Instead, he let the silence hold it.
Tonight, she let him in.
Tomorrow, he’d get closer.
And for once, he didn’t fight it.
He let himself feel the full force of wanting her.
CHAPTER 23
The Art of Overthinking
Sunlight cut through the curtains in narrow streaks, pooling across the floor. Arden moved quietly, leopard slippers soft against the wood. Her black tank top clung to sleep-warm skin, lounge pants hanging low on her hips like the night hadn’t quite let go.
She reached for her favorite mug. Coffee filled the air as comforting as breath.
For once, the morning wasstill. Peaceful.
Across the room, Penny sprawled across the couch in flamingo-print pajamas—top and bottom just obnoxious enough to match. Her lavender-streaked hair was knotted into a chaotic bun, and her laptop teetered on one knee, fingers frozen mid-keystroke.
“Morning,” Arden said, raising her mug in lazy salute. “Love the birds. Subtle.”
Penny didn’t look up. “Don’t start. I’m on the verge of throwing this thing through a window.” She groaned and flopped the laptop down beside her. “Revision number eight, and he says it’s‘close but not quite.’What does that even mean?”
Arden took a slow sip, the warmth settling behind her ribs. “It means he has no idea what he actually wants but enjoys watching you guess.”
Penny gave her a dry look. “Wow. So helpful.”
“Thank you for your insight, Dr. Sarcasm.”
Arden crossed the room, easing onto the armrest of the couch. “Alright, genius. Walk me through it. Forget the revisions for a sec. What was the original idea?”
Penny rubbed at her temples. “He said ‘sleek and bold,’ but every time I went modern, he shot it down. Tried minimalist. Still wrong.”
“So maybe what he wants isn’t what he said. What else did he tell you?”
As Penny launched into a rant—half logic, half caffeine-fueled chaos. Arden let her vent. She tossed in sarcastic quips and just enough nudging to keep things moving.
Penny stopped mid-word.
Her eyes went wide. “Wait.” She bolted upright and grabbed her sketchpad. “That’s it. He doesn’t want bold or edgy. He wants classic. Familiar, but sharp around the edges. I’ve been overthinking it. He’s not after a statement. He wants something that feels like it belonged before you even noticed it.”
She began sketching with new energy, the tension bleeding from her shoulders.
Arden sipped her coffee, smug and satisfied. “Told you. Sometimes you need someone annoying to poke holes in your thought process.”
“You’re insufferable,” Penny muttered, but her smile gave her away. “Also—thanks. Talking it out actually helped.”
“Anytime.” Arden stretched and stood, rolling her shoulders. “But if he pushes for Revision Nine, I’m emailing him a PowerPoint titled‘This Is Final.™’”
“Deal.” Penny’s grin turned wicked. “Now, speaking of things that are‘close but not quite’—let’s talk about Gideon.”
Arden paused mid-sip, narrowing her eyes. “What about him?”
“Oh, come on. The tension. The looks. The way you two circle each other like characters in a slow-burn romance with excellent lighting? Tells me something’s happening.”
Arden didn’t answer at first. Her mug stayed at her lips, but she wasn’t drinking. Her teeth caught her lower lip, barely there. A nervous habit.
