Her stomach retaliated against her with an angry growl, but just as she was about to head to the kitchen, John came into her office with his laptop open and one of their newest clients, the owner of a string of pet boutiques that was on the verge of franchising her successful business, on a video conference call. Samiah spent the next hour talking the client down from the proverbial ledge. She didn’t even get the chance to grab that granola bar for lunch before it was time to leave for her meeting in Wells Branch.
She packed her laptop into her bag and locked up her desk. She wouldn’t worry about coming back to the office once she was done with her meeting.
She’d made it just past the Water Wall in Trendsetters’ lobby when she heard someone call her name. “Hey, Samiah.”
She turned to find Justin Vail striding toward her, with Daniel trailing a few steps behind. He stood alongside Justin, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“I’m glad I caught you before you left,” Justin said. “I realized that Daniel hasn’t seen any of our nonprofit work in action. I thought he could join you at the Right Path today, get a firsthand look at what you do.”
“Gotta love this immersive training,” Daniel said.
The effort to suppress her laugh nearly did her in. Samiah cleared her throat and nodded. “I’ll be happy to show Daniel the ropes.” She turned to him. “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.”
After they boarded the elevator, Samiah turned, prepared to tell him that he wasn’t fooling anyone with his little end-around move. But before she could speak, the elevator doors opened on the twenty-first floor and several people joined them. It wasn’t until they entered the parking garage that she finally got the chance to call him out on his sly maneuvering.
“You think you’re slick, don’t you?” Samiah asked as they walked to her car.
“What? You think I orchestrated this?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong. This was all Justin.”
“Sure,” she said with an eye roll.
“It’s the truth.” He held his hands up. “Justin asked if I knew anything about Trendsetters’ charitable work. When I said that I didn’t, he asked if I was interested in seeing it play out firsthand.”
“Oh, so an hour after I turn you down for lunch, I’m supposed to believe you’re now here because you want to learn about the company’s ‘charitable work’?” She made air quotes.
“I happen to be very interested in my new employer’s philanthropic deeds. To insinuate that I have an ulterior motive for joining you is just wrong, Ms. Brooks.”
She choked on a laugh. “You are so full of shit.”
“Not the first time I’ve had those words directed at me,” he said as they arrived at her car. He held the driver’s side door open for her and draped an arm over the top of it. “But I should warn you, I’ve also heard that I tend to grow on people.” He winked. “Be prepared.”
Was she really expected to resist him? In what universe was it possible to meet someone as genuinely sweet, charming, and incorrigible—but in the very best way—and not reciprocate their obvious interest?
Once in her car, they headed up I-35. Staring out the passenger-side window, Daniel remarked, “I’ve been here nearly a month and haven’t been north of Highway 183. I need to take some time to explore this city.”
“Have you been to Lake Travis yet?”
“No, but I heard it’s beautiful out there.”
“It is. It should definitely be on the list of places for us to hike. Once I’m more comfortable being alone with you.” She held up a finger. “This doesn’t count.”
“It totally counts.”
“It does not. We’re alone, but it’s work-related.”
“Are you making up these rules as we go along?”
“Maybe.” She tipped her chin in the air. “It doesn’t matter when the rules were made, you still have to abide by them if you want me to be your hiking trails tour guide.”
“Well, I guess I’ll need to follow your rules, because I definitely want that.” The rich, deep timbre of his voice set off a faint tremor low in her belly.
Samiah sped up by an extra five miles per hour. The quicker she arrived at the center, the quicker she could escape the confines of this car, which seemed to have contracted since she left the office. Or maybe it was the sudden, potent dose of pheromones whirling around that had taken up all the space.
The directors of the Right Path foster care center were waiting for them when they pulled up to the nondescript building located in a strip mall just off the highway exit. Samiah made introductions and then followed the couple into a cramped, windowless office.
During their nearly two-hour-long meeting, where they were shown the center’s woefully inadequate and antiquated computers, along with the hundreds of files that needed to be digitized, Samiah paid attention to Daniel’s attentiveness. He provided thoughtful suggestions and offered to support the center’s efforts in any way he could.
He is not perfect.
She had to occasionally remind herself that, despite all evidence to the contrary, there had to be something wrong with Daniel Collins. There were no perfect people. There had to be a flaw lurking somewhere. She wished he’d go ahead and reveal it already. Maybe then her mind would stop with this insane tendency it had to paint him as the most genuine, giving, exemplary human being she’d encountered in ages.
He turned to her as they exited the center.
“Do you know how much the work Trendsetters is doing is going to help them?” he asked.
“That’s the point,” Samiah said, charmed by his enthusiasm. “The funds they save can be better put to use by helping place more kids.”
“I can get behind a company like this,” he said with a nod. Once settled in her car again, he continued. “But here’s what I don’t get. Why are you the one doing this? Isn’t this the kind of thing HR handles? It doesn’t seem like it would be in Implementation’s wheelhouse.”
“I know,” she said. “But it’s my baby.”
