Obviously I should have said no. If nothing else, I should have just told Elizabeth that I was the boss and I either liked the kitchen, which meant she was doing her job, or I didn’t and she was fired. But it was looking like I was completely unable to think clearly when in her presence.
And that could lead to big trouble.
So since I couldn’t stop myself from giving in to her, that left me just one other option.
I needed to make her hate me.
Chapter 9
Oliver
Not long after Elizabeth went home for the day, somebody else knocked on my study door. My sanctuary was quickly becoming one of the busiest rooms in the house.
“Mr. Bentley,” Todd called through the door. “Could I have a moment?”
I sighed. “Come on in then.”
The door opened and Todd came through looking displeased. Not for the first time, he looked downright fatherly and if I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought I was about to get a good haranguing.
“What is it?” I asked, sliding the screen of my laptop closed and resting my folded hands on top. I didn’t bother removing my glasses. I would be working for some hours yet, and I didn’t intend for my chat with Todd to go on very long.
“Still combing through those contracts?” Todd asked.
I nodded. “Nearly finished now.”
“You could have gotten a lawyer to do it for you.”
“And I could hire somebody to spoon feed me all my meals, but I still do that on my own.”
“But at least you can be assured that you won’t come up with an empty spoon when you feed yourself,” Todd continued. “The same cannot be said of trying to find mistakes and discrepancies in dozens of legal contracts.”
I frowned at him. “Is there something I can help you with, Todd?”
He strolled toward the desk, hands clasped behind his back. I watched warily.
“I heard you got in a fight with Ms. Paulson while I was out on errands,” he began.
Ah, here it comes.
“And you’ve come to chastise me?” I chuckled. “Todd, I really think we ought to get you a hobby.”
He looked down his sharp nose at me and clicked his tongue. “You shouldn’t be so hard on her. Especially considering your shared history.”
“Shared history is a delicate way of putting it,” I remarked. “I fucked her in public.”
Todd remained unruffled. “I find your nonchalant attitude and apparent inability to be a decent human being where Ms. Paulson is involved troubling.”
“Thank you for your input.” I opened my laptop again. “You’re dismissed.”
But Todd didn’t so much as flinch. He was ramrod straight and still as a moss covered rock. I was tempted to go back to my work and just ignore him, but I knew he was likely just to keep standing there until I acknowledged him. He was good at that.
“Todd,” I ground out. “I’m not in the mood.”
“If only you’d had that attitude the night you met Ms. Paulson,” he retorted. “Perhaps I wouldn’t be having to worry about finding a new designer.”
I tilted my head back in surprise. “Did she quit?”
A small spark of panic flared in my belly. Had I been so awful to her that she walked right off the property? I squashed the spark. If she had quit, that might not turn out to be such a bad thing.
“No, she didn’t quit,” Todd said. “In fact, the contractors were impressed by her degree of professionalism and tact in regards to your little interaction.” He narrowed his gaze. “The same could not be said for you.”
“They only saw part of the fight,” I muttered. “She came in here afterward and practically read me the riot act.”
“As she should have.” Todd took a deep breath. “Do you think, perhaps, that you’re being a little unfair to her because you’re unaccustomed to spending time with the women you sleep with after you’ve slept with them?”
My eyes practically rolled in a full circle, but what could I say? It had both nothing and everything to do with the fact that I’d slept with her. Maybe if I didn’t know what kinds of delicious curves waited for me under those baggy t-shirts she always wore, I wouldn’t be so resentful of the fact that I could never have her.
“Todd, I don’t have time for this. Get to the point.”
“She’s a good designer,” he said. “I don’t want to lose her.”
“If we lose her, we get another.” I gestured to the cavernous room, with its elegant, art deco furnishings and décor. “It’s not like hiring a new designer would cost more than I have to spend.” I probably should have stopped there, but my irritation ran deep. “And apparently all I can do is spend, so why not? Why not renovate this godforsaken mansion over and over again until I keel over of a heart attack at eighty years old, surrounded by busty women whose names I don’t know and don’t have enough teeth to pronounce anyway?”
