“She is very particular, but she has a good eye. We’re about two-thirds done. The rest is mostly cosmetic things,” Liv informed me. “Once the cabinets and fixtures are in place, the rest will happen fast, and we’ll be free.”
“Yeah, another couple of weeks, and it’s done,” I agreed.
“Let me handle her and Ben, Van. It’s important to me.”
“All right,” I said begrudgingly. I knew she was right. She was strong, capable, and smart. She didn’t need me to fix things usually, yet today, I had to step in.
She reached over and touched my hand. “But thank you. For that, taking care of Sammy, dinner—everything.”
Our eyes met and held. The room filled with a strange feeling—taking on a life of its own. One which contained only her and me.
Once again, Liv asked me a question.
“What are you doing here, Van?”
“Spending time with you and Sammy. I like it.”
“To what end?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “I only know I enjoy it. I like both of you.” I studied her for a moment. “Would it be so awful, Liv? To see each other on occasion? Maybe dinner out?”
She hesitated, looking torn. There was obviously a story behind her worry.
“Tell me,” I urged.
A long sigh left her mouth. “Not long after Sammy’s third birthday, I met a guy—Evan. He seemed nice. I told him about Sammy, and he was fine. He was great with her. He was great with me. We dated, and I got comfortable with him. Sammy saw him as part of our lives. We both did.”
“But?” I let the question hang in the air, already knowing the answer.
“Nine months into the relationship, Evan decided a ready-made family wasn’t for him. It was too much. We were too much. He walked away. Sammy suffered terribly. She missed him so much, and you can’t make a three-year-old understand why the person they loved was simply gone. I couldn’t tell her he didn’t love us enough.”
“What an asshole,” I growled.
“We saw him about a year later. With his pregnant girlfriend. He had the audacity to tell me he had decided he liked being a dad figure, but he could never love Sammy fully since she wasn’t his. So he had decided to move on and make his own family.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I have never wanted to hit a person as much as I wanted to hit him that day. He basically told me my daughter wasn’t good enough for him to love. The same as her biological father.”
“Jesus,” I muttered. No wonder she was gun-shy. I couldn’t blame her, given her history. But I had to try.
“I’m not them, Liv. I’m not built to walk away. If I didn’t think we had a shot together, I wouldn’t put you or Sammy at risk.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Why do you think we have a shot?”
“I’ve always liked you, Liv,” I admitted. “But I made you off-limits because of my own history, the fact that we work together, and you’re a single mom. But I find you highly attractive. Sexy. Smart. An awesome mother. A beautiful woman. I’ve been holding back, but I’d like to see you.”
A smile curled her lips, and she dropped her gaze. I slid my finger under her chin. “What did I tell you about hiding your smile? I love to see it. I love knowing I caused it.”
This time, her smile lit her face. For a moment I basked in it, until she became serious.
“It scares me,” she admitted.
I decided to be honest. “It scares me too, Liv. I have my own history, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want a relationship again. But there’s something between us, and I want to explore it.”
She tilted her head. “Will you tell me?”
“Yes. Soon.” I took her hand in mine. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. If you want to try this with me, you deserve to know my story too.”
She was quiet for a moment, then slowly nodded. “All right.”
“We can take it slow, Liv. Dinner. Another visit to the park. Please don’t say no to the idea and shut the door.”
She bit her lip, looking undecided.
“I play this weekend at the Troup. Why don’t you come see me and have a drink after? We’re pretty good.”
“I know,” she said. “I always enjoy your show.”
I smirked at her. “Always? I know you saw me once. You’ve been other times?”
Streaks of color highlighted her cheeks. “My friend, Judy, and I take turns once a month taking each other’s kids on the weekend. We get a break and the kids get along so well. Whenever I have Saturday night to myself and you’re playing, I come see you.”
I found myself on the floor in front of her, resting my hands on her thighs, gazing up at her. “Are you stalking me, Ms. Rourke?” I quirked my eyebrow suggestively. “Because I find it rather hot.”
“Maybe a little,” she whispered. “I’ve always liked you too, Van.”
I rose up on my knees, towering over her. “Then I suggest you call your friend and stalk me this weekend, Liv. I’ll play just for you.”
She whimpered, low and deep in her throat. Our gazes locked, feelings we were both admitting to simmering between us. Her golden eyes glimmered in the low light, and her soft scent surrounded me. My gaze fell to her mouth. Her tongue peeked out, moistening the plump bottom lip. Her breathing hitched, and mine deepened.
“I think I need to kiss you,” I murmured.
“Think or know?” she retorted.
“Know,” I groaned and pulled her into my arms, hauling her up tight to my chest. Our lips touched, separated, then joined again. Pressing, moving, learning.
When her tongue traced my bottom lip, I was lost. With a low growl, I pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.
She was everything I knew she would be and more. Sweet, giving, passionate. Our tongues stroked and tasted, our mouths melded as we discovered each other. She slid her hands into the hair at the nape of my neck, playing with the strands, her touch making me shiver. I caressed her everywhere. The length of her back, the bends and bows of her spine. The rounded slope of her shoulders. I ghosted my fingers along the delicate arch of her neck and wound them into her heavy hair. It was soft and silky under my touch. Her body aligned to mine perfectly. The quiet noises she made turned me on.
