Page 14 of Seductive Hearts

“Why am I not surprised?” She folded her arms and narrowed her emerald eyes. “You know what you’re doing around here? You’re sure about this?”

This again. The woman was determined to shred what was left of my patience, which was already in short supply. “Let’s get one thing straight. I wouldn’t insult you by pretending I asked to be put in this position.” Running my hand over one of the four marble and plaster pillars that formed a large rectangle in the center of the floor, I said, “I did more during my internships than fuck around all day. I’m not going into this blind.”

“What if I told you I want to get rid of these pillars?” Standing diagonally from where I stood, Rose ran a hand over the plasterwork and shook her head. “It breaks up the flow of the room. I want this to be as open as possible. We are prioritizing sight lines, and these monstrosities are getting in the way. Literally.”

“Why not hold up a sign saying this is a test?” I asked before yawning. I’d expected something more challenging than this. “For one thing, they’re load-bearing, and you know as well as I do there are guidelines we need to work around if we’re going to preserve the structure’s architectural touches. One of those lovely little sticking points you agreed to when you purchased the building and received approval from the village council.”

Her lips twitched before she turned her face away like she was looking at something else rather than hiding her grin. “Okay. You can’t blame me for being curious.”

“You say curious. I say cynical,” I countered. “I’m more than just a pretty face.”

“Are you more than that?” She arched an eyebrow, smirking. “I’m not sure yet.”

“But you do admit I have a pretty face?”

Her cheeks flushed before her lashes fluttered, and she looked away again, breaking the moment. Clearing her throat, she walked to the long table in front of the window, then flipped a nearby switch, illuminating a pair of work lights trained on the table’s surface. “You’re definitely not suffering from a lack of self-esteem. Not that you ever did,” she added.

“It could be worse,” I reminded her as she unrolled blueprints across the table. “I could be some narcissistic prick who acts like he’s God’s gift with nothing to back it up.”

“And you’ve got plenty to back it up, is that it?” She looked me up and down, her gaze softening. “I mean, I’ve heard plenty, but I know better than to listen to gossip.” Her lips parted, inviting my attention.

That pink lip gloss would look good ringing my dick.

“I forgot what a smart girl you are.” Because she might’ve been somebody else’s woman, but I’d be damned if I could deny what instinct demanded. Inching closer, I murmured, “I’d be more than glad to give you a little first-hand experience if you’re interested.”

When she leaned close enough that our bodies brushed and the air practically crackled around us, I knew I had won.

That was until her eyes went hard. Jaw clenched, she returned her attention to the blueprints. Hot and cold, back and forth. Who did she think she was kidding, putting on this frigid act? “I’m a smart girl. Too smart for this,” she grunted out. “Shall we continue looking around?”

“That’s what we’re here for,” I agreed.

I had never once asked a woman I was about to fuck whether or not she was involved with another man. The way I saw it, he wasn’t doing his job properly if she was out sniffing for fresh dick. It wasn’t my problem. This was different. I was the one in pursuit, wishing she would stop fighting herself. She was too. It couldn’t have been more obvious.

But it had to end.

I didn’t go around trolling for pussy.

It came to me.

I wasn’t about to beg.

Besides, she was all about relationships. I was only looking for a good time, a way to make a miserable fucking situation slightly more bearable.

“Obviously, I want this to have a different look and feel from the flagship store.” She unrolled a design rendering for me to check out, spreading it over the table. The work lights revealed familiar handwriting here and there, indicating different design elements.

“This is something my mom did,” I murmured, noting the soft colors and the use of light to create warmth. “Isn’t it?”

“I couldn’t turn down my mom when Lourde offered to do the interior.” She bit her lip, looking my way. “Do you think that was the right choice?”

For someone with all this self-confidence, she didn’t seem too sure of herself. Was it an act? “No, they know their business,” I assured her, which somehow made it possible for her to release a soft sigh. Relief? Over my opinion? No, I had to be imagining things. The lack of sleep probably had my head fucked up.

Or it could have been her nearness and the perfume she wore. It was slightly spicy, something I couldn’t quite identify but would have loved to spend time familiarizing myself with. Hours, preferably, just the two of us…

She cleared her throat, and I realized I was staring like some drooling imbecile “It’s going to be a great store,” I announced. “You’ll do quite well around here. Plenty of women with nothing but time and money on their hands. The money might as well go to you.”

She paused in the middle of rolling the renderings. “Wow. Sound more dismissive, why don’t you.”

“Did I?” I asked before barely stifling a yawn. “It’s the truth.”

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