“You don’t have to.”
I knew I didn’t; I’d never done it before. But something about holding her this time, of taking care of her, made me want to keep doing it.
“I want to.”
Standing side by side without touching, we rode the elevator to the parking garage. Every floor seemed to take us farther away—literally and figuratively—from the emotional thing we’d shared. By the time we’d reached her car, I’d started to feel the edge of awkwardness between us. She brushed a quick kiss over my lips, before opening the car door.
“Thanks for everything.”
“It was my pleasure.” I watched her climb into the car and saw a scrap of lace on the passenger seat. Without thinking, I reached across her to snag her panties.
“Give them back!” She tried to grab the black lace, but I shoved them into my pocket.
“No. Maybe this will remind you not to be careless with your things in the future.” I slid a bit of the command I’d used earlier into my voice, but when I met her gaze, I couldn’t maintain it.
“Maybe,” she said, smiling up at me. “If I forget, you can remind me.”
I waited for her to pull out of the garage and then grinned like a man who’d had some of the best sex of his life as I rode the elevator back to my loft.
6
“Mr. Essex, I’m so glad we could finally connect.” I kept the smile on my face and the irritation out of my voice as the hostess led me to his table. It didn’t matter how many times he’d cancelled previously. If I left this meeting with my questions answered and a stronger sense of the job, I’d count the win.
“John, please, and I hope I can call you Elena.” He pronounced my name Elayna in his clipped Northern accent. Not the stereotypical Jersey or Yankee accent I’d heard on TV. His was something short and fast. He stood and offered me his hand.
A Grand Seiko watch peeked out from behind starched white cuffs. His suit—clearly made for him, not prêt-à-porter—showed off broad shoulders, narrow hips, and what I had no doubt was an exceptional body. He wore his dark hair trimmed short on the sides with just enough length on the top to let it fall carelessly across his brow without looking sloppy in a way that only a good haircut could. He had a smooth jaw, angular enough to make Captain America envious, and when I leaned in to take his hand, I caught the barest hint of what I imagined must be veryexpensive cologne. He wore his money but with exceptional taste I could admire.
“Of course. It’s Elena, actually.” I repeated my name with a smile and a softahfor the middle syllable, and took my seat in the chair he pulled out for me, smoothing my skirt. “Could I have a mineral water, please?” I asked the waiter who’d magically appeared at my elbow.
“Thank you for meeting me over lunch. My stay in the city is so limited; this was the only way I was sure I could find time to eat. Power bars between meetings in a city known for its restaurants seemed like a travesty.”
“It would be, and it’s my pleasure. This restaurant is one of my favorites. The oyster granitas are exceptional. If you like shrimp, they also make a shrimp and grits that will help you find religion.”
He laughed—a genuine warm sound—and followed my lead, ordering the oysters and shrimp, turning his full attention to me as soon as the waiter left the table. “My team was impressed with the drawings you sent for the interiors, as was I. The details respect the history and heritage of the city without becoming a caricature, and the furnishings and finishes match the expectations of an Essex property. It’s exactly what I was looking for when I hired you.”
“I’m so glad you’re pleased. I’m excited to work on this project, to see the vision come to life. It will be a good thing for the city and a great thing for the parish.” I leaned back to let the waiter set the ice-filled plate of oysters in front of me.
He mirrored my movements, thanking the waiter before returning his attention to me. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. As much as I love an excuse to visit the city—and I do love everything I’ve seen of it, which I know is just a fraction—we could have done the design approvals over the phone. I have a different proposition for you.”
I paused with the granita-topped oyster shell halfway to my mouth. “I’m intrigued. Go on.”
I knocked back the oyster, relishing the briny sweetness of the Gulf delicacy with the tart, peppery ice of the granita. He repeated my movements with his own oyster and then hit me with a smile of pure pleasure that would have made a less focused woman weak-kneed.
“My God, that’s good.” He ate two more before wiping his fingertips on his napkin.
I grinned at his obvious delight and waited for him to reveal his mysterious proposition. “I’m having trouble with approvals and with things moving as quickly as I need them to. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but there’s a North/South push-pull going on, and it’s not working in my favor.”
It wasn’t anything I didn’t already know—I’d heard more than enough about the Yankee developer from the people I knew on the parish council. Letting him explain the situation gave me a chance to make a dent in my oysters before the icy granita melted completely while I figured out how to frame possible solutions.
“I don’t mind being patient. Well, actually I do. It’s not one of my strengths.” His smile was slightly self-deprecating this time and no less charming. “But I would try if I thought it would get me what I want. In this situation, I think the project needs a different voice. Someone who can smooth things over with the locals, who speaks their language with the right accent.”
I didn’t love the implication that the South, and more specifically my city were almost a different country, but I understood his point. His development proposal was sound, and the designs were beautiful. I’d make sure of it. The reticence in the approval process came from a different kind of prejudice.
“People can be suspicious of outsiders, especially when there are permanent things like buildings involved. Architecture ismore important to the city than speed.” There were ways around it. I was running through suggestions in my head, ordering them in a way to be most helpful to him while I finished the last of my oysters. “Your building respects our history. When the council takes the time to really see that, they’ll come around.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I need someone local who can smooth things over with the planning boards. I’ve got construction managers and a development team. We know how to put the building up. We do it all the time. What I need is an ambassador. Someone who can make the local authorities see I’m not part of the evil empire.” He paused for the waiter to clear our plates and set shallow bowls of golden grits topped with fat shrimp in front of us.
I breathed in, momentarily distracted by the garlicky aroma.