“Don’t be foolish,” he chastised. “You’d have the best dentures money could buy.”
My mouth split into a grin as he reminded me why I kept him around, despite his constant insubordination. He was always able to make me smile. He was probably the only person on Earth who could haul me out from the spiral I’d been about to go down, armed only with a quip and an austere expression.
“I don’t know how many times I had to remind your grandfather that there was a human cost to his actions,” Todd said.
“Apparently you didn’t remind him enough.”
Todd’s eyes softened. I hated when they did that.
“Maybe I didn’t, but the same lesson applies to you.”
I locked onto his eyes. “Would it get you to leave my study if I told you I’ll try not to make her cry?”
He sighed and began to walk back to the door. “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice, you know.”
“Not true. You of all people know for a fact that it could cost me everything.” And because of that, I expected him to be more understanding.
Todd stopped at the doorway, hand sliding along the wood almost reverently. “I understand why you’re scared,” he said. “You’ve got a lot to lose. But there are many steps between being kind to a person and falling in love with them.”
Todd disappeared down the hall, taking my work ethic along with him. I closed my laptop with a frustrated sigh and tossed my glasses onto the desk. He wasn’t wrong, and maybe if there was some sort of diagram that showed me just how many steps I could take along that road and still turn back, I would.
But I wasn’t taking any chances. Not with anybody.
But especially not with her.
It was hard enough knowing she was out there, wandering around my house. But anytime I caught sight of her, it just made it worse. Especially when she was laughing—because I wanted to be the one to make her laugh.
But what I really needed to be was the one to make her frown.
The danger to me had never been so clear. So obvious. It should be easier than ever to push her away. I’d done it plenty of times before with other women.
Why was it so hard with Elizabeth?
Chapter 10
Elizabeth
My Schlieffen Plan worked out a lot better than the original. Within the month, the kitchen, as well as the main bathroom and one of the sitting rooms, was almost entirely ready to go. My contractors were already spilling out to tackle the rest of the house, which meant one thing for me—it was my chance to take on the library.
Hunched over one of the smaller reading desks, I re-evaluated my plans. I’d spent all morning running around the library, measuring and investigating.
“How’s the design going?”
I was so lost in thought that the sudden voice startled me, but my frown slipped into a smile as I recognized Rodney’s huge form approaching from the doorway. He was my lead contractor, and had quickly become my sounding board and construction site confidant.
“Nearly everything’s worked out,” I replied. “I only have a couple big decisions left to make
.”
He pulled off his paint-stained Dodgers cap and ran his fingers through his tawny hair, wiping the sweat from his brow before sliding the cap back on.
“You don’t look too happy,” he noted.
I grimaced. Rodney was the one person I felt comfortable talking to about my problems with Oliver. Everybody with eyes and ears knew he was a difficult person to work with, but I tried to keep things as professional as possible unless it was just me and my lead.
Not that Rodney knew I’d slept with the client. That was a line even Rodney couldn’t know I’d crossed.
“One of the decisions is a biggie,” I explained.
“Ah.” He gave me a kind smile and scratched his salt and pepper chin. “A big biggie?”
I nodded. “Mr. Bentley specifically requested a dark color for the walls in here,” I said, looking around. “But I think we can retain the classic grandeur without having to resort to making the walls bleed.”
Rodney and I had divided up all design decisions into two basic categories: biggies and not-so-biggies. Anything that I had to pass by Oliver before finalizing the design was a biggie, and thus was to be approached with trepidation.
Rodney nodded in agreement. “Especially since we’re expanding the room.”
“It’s fine, though. I’ve got time to redesign if he won’t budge. I’m still going to try to get a decision today, though.” I sighed at the mere thought of the confrontation.
“And the world holds its breath.”
I scowled through narrowed eyes, but he merely chuckled. I doubted Rodney was afraid of anyone. He was the only person on site noticeably taller than Oliver, and wider by a mile.
