Page 56 of Coldhearted King

“The site is good,” I say. “Delilah had some thoughts on maximizing the view.”

His cool gray eyes take me in. “She did, did she?”

I meet his gaze unflinchingly. “Yes. She’s a very talented architect.”

“I’m sure it’s her architectural talents you’re interested in.”

I won’t confirm I’m sleeping with her, even if he suspects it, but I won’t let him disparage her skills, either. “She’s excellent at what she does, and you’d know that if you bothered to look at any of the plans.”

He looks down at his paperwork. “I don’t need to anymore. That’s your job. And I trust you to do it well.”

“I don’t think—” I stop when what he said sinks in. I never thought I’d hear those words from my older brother.

“Just make sure you’re thinking with the right head on this one, Cole. We can’t afford any mistakes, and we can’t afford to lose investors. Not unless we want to be the ones saying the company went down on our watch.” He pierces me with his gaze.

Ah, that’s more like the Roman I know. Still, I can’t help but question myself. Delilah already has me doing things I wouldn’t normally do. Am I letting myself get distracted from ensuring the company remains strong?

No. I have everything under control. Delilah and I are on the same page. There’s nothing to stop us from enjoying each other’s bodies while still focusing on doing our jobs, and I’m not just saying that because I can’t wait to get her alone again.

“I understand your concerns. But you have nothing to worry about.”

He studies me for a few seconds longer, then nods. “There’s something else. We need to bring the timeline for submission forward by two weeks.”

“Why?”

He leans back in his chair and rubs a hand over his eyes. “I’ve just heard from legal. There are new requirements for environmental impact studies, which will affect the Dallas and Phoenix sites. I don’t want to announce a delay if we apply and then need to make adjustments post-application. So—”

“So, we apply early and get feedback with enough time to make adjustments and still resubmit in time to make our original timeline.”

Roman nods. “Can you do it?”

The team is good. I have no doubt they can pull it off. “I’ll call a meeting this morning and let them know. I don’t anticipate a problem.”

“Good. Let me know if any issues crop up,” he says.

I stand, straightening my cuffs as I do so.

“Don’t forget, there’s the Manhattan Philanthropy Gala the weekend after next. It wouldn’t hurt to turn up with Jessica. There’ll be a lot of press there, and being seen with Berrington’s daughter will send a message to anyone harboring concerns about the company’s stability.”

If he’s worried I’ll turn up with Delilah on my arm, he should know better. The past weekend aside, what she and I are doing will remain strictly behind closed doors. “I know what’s required,” I say, then I stride toward the door, leaving his office and returning to mine.

I stop off at Samson’s desk and ask him to organize a meeting with the architects. Then I sit at my desk to start addressing various issues that flared up while I was gone. Five minutes later, Samson buzzes me to let me know he’s scheduled the meeting for after lunch. While I wait for a call from our UK office, I take a second to think about seeing Delilah today. I hadn’t planned to. The last thing I want is to set up an expectation that this is anything more than a casual physical relationship. And yet I can’t deny that the thought doesn’t exactly make me unhappy.

Visions of Friday night and Saturday morning invade my head, and arousal simmers in my blood. Luckily, my phone rings, distracting me. As I pick up, I have a smile on my face, and it’s not in anticipation of talking about market conditions in Europe.

I’ve got a lot planned for Delilah over the next few weeks. I hope she’s prepared.

* * *

As I flickthrough the messages Samson forwarded to me, I sense Delilah enter the meeting room. I glance up to see her gorgeous green eyes land on me. She looks as sexy as hell in a white silk blouse that’s unbuttoned just enough to reveal a hint of cleavage, and a pencil skirt that emphasizes her slender waist and the curve of her hips. Her lips tip up before her attention darts away, as if worried someone will catch her smiling at me.

Paul walks in next and decides to sit next to her. My eyes narrow. Delilah doesn’t look at him and deliberately angles her body away. I sweep the room and find Bruce, Elite’s new project liaison, sitting at the end of the table. Luckily for Paul, he did what he promised, and Philippa quietly disappeared from the office. I was half-expecting to get a call from one of Elite’s senior partners about the request, but none came, so he must have thought of a convincing enough reason for her removal.

I would have thought he was smart enough to leave Delilah alone, though. I don’t know why he thinks sitting next to her is a good idea. Surely he doesn’t think he can win her back. The idea of him trying should make me laugh. After all, Delilah is far too smart to give him any more chances. And yet, as he shifts closer to her, my fingers tighten around my pen, and I have a sudden urge to stalk over there, rip him out of his chair, and throw him out of the room. See him try to explain that to his senior partners.

Where the hell are these irrational thoughts coming from? I shake my head. I need to concentrate on this meeting, not the strangeness of my reactions when it comes to Delilah.

I clear my throat, and all conversation at the table dies. I start the meeting, updating everyone on the revised project timeline. Looking directly at Paul, I mention the visit Delilah and I made to the Chicago site on Friday. By the way his jaw clenches, I get the feeling he suspects something more than work went on during the trip.

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