As they entered the room, he got up. She’d snuck a peek at him from her hiding position in the loft last night. Now the full impact hit her. Tall and lean with short black hair that fell in loose strands on his forehead, begging for someone—not her, of course—to brush it back.

He, who looked too good for her comfort.

He wore one of those thin, down coats that hugged his shoulders and highlighted his trim waist. The jeans dipped low on his hips, showing off a sexy torso . . . no, not sexy. Long. Lots of people were built like that, all perfect and angled with muscles popping out here and there. No big deal.

Not that she noticed, but come on. The body and that face. The pronounced nose and deep-set eyes. He could cut glass with that chiseled chin.

“Do you have news . . .” The man’s gaze bounced to hers and those dark eyes widened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

Ben snagged her coat and hung it up with his before heading for his desk. “Connor Rye, this is Maddie Rhine. I just noticed your names sound alike.”

She glared at Ben for that.

“Hi.” Connor smiled at her as he held out a hand in greeting.

She hadn’t figured out how to make any of her muscles move again. Lost in the buzz humming in her brain, she stared at Connor’s long fingers. Since when were a guy’s hands hot?

“Uh, okay.” His eyebrow lifted as he started to drop his arm. “Not the handshake type?”

“Sorry.” She grabbed for his hand and pretended not to notice the smile that came and went on his lips as she squashed his fingers in a death grip.

“No problem.”

So much for playing it cool. “You look like Hansen.”

She just blurted that out. Still held his hand in a clench that made him wince and came out with a brilliant gem like that. She finally let go of his fingers and stepped back. Rammed her butt right into the doorknob and gasped.

This was turning into a hell of a day.

Connor looked from her to Ben. “Just so I’m forewarned here. Are there any other Korean, or Asian people at all, on Whitaker or am I it?” When neither of them answered, the hottie nodded and started talking again. “I’m just trying to figure out if everyone is going to assume that I’m related to the last Asian guy who lived here because of some weird stereotype or for some other reason.”

And now he thought she was an ass. Possibly a racist one. Maddie silently congratulated herself. This was going really well.