Page 73 of Surrender (Angels Halo MC Next Gen)

Lost in thought, I didn’t immediately pull away from her touch. A sharp inhale had my head snapping up to find Samara standing in the doorway of the conference room. Her fingers were bleached white around the strap of her tote bag, her pupils completely blown as her gaze seemed enthralled by the sight of Berkeley’s hand on me.

Pushing back my chair, I stood. Samara’s head tilted to the right, following each movement I made, like a predator stalking her prey with her gaze. “Don’t,” I mouthed when my back was to Berkeley.

Eyes narrowed, she pasted on a bright smile and walked toward the table. “Sorry for the delay. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long.”

“Not at all, Sammy.” I pulled out a chair at the table. “Let’s begin.” As she sat, I noticed the sneer on Berkeley’s face. “That is, if Lynn is still interested in working with us on this project.”

She laughed like I’d just said something hilarious. “Of course I am, Elias. A little tardiness won’t deter me.”

Samara made a point of glancing down at her smartwatch. “Considering the meeting wasn’t scheduled to start for another five minutes, I wouldn’t consider myself tardy. Arriving early for an appointment doesn’t mean everyone else is late.” Spreading the plans across the table, she turned them to face the other woman. “As you can see, I’ve incorporated all of your requests and added a few modifications so you can hold on to the vibe you asked for, while still being environmentally friendly…”

For the next twenty minutes, she held my full attention as she presented the renovation plans to our client. I could listen to her speak all day long and not get bored, but when she started talking about architecture, I couldn’t focus on anything but her.

Berkeley seemed interested, but before Samara could finish, she interrupted her. “Actually? I changed my mind about this west wing. I meant to tell Elias about my decision last week, but we were so busy catching up that I kept forgetting.”

“Of course,” Samara said with a tight smile, clicking the end of her pen with only slightly more force than necessary. “What were you thinking?”

After jotting down the new notes, she nodded. “Okay, I’m going to need about a week to make these adjustments.”

“A week?” Berkeley huffed in annoyance. “You can’t do it sooner?”

Samara pulled up her digital schedule on her phone. “Actually, the earliest I can see you again is a week from Thursday. And that’s if you’re willing to do a Zoom during my lunch. Since you and Elias are such good friends, I’ll forgo eating to squeeze you in.”

“Zoom. Really?” Berkeley wrinkled her nose in distaste. “It doesn’t seem like you’re taking this project very seriously. I thought you were going to act professionally. Instead, it seems like you are already taking half measures.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, already fed up with her bullshit. But Samara only laughed and started typing on her phone. “If you prefer an in-person appointment, I don’t have a free slot until the thirtieth of next month.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. How are you that booked?” she asked in disbelief. “You’re just an intern.”

“Only as a formality,” I answered, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Samara had taken charge, and I hadn’t needed to step in. The only reason I was even there was to make sure my baby girl didn’t murder the other woman. “When Samara graduates, she will be a full-time architect here. She already has projects scheduled out for the next six months. We will need to hire two more crews just to keep up with the demand.”

Berkeley deflated slightly. “I guess I can fit in the Zoom conference next week,” she muttered.

“I’ll make sure to have all the modifications completed by then,” Samara assured her as she stood.

I mirrored her action and got to my feet. “If that’s all settled, I need to steal Samara before my next appointment.” Crossing to the door, I opened it.

Berkeley’s mouth fell open in surprise. “I thought we could grab coffee after—”

“I have a packed schedule, just as Samara does.” I opened the door a little wider. “Exit is straight through the lobby.”

With a cold look in Samara’s direction, Berkeley picked up her purse. “Whatever.”

As soon as she was in the corridor, I shut the door and turned to face Samara, but she was focused on her phone. The dread I’d felt since she’d walked in and seen Berkeley touching me intensified.

“Baby—”

“Hold on,” she said without looking up from the screen. “I need to make sure to add this to my calendar before I forget. Wouldn’t want to upset yourfriendmore than I already have.”

Snatching the device from her hands, I tossed it on the table. Her gaze followed the phone until it slid to a stop at the other end. Jaw clenched, she slowly blew out a breath and turned to face me.

I reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, but she flinched. I dropped my hand back to my side, curling my fingers into a fist. “I’m yours, Sammy.”

Pain flickered across her face. “Apparently, you aren’t. Because I don’t allow other women to touch what is mine.” She took a step back from me. “If you were mine, you wouldn’t have taken her calls every day last week.”

“She said she wanted to make a change, and since you weren’t here, I took the call. That is the only reason I spoke to her,” I explained.

“But you were so busy talking about anything except work that she forgot to tell you. Every time.”

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