She paused to clap with everyone when Dr. Ralston finished his speech, then shot Shawn a look of incredulity. “You know that’s just wrong. You could’ve at least waited until the man left the building.”
Shawn smiled and shrugged. “I scheduled it for three. Can you sit in?”
Londyn mentally went through the list of clients whose notes she needed to finish. The psychologists saw patients four days a week from eight to five, but on Fridays only until noon. The afternoons were set aside for meetings, charting and the occasional rescheduled appointments. She only had two notes to finish that afternoon. “Sure.”
“I’ll make sure everyone else is available, as well, and we can meet about half an hour before to discuss what we need.”
“Sounds good.” She moved away to join in the conversation and to give Dr. Ralston his gift. “This is for you.” She handed him a small black square box with a silver bow.
“Thank you, Londyn.” Dr. Ralston gave her a brief hug and untied the bow. “I’m depending on you to keep Shawn in line. He pushes a little too hard sometimes.”
She chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I will.” While Shawn exhibited a level of compassion with his patients not often seen, he tended to be less diplomatic when it came to dealing with those who threatened their wellbeing.
He opened the box and let out a hearty laugh. “Amanda will probably call to thank you herself. Pappadeaux is her favorite restaurant.”
“I know.” His wife had mentioned it during their annual Christmas dinner. Londyn cut a small piece of the chocolate cake Corinne had baked and stood off to the side while he unwrapped the remainder of his gifts. An hour later, Dr. Ralston packed the last of his belongings into his car and said a teary goodbye.
Londyn went back to her office, finished typing her notes, then at two-thirty, made her way back to the conference room. Shawn was already seated around the table for eight scribbling on a note pad. She sat in the chair to his right.
Shawn’s head came up. “I’ve been crazy busy this week since I got back and forgot to ask you how the wedding went.” He’d decided at the last minute to leave two days earlier for his scheduled vacation.
“It was fine, and I’m still mad that you all left me hanging.”
His brows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”
“Dee, Brant, Phyllis, and Sofia all backed out. Even Dr. Ralston was a no-show. I was the only one there.”
He covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry, Londyn. Why didn’t you call me? You know I would’ve changed my itinerary for you.”
She gently pulled her hand back. “That wasn’t necessary.”
He leaned closer to her. “Londyn, I don’t know why you won’t let me—”
“Please don’t, Shawn. We’ve already had this conversation, and my answer is the same.” He’d been asking her out for the past three months and she had repeatedly told him she would not date a coworker. At forty-four, his mahogany good looks still turned the heads of women whenever he walked into the room. They’d had lunch together occasionally and attended a few charity dinners, but only as friends. And she planned to keep it that way. Shawn opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when the rest of the staff filed in and claimed seats, granting Londyn a reprieve. He gave her a look that said their conversation was far from over and she returned it with one that said it was over. Forever.
“Okay, everyone, I called this meeting because someone from BroyTech Industries is coming at three to discuss getting a computer network service.”
Corinne clapped her hands. “Hallelujah!” They all laughed.
“It will definitely make your job easier,” Shawn said with a smile. “All of ours. We’ll go around and everyone can give me their thoughts. Corinne, you can go first.”
“A streamlined appointment system where I can see all the appointments at once without having to flip through five sheets of paper. Something color-coded maybe,” she added thoughtfully.
Shawn continued around the table, and though Londyn knew the system they had should have been updated years ago, hearing it out loud made her realize they were doing double and triple work. Dr. Ralston was from a time when paper ruled, but they’d moved past that eons ago and it was time for the office to go digital. Her biggest concern was the security of patient records and she shared it when asked.
“Thanks, everyone,” Shawn said. “Anything else?” When no one offered anything, he said, “If you think of anything else, let me know.” He checked his watch. “Dee, when the representatives from BroyTech arrive, can you escort them here?”
“Sure thing.” Dee had been hired as the receptionist last year when the previous one retired.
Londyn waited for everyone to leave before speaking. “Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost?”
“No, but I talked to Dr. Ralston about it yesterday and he offered to foot the initial bill. We’d just have to pay for the maintenance. We met with Irvin right after and he said that we were in good shape financially.” Irvin handled the finances.
“That was generous.”
“Excuse me,” Dee said.
Londyn turned and gasped softly. Standing in the doorway wearing another tailored suit and looking even more handsome than she remembered stood Braxton. Their eyes connected and a slight smile tilted the corner of his mouth. Her pulse skipped.
Shawn rose from his chair and extended his hand. “I’m Dr. Shawn Ingram.”
Braxton shook Shawn’s hand. “Braxton Harper.”
“And this is Dr. Londyn Grant.”
Londyn rose and shook Braxton’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Grant.”
She smiled. “Nice meeting you, as well.” The slight squeeze of her hand was the only indication he gave that they’d met previously. Then again, it might have been wishful thinking on her part because she hadn’t been able to get him off her mind over the past week. When he didn’t return her smile or offer any other acknowledgement, she didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. She came to the conclusion that she felt a little of both.