“This particular project?”
“No, Trendsetters’ work with nonprofits. Barrington established a program for charitable giving from the beginning, but there’s a big difference between throwing money at an organization and doing actual hands-on work. I thought Trendsetters could do more, so I started doing more.”
“Most people don’t think this way. You do know that, don’t you?”
She flipped on her blinker. “I know, but it’s important to me.” Several beats passed before Samiah continued. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I didn’t do this by myself. When I was a freshman in high school, a bunch of people at my church back in Houston collected money to send me to a computer summer camp. Many of them didn’t even know things like that existed. They’d raised money to send some of the boys to football and basketball camp, and they’d help to fund cheerleading camp, but computer camp?
“I have no doubts that I would still accomplish everything I’ve set out to accomplish without any help—as my mom is so quick to point out, I’m too damn stubborn not to.” Samiah laughed. “But having people who believed in me enough to offer their support gave me a leg up. I want to do that for others. I think this world would be a better place if more people reached out to help others.”
He was quiet for so long that Samiah glanced over at him to make sure he was still paying attention. He was. He stared at her with a hint of wonder in his eyes.
“What?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You’re just…you’re really different from this other person I know.”
It didn’t take a degree in computer science to figure this one out. “I assume you’re talking about an ex.”
He nodded and shrugged. “Joelle wasn’t big into doing for others,” he said. “As in, she never did anything for anyone else. Hearing how important it is to you to give back, it just reminds me that not everyone is out for themselves all the time.” The corner of his mout
h tipped up in a sad yet adorable grin. “Like you said, the world would be a better place if more people thought that way.”
“What are you doing tomorrow?” she asked before she could stop herself or consider the question’s implications.
His forehead furrowed. “Just hanging out at my crib.”
She should end the conversation right here. Just play the question off as mild curiosity or making small talk.
“Why don’t you get yourself some hiking boots after work today. There’s a nice trail in Bastrop I think you’d enjoy.”
Or just ask him out.
“You sure about that?” His eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. “You don’t want to do a few more lunches together? Maybe get to know me better before sneaking off to the woods with me?”
She glanced over and fought to curb her body’s reaction to the devilish smile tracing across his lips. “I think I can trust you.”
Whether or not she could trust herself around him was an entirely different matter.
Chapter Twelve
You’re not getting tired on me already, are you?”
If there was a way to capture the pure delight radiating from Samiah without seeming like a creep, Daniel would have taken the picture with his phone already. She’d been tossing those teasing grins his way all morning, along with the jabs about him lagging behind.
Why would he want to catch up with her? This vantage point afforded him a magnificent view of her tan shorts stretching deliciously over an ass that, up until now, he hadn’t given himself permission to fully appreciate. He was all too happy to stay a couple of steps behind.
“I can handle whatever you throw my way,” Daniel returned.
“Oh really?” She winked. “We’ll see about that.”
She picked up speed, charging up the winding, well-trodden path that cut through the dense cluster of towering bald cypress and sycamore trees. He’d been amused by her attempts to test him, suggesting they take the more demanding walking trail and setting an aggressive pace from the very outset. As far as Samiah knew, he was a lifelong computer geek who spent most of his time behind a monitor. He’d own up to being a computer geek, but he’d also spent months trekking across the shrubland of Djibouti with fifty pounds of gear strapped to his back and a Marine Corps–issued M16A4 rifle nestled against his chest.
Still, a vigorous hike was a vigorous hike. They were both puffing for air by the time they broke free of the thick trees and came upon an outcropping of limestone that jutted out over a rushing stream.
“Holy shit, this is beautiful,” Daniel said.
“Onion Creek,” Samiah said. “Worth the hike?”
He glanced over and had to catch his breath at the portrait she created. The sun filtering through the wispy clouds cast a warm glow over her profile, making her sumptuous brown skin even more alluring. The urge to reach over and run the backs of his fingers along her cheeks—still flush from their hike—overwhelmed him.
“Absolutely,” he said.
She turned to him, and all the fantasies he’d tried his hardest to suppress slammed to the forefront of his mind. Curbing the impulse to lean into her and taste those lips he’d dreamed about for weeks took a strength he hadn’t realized he possessed.
Just ask her. That’s all it would take. One simple question.
He already had the answer. It was staring right back at him. The lambent arousal flickering in her eyes, the way her lips parted slightly; she gave off the kind of vibe that couldn’t be mistaken. Three weeks of steadily escalating flirtation had to lead to something. Maybe this was it. This moment when they were finally alone, away from all distractions, from every hindrance that could get in the way of exploring where the undeniable attraction between them could lead.
All he had to do was ask.
But then, in the pulse of a heartbeat, Samiah seemed to come to her senses. Her eyes widened and she took several steps to the left, increasing the distance between them.
Daniel ran a hand down his face and sucked in a shallow breath in an attempt to gain back some of the control he’d lost.
