Page 71 of Love in Mission City
“You gave me a tour of the most important room.” He winked. “The rest is just a bonus.”
Something inside my chest squeezed. Before I could stop them, the words tumbled out. "I've fancied you from the first day, but I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, with the boss coming on to you—"
He cut off my words by sitting up abruptly. "You're so hot… Knight, I never thought you'd take me seriously. I'm just a kid to you." His cheeks pinkened.
"No. I never saw you as a kid—you're a brilliant interior designer...."
"No—it's you. Your buildings are beautiful. I know I tease you about being boring and all that, but that's just because you let me. You're wonderful. You don't need to change. I love you like you are...." His mouth widened into anO.“I did not mean to say that.”
“Didn’t mean to say it out loud, or didn’t mean it?” My heart sped up.
“Honestly?”
I nodded, holding his gaze.
“I think I fell in love with you the first time you showed me one of your designs. I’d never been so grateful for a woman having babies.”
I laughed. “Simone.”
“Do you think she knows?”
Orlando and I’d had this conversation before, so I couldn’t be certain I knew, for sure, how Simone felt. “I think…” I eyed him. “I think she’d approve.” I laughed. “I know Marvin will.”
My companion snickered. “If it involves getting lucky, then your brother’s all in.”
I cocked my head.
Orlando rolled his eyes. “Both times I met him, he brought up sex. Said it was because he wasn’t getting any and at least I was.”
Scowling, I asked, “He’s that desperate?”
“No.” Orlando pulled his teeth through his lower lip. “I think it’s that he’s respectful. He knows what Simone went through to have those babies. He’s not going to push her back into having sex until she’s ready. But…I think he lives vicariously through others. A touch of voyeurism.”
I wrinkled my nose.
“Well, except you, I’m sure,” Orlando was quick to add.
“The things I don’t know about my brother.”
“He’s a good man.” Orlando met and held my gaze. “And Simone’s a good woman. You did okay in the family department.” He tipped up his chin. “Even your ex isn’t such a bad guy.”
“So you’ll work with him and not bitch?”
“Oh, I reserve the right to bitch.” He ran his hands through his hair. “My artistic temperament.”
I laughed. “We should get up.” As much as I had been focused on sex, this talking thing had been so much better.
“Jacqui.” He muttered her name.
“Jacqui,” I repeated. “If not for her…”
“And the photocopier…”
My cheeks heated as well at the memory. “I’m never going to look at that thing again in the same way.”
“No. We should put it somewhere safe and never use it again. Turn it into a bronze statue. A symbol of our love.”
“Seriously, Orlando, tell me you didnotjust say that.”