I wanted more. More of her.
I wanted to lay her out on her sofa and discover every hidden dip and curve of her body. Taste her everywhere. Find out what I could do to make her whimper. Gasp my name. I wanted to bury myself inside her and claim her.
Except… I had promised her slow. I knew I had already crossed every line with her, and I didn’t want to scare her by moving too fast. Regretfully, I tempered my kisses. Eased back the passion. Nuzzled her lips before drawing away.
She was a vision. Her hair a tangled mess from my hands. Her lips pink, wet, and swollen from my mouth. Her breathing rapid, the fast pants causing her breasts to rise and fall, her nipples hard under her sweater. I had to push myself away. I stood slowly, never breaking our gaze, letting her see the regret and lingering desire.
“You stopped,” she whispered.
I stooped and kissed her gently. “I’m not going to start our relationship off with a lie, Livvy. I said we’d go slow, and we will. You set the pace and I’ll follow.”
“Livvy?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s how I think of you—if that’s okay.”
She slipped her hand into mine. “Yeah. It’s okay.”
I squeezed her fingers. “I have to go.” If I didn’t, she’d be under me on the sofa in five minutes, and regardless of the fact that Sammy was down the hall, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
Liv stood and walked me to the door. I was unable to resist tucking her into my arms again. She nestled against my chest as if she had always belonged there. I kissed the top of her head. “Lock the door and get some sleep.”
She looked up at me. “This is going to be complicated.”
“No, it won’t. It’ll be
us, and we’ll figure out what that is as we go. Okay?”
She stretched up on her toes and kissed me.
“Okay.”
Van
I leaned back in my chair, tugging a hand through my hair. I shook my head in regret. “We’re stretched as it is, Bentley. I have no one I can put on another project.”
He grimaced. “We need to figure this out. I want this one done.” He looked at Jordan. “We have no one?”
Jordan chuckled under his breath. “Bentley, you are taking on projects faster than we can complete them. All of our crews are working, and we have three other projects waiting.”
Aiden laughed. “I told you, Bent. We need to put this one on hold.”
Bentley frowned. “No. The market is hot now. This is a great opportunity. A clean, fast in-and-out. The engineer agreed—the structures are solid. Three apartment buildings, each one needing the same thing—updating. We go in floor by floor, renovate, and move on. The values will increase, and we can make a huge profit.”
“Not if we don’t have the manpower.” I pointed out.
He tugged at his sleeves, staring down at the plans laid out in front of him. “We’ve hired temporary crews before. Why can’t we do it for this project?”
“The cost,” Jordan stated, matter-of-factly. “This is big.”
“But doable.” Bentley swung his gaze in my direction. “If we had more men, doable?”
“Yes.”
“Control,” Jordan added. “We lose control.”
Bentley tapped his fingers on the desk. “No. We do the plans, designs, and they work for us. Follow our guidelines. We need the manpower, nothing else.”
Beside me, Liv, who had been quiet up until this point, spoke. “What do you want from me, Bentley? What is your vision?”
“Play up the old-world charm. The buildings are sound and the layouts flow. Great bones, but they’re suffering from neglect. I want to highlight their beauty and make them come back to life.” He handed her a stack of photos. “See for yourself.”
“Okay,” she murmured, taking the photos. She flipped through them, nodding. I knew her mind was already coming up with ideas.
She was brilliant that way. It was hard to sit here and not stare at her. Or touch her. My fingers itched to feel her soft skin again. To taste her lips.
But I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Not at this moment.
Instead, I looked at the pictures Liv handed to me when she finished going through them. The three buildings sat on a cul-de-sac and had all been owned by one man. When he died, his family put them up for sale, and BAM jumped. Bentley had a vision.
Bentley always had a vision.
“Renting or condos?” I asked.
“Both. Our property management group will handle all of it,” Aiden said. “Occupancy rates are down because the buildings were being neglected. People living there get first dibs on staying. We’re clearing out one building, and as soon as it's done, moving people from the next one in, and again with the last building. We’ll have no problem finding both renters and buyers.”
“Time frame?”
“ASAP,” Aiden stated unapologetically. “Find the right company, hire the crews, and get on it.” He looked at Jordan. “You can hire the crews, right?”
“Yes.”
“And Liv, you can design the floor plans?”
She pursed her lips. “Each one is the same layout?”
“Yes,” Bentley said. “Each building is three floors, four units per floor—the same layout. Two bedrooms, self-contained, with laundry. The basements are mechanical, storage, and all the other building equipment.” He leaned forward, meeting Liv’s gaze. “The apartments are charming. Gumwood, chair rails, hardwood floors, cove molding. Play it up but give them all the modern conveniences.”
“Join the old with the new,” she murmured.
“Yes!” He smacked the table. “That’s what I want.”
“I can do that.”
“I knew you could.” He winked.
