“That would be lovely,” she said, and finally looked away. What she saw when she looked at his apartment, and the man, was almost as amazing. This penthouse was like an actual home with interesting details, quirky pendant lights hanging over the countertops, extremely comfortable looking bar stools with deep cushions instead of those uncomfortable wooden ones most people preferred because of their sleek lines, not because anyone actually wanted to sit on them. There was strategic lighting and a massive granite fireplace that switched on, warming up the whole area.
She found Drake behind the counter, uncorking a bottle of red wine, then pouring the rich liquid into two round goblets. He handed one to her and she was almost afraid to reach out and take it, afraid her hands were shaking too much to hold the delicate looking crystal.
She accepted the crystal goblet warily, careful not to touch his hands during the transfer.
“To new beginnings,” he said and raised his glass towards her before taking a sip.
Sierra didn’t want to drink to new beginnings or old endings or any kind of change. Change was for her clients. She worked change around their lives and their preferences. Personally, she didn’t like change. Change meant something unexpected, something different. It was hard to anticipate how to react to something new and different. Change could be good, but why risk it?
She’d gone through enough change in her life. She liked the dull, predictable life she’d built for herself. And this man was here to stir things up, impact her world and shake things so she might not even recognize her life.
“What are you thinking?” he asked as he pulled his tie loose, then tossed it onto the counter away from the food he’d pulled out of the refrigerator.
She took a long sip of wine, just as an excuse to give herself more time to come up with an answer. “I was wondering who decorated your space. It’s very…eclectic.” She wasn’t about to tell him that she didn’t want anything in her life to change and that she resented him for bringing it all here. She resented him even more for making her feel things that she didn’t like and she thought she could actually learn to hate the man for being so gorgeous and healthy. And close! They weren’t ever supposed to meet so why was he here now? Why had fate stepped in and made this whole day so…awkward!
Drake looked around, nodding his head at her description. “I decorated it myself. I’ve been in this industry long enough to know what I like and don’t like.”
That surprised her enough to distract herself from her mutinous thoughts and she looked around at the lights and the comfortable seating area which would allow his guests to relax while he cooked, but still be near the fireplace. “Really? That’s surprising,” she said without thinking.
“Why is that so strange?” he asked, setting his glass down on the granite counters so he could fill up a pot with water for the pasta.
“I just can’t picture you as the decorator type.”
He smiled at her observation. “Well, I guess I cheat a little. When I build a hotel or apartment complex, the designers do all the work. If I like a particular item or set of pieces, I have those pieces shipped to a storage facility. Since I change living spaces frequently, I just choose the pieces I want for any particular apartment I’ve bought. So I guess I don’t really stroll through the furniture warehouses to find the perfect sofa or chair like so many designers or couples do when trying to decorate their new space.”
She looked around at the lighting that perfectly suited the seating arrangements, the angles of the fireplace that were just slightly off center so the kitchen itself looked balanced. This is the type of thing she loved doing, but he’d done it all himself. “It’s a unique style,” she said softly, feeling vaguely threatened. If she were to design a living space, she’d do it exactly like this.
Deciding that a change in topics was needed, she walked around, acting as if she were looking at things when in reality, she was painfully aware of him cooking, chopping and seasoning whatever it was that he was making. “So why did you buy Todd’s firm? Don’t you have a whole team of architects on staff?”
“Of course.”
“So why did you need us?”
“Because your team knows this area better than mine. You’re very successful with the clients and understand the cultural issues that come with entering any new market. Each area of the country is different with fads and preferences that are unique to the region.”
She had to accept that his explanation made sense. It still didn’t explain why he chose Todd’s company though. “So why did you approach Todd to buy out his firm?” She sat down on one of the comfortable stools, propping her chin up on the palm of her hand so she could watch him. A fascinating show, she thought.
He placed a plate of crackers with some sort of dip in a small bowl in front of her. “What would you say if I told you that I bought out Todd because I wanted you on the team?”
She immediately rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what was it about Todd’s group that made you choose them over all the other architectural firms in the city?”
Drake watched with interest as she sampled the creamy pesto dip, gratified when her eyebrows went up in surprise. Since she didn’t believe that her reputation preceded her, he would go with a more simplistic approach. “The talent in Todd’s group is better, he’s ready to retire and I wanted to move ahead quickly. Other firms might not be as amenable to a fast-paced change, but since Todd was already past retirement age, everyone on your team seemed to be anticipating someone else taking over.”
“You realize the person we all expected to take over was Mark Peterson, right?”
Drake nodded. “I’ve already tagged him as a problem issue.”
She was curious, “What are you going to do to neutralize him?” As soon as she said that, she realized what she’d said and how it might come across. More specifically, how it could remind him of that painful period in his past. Her father had repeatedly used the term neutralize when there was a threat. “Neutralize” in organized crime lingo meant “get rid of the guy – permanently”.
“Do you always talk about work in order to avoid personal problems?” he asked, more curious than ever. She was sitting on the bar stool looking like she was ready to bolt and the only thing keeping her in place was his cooking. She was pretty cute when she peered over the counter to try and see what he was slicing up. She’d never figure it out since it was all going into a pan. But he enjoyed her attempts since, whenever she leaned forward, her silk blouse fell open slightly and he could see the soft, perfect swells of her breasts. Once he even spied the lace of her bra.