Chapter 3
Braxton successfully concealed his delight in seeing Londyn again. A psychologist. He would have never guessed. Over the past several days, he tried to recall everything about her, but failed miserably. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Gone was the siren in the fitted pale gray dress, with her hair flowing around her shoulders, and dance moves that aroused him in ways that continued to defy logic. Today, she wore a pair of black slacks with a long-sleeved purple sweater and her hair in a bun secured on the top of her head. Some things hadn’t changed: her mocha face was just as gorgeous, her hazel eyes still sparkled and just the sight of her made his heart beat a little faster. He took it as a sign and vowed that this time he wouldn’t leave without getting her phone number.
Shifting into work mode, he sat opposite her and the other psychologist. “I know your time is valuable, so let’s get down to business. I’ll tell you a little about our services and then you can let me know how we can help you. We specialize in designing networks tailored to your needs, whether it’s starting from scratch or improving your existing system.” Braxton handed the doctors a brochure and walked them through all the details.
“We’re looking at pretty much building from scratch,” Shawn said. “Currently, we all have computers, but they aren’t connected to each other. There are four psychologists—we have room for one more—a financial manager, administrative assistant and receptionist. Right now, when we make appointments, we have to print them for our assistant.”
Braxton nodded and typed notes on his iPad. “Ideally, you’d want one system where you can all input and view the information.”
“Exactly. And color-coded for each therapist to make it easier. We’d also want to store patient records digitally,” Londyn said. “And network security. I want to make sure our clients’ information is protected.”
His gaze lingered
on Londyn as she spoke. He asked several more questions and recorded the answers, his mind already thinking about the design. “What about remote access?”
Londyn chuckled. “That would be nice.”
“I agree,” Shawn said.
“Do you have a space to house the hardware?”
Shawn drummed his fingers on the table. “There are a couple of smaller offices that might work. Would you like to see them?”
Braxton stood. “Yes. I’d also like to see where you want to place the other computers.” He followed them first to the empty rooms, the receptionist area, and finally through each office space. It wasn’t until they’d stopped to talk to the administrative assistant that he made the connection that she had been the coworker Londyn mentioned, and his cousin’s mother-in-law. With so many people attending the wedding and him trying to avoid his mother, Braxton never had a chance to meet the woman, so she didn’t recognize him. They ended in Londyn’s office. He scanned the area that held the same dark wood desk, a pair of chairs and beige loveseat as in the other offices. However, she had decorated hers with accents in varying shades of purple. A couple of plants rested on end tables and several framed certificates and degrees hung on her wall. He noticed the date on her doctorate degree and put her age somewhere in the mid-thirties.
The administrative assistant knocked on the open door. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Shawn, you have a phone call.”
“Thanks, Corinne.” Shawn turned toward Braxton. “Mr. Harper, I’m sure Dr. Grant can answer any questions you might have. If you’ll excuse me.”
“I’ll most likely need to schedule another meeting to discuss the network design and get your approval before we install it.”
“That’s fine. Will next Friday morning at eleven work? I have something that can’t be canceled in the afternoon.”
Braxton opened his iPad and checked his calendar. “Yes.” He added the appointment.
“Londyn?”
“I’ll have to check my schedule, but I think I can be there.”
Shawn nodded. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Harper. I’ll see you then.”
Now that Braxton had concluded his business for the day, he could shift into personal mode. He waited until both the doctor and the assistant left, then said to Londyn, “Any chance I might get you to return that favor?”
A smile blossomed on her face. “I wasn’t sure you remembered me.”
He wanted to tell her that he’d seen her face in his dreams at night and that she’d invaded his thoughts during the day. “I remember everything about you, Londyn. Or should I call you Dr. Grant?”
“Londyn is fine.”
“Still waiting on an answer, though?”
“To what?”
Braxton chuckled. “Returning the favor.”
“You’re asking me to go dancing?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be dancing. We could go out to dinner, see a movie, or both. Or we could do something totally different. I’d just like to take you out and get to know you.”
Londyn nibbled her bottom lip, angled her head thoughtfully, but didn’t answer for several seconds. “May I ask you a question first?”
“Sure.”
“When you first arrived, you barely acknowledged me. Why?”
He studied her briefly, seeing a glimpse of vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. The confidence she’d exuded at the wedding was one of the things that drew him and now she’d piqued his curiosity even more. “One, because my first priority in this office is business. Two, I respect your privacy. These people are your colleagues and I didn’t want to assume you’d mentioned anything about us.”
Finally, she said, “Okay. It’s a date.”
Braxton let out the breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. He didn’t realize how much he wanted her to say yes. “If you’ll give me your phone number, I’ll call you tonight and we can discuss it. If you’re available.”
She rounded her desk, picked up a card and wrote on the back. “This is my cell number, and any time after seven is good.”
