Page 4 of Snowed In with the Bosses

That straightened us the fuck up. My head snapped up and to the right, where the front door sat in plain view of our table. The rest of the restaurant faded away the instant I spotted Clara. Who the fuck cared about crystal chandeliers and Egyptian cotton tablecloths or the Olympic skier going down the slope to our left when a goddess approached? She removed her coat and scarf with a slow sensuality, almost like she sensed our attention. Long, chestnut hair hung in soft waves that framed her heart-shaped face and fell over her shoulders. The tips caressed the curve of her breast, and I imagined following the same line with my tongue.

She scanned the area, her eyes a color I’d never seen before except in paintings and art so fine it made a man want to weep. Viridian.

“Damn.” Liam whispered under his breath.

I agreed. Lifting my hand and half standing, I caught Clara’s attention and motioned her over.

She hurried toward us, the sway of her hips as tantalizing as the freckles dotting her cheeks. She wore a black skirt over tan leggings with knee-high black boots and a cream-colored sweater that accentuated her full figure. The woman possessed curves for days, in all the right places. If she was as smart as her profile suggested, I might be tempted to change my stance on marriage.

Ethan snapped his mouth shut with a click of teeth. He hadn’t said a word, but his face said it all to anyone who knew how to look. The man was as smitten as Liam and myself.

“Thank you for inviting me.” Clara swept her chair back and sat before any of us gathered enough brainpower to even attempt to hold out a chair for her. From the way she lookedus over, she didn’t mind that we’d missed the social cue many considered obsolete. “Your email was rather brief, but I’m somewhat familiar with the ideas you’ve laid out.”

I snapped out of my stupor. “Are you familiar with Victor Harrington?”

“Of course.” Her smile pulled her plump lips taut over straight, even teeth. “Victor Harrington is an icon, a legendary figure known for transforming spaces into functional works of art. He’s a renowned real estate mogul. Demanding and has incredibly high standards.” Her eyes brightened. “We’re working a project for him?”

When I nodded, a breath slid between her teeth.

Ethan motioned a waiter over. “Order whatever you’d like. We’ll be here a while to discuss matters.”

Clara blushed a delicate shade of rose. “That’s really not necessary. I’d rather talk business.”

“Oh, we will.” Liam pushed a menu beneath her hand. “You should eat. This is just the appetizer.” He flicked his fingers toward the caviar and wine. “Help yourself.”

Indecision warred on her beautiful face before she reached some kind of internal decision and rattled off an order as impressive as her resume. We all followed suit and waited for the man to walk out of earshot before coming back to the task at hand.

“Victor Harrington wants to take Hidden Crest and redevelop it into a multi-facility space with luxury residential apartments, high-tech office spaces, upscale retail stores, and recreational facilities.” I tapped a finger for each point. “And it all has to be high-class and green enough to grow trees in political asses.”

“As much shit as politicians put out, we could have a forest.” Clara deadpanned the expression while pouring wine. “But I get your point.”

“She has a sense of humor too?” Ethan whispered in my ear while Clara was distracted by the food arriving.

I elbowed him back to his seat. “Focus.” Easier said than done.

“Environmentally friendly can be tricky to pull off. One of the main aspects you want to hit is people’s hearts. Give them a reason towantthe facilities there. You’re already in a good spot considering Hidden Crest is a disaster on the brink of becoming a crime scene. You can’t just go in and clean it up. Find what people in the area need and cater to that. For example, there are three times more stray cats and dogs in that area than anywhere else in the state. Which means we need an animal shelter.”

It occurred to me to contradict her because I’d never considered that option and it rankled me. I held my tongue. “What else?”

Ethan and Liam appeared relaxed, but the way Liam tapped his hand beneath the table and Ethan popped his knuckles said they were locked in.

Clara looked around the table. “Did you bring me here for my ideas or to ask me to join the project?”

“Joining the project depends on your ideas.” I cut into my steak and ate a single piece, relishing the flavor and how Clara watched me with her lips slightly parted. “Please continue.”

“Well.” She set her fork down beside her plate. “There are always the basics. Solar panels, food festivals that emphasize locally grown ingredients, which means incentivizing the locals into gardening and creating a farmer’s market.”

“Those are the basics?” I questioned her for the pure hell of it to see how she’d react.

“Yes, Mr. Thorne. That’s the bare minimum you should put into the proposal. You need more to impress a man like Harrington, but that’s a start.” She cut into her food with a sudden viciousness that made me think I’d offended her.

How strange. What could she have taken offense to? “Why an animal shelter? Why not pick up the strays and cart them off?”

She glared at me with enough heat to melt the snow off the slopes outside. “Because an abandoned pet should not be punished for their owner’s cruelty. It’s not their fault they’re out there alone. Anyone who would abandon a pet is one of the worst kinds of people.”

Passionate. Demanding. Clara had a clear sense of right and wrong that intrigued me. “I take it you like animals. How many do you have?”

Her indignation evaporated between one blink and the next. “None. I’ve been meaning to adopt but haven’t had the time.”

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