Page 17 of Enemies with my Bestie’s Brother
I nod and look at the documents spread out in front of me. “And it still doesn’t feel quite right yet. AI is still new. We have to make sure that the customer retention protocol we create is actually going to be beneficial to companies.”
Landon groans and runs his hand down his face before taking another long sip of his coffee. He grabs one of the proposals and starts flipping through it.
When he pulls out a pen from his pocket and starts marking up the latest version of the business plan, I know we’re going to have a lot of work in front of us.
Whitneystepsintothedoorway at precisely nine, looking around at the apartment while Landon continues to pore over files. Her eyes are wide, and her smile grows as she walks the length of the entryway hallway.
“These windows are amazing,” she says as the hallway opens up into the living room and the kitchen. “You can see the entire city from up here. This is stunning.”
“You should see the main bedroom if you think that’s amazing,” I say, without thinking about the second meaning to my words.
Heat flashes in her eyes, but she looks away from me before it can fully register. I clear my throat, trying to clear away the awkward tension in the air. Whitney walks toward the other end of the living room, where another hallway leads to the bedrooms.
She walks into the room beside the main bedroom. I follow her, trying to figure out how to make small talk with her. It feels like I should say something, but I don’t know what.
Whitney walks around, pausing to stare out the windows at the city below. Her breath hitches as she turns and I glance at her, grinning when I see the Golden Gate Bridge gleaming in front of her gaze.
“You know, we’re going to have to make this room darker and moodier. It’s the kind of room where you want the windows, and that view, to be the main feature,” Whitney says as she turns to face me. “What do you think about a whisky lounge and library room?”
I look around at the room. “Yeah, that works. There’s a bigger room than this one across the hall from the main bedroom, which I want to use as an office. The rest of the bedrooms can be used as guest rooms.”
She nods and pulls out her phone. I watch as she takes notes, her head bent and tendrils of hair falling in front of her face.
There is a part of me that wants to push those tendrils back, but I can’t risk touching her. If I do, then I know it’ll only be a matter of time until I kiss her.
No matter how much I doubt her reasons for being here, I can’t deny that I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anybody else.
It’s that want for her that makes Whitney dangerous to me.
The only other woman I’ve ever wanted half as much screwed me over and nearly took everything from me.
Still, there is something about Whitney that makes me want to ignore every warning bell going off in my head.
“Alright, so we’re going to go dark and moody for this room. Honestly, I think that we could do the rest of the apartment in a similar style.”
“Are you calling me moody?” I ask with a teasing smile as I look at her.
A slight pink hue coats her cheeks as she shrugs a shoulder. “If the shoe fits.”
“You know, I might be a little insulted by that.” I turn away from her to look out the window. “It is a great view. We really should do something to make it pop.”
She nods and hums to herself, not bothering to say anything as she leaves the room and heads to another.
When Whitney steps into the main bedroom, my pulse starts to pound. I follow her, glad that there isn’t a bed in here yet.
If there was, I don’t think I would be able to stop a repeat of that weekend from happening.
Though, she would have to still want me for that to happen. And I would have to still want her, which I don’t.
At least, that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself until she leaves, and I’m left alone again.
“When do you want me to start?”
“As soon as possible. If you can start painting tomorrow, or tearing up floors or whatever else it is you have to do, go ahead.”
“The floors in here are great. It’s going to be perfect to brighten up the moodiness.”
I tuck my hands into my pockets. “Will you start with the bedroom and the office? Landon and I need a place to work, and I need somewhere to sleep.”