I knew it as well. She was talented.
Bentley turned to me. “Van, I know this is a bigger scope than the houses we work on, but I want you to oversee it. I need your eye for detail and expertise with carpentry. The woodwork in these places will astound you, and I want to make sure the integrity is maintained.”
I was intrigued and the thought of using my woodworking skills appealing, but I had to ask. “What about the other three houses we’re working on?”
He waved his hand. “You told me Jenkins was a great manager. Give him a chance, let him oversee those with you backing him up, and concentrate on these,” he instructed. “Same with you, Liv. Hand over the designs to your assistant, Kim. Let’s see what they’ve got. I’ll even let you off the Miller project.”
We all laughed. Liv shut her notebook. “It’s almost done, Bentley. I’ll make sure it’s complete.”
“I know you will,” he said, looking pleased. “That’s why the two of you are my best team.”
I had to agree. We were a good team.
He smirked, crossing his leg and leaning back in his chair as he turned his attention back to me. “I know you’re dying to see what these places look like, Van, and you’d love the challenge of a different type of project.”
I had to laugh. Bentley knew me too well.
“If Jordan finds me the men, I’ll make sure it happens. They can gut and build, Liv will design, and I’ll handle the finishes and oversee the project.” I regarded him steadily. “I’ll need help, though. I can’t do it all on my own. This is gonna cost you, Bent. This is a specialized field.”
“It’ll be worth every penny. You know someone, right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then get them. The project will net us millions.” Bentley looked around the table. “So we’re all on the same page?”
Jordan shut his laptop. “I’ll send it out for tender and get the bodies we need.” He stood. “In fact, I’ll go start, if you’re done with me, Bentley?”
“Thanks, Jordan. Keep me apprised.”
“Yep.”
He strode from the room, stopping to hold the door open for Sandy. She entered with her arms filled with files and set them on the table.
“The Niagara project. Here is all the documentation on it and the long list of guidelines for building since it’s in a protected area. Once you’ve checked it out, Jordan can start procuring all the proper permits.”
Sandy winked at me. “A little something to do in your downtime, Van. Between flipping houses, custom woodwork, overseeing crews, and a couple of hours a sleep a night, you should be able to fit this in, correct?”
I chuckled at her drollness. She was the glue of BAM. She knew everyone by name, their lives, their families, and always made a point to ask after them. She was the right hand to the partners, oversaw all the staff, worked closely with HR, and was everyone’s favorite person. She never forgot a birthday, made sure all special occasions were marked, and handled a thousand and one details with the ease of a general. I knew how much the guys depended on her.
“I can forgo the sleep, I suppose. A nap at my desk should suffice.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s the spirit.”
Reid strolled in, his laptop tucked under his arm. His smirk was wide, his hair, as usual, looking as if he’d run his hands through it repeatedly. As he went by Sandy, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks for the sandwich. I forgot to eat again.”
She shook her head, looking at him fondly. “I told Becca I would look after you while she was visiting her dad. Just because your wife is away for a week, you don’t have to slip back into your old routines,” she chided him.
“I do when Bentley sends me new projects he wants handled ASAP.”
Sandy peered at Bentley over the rim of her glasses. “You need to peddle it back, young man.”
Her words amused everyone. Bentley had no idea how to “peddle it back.” He was on fire lately with projects and deal
s. Knowing him the way I did, I knew it was because his wife, Emmy, was only days away from giving birth. He was overprotective and tense, so, like me, he slept very little and used work to occupy his mind.
BAM was overflowing with acquisitions and projects.
He glanced at his phone. “Soon,” he mumbled.
Sandy patted his shoulder and left the room.
Reid opened his laptop. “Okay, so you want this new project all wired up?”
Bentley was frowning at something on his phone, so Aiden spoke. “Yeah, Reid. Work with Liv and Van. This place is old-school—it still has hardwired jacks in all the units. Bring it into the twenty-first century, technology-wise.”
Reid looked excited. “Awesome. I’ll build it, and they will come.”
I chuckled.
Aiden stood. “We can discuss it between us and Liv. We’ll do a site visit so we can see what we’re dealing with later today, if that works for everyone.”
I was excited to see the buildings. We all agreed on a time, then Aiden and Reid left, talking about various ideas.
Bentley set down his phone. “Okay. Now the Niagara project.” He smirked. “I know we have a lot going on, and this one is going to take a while. The cabin is in a protected part of the Niagara Peninsula, so we have special permits and guidelines to adhere to. I’d like to drive up and look around, see what’s there, and then come up with a strategy. I don’t plan on starting on it until spring. Jordan tells me the permit process is slow with the conservation people.”
“It is, but if we’re aware and plan accordingly, they are usually cooperative. But I suggest we have Plan B as well.”
“Great, then we’ll plan and make sure it is all within their guidelines. Have a backup, and we’ll go from there.” He picked up his phone. “What day works for you two? I want as early as possible in the week. It’s about a ninety-minute drive each way, and we’ll need a couple of hours I assume? I’m sticking close to home, in case…” His voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat. “For Emmy.”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 30