“Dead serious. If you could see what we’re working with over there, you’d understand why I have to do something. Wouldn’t it be better for you to actually have a real renovation to design?”
He nodded and leaned in. “Of course, but wait. You realize you won’t be able to actually build anything from my designs, right? I’m not licensed. Another firm would need to develop your plans.”
I shrugged. “If you create the plans for what I want in my building, I’ll take care of the rest. Maybe we can get a licensed architect to mentor you along and sign off on it, so when it's time to build, we won’t have wasted any time. My building will get you all the offers you want, because what I’m thinking about is not going to be small.”
Nick looked to be running all this through his head, then nodded slowly. I could see the excitement growing in his eyes. “Yeah, okay. We’d have to run it all by my professor first. But I think she might go for it.”
I nodded once. “This could work out for both of us, Nick. But before we get ahead of ourselves, you need to see what I’m dealing with over there.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I want you to see Bernardo’s before you make a decision. It’s going to be a big job and you need to know what I’m dealing with now, and what I’m looking for.”
Nick looked at me like he was still trying to decide if I was serious or not. “But I’ve seen the restaurant. I don’t need to see it again.”
I leaned in closer across the bar and he met me halfway. “Yes, you do. There are specific things I want to address in the next place, and if you don’t know what they are, how are you going to know how to address them?”
Nick looked back and forth in my eyes, and everything fell away. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear we were the only two people in the room. He intoxicated me like no one ever had, and I was drunk on him.
He stood up, looked around the bar, and then back to me with a steely resolve. “I don’t like games, Preston. If this is just some way to get me into bed, it’s going to piss me off. This is my career we’re talking about. I’ve worked too hard to fuck it up now.”
I got it. “I can assure you, this is no game. Ask Alejandro. He’ll tell you.”
Nick took a steadying breath and rubbed the back of his neck. I itched to do that for him.
“Okay. When?”
I painted a serious expression on my face and answered his question. “Right now.”
CHAPTER7
NICK
“Right now?”
Preston relaxed back on the bar stool and draped his arm over the back of the one next to him. “Yes, now’s a perfect time. It’s closed and you can look around all you want. No customers or staff to worry about. I need an architect, and you need a project. No better time than the present.”
I looked around, trying to buy time to think about how this would work. The opportunity to complete a real design was very enticing, just like he was. He made it sound so simple.
“Why me?” I asked. “You could have any architect you wanted chomping at the bit to do this project.”
“You’re right, I could. But I don’t want just anyone. I want you. The way I see it, it’s killing two birds with one stone. We get to spend some personal time together and we both get what we need professionally. You’re busy, and I’m busy. What better way for us to get to know each other out of my bed?”
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. “Are you doing this to convince me to sleep with you? Because I don’t need to be baited with a project to fuck you.” I leaned back across the bar, unwilling to give him the upper hand. I couldn’t make this too easy for him. “If and when I’m ready, I’ll let you know. But mixing business and pleasure sounds risky for both of us.”
Preston quirked up one side of his mouth and brought those long fingers to rub over his lips. He knew I was watching him. “My business is my pleasure. And I’m a fucking grown up. I can separate the two.”
All I could think about was how grown up he was. I stood back up from the bar, needing a little distance, and studied him for a moment. This was dangerous on so many levels, but what was life without a little danger?
I nodded slowly and Preston smiled knowingly at me. He stood up and walked toward the back.
“Where are you going?”
He stopped and turned to look at me with the sexiest expression I think I’d ever seen on his handsome face. “I’m going to tell your boss you’re leaving.”
My body heated from head to toe, and I knew right then I was not going to be able to keep my hands off him. Now it was simply a question of how long I could hold out.
Did I want to sleep with him? Without a doubt. He was sexy as fuck, and we’d been flirting with each other, ramping up the attraction for a long time. But there was something else about him that drew me in like a duck to water.
