Page 65 of Broken Grump

As usual, his dashing looks make my heart swoon, but his lips look even poutier and smoother than normal.

To think, those babies were just pressed tightly against mine.While swinging his head from one side to the other, he let out a little moan. And I’ve been replaying that sound over and over again in my mind.

“Hey,” I try to say as nonchalantly as possible after finally opening the doors.

“Hey.” He takes one arm and rests it above his head and against the frame.

I think I see a flicker of fire or something else behind his green eyes, but I can’t be sure.

“What can I do for you, Hayden?”

He flashes a crooked smile at me, but then stiffens his face and body after seeing my computer screen.

“The plans. Of course, the plans. That’s why I’m here. I’ve been calling to ask if you’ve had a chance to go over the plans.”

Okay? That seemed a bit forced.

But since it’s the path of least resistance and the least amount of awkwardness, I take a stroll down it with him.

“Ah, yes. I have, in fact.”

He steps inside and claps his hands. “That’s great. I want to show the new and improved version to Randall. I’m hoping this will finally be the linchpin that will get him to sign the land over to us.”

“How do you know they’ll be new and improved?”

“Well, because you worked on them, of course.”

I blush. His faith in me means the world, especially since I have minimal real-life experience in the field of architecture outside of school.

“Come on. Please show me what you’ve come up with.”

I then shuffle him over to the computer, and I sit in the chair while he leans over me with one hand behind my body and the other on the desk.

This close, I’m able to smell his familiar, intoxicating cologne.

“Anyways.” I take care in explaining each modification I made, and I even show him the before and after imaging for each design.

When I’m finished, he doesn’t say anything, but he stands up and folds his arms across his chest.

Shit.I’m worried I’ve blown all of his previous confidence in me right out of the water.

However, after taking a minute to scrub at the sprouting facial hair he has, he announces, “I love it.”

There’s an immediate weight off my chest as I look back at him again.

“Really?”

“Yes.” He grins from ear to ear. “I think your revisions are perfect. But it isn’t just that.”

“It’s not?”

He bends down so that his face is only a few inches away from mine.

“No. I also just love seeing the way your face lights up when you talk about something you’re passionate about.”

There’s tension hanging in the air that could be cut with a knife. However, I’m already so confused about where we stand after that first kiss that I freak out and practically jump out of my seat.

“Great! Well, I’ll just go ahead and make a 3D model of this new design then.”

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