Her Sweetest Fortune. Stella Bagwell

      The simple word was said offhandedly as he shoved back the sleeve of his jacket to check his watch. Again. If time was more important to him than she was, she thought bleakly, she was doing something very wrong.

      “Well, it’s rather cold out here,” she said. “Maybe we’d better say good-night.”

      Sophie turned toward the door, but before she could key in the entry code, his arm snaked around her waist and drew her toward him.

      “I can’t let you go in without a proper good-night,” he said with practiced ease.

      Finally! The word was zipping through Sophie’s mind as she planted her hands on his chest and tilted her head slightly back. At last! Her dream man was going to kiss her!

      Her heart tripping with anticipation, she waited for his kiss. But shockingly, when his lips met hers, her initial instinct was to push him away and step back. Somehow, she managed to catch herself before the crazy reaction ruined everything. Then, forcing herself to lean into him, she attempted to put real feeling into the kiss.

      His lips moved expertly over hers with just enough pressure to convey that he was interested. The feeling was pleasant enough for Sophie, but there was no passion igniting inside her. No sweet singing birds sounding in her ears. No trembling in her knees. Even after he lifted his head, she was still anxiously waiting, expecting some last-minute explosion.

      Smiling smugly, certain the dazed look on her face was a result of dreamy desire, he patted the top of her head. “Good night, Sophie. See you tomorrow.”

      “Yes. Good night.”

      As Sophie watched him walk back to his car, she was struck by the stunning realization that something was very wrong with her.

      Thom Nichols, the man of her dreams, had just kissed her and she hadn’t felt a thing.

      * * *

      The next evening Mason was still at his desk, deep in work, when Nadine stopped by his cubicle.

      “Hey, guy, haven’t you looked at the clock? It’s quitting time.”

      He glanced around to see Nadine was already buttoned up in a fake fur coat that resembled a cheetah. In spite of her smile, she looked drained.

      “I’ll be going soon,” he told her. “I have a few more things I want to finish. How’s the mother/baby app going?”

      Groaning, she rolled her head one way and then the other. “I’m losing my mind. That’s how it’s going. Wanna help?”

      Mason chuckled. “I have plenty of work waiting on me. Besides, I know nothing about mothers and babies.”

      Nadine grinned suggestively. “This would be a good opportunity for you to learn.”

      “Hah! It’ll be years before I have a child. If ever,” he said flatly.

      “Aw, come on, Mason. I can see deep down you were made to be a family man. Don’t disappointment me.”

      Mason shot her a glum look and Nadine promptly stepped into the cubicle as though she’d forgotten she was on her way out of the building.

      “It’s been months since Christa threw you over for that high-rolling real estate agent. If you’re still pining over her, let me assure you, she’s not worthy to wipe the sweat off your brow, much less be your wife.”

      Mason gave her a weary smile. “Thanks for the compliment. But forget about Christa. Believe me, I have.”

      “Really? Then tell me why you’ve been going around all day like you’ve lost your dog?”

      “I don’t have a dog.”

      “Don’t evade the question. Something...” Her red lips formed an O as she shot him a shrewd glance. “It’s about Sophie, isn’t it? You were very unhappy at seeing her with Thom in the breakroom yesterday. What’s happened? You think you’ve lost your chance with her or something?”

      Mason tossed his pen onto the desk, where it promptly rolled to the back and fell between the wall and the kickboard. A sign of just how his luck was going, he thought dismally. “She went out on a date with him last night.”

      Nadine’s brows arched upward. “Really? How would you know that?”

      “Yesterday, when you saw her here at my desk, she was telling me that Thom had asked her out. She was jumping up and down with excitement.” He shook his head while trying to ignore the heavy feeling of dejection settling in the pit of his stomach. “She has her heart set on having a big Valentine’s date with Thom. And knowing Sophie’s determination, she’ll probably get it.”

      “Poor girl. She’s letting that pretty face of Thom’s blind her. I expect it won’t take long for the blinders to fall off and then she’ll start looking for a man with real substance. And we know where she can find one of those,” Nadine added with a sage grin.

      “Do we?”

      Before Nadine could answer, Dexter Johnson, another programmer, stopped by Mason’s cubicle.

      “Oh. You two are still here. Are we supposed to be staying over for a meeting or something? I didn’t get a memo about it.”

      In his midthirties, Dexter had black hair that waved in a giant bush about his pale face. A wide smile exposed a set of longer than normal eyeteeth, prompting the nickname Vamp. And though it was done with affectionate teasing, Mason didn’t approve of his colleagues’ humor. When it came to computers, though, Dexter was practically a genius. Along with that, he was a nice, unpretentious guy.

      “Don’t worry, Dexter. There’s no meeting. Nadine and I are just having a little visit.”

      “Oh, well, I’ll let you two get on with it.”

      Before he could move on, Mason said, “You don’t have to go. Pull up a chair and join us.”

      Even though Dexter was clearly warmed by the invitation, he quickly shook his head. “No thanks. I need to get home. They’re predicting sleet tonight. Not good walking weather. And I’m too chintzy to catch a cab.”

      Nadine wrapped her arm around Dexter’s slender shoulders. “Forget about walking, or the cab. You can ride with me. Your apartment is right on my way.”

      Dexter’s thin face brightened. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

      “No bother at all. I’m happy to have the company. So if you’re ready, let’s go.” She urged Dexter away from the cubicle, while tossing a smile over her shoulder at Mason. “Get your swagger on, Mason. Your time is coming. Good night.”

      Mason waved, then turned back to his computer.

      Swagger? Him? He was hardly the guy who roared in on a motorcycle wearing black leather chaps and a slick pompadour. How was Mason supposed to get swagger when everybody saw him as the boy next door with the kind face and comfortable shoulder?

      For the next two hours, Mason tried to dive into his work and forget about Sophie’s date with Thom. But each time he thought he’d cleared his mind, her pestering image came right back to him.

      Sophie had told him to stop by her desk today and she’d give him a report on her date. But regardless of how much he wanted a chance to talk with her, he was hardly keen on hearing about Thom Nichols sweeping her off to some magical spot and kissing her until she fainted with delight.

      No. Mason didn’t need to hear any of that. But when he finally shut down his computer and walked out into the corridor to leave, he spotted a light still burning in human resources and knew it had to be Sophie. No one else put in the long hours that she did.

      With his jacket slung over his shoulder, he stood near the elevator doors, trying to decide whether to go speak to her, when the light suddenly went dark and Sophie stepped into the corridor.

      Spotting him immediately,