Page 9 of The Innovator

He arched an eyebrow. “Do you know who does?”

Shit. I should rein in my emotions before I revealed too much. This property was the reason I was in Providence. Finding out why my dad had purchased The Prism for me took precedence. I had to clear his name and my family’s legacy. Dad wasn’t a cheater. He was a good man, and I refused to believe the negative depiction of him in the European tabloids. The images they posted of him looked fake like someone got stock photos and placed his face on the models.

“No.” I lifted a shoulder. “I’ve only heard Robert talk about the other buildings, Sky Tower and Central Tower.”

“Those names will change.”

“To what?”

“Not sure yet.”

“I assumed a businessman like you would have all these details squared away already.”

He flicked me an inquisitive look. “Some things take time.” He tapped the image of The Prism. “Can you find information about the owner of this property? I can’t seem to locate anything useful. There’s nothing in the archives. Maybe you know where they hide old files.”

“Why do you want this building?”

“Does it matter?”

“I only work well with others when I know the history and the direction of the project.”

Curious brown eyes considered me. “I like its location.”

He wasn’t sharing the entire truth with me, but that was enough for now. I had things I didn’t want people to know too.

What was I supposed to do now? Grayson wanted my property, and my job was to help him find the owner so he could buy it. I had no use for the place, but this building held information I needed. If I were in a different situation, I’d sell it to him for an attractive price, but right now, I couldn’t.

A man like Grayson wouldn’t buy a property purely for its location. His eyes held a different story. He was a visionary, but a cautious one. Or maybe he didn’t trust me enough to share everything, which I understood.

I stared at the picture of The Prism for a while, not wanting him to see what was going on in my head. How could I dissuade him from purchasing The Prism andencouragehim to look at the other buildings in the vicinity? There were several of them that looked more promising than my abandoned property.

My job just got more complicated.

Placing down the picture, I said, “I’ll do what I can to dig up information for you. I’ll email you when I find something. Can I take these photos for reference?”

Grayson nodded, but still scrutinized me.

The heat in my body shifted to a series of tingles, making me shiver. It was as though the more he focused on me, the more Ifelthim. His presence overwhelmed me. I was aware of his slight movements, even the tilt at the corner of his lips, and the throat motion created by his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. The masculine cologne he wore was subtle, yet surrounded me like a cardigan. I swallowed and inhaled a breath, trying to calm my body’s strange reaction to him. Why was I reacting tohim?

I’d been around countless other attractive men—like his friends Forrest and Arrow—since I arrived in Providence, but no one unsettled me the way he did. Not that I’d been around him much. The last time was at the Krazee Tavern with the girls.

Trying to look interested in the images of the buildings, I struggled to regain control of my body. That right there was a major issue. No one had power over my body without my consent, and this man—though incredibly attractive—didn’t have my permission.

And yet he affects you.

Grayson Wu and his escapades with women weren’t old news. Even his sister Audri spoke about how she never got to know any of his girlfriends except Gisele, his longest relationship.

Was I just lonely? Or was I a woman who fell under his spell? I’d fallen for Rafael that way, but soon realized the horrific truth. Not only did Grayson embrace the same attributes—wealth, power, and stunning looks—he had them on steroids. These were warning signs telling me to stay far away from him.

But a tiny part of me—adisturbingpart of me—wondered how much he could affect me.

“How about we reconvene in a few days?” he asked.

“I can reach out via email or a virtual meeting.” I rose from my seat, gathering the photos.

“You can, but I prefer you see the model I created for the park. You can see the full project on a miniscule scale. I have an office for consultants to work in when they’re at my headquarters.”

“I prefer to work in my office.”

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