What in the hell was he doing? Was he trying to earn the top spot on Lowell Dwyer’s shit list? Or worse, get himself pulled from this case? If his supervisor knew about what he was up to this morning, Daniel had no doubt he’d have him on a plane to Virginia by this afternoon.
Peering out over the creek, Samiah cleared her throat and asked, “So, um…how are you adjusting to Trendsetters?”
“It’s been…surprising,” he said, giving her an honest answer for once.
She regarded him with a curious quirk to her brow. “Really? How so?”
“It’s just not what I’m used to.” Daniel shrugged, picking up a quarter-size chunk of limestone and pitching it into the water. “The atmosphere is so different from all the companies I’ve worked for in the past. Most sit you in a plain gray cubicle and expect you to spend the day slaving behind a computer screen. It’s all about what you can produce. Trendsetters puts a lot of effort into building a sense of cohesiveness among their employees. I like it. You don’t see that everywhere.”
“How many places have you worked?” she asked, an incredulous tinge to her laugh. “You make it sound as if you’ve been with a dozen companies already.”
“No, no. Not a dozen.” More like two dozen.
Dammit, he knew better than to allow that kind of slipup. The average twenty-eight-year-old software engineer with his academic background would have had approximately two-point-five employers at this stage of his career, not counting a couple of internships. It was the opposite of typical to have completed four years in the Marines and another two infiltrating companies engaged in white-collar crimes.
He should never have put himself in the position of having to discuss his employment background. The less details he shared, the better.
“Hey, I don’t know about you,” Daniel said, needing to change the subject, “but I could use a little sustenance before we get back on the hiking trail.” He slipped a hand in the side pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out his secret weapon. “Can I interest you in a snack?”
Samiah burst out laughing at the sight of the granola bar.
“How could I say no to that?” she said, her grin a reminder of why it was so hard to say no to this…this thing that had blossomed between them.
They settled down on the massive gnarled roots of an old cypress. Daniel held her hand as she found purchase before taking a seat next to her.
“So, where did you work before Trendsetters?” he asked, handing her a granola bar. Because she wasn’t a subject, the dossier on Samiah had been pretty high level, covering her academic background and the various roles she’d held at the company, but he didn’t have anything on her career prior to Trendsetters.
“I worked for one of the other tech companies in the city right after grad school, but that lasted less than a year. I started at Trendsetters three years ago.” She held her hands up. “And I know what you’re thinking. ‘It took you that long to finish grad school?’”
“Hey, I understand. Grad school is no joke.”
“Actually, I went to summer school and carried a full workload so that I could finish a semester early, but that’s only because I got a late start. I earned a degree in education before I found the courage to tell my family that I didn’t want to follow in my parents’ footsteps.”
He stopped in the middle of tearing the wrapper from his bar. “You were going to be a teacher?”
She shook her head, but took a sip from the plastic water bottle that had been strapped to her hiking belt before answering. “No, I was never going to be a teacher,” she said.
After it became obvious that she had no plans to elaborate, Daniel asked, “So why…?”
She lifted a long, spindly branch from the ground and began drawing curlicues in the soft earth.
“Even as I sat in all those early childhood education classes, I knew I wasn’t going to teach. I’ve known t
hat I wanted to work in the tech industry—and not just as a computer science teacher—since high school.” She released a sigh. “But I didn’t want to disappoint my mom and dad. They were both teachers. My sister is a teacher who went ahead and married a teacher. Education is a big deal in my family.”
“I get that,” he said. Pursuing higher education and military service were a given in his family.
“Anyway, I stuck with it so that I’d have the degree. My dad has this saying: The world will always need teachers and nurses, so as long as you have a degree in either of those fields, you’ll always have a job.”
“Nursing?”
“Hard pass. The sight of blood makes me queasy.” She tilted her head. “Come to think of it, I have the same reaction at the thought of teaching a bunch of fourth graders.”
Daniel shook in an exaggerated shudder, drawing a laugh from her.
“So, you went through four years of undergrad, got your degree in education, and then did it all over again to earn the software engineering degree?”
“At least I already had the prerequisites out of the way,” she said with a shrug. “And because I absolutely loved what I was learning, it was way more interesting the second time around.”
His gaze fixed on her profile, he wondered how many layers there were to her that he had yet to uncover.
“I think you would have been an amazing teacher,” Daniel said. “But it would have been a waste. You kick ass at your job.”
“Thank you.”
“Seriously, you’re amazing. I’ve watched the other lead engineers, and not a single one has the kind of command over their team that you do. I hope Trendsetters realizes how lucky they are to have you.”
“Oh, believe me, they do. I know exactly how valuable I am, and I make it a point to remind them on a regular basis. I am the rarest of rarities: a diversity unicorn.”
“A what?”
She ticked items off on her fingers. “I’m young, black, female, and I know my shit. I check off nearly all of the diversity boxes. I’m worth more than gold to companies that want to show how incredibly ‘inclusive’ they are.”
The Boyfriend Project Page 11