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of the automatic door’s attempts to close. A part of her wanted to shriek Yes in response to his invitation. “It’s not possible,” she managed.
    He carried on blocking the door. “Are you married? Engaged?” His eyes alighted on her bare left hand.
    â€œNo.” She wrapped her right hand over her left.
    â€œSeeing someone?”
    She shook her head.
    â€œBecause you and I had a connection a moment ago,” he said. “So I can’t see why you’d refuse.”
    He’d felt it, too? “You and I…wouldn’t work,” she said, flustered.
    â€œI wasn’t asking you to marry me.” He was trying not to smile, with limited success. How silly she must seem to him! “I just want a little company,” he continued.
    â€œMr. Ward, there are dozens of women outside who’d jump at the chance to date you. Most of them prettier than I am, all of them less blunt, I’m sure. Why me?”
    He shrugged. “Why not you? You make me laugh.”
    Jen hadn’t heard many pickup lines in her life—in fact, she’d never been picked up by a stranger—but she was pretty sure Why not you? followed by an admission that he was laughing at her, wouldn’t cut it with any self-respecting woman. Eli Ward had the sense of entitlement that came with celebrity.
    â€œI’m ordinary.” She’d decided long ago that she didn’t do crazy things, that she wanted an ordinary life, with all the trimmings: ordinary job, ordinary home, ordinary man…“I’m not interested in dating a man like you.”
    I’m not, she told her protesting hormones sternly.
    His expression turned quizzical. “I’m not ordinary enough for you?”
    Okay, when he said it like that, it sounded weird.
    â€œSome things just don’t go together,” she explained. “You’re a lion, I’m a housecat. You’re a peacock, I’m a duck.”
    â€œA sparrow,” he corrected.
    Ouch! “Whatever,” she said tautly.
    â€œSparrows are much cuter than ducks.” He reached out, tweaked a strand of hair that had escaped her cap.
    A flood of lightness spread through her. “Mr. Ward, this conversation is—”
    â€œExtraordinary?” he suggested.
    She huffed a laugh. Which meant she let down her guard and found herself drowning in those eyes again. “I like ordinary guys, with regular jobs,” she insisted, unfortunately breathless. “You drive a race car, you’re larger than life with your long hair and your fake green eyes…”
    â€œMy what? ”
    â€œNo one has eyes that green unless they’re wearing colored contacts,” she pointed out. “I know you have a…a sex-symbol image to uphold, but if you wanted them to look real, you should have chosen a more natural shade.”
    â€œA sex-symbol image?” Eli hooted with laughter, drawing stares from the women outside. “Talking to you, chickadee, is like driving a race car blindfolded.”
    She clutched at her throat. “Tell me you’ve never done that.”
    â€œOf course I haven’t.” He eyed her as if she was crazy. Then he smirked. “Funny you should say that stuff about a sex symbol…did you know I was labeled Mr. Irresistible in Now Woman magazine earlier this year?”
    â€œI did not know that,” she admitted.
    â€œDoes that make you want to spend tomorrow with me?”
    She shook her head, not trusting her mouth to form the word No.
    â€œI should’ve guessed you would have extraordinary powers of resistance,” he mused.
    Darn it, she wanted to laugh again. “Mr. Ward, I’m leaving.”
    â€œYou called me a peacock, I called you a sparrow, I think that qualifies us for first name terms, don’t you—” his smile turned knowing “—Jen?” He drew the syllable out, long and deep.
    Jen sucked in a breath.