Page 15 of An Unexpected Home

“It’s just a sandwich, so it’ll keep.” Leaning back in his chair he asked, “What can I do for you?”

“I had this idea to have an open house before the studio opens but, since we won’t be one hundred percent finished and up to safety code, I believe I have to get approval before I can go ahead.”

Brandon watched her fidget in her seat. He couldn’t decide if she was nervous, scared or something else entirely.

“You do need approval, especially since you will most likely have more people in there than you are allowed by fire code.”

“How would I go about that?”

“We have a form you can fill out and then both the fire chief and I will sign off on it.”

“Can I get that?” Now her leg was bobbing up and down at lightning speed.

“Leah are you okay?”

She stood abruptly. “I have to go.” He couldn’t decipher the look in her eyes as he watched her turn, throw his door open and bolt out of his office.

What the fuck had just happened? Should he follow her? He stood and walked out to the front of the office to where Katie was giving him a dirty look.

“What did you say to that poor girl?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “She seemed kinda nervous the whole time and then she just shot out of my office like a bullet out of a gun.”

“Hmm,” she said. “That is odd.”

He figured he could go by her house later and see if she was okay. “Katie, can you print me out the temporary patron approval form?” He would just take that to her when he went to see her.

“Sure will boss.”

He gave her a stern look for her use of the word boss before heading back to his office.

Other than the nervous thing, Leah had looked gorgeous. He’d yet to see her with make-up on or wearing anything but jeans and a t-shirt, but it didn’t seem to matter. Beautiful was beautiful and she didn’t need anything to help her out in that area. Her chocolate brown hair wasn’t short but it wasn’t long either. In the three times he’d seen her it had been down and pushed behind her ears giving him a glimpse of her slim neck, a neck that he couldn’t stop thinking of licking.

And her green eyes were like big emeralds staring back at him. He could tell that she was thinner than she usually kept herself from the hollow and dark circles under those eyes. He guessed the stress of everything that had gone on had caused the weight loss.

But even now, she was beautiful. At her full potential, he was sure she had guys lined up around the block to date her.

And it was the realization that he wanted to be first in that line that had his head spinning.

His attraction to her felt fast and crazy but it also felt right. And that was the part he was having the problem with. He’d been attracted to other women quickly but it was more of a ‘I wanna fuck her’ type of attraction. With Leah it was different. And yeah, he was a guy so of course the ‘I wanna fuck her’ attraction was still there, but now there was also, ‘I wanna talk to her and hold her hand and – fuck him – cuddle.’

He’d never cuddled a day in his damn life.

Had Mel been right that morning when she’d said he liked her? Did he like her? It sure as hell seemed like it. But if that was the case, what was his next move? Was it too soon to ask her out? And what if she decided to leave town and move back to New York? What would he do then?

Holy shit, he was already worried about her leaving town so the question of whether or not he liked her seemed to be answered.

Of course he liked her.

Admitting that to himself was the first step, he hoped, in figuring out what his next step would be.

––––––––

Later that day, he was just ready to head home for the night when there was a knock on his office door.

“Come in.”

The door opened and there were those bright emerald green eyes staring at him.

---