. He could stay focused. Hehadto stay focused.

“I’m so glad you could take time out of your busy schedule to meet in person, Devin.” Scarlett pushed a piece of paper across the desk to him. “I promised a fun and efficient interview, so here it is. I’ll be taking notes, so you can sit back and relax.”

Relax? Easier said than done. His senses were on heightened alert with Scarlett only two feet away. The sweet floral scent of her perfume hung in the air, muddling his thoughts. Crossing his legs, he rested an ankle over his knee, then squared his jaw. “I’ll relax when this is over. I have no time to waste, Ms. Hayes. Let’s get started.”

“Oh-kay,” she muttered under her breath, “someone woke up on the wrong side of the universe today.”

He shot her an indignant look. “Excuse me?”

“I think I have the answer to my first question. Let me guess, you’re a night owl?”

He glanced down at the paper that had two columns of words listed. The first comparison was “Morning bird or Night owl.” Smirking, he remarked, “This is how you’re conducting the questionnaire, by doing one of those social media challenges?”

“You’re familiar with ‘This or That’? I didn’t take you for an Instagram kind of guy.”

“I’m not. I only follow my sister’s and brother’s accounts. Bekah’s had some ‘This or That’ posts, but none like this that I recall.”

“That’s because I made this one myself,” she declared proudly. “Now, was I right in guessing that you’re not a morning person?”

“That’s right.”

“Yes!” She made a note on her paper. “What about the next one? Do you like receiving gifts or spending quality time together? Hold on, let me guess first!”

He almost rolled his eyes at her enthusiastic tone. Thiswasthe same woman he’d met yesterday, after all. Despite her professional dress, she still had the same childlike spirit. This realization gave him some relief. There was no possibility that he’d be attracted to someone as young and green as Scarlett. But he did find her enthusiasm somewhat appealing. “Go on,” he humored her, “take a wild guess.”

“I think you like gifts more. You don’t strike me as a people person.”

He sneered, not appreciating the way she wrinkled her nose. “I’m not paying you to insult me.”

---