Darci flashed him a reluctant smile. “But you’re not the perfect man Mother chose for me. Her candidate has lost out. She can’t stand to be wrong, if you’ll remember.”

His jaw clenched at the memories from the short amount of time he’d spent in the presence of Anita Blackmore. Darci was sugar-coating the truth. Anita Blackmore had never entertained the thought that she could possibly be wrong. And the rest of the world was expected to pander to her expectations.

When Darci stood, Cole allowed himself a moment to admire the gentle sway of her hips as she walked back to the desk. The crisp little business suit she wore hinted at undiscovered passions. He wanted to be the one to discover her secrets, to teach her just what love was all about. He let his breath out in a slow, controlled sigh, forcing the tantalizing thought away. He had to concentrate on business.

She sat at the desk and pulled the last file folder closer. “Thanks for dinner, Cole. Let me finish reading this last report and then we’ll head for home.”

Home. The word had an odd ring to it and brought a feeling of wistfulness to Cole. He wasn’t used to these emotions. For too many years, he’d just been trying to succeed in a tough world and hadn’t had time to feel. Then he’d held his newborn daughter in his arms, and the world championship he’d just won paled in comparison. But he’d been certain he had the world by the tail.

As fate often decreed, his marriage and his career had fallen apart, and he’d struggled to survive the challenges that were thrown his way. He’d closed off his heart and his feelings. Now the unexpected emotions battered him, threatening to tear him apart.

He sat on the leather couch and watched Darci. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and the soft lighting glinted off the golden highlights. Desire curled through him as he began to weave a fantasy life that could never exist for either of them. To have a real marriage, a normal life, happy children and a home. It was something that had always been held just out of his reach until he’d given up on it.

But Darci brought the old wants back to torment him.

The office door popped open without warning and a well-dressed man walked in as if he belonged there. Cole tensed, looking back and forth between Darci and the newcomer. Darci hadn’t been very talkative about her past relationships, but Cole suspected he was about to learn more than if she’d told him her version of the facts.

“Jeffrey, what are you doing here?”

“You’ve been avoiding me. We need to talk.” Jeffrey braced his arms on the desk and leaned toward Darci.

“We’ve already said everything that can be said months ago. Now, please leave, Jeffrey, I have work to do.” Darci’s voice carried a coldness that Cole hadn’t thought she was capable of.