The Danforths: Reid, Kimberly and Jake: The Cinderella Scandal / Man Beneath the Uniform / Sin City Wedding

‘‘Do you have any medical conditions that prohibit you from lifting or doing physical labor?’’

He narrowed his eyes. ‘‘No.’’

She made a note on the application that he was in good physical condition. As if she hadn’t already noticed. Darn it, though. She’d been hoping for an easy way out.

She moved on to the next question. ‘‘Do you have any experience working in sales or with a cash register?’’

He stared at her for a long moment, then one corner of his mouth slowly turned upward. It was really quite annoying what that casual half smile did to her stomach.

‘‘I have some experience in sales,’’ he said with a nod. ‘‘I’ve never worked a cash register, but I’m a fast learner.’’

I’m sure you are, Tina nearly said out loud. She also had no doubt that he would be quite good at sales. Lord knew she’d certainly want to buy something from him.

They hadn’t talked about wages, she realized. Though the job was good pocket money for a teenager or college student, it was hardly enough for a more mature man to live on. ‘‘Is the hourly wage we advertised acceptable?’’

To her discomfort, he leaned forward and leveled his gaze with hers. She caught the faint, spicy scent of his aftershave, and could hear her pulse beating in her ears.

‘‘Let me just ask you this,’’ he said, his voice smooth and deep and edged with amusement, ‘‘if I said the wage was irrelevant, would you hire me?’’

Her first instinct was to say yes, but Tina knew it would be wasting her time and his to give him false hope or continue this interview. ‘‘No.’’

‘‘Why not?’’

‘‘Because—’’ she hesitated ‘‘—for one thing, you’re…a little older than most of our applicants.’’

Irritation narrowed his eyes. ‘‘I’m too old for you?’’

‘‘Of course you’re not too old for me,’’ she said, then quickly tried to sidestep. ‘‘I mean, you’re not too old.’’ Oh, hell. She’d certainly gotten herself into a corner on this. There were laws against age discrimination. ‘‘It’s just that we mostly hire teenagers and college students, that’s all.’’

‘‘You wouldn’t hire me because I’m not a teenager or college student.’’ He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her. ‘‘So what else is wrong with me?’’

‘‘It’s not that there’s anything wrong with you.’’ She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘‘Exactly.’’

He lifted a brow. ‘‘Exactly?’’

‘‘Well, there’s also my sister, Sophia.’’

‘‘What about her?’’

‘‘She is easily—’’ Tina searched for the right word ‘‘—distracted by good-looking men and vice versa.’’

‘‘So you think I’m too old and too good-looking,’’ he said dryly. ‘‘What else?’’

When he repeated it all back, Tina knew it sounded absurd. She cursed herself for not having had him just fill out an application and leave. ‘‘You’re overqualified.’’

‘‘How do you know that?’’

‘‘You’re obviously educated,’’ she said. ‘‘You speak well, exude confidence, and you look like you just stepped off the cover of Fortune 500 or—’’

It felt as if a lightbulb had flashed on.

Danforth. Of the Savannah Danforths. Shipping magnates. Big estate. Lots and lots of money. There’d been rumors that Abraham Danforth would be running for the Senate.

Everyone who lived in Savannah, and most everyone who didn’t, had heard of the Danforth family.

Unable to speak, Tina continued to stare at Reid. That’s why he looked so familiar. He had been on the cover of a magazine, Savannah Business. The issue Reid’s face was on had been sitting in the customer magazine rack of the bakery for the past three months.

‘‘You—’’ her voice was a ragged whisper ‘‘—you’re…Abraham Danforth’s…’’

‘‘Son,’’ he finished for her, and stuck out his hand again. ‘‘Reid Danforth. I’m here to rent the building next door.’’

Two

Reid let the words hang between them while the woman digested her mistake. Her eyes had widened behind her glasses, and her cheeks bloomed a pretty shade of pink. She hadn’t even released the breath she’d inhaled when she’d realized who he was.

He supposed he could make the situation easier by simply shrugging it off and assuring her there was no harm done. A simple misunderstanding. No big deal at all. It would certainly be the gentlemanly thing to do.

But, hell, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

He decided he would enjoy watching her squirm for a minute or two. Something told him that Tina Alexander was used to being composed and in control, and he rather liked the idea of ruffling this woman’s feathers.

Especially after the crack about him being old. Dammit, thirty-two was not old!

But when she continued to stare at him with alarm in her eyes, he began to feel a little guilty. He just wanted to rattle her a bit, not humiliate her.

He opened his mouth with the intention of easing her embarrassment, but when the breath she’d been holding came rushing out like an icy snowstorm, he realized it wasn’t embarrassment on her cheeks but annoyance.

‘‘You knew perfectly well I was interviewing you for a job,’’ she said tightly. ‘‘Why didn’t you stop me?’’

Well, well, he thought, raising a brow. The kitten definitely had her back up now.

‘‘I suppose it was like watching a train wreck,’’ he said with a half grin. ‘‘I just couldn’t seem to tear myself away.’’

It was also refreshing not to be recognized, he realized. He’d always hated that people treated him differently when they knew he was a Danforth, either turned extremely helpful or absurdly friendly.

Though at this moment friendly would hardly be a word to describe Tina Alexander, Reid thought. The mouth he’d thought so soft only a moment ago now pressed into a thin line.

He wondered for one insane moment what those lips would feel like under his own.

‘‘I’m glad I’ve given you a few minutes of entertainment.’’ She crumpled the application under her fingers into a ball and tossed it into a trash can beside the desk. ‘‘Since you’re obviously not here looking for a job, is there something else I can do for you?’’

Well now, that was a leading question, Reid thought, but certainly not one he could honestly answer without getting thrown out of the office. ‘‘I’m here about the space next door.’’

She glanced up sharply. ‘‘What about it?’’

‘‘My real estate broker spoke to a man named Ivan Alexander about leasing it.’’

‘‘Ivan is my father.’’ Tina’s eyes narrowed cautiously. ‘‘But there must be some mistake. That space isn’t for lease.’’