Page 71 of Strange Seduction
He stood slowly, hands braced on the edge of the table.
“You’re limping.”
“You’re observant.”
“You still sore?” His voice was practically a purr now.
“Maybe.”
He walked around the table like a panther, stopping a foot away from me. “You didn’t have to come if you’re sore, baby. We could’ve rescheduled.”
“I wanted to see what you wanted to show me.” I gave him a slow once-over. “Then I wanted to show you something too.”
He arched a brow. “Like what?”
“You first.”
With a subtle roll of his eyes at my difficulty, he turned toward the table, sweeping aside a stack of papers to reveal a row of architectural models. His voice dipped into that calm, focused cadence he used when he talked business.
“These are a few of the upcoming builds we’re bidding for. Mixed-use space in Midtown. A couple of commercial contracts. And this one…” He tapped a model near the end. “This is the one I want your opinion on.”
I stepped closer, inspecting the miniature house—sleek, modern lines, open layout, lots of glass. “Oh, this one’s definitely you. Very dramatic and very on-brand.”
He side-eyed me. “You thinkI’mdramatic?”
I shrugged with a wink. “Of course. You can’t hang around me for this long and not pick up that trait.”
Theo tried and failed to hide his smile. I looked back at the project, and something caught my eye. Underneath was a sketch of a building still in its early stages.
“Teddy?” I questioned, pulling the page free. It was beautiful—a commercial build, but not something typical. The design of the model was more artistic than something you’d expect from a shopping centre. “What is this?”
“Just something I was fucking around with, nothing special.”
I gave him that look. “Theodore Clayton. You don’t fuck around with project. Talk to me.”
He sighed.
“It’s an idea,Amore mio.” He was insisting, but I wasn’t buying it. “It just was on my mind, and I penned it down. I don’t have time to work on something like this right now. The company is stretched too thin.”
“Hm,” I looked back at the drawing. “It’s beautiful. Your skills have improved so much.”
He blushed slightly. “Yeah? Nancy gave me a few ideas on it, but most of it is me.”
“Nancy Rafael gave you ideas on ‘fucking around’ project, huh? I’m glad you two still talk.”
He smiled. “I ask for her input, and she gives it when she can. Nothing special.”
“Uh-huh,” I knew his ass was still gushing over working with her and was trying to play it cool—such a nerd.
I pointed to one of the rooms. “I think your tattoo shop should go here.”
He followed my finger to the corner space on the page.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I think you’d like it. Tucked away but still visible.”
“Hm,” He tossed the idea around in his head before ultimately deciding to drop it, gesturing to the model he wanted my opinion on instead. “Seriously, though. You like it?”