How tall was Oliver, anyway? I remembered how tiny I’d felt in his arms, how his hands had seemed to wrap all the way around my thighs. I could almost feel them, firm and warm as he pushed himself deeper and deeper inside of me.
“Any suggestions before I go into the war room?” I asked Rodney, desperate for a distraction from my own runaway thoughts.
“Yes,” he replied. “But it’s the same suggestion as always, so I know you’ll ignore it.”
I rose slowly to my feet, taking the time to stretch out my cramped limbs. Dust motes, illuminated by the late afternoon sun, swirled around me.
“I can’t let you fight my battles for me,” I reminded him. “I’ll never get anywhere in this job if I can’t deal with clients.”
“Dealing with clients is one thing…” he said, not bothering to finish the thought.
“I’ve got this.” I patted him on the top of his arm, unable to reach his shoulder with ease. “I appreciate the support though.”
Rodney grunted and walked with me back to the kitchen. He broke off from me there, but turned on his heel and marched back up to me before I could disappear down the hall.
“I forgot to tell you,” he said with an apologetic smile. “Everything in here is done except the cabinet hardware.”
Ugh. The blasted knobs.
“Thanks, Rod.” I checked the time on my phone. I had an hour and a half before Big Al’s closed. “I’ll swing down and exchange those when I go to put in my paint order.”
I grinned the rest of the way to Oliver’s office. Finally I had some good news to report. Surely telling him his kitchen would be entirely finished by end of day today had to score me some points.
“Mr. Bentley?” I called, knocking.
What I had taken a week ago as him ignoring me was actually just him getting to the door in his own goddamn time. Or at least that was how he’d put it. He had ears, after all. So I waited.
A moment later, the door swung inward. Oliver looked tired. His dark hair was in disarray, his suit was askew, and his eyes were just a little bit pink. I still had no idea what it was that he was always working so intensely on in here. All Todd said when I asked was that he was dealing with his late grandfather’s affairs, with the strong implication that it wasn’t any of my business.
“How can I help you, Ms. Paulson?” It would have been a polite greeting if it hadn’t been laced in sarcasm.
“First of all, I’m pleased to inform you that the kitchen will be done before I leave today.”
Oliver’s expression didn’t alter in the slightest.
Good thing I didn’t exclaim “Yay!” at the end.
Breezing past his indifference, I thrust my handful of paint swatches toward him. “I’ve got some paint samples I’d like to go through with you,” I said. “If you have the time.”
I half expected him to close the door in my face. That was apparently his way of saying, Actually I’m quite busy now, Ms. Paulson, but if you could come back again in a few hours or tomorrow I will be available to answer your questions.
But he didn’t.
“Alright,” he said. “I’m due for a break anyway. What room is this for?”
He looked over the swatches, brow knitted.
Here was the tricky part.
“The library.”
Oliver frowned. He trained his eyes on me with thinly veiled irritation.
“I thought we agreed that the library was going to be a deep maroon or something?” he said. “Certainly not any of…” He waved a dismissive hand toward my colors. “These.”
Does he have to say it like I just showed him the literal shit I’m going to smear on his walls?
“We didn’t agree, actually,” I reminded him. “You imposed your desire and left before we came to a mutual conclusion.”
His eyes flashed. “That doesn’t sound like me at all,” he purred. “If I remember correctly, you and I have a history of reaching mutual conclusion.”
The air whooshed from my lungs like someone had kicked me and heat flared in my core. How was he still able to have an effect like that on me when I absolutely despised him?
Focus!
“If you join me in the library,” I said, gritting my teeth in an attempt to push away memories of the mind-blowing orgasm he’d just replanted in my head. “I can show you how the colors will look in the afternoon sunlight. You’ll see that using a lighter color for the walls is more favorable.”
“You sound like an old treasure map,” he muttered, strolling into the hallway. “In order to find the treasure, ye must view the carpet samples next to the wallpaper under the light of the full moon.”
I giggled but tried to cover it up with a cough. I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to see his satisfied smile.
“Also, I’m going to go down to the hardware store after this to change the knobs you don