His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,6

dated the year before. It had been months since she’d even seen him.

“Actually, Mom, I met someone new.”

Her mother’s eyes lit up. “You did?”

Ruby’s happiness over the news filled Diane with giddiness. She realized that she was eager to talk about Kai with someone.

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s really new, but I like him. I lot.”

“Oh, Diane.” Ruby squeezed her hand. “Who is he? Where did you meet him?”

“His name is Kai, and he works in investing.” She paused, considering how much to share. Her dad wouldn’t like hearing that Diane had gone out with a client. Bad for business, is what he’d call that.

Then again, the chances of her mother even remembering this conversation were slim. Maybe she could skirt around the truth.

“I met him yesterday,” she said, “and I know it’s early, but—”

“Honey, when you know, you know.”

“Really?” Diane’s voice cracked, tears filling her eyes. Did her mom recall meeting her husband and “knowing”? Did that memory still exist somewhere in her mind, even if it was in the farthest reaches?

“What’s he like?”

“Really, really cute.” She laughed.

“Ooh, I like him already. Do you have a picture?”

“He’s tall. Black hair, blue eyes. He’s well-off, really independent. I mean, he’s rich and so attractive that you would think he’d have to be a cocky jerk, but he’s actually anything but…”

For the next half hour or so, they talked about Kai and boys in general. Diane almost forgot that the morning they were sharing would likely be gone soon like a wisp of smoke.

But nothing in life was permanent. That had been the hardest lesson to stomach, but also the truest. Smart people seized happiness when it appeared. They didn’t stand around worrying about how long it would last or what came next.

She only hoped that when it came to whatever was happening with Kai, she could keep that mindset going.

Chapter 3

Kai

At first, he’d thought it would be an unwise idea to drive himself, but as Kai pulled his white sports car into a parking spot directly in front of Diane’s brownstone, he smiled at his luck.

A place to park in Brooklyn could be almost as hard to find as in Manhattan, and so he’d almost asked his regular driver to work that evening. In the end, though, he’d decided to take his chances. It was his second date with Diane, and he wanted her all to himself. Even a person in the car, though separated by a partition, felt like too much.

Killing the engine, he climbed from the car and nearly skipped up her front steps. Not only had it been a busy day, but it had also been a fast-paced weekend.

He generally tried not to work on Sundays. That wasn’t always possible, though. An influx of client and office needs had kept him busy all weekend long.

Through it all, he’d held onto the memory of Friday night with Diane. Savored it like a piece of candy that he never wanted to finish.

Kai dated. Some. He’d had a couple longish relationships, but he’d known while in them that they probably wouldn’t head anywhere.

Not that it ever mattered. His career and family had always been the priorities in his life. Romance, he believed, would work itself out at the right time.

Something about Diane made him feel that the right time could be around the corner. The way she brought her whole presence to each moment, listening so attentively, made his heart sing. A love of life was the most attractive characteristic a person could possess, and she truly seemed to have it.

He rang the buzzer for apartment four and stood there, wondering what her place looked like. Did she have canvases all over the living room? She’d said she didn’t have much time for her own art anymore, but he liked to think she would regain that soon.

The door to the building opened, pulling him from his thoughts, and there she was. Her blond hair hung in loose waves around her shoulders, and she wore a sleeveless black dress that hugged her hips and legs.

“Hi,” she said from lips painted a soft pink.

His heart jumped into his throat. “Hello.”

She grinned, and that made him laugh. Not because anything was funny. Merely because he was suddenly so happy.

Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her long and good.

“It’s good to see you, too,” she said as they broke the embrace.

“It’s great to see you. My car’s right there.” He pointed.

“Hold on. You got the spot right in front of my building. How is