Page 47 of The Mistakes I've Made
“What?”
He was amused with my shocked expression, but he simply leaned back, his arms firmly crossed over his broad chest, and chuckled.
“Well, it’s apparent from today’s lunch fiasco that we can’t handle seeing each other with the opposite sex.”
“That’s not true,” I protested, making his brow lift. “Okay, fine. But, just so you know, I had no interest in dating the architect anyway.”
“Does he know that?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“That guy has it so bad for you; I wouldn’t be surprised if he was calling out your name in the shower as we speak.”
“What? Ew, gross.”
He casually shrugged, pawning it off as no big deal, until our eyes met once more, and I found myself wondering if Taylor was speaking from experience.
Did he call out my name in the shower?
When he was thick and wet, did he think of me, moaning at the peak of his orgasm?
My breath caught, and I instantly flushed, just thinking of it. Turning away, I heard him clear his throat.
“So, you’re good with not dating?”
“Um, yes,” I answered. “Like I said, I don’t have time for distractions anyway. The question is, are you? You’ll have to give up the blonde.”
“She’s just a friend.”
I made a sound of disbelief, not believing him for a second.
“Okay, great. Well, do you have anything to add?” he asked, becoming more detached by the second.
“No,” I said, hating the wall that was being erected between us. I’d rather fight with him than this.
“Well, if you think of anything, you know where to find me. Otherwise, I guess I’ll check in soon.”
“Right,” I said, feeling like I was being dismissed. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
And I did.
Turning, I walked out, feeling more confused about Taylor Sutherland than I ever had. Minutes ago, I’d been so wrapped up in him that I could feel the thunderous beating of his heart.
And, now, I was wondering if that kiss had really happened at all.
I’d been staring at the bay for far too long, lost in my thoughts, when my phone abruptly ended my daydream.
“Hello?”
“Leilani? It’s Jack Halladay.”
I was surprised to hear from him so soon. It had only been a handful of hours since our lunch meeting, especially since he’d ferried in all the way from Charlotte.
I didn’t do a great job of hiding that shock in my voice when I replied, “Oh, hey, Jack.”
He chuckled. “I know you’re probably wondering why I’m calling, but I had some free time to look over what you want done for the hotel project, and I think I can make it happen in that time frame—that is, if you plan on hiring me.”
Jack was a confident sort of guy, and I got the feeling he didn’t hear the wordnovery often. And, if I were somewhere less rural where competent architects were plentiful and I had more time to interview and fully vet more than a few, I probably would have made him and his overinflated ego go through a few hoops before offering him this project that was so near and dear to my heart.
