Page 51 of Myself

“I loved that place,” I say, interrupting him. Wonder what they will turn it into?

“Yeah, well, they were going bankrupt, and O’Kane’s Investment bought them out. Your father came to me long before the deal was even closed and said he wanted me to draw out plans for a hotel in its place.” I’m not surprised.

“Will a hotel fit there?” I ask. It didn’t look very wide, but it was pretty deep.

“The one I design will.” He looks over at me and gives me a cocky smirk with a wink. I laugh at how playful he is. I never had this with Conner. In the beginning, I did, but it didn’t take long to disappear. “Anyway, now the project manager and superintendent on the job are telling me that we have to push back demolition due to the removal of asbestos. And your father is ...”

“Gonna be pissed,” I finish his sentence.

“Yep.”

A car begins to merge into our lane, and Jaycent slams on his brakes and honks his horn at them. “He didn’t even look. Fucker,” he calls out.

“So you still prefer to drive yourself around, huh?” I ask.

He chuckles. “Most of the time, yeah.”

He puts on his blinker and changes lanes. “I couldn’t do it,” I admit.

He gives me a side glance and a smile. “You never did have much patience when it came to driving.”

I gasp as if offended. “That is not true.” But it is. I always hated how I’d get mad so easily when driving anywhere. It got so bad that my father suggested I just use a driver. It helped a little.

He turns on his blinker and changes lanes again as the cars in front of us come to a stop. I take a look in the back seat and don’t find one. I laugh. “What’s so funny?” he asks.

“Just glad you didn’t have this car that night of the graduation party.” I point at the back seat. “Not sure we could have done what we did in this front seat.”

He shakes his head, now laughing himself. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have been possible.” His eyes look over at me. “I’d have taken you on the hood,” he says with a smirk and winks at me again before placing his eyes back on the road.

My thighs tighten at the idea of him taking me on the hood of his car. How hot would that be ... I clear my throat. “Do you still like living outside town?”

“Yes,” he answers, that mischievous smirk he had now gone.

“You don’t mind the drive?” I ask

“I like my space.” He shrugs. “There are some very nice places in town, but I didn’t wanna give up a yard and a garage.”

“I know what you mean,” I mumble.

“You don’t like your apartment?” he asks.

“Not really.” I sigh.

He frowns as he brakes at a stoplight and turns to look at me. “Why did you buy it then?”

“I didn’t have much choice. My father called and told me he had bought it for me. What was I supposed to do? Say that’s nice but no thanks.”

“Yes. If that’s not where you want to live,” he says matter-of-factly.

I sigh. “That would make me sound ungrateful. And I’m not. I know he meant well.”

“You could move,” he offers.

“I could, but Ashlyn loves the place. She wants to be in the middle of Manhattan.” Just because she was upset with how much it costs doesn’t mean she hates it. She loves being in the middle of this beautiful city even if she won’t admit it.

“Ryder lives in the same building. I’m sure she’ll be moving in with him in no time.” His light brown eyes search mine for a long second, and then he adds, “You could always move in with me.”

I suck in a long breath at his words, and my heart picks up speed. “I, uh ...”

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