Caroline and the Duke: A Regency Short Story by Sabrina Darby Read Free Book Online Page A

Hartmann down.
    I blinked.
Okay
. That was a bit over dramatic and this was life, not acting class. But nonetheless, I didn’t need a boyfriend to tie me to this world.
    From my peripheral vision, I could tell that James lingered there a moment longer. Then he left and I relaxed. Typed in another name. At least this was one way to get to know the company roster––of all seven Hartmann offices across the country. How on earth would that help me?
    The room seemed to hush, pressure shifting, whooshing air through my ears. The sudden silence, the absence of keys clacking and office mates chattering, unnerved me.
Something was going on.
The usual background noise started up again but more orderly, carefully. I looked over my shoulder toward the elevators. Then I understood.
    The presence of my new boss, Lance, wouldn’t have been enough to quiet the group. No, it was clearly the man standing next to him, the six-foot-three-ish, John Varvatos-clad
Men’s Vogue
escapee. Literally, since I’d seen Daniel Hartmann grace the cover of that and other magazines countless times. He was more handsome in person. Everything about him was familiar, the way a celebrity is when you see one in the security line at the airport. As if maybe you know him or her from high school, or from camp.
    Of course, I sort of knew Daniel but he was thirteen years older than when I’d last seen him. As if he sensed I was staring, his gaze found mine. Then, even from across the room I could see the slight narrowing of his eyes. No, I
felt
it. Down my spine, my skin, settling into a sharp nausea in the center of my body. I sucked in my breath. In all of the years that I had hated this man, had tracked his progress through society, and even in the last week working at his company, I had never imagined him looking at me like that.
    Did he know who I was?
    I let out my breath slowly, turned back to my computer screen. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe either. It was way too hot in the office. I shrugged out of the sweater and pushed the few straggling hairs that had escaped my French twist off of my neck.
    Did he know? Because if he didn’t, then that look was just some strange twist of fate. And if he did know!
    If he did know, then this was sick. He was like this classic, darkly handsome villain. Of course he would have looked at me this way, made me––the innocent victim of all his dastardly deeds––the focus of his attention. I laughed aloud at my ridiculous, over-dramatic thoughts, and then, alarmed, brought my hand to my mouth.
    I focused on the keyboard and the paper list of names. Typed another in. Slowly. I could hear Lance and Hartmann walking about the room, stopping to talk with other employees. I could hear James’s voice.
    Had Daniel Hartmann come down to the third floor for me? Was his slow meandering through the department a front? Or again, was this all coincidence? Either way, I had the sudden clear understanding that in just a few minutes I was going to be introduced to him. I’d have to say hello. I’d have to act like I didn’t resent him and everything he stood for. I’d have to act like simply his eyes on me didn’t make me feel as if I were about to melt into the ground. Like I wasn’t attracted to him.
    And then I’d have to not feel guilt for being attracted to this man I hated above all others.
    Oh, God, this was going to happen. I stopped myself from wrapping my arms around my shaking body. After all these years, to actually come face to face with him…it was unreal.
    Okay. Calm.
I took a deep breath, drew up the lessons from my freshman acting class. I didn’t have to be twenty-one year old Emily Anderson, terrified and shaking. I could be anybody I wanted. And I didn’t have to take this meeting sitting down.
    I pushed my rolling chair back from the desk and stood, carefully not looking in his general direction. But I felt when his attention was on me again, or maybe that was my imagination. I crossed the