But what had caused the most excitement around the office today was a certain munchkin-size visitor who seemed to be charming the pants off every Trendsetter employee she came in contact with. Samiah had arrived with the young girl just before lunchtime—what was once his time. Everyone had lost their minds, as if they’d never encountered a cute kid with a beaming smile and bubbly personality before.

Daniel had watched as surreptitiously as possible as Samiah took her on a tour of the office. She’d played around on the computers and even sat behind Barrington’s desk so she could have her picture taken.

They now stood just two desks down from him, at Amy Dodd’s station. He hadn’t seen their approach; he’d felt it. The sensation that rushed along his skin whenever Samiah was near had alerted him.

The middle schooler—Tomeka—enthusiastically nodded at whatever Amy had just said. She raced to the other side of the desk and sat in front of the computer. Samiah looked on like a proud auntie.

She’d ignored him all day. Although Daniel wasn’t sure what he would say if she actually had talked to him. What about his situation had changed between the moment before he’d kissed her and now? Nothing.

He was still here to do a job that required him to lie to her. A job he shouldn’t allow himself to get distracted from. A job that would possibly be in jeopardy if his superiors found out that he’d kissed her the other night.

The difference, of course, was the DEFCON levels of agony he’d experienced since he’d turned down her invitation to lunch. How had he not realized just how much he would crave her? He’d become as addicted to seeing her smile in the morning as he was to the coffee he no longer allowed himself to have for fear of running into her at the coffee bar.

This is why he needed to concentrate on the job at hand. The sooner he solved this case, the sooner he’d be out of here. And out of this misery. At least that’s what he’d been telling himself. He knew it was naive as hell to think he would just forget about Samiah the moment he left Austin, but he was going with it.

Daniel felt a tap on his shoulder. He lifted his headphones from one ear and looked up at Morgan, who thankfully had halted her pursuit of him.

“What’s up?” he asked her.

She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Amy’s calling you.”

He removed the hoodie and swiveled his chair around toward Amy’s desk. Samiah stood there with an expression he couldn’t quite name. Disinterest, maybe?

“What do you need?” he directed at Amy.

“Tomeka is learning JavaScript. Why don’t you come over and show her the trick you showed me?”