Kayla shuffled into the conference room and began putting her things down on the table. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I had to come directly from a project and I didn’t have time to change. If I had, believe me. I’d have put more effort into what I was wearing.”
Lisa stood up and hugged her best friend. “I think you look great.”
I also thought she looked great, but I didn’t say a damn thing. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans with her heels and gray long sleeve. A black blazer was draped over the top of her purse, which she set on the floor as she took a seat across from my sister and me.
“What was the project you were at?” Lisa asked.
Kayla ran her fingers through her hair and shook it. A little bit of what I thought might have been dust puffed out of her locks. “My team and I were helping a family clean up and repair their property. If they hadn’t gotten it done, they were facing some serious fines but there was no way they could manage it on their own. I had to hang around and wait for the inspector to show up, and of course, he was late, so by default, so am I. Again, I’m sorry. I know it’s not a very professional impression.”
Lisa waved off Kayla’s concern. “Don’t sweat it. We’re all practically family here. Right, Lukas?”
I’d been unable to take my eyes off Kayla since she walked in. I felt suddenly embarrassed by my lack of control. “Let’s get started,” I said gruffly. “I have other appointments today.”
I tried to pretend not to notice the way Kayla’s cheeks turned bright pink.
Lisa shot me a dark look, but I ignored her.
Chapter 4
Kayla
Lisa took a sip of water before continuing to explain to me how badly the press and the public had begun to see her brother.
I listened intently, but it was impossible not to keep shooting looks at her standoffish older brother. He’d always been a serious guy, even when he was just a kid, but there was something about him now that made him intimidating, not just serious. He had an air about him. He was accomplished, successful, and obscenely wealthy. Even though he’d never been easygoing to begin with, he now seemed removed and unapproachable. Distant.
But still dashingly handsome.
Lukas Holt had dark blond hair that wasn’t long or short. He wore it slicked back, and the style was somehow careless and slick all at once, like he’d woken up and ran his fingers through it and it fell neatly into place. His eyes were blue and as sharp as his jawline. He was clean shaven and I could see the little scar on his chin that he’d gotten when he was a teenager after a fight in school.
Lisa and I had walked home with him that afternoon and cleaned him up, hoping we’d do a good job before his mother got home. He hadn’t wanted her to know he’d been fighting. Of course, she saw right through all of us. As soon as she got home from work, she’d spotted the gash, scolded him for not calling her, and kicked me and Lisa out so she could clean him up properly.
The scar was nothing but a pale shimmer of skin now.
Lukas wore a perfectly fitted dark gray suit. Underneath was a crisp white shirt and a tie the same color as the suit. The suit accented his broad shoulders and tapered waist, and there was no concealing that he was fit as hell. The tall, lanky teenager I remembered was gone. He’d been replaced by a rippling god of a man and it was making it difficult for me to stay focused on the task at hand.
“So, are you going to tell us or what?” Lisa asked.
I blinked at her. Shit. What did she just say? Tell them about what?
“Um,” I stammered, feeling and probably looking like a total ass. “I uh…”
Lisa giggled. “I know you’re not used to big fancy conference rooms like this. Just forget about where we are. It’s just me and Lukas. No need to give a full-blown presentation. Just tell him about your non-profit.”
“Oh, okay.” I could do that in my sleep. I licked my lips, cleared my throat, and sat up straight. “My non-profit is called Good Fellow’s.”
“Very aptly named,” Lisa said pointedly to Lukas, who didn’t bat a lash at her comment.
“Good Fellow’s focuses its work at the micro-level individuals that make up our neighborhood. We deal in real impact at the community level all over Seattle. Over the last two years, I’ve set up a network of organizations that communicate to let each other know their needs and resources, creating a spider web of sorts so that everyone has a support system. Not only does it make it easier to find and fill the needs of the people we’re trying to help, but it broadens our donations pool as well. We’ve seen an increase in donations over the last eighteen months since we got the network up and running, and in turn, the number of people we’ve been able to help has increased as well. I have some printouts with me if you want to take a look.” She paused to flip through the mess of paperwork she’d brought with her.
“I don’t need to see numbers,” Lukas said evenly. “Lisa says if I team up with your non-profit, the public won’t see me as the devil anymore.”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “He’s being dramatic.
