âLET ME MAKE THIS EASY for you,â the man in the expensively tailored suit told Dani Buchanan. âYou donât get to speak to the senator until you tell me why youâre here.â
âAmazingly enough, that information doesnât make things easier,â Dani Buchanan murmured, feeling equally scared and excited which made for a very queasy stomach. Sheâd already talked her way through a receptionist and two assistants. She could actually see Mark Canfieldâs door at the end of the corridor. But standing between her and a long warehouse hallway was a big, determined-looking guy.
She thought about pushing past him, but he was pretty tall and she wasnât. Not to mention the fact that sheâd actually worn a dress and high heelsâneither of which were normal for her. The dress was no big deal, but the heels were killing her. She could handle the pain in the balls of her feet and the slight pulling in her arches, but how did anyone stay balanced on these things? If she moved at anything faster than a stroll, she was in danger of snapping an ankle.
âYou can trust me,â the man said. âIâm a lawyer.â
He actually made the statement with a straight face.
Dani laughed. âA profession designed to inspire trust? I donât think so.â
His lips twitched, as if he were holding in a smile. A good sign, she thought. Maybe she could charm her way past this guy. Not that sheâd ever been especially good at charming men, but she didnât have much of a choice. She was going to have to fake it.
She drew in a breath and tossed her head. Of course her hair was cut short, which meant there was no flip over her shoulder. Which left Dani completely out of charming-men-type tricks. Good thing sheâd sworn off dating for the rest of her life.
âThink of me as the dragon at the gate,â the man said. âYouâre not getting past me until I know your business.â
âDidnât anyone ever tell you that dragons are extinct?â
Now he did smile. âIâm living proof theyâre alive and well.â
Fine, she thought absently. She would go all the way to fine for this guy. He had a nice faceâhandsome enough that you wouldnât turn to stone looking at him, but not so pretty that he wouldnât need to develop a personality. Killer blue eyes. A strong jaw, which meant stubborn.
âIâm here for personal reasons,â she said, knowing that wasnât going to be enough, but feeling the need to try. What else was she supposed to say? That sheâd recently discovered she might not be who sheâd thought she was and answers to her questions were in this building?
Dragon-manâs face tightened as he crossed his arms over his chest. Dani had the instant sensation of being shut out and judged, all at the same time.
âI donât think so,â the man said sharply. âThe senator doesnât play those kind of games. Youâre wasting your time. Get the hell out of here.â
Dani stared at him. âHuh?â What was heâ¦Oh. âYou think Iâm implying the senator and Iââ She grimaced. âYuck. No! Never. Eww.â She took a step back, a dangerous act, considering the shoes, but she had no choice. Distance was required. âThat is too disgusting for words.â
âWhy?â
She sighed. âBecause thereâs a chance Iâm his daughter.â Better than a chance, if her upset stomach were anything to go by.
Suit-guy didnât even blink. âYouâd do better to imply you were sleeping with him. Iâd be more inclined to believe you.â
âWho are you to pass judgment on what Mark Canfield may or may not have been doing twenty-nine years ago?â
âIâm his son.â
That got her attention. She knew all about the senatorâs large family. âAlex, I presume?â
Dragon-guy nodded.
Interesting. Not that she and the senatorâs oldest son were blood relations. Mark Canfield and his wife had adopted all their children, including Alex. But it was possible they were family.
Dani wasnât sure how she felt about that. Dealing with her known family was complicated enough. Did she want to take on another one?
Obviously, she thought. After all, she was here.
The sense of needing to belong by blood burned hot enough to give her the answer. If Mark Canfield really was her father, she wanted to get to know him, and no one was going to get in her way. Not even his adopted son.