Seducing the Best Man

She accepted his handshake. “Thank you, Mr. Hembrecht. I’d like to introduce you to Patton Ryan. Patton, Mr. Hembrecht—”

“Ronald, please, Cady.” Mr. Hembrecht shook his head. “Very nice to meet you, Patton.” He looked back and forth between them. Cady could only imagine the barrage of questions she’d have directed at her on Monday morning.

Patton smiled at her then shook her boss’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I know Cady enjoys her work—that says a lot about who’s in charge.”

Mr. Hembrecht’s smile grew. “I agree. A happy employee is a loyal employee.” He regarded Cady then. “Cady is a huge asset to the company, one I want to keep on my payroll.”

“She’s a catch,” Patton agreed, taking her hand again.

Cady glanced at their hands, pleased at the warmth and support that simple touch provided her.

“Hey, Cady.” Charles joined them. “You look great. Charles Hembrecht,” he said, offering his hand to Patton.

“Patton Ryan.” Patton shook his hand. “Nice to meet the man behind the texts.”

Cady stared up at him, horrified. But Patton was smiling, at ease. By all appearances, he was teasing—making small talk. But she knew better. She squeezed the hand she held tightly.

“Guilty.” Charles smiled even as he glanced at his father.

Mr. Hembrecht glanced back and forth between Cady and his son. “Texts? After-hours?”

Charles blew out a deep breath.

“Just while he was getting situated,” Cady filled in. “It’s a demanding job.”

Mr. Hembrecht wasn’t pleased, but he was a true professional. With one quick look at his son, he conveyed disapproval. “Indeed,” Mr. Hembrecht murmured. “What do you do, Patton?”

“He’s a detective,” she

offered, eager to steer the conversation in a new direction. “Like his father before him.”

“Talk about a demanding job.” Charles was clearly assessing Patton.

“It has its moments,” Patton agreed.

“Thank you for your service,” Mr. Hembrecht said. “It’s a noble profession, one that doesn’t get the respect it deserves.”

Patton smiled, nodding his head at her boss.

“Or the required breaks that the corporate world gets. Talk about dedication. How many hours have you gone without sleep?” she asked.

He shook his head. “A few,” he admitted, grinning.

“Then he must be equally dedicated to you,” Mr. Hembrecht offered.

Cady felt the weight of Patton’s gaze on her but resisted the urge to look at him. She was mortified to feel the heat in her cheeks. More troubling was the nervous giddiness that welled inside her, pressing against her chest and tightening her throat.

“Cady, I took a call from Japan this afternoon. No one was able to get away,” Mr. Hembrecht continued, “but the chairman said he would be touching base with you Monday.”

Cady nodded, relaxing somewhat. “Let’s hope everything runs without a hitch.”

Mr. Hembrecht nodded. “It will. I have every confidence in you. You two go get something to drink. Have a nice time.”

The night went surprisingly well. She hadn’t known what, exactly, to expect. But this Patton—this charming, easygoing guy—was pretty much the ideal date. He shook hands, made small talk and took care of her. When Meg from Human Resources got a look at him, she gave Cady the thumbs-up. When her team met him, she watched their reactions with interest. Overall, Patton seemed to be the most exciting thing to happen to this year’s party.

The problem was, he was the most exciting thing to happen to her—ever. And, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she no longer had a choice. She accepted the terrifying truth. She was in love with Patton Ryan.

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