Page 34 of Bred By the Sheikh

“Are you dressed?”

I looked down at the oversized T-shirt I’d slept in.

“That feels like an unnecessarily strict definition of prepared.”

“Chrissy.”

“I have plenty of time.”

“You have a client meeting.”

“I know. I’m getting up now.”

“You just said you were awake.”

“I was awake horizontally.”

Amanda sighed.

“Fine. Tell me how yesterday went.”

I tucked the phone between my shoulder and ear and crossed into the sitting room.

“Good. Really good, actually. We rebuilt most of the guest-experience section around arrival and anticipated needs. Two of the concepts moved into the next creative revision.”

“Two of yours?”

“Yes.”

There was a pause, but not a bad one.

“Good.”

Warmth spread beneath my ribs.

Amanda wasn’t generous with praise because she generally assumed competent adults should be competent. Coming from her, good had weight.

“The accessibility treatment is stronger too,” I said. “Less explanatory. More about showing people moving through the space normally instead of making accommodation the point.”

“That’s smarter.”

“We also pulled one late-night-service promise until Elias verifies consistency across the property.”

“That’s also smart.”

I smiled.

“I’m enjoying this conversation.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“That sounds more like you.”

Amanda laughed under her breath.

“Send me the revised deck before lunch. I want enough time to review before I fly in.”

“You’re still coming the day after tomorrow?”