Smiling, he accepted the card and tucked it in the breast pocket of his suitcoat. I won’t have to call Aunt Barbara after all. His gaze dropped to the gloss-slicked lips she had a habit of nibbling on and he wanted to do the same. He took a step toward her, then stopped short, reminding himself that this was not the place nor the time. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Braxton.”
Pivoting on his heel, he walked out. Braxton drove back to his office, spoke to the engineer and asked her to add his next appointment with Ralston Mind & Wellness Center. Although he would be designing the network, Gayle would be the one to install it. Afterwards, he headed to Double Trouble. Usually, the three men hung out for several hours, but tonight, Braxton didn’t plan to stay long.
He finished his beer and declined a second drink.
“What’s wrong with you?” Axel asked.
“Nothing. I’m cutting out early tonight.”
Cole grinned. “Hot date?”
“Not exactly. I met someone and I promised to call tonight.”
“Is she one of the women your mother introduced you to at the wedding?”
Braxton frowned. “No, but she was there as a guest of the bride’s family.” He shared the details of how they met and him not getting her phone number.
Axel swiveled on his stool to face Braxton. “How are you going to meet a woman and not get her number?”
“She gave me the impression that she was tired of men coming on to her, so I didn’t want to do the same thing.” He shrugged. “It worked out, though, because her office just hired us to design and install a network.”
Cole swirled the contents of his glass. “What does she do?”
“Clinical psychologist.”
“Brains and beauty.” He lifted his glass in a mock toast.
“Exactly.” Braxton stood and tossed a few bills on the bar. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Good luck,” Axel and Cole chorused.
“I could say the same thing to you two.” He didn’t need luck. He needed to know if she was that special woman he’d been searching for, the one who complemented him. He took a step and heard Cole growl under his breath. Braxton followed Cole’s line of sight to where a customer stood getting a little too friendly with Malaya, one of the servers.
“Take a breath, Cole,” Axel warned.
“As long as he doesn’t put his hands on her, he won’t have a prob… Son of a—” Cole leaped from the bar stool and headed to the other side of the bar.
Braxton shook his head. “Man, he’s got it bad for her. I do hope that brother backs off before Cole gets to him.” He could hold his own in a boxing ring due to sparring with Cole on a regular basis, but his friend had boxed semi-professionally during his college days and could handle any situation that came up. Braxton stayed in his spot a few minutes longer. Certain Cole had it all under control, Braxton said his goodbyes.
When he got home, Braxton climbed the stairs to his bedroom and changed out of his suit into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. He typically only wore suits when meeting a client, opting for business casual at all other times. Starving, he loped back down to the kitchen and heated up the last of the chicken enchiladas he’d made. He typically used the weekends to plan for the week, including work, social activities, exercise and meal planning to cook enough for the week. His sister often chided him, saying he’d never find someone to share his life because he was too anal and rarely did anything spontaneously. Braxton wasn’t so much anal, he just liked order as opposed to chaos.
While eating, he checked his personal email and text messages. He smiled at the photos his mother had sent from his cousin’s wedding, then frowned when she wrote she hoped she’d be the next mother of the groom. He sent back a simple reply: Very nice pictures! Braxton finished his dinner, cleaned up and then went to his bedroom. He stretched out on his bed and dialed Londyn’s number
“Hel
lo,” came the tight reply, followed by a soft moan.
He sat up straight. “Londyn, are you okay? What happened?”
“Ow, I stubbed my toe on the edge of the dresser.” She groaned.
“Do you need medical attention?”
Londyn’s forced laughter came through the line. “If I did, would you come take care of me?”
Braxton lifted a brow. “In a heartbeat. Where do you live?”
“In Buckhead, near Lenox Mall.”
How had they lived so close to each other and their paths never crossed? “I’m only fifteen minutes away in Druid Hill. Say the word and I’ll be there.”
She sighed. “I’m okay. You’re so not what I expected, Braxton,” she added softly.
He resumed his position and folded an arm behind his head. “Is that good or bad?”
“I’m really not sure.”
“The best way to find out is for us to spend some time together. What’s your pleasure?” Belatedly, he realized how suggestive the question sounded. The image of her nibbling on her lips and his reaction popped into his head. “I just meant—”
“You’re fine. I know what you meant. Since I’m not sure how this toe is going to feel tomorrow, we might have to put off going dancing for another time.”
Braxton smiled. Another time meant he’d have at least two dates in which to determine whether they should continue to see each other. “Then how about dinner?”
“That’s sounds good. Dressy or casual?”
“This is our first date, and first dates are always dressy. Didn’t you know?” She laughed, and the sound sent a strange feeling flowing through him.
“Obviously I’ve been hanging out with the wrong men.”
“Then maybe it’s time for a change.” The words with the right man were on the tip of his tongue, but he forced them back. What was wrong with him? He typically didn’t banter with women or make declarations before the first date. Or the second.
Do Me (Irresistible Husband) Page 3