“Other than about our arrangement.” It still irritated her that Avery had spilled their secret to his alumni assholes.
“Interesting situation.”
“You can say that again.” But she didn’t want to talk about that. “What’s the state of the market, right now?”
AnI-know-what-you’re-doingsmirk gave way to an abridged version of his view of the market from the top of his real estate tower and filled the time it took to reach their destination.
The second site was a beautiful new build and the perfect size but basically a skeleton. She’d have to install all the electric, the plumbing, and rough in the walls. Her budget couldn’t sustain the hit and still have room for the everyday essential, like…oh, say, an oven.
With Lincoln behind her, Jo stepped outside. She hadn’t wanted this little tour, but it was fast becoming an eyeopener. If she was going to do this, she’d have to adjust quite a few expectations.
He stopped to lock up. “The next one’s just around the corner. Leighann thinks you’ll like it.”
She squinted into the sun “We should wait for Avery.”
“He’s here.”
Pulse quickening, she shaded her eyes and watched Avery climb out of his car and saunter toward her, all long, lean, and loose hipped in a navy suit that fit him to perfection, the wind ruffling his hair. She’d never envied the wind, but there was a first time for everything.
Smiling, she waved, her panties wet with the anticipation of a flirty grin and a handsy hello.
Instead, he spared a curt nod for Lincoln and grabbed her hand. “Ready to go?”
She turned to Lincoln. “You said it wasn’t far.”
“Text me the address. I’ll find it.” Avery started toward his car, and she had no choice but to follow if she wanted to keep her hand. He swung the passenger door open and waited for her to get in, then shut it, hard, and rounded the hood, his strides aggressive. She’d never seen him angry before. His meeting must not have gone well.
As soon as he was behind the wheel, he revved the engine to life and entered the address Lincoln sent him. The car purred out of the parking spot and fell in behind Lincoln.
A big red bow flopped onto the tiny console between the seats, startling her. She followed the trail of ribbon to a huge box filling the rear storage. “What’s this?”
The question was rhetorical since the box wasn’t wrapped and she stared at the king of countertop mixers far too extravagant for her budget. The damn thing cost three times the one she’d lost in the break-in.
“You needed it, so I bought it.”
She’d accepted the dress for the literacy benefit because he’d justified it as a tool, and as much as she hated to admit it, she’d likely accept another for Saturday’s gala for the museum. But this gift had nothing to do with their arrangement. It was personal, and though he didn’t know it yet, to her, it felt too much like payment for the sex she hoped to have tonight. Though, hell, maybe she should be paying him. “Thank you, but I can’t accept.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s just…too much.”
He didn’t argue, but his fingers drummed a vengeful four-count beat on the steering wheel. That would have been fine if the radio was on, but his brows dove deeper, his lips a thin straight line.
Great. I’ve pissed him off even more. Now what?
Hmm. Maybe she could entice him out of the grumps and onto a much more pleasurable train of thought. Crossing her legs, she let the slit in her dress fall open to show off some thigh.
Take that.
As she’d hoped, his gaze skated over the exposed thigh, then back to the road, but his lips grew thinner, and his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Jo sighed. “Are you gonna sulk all day?”
“I’m not sulking.”
She rolled her eyes. “Your face would say otherwise.”
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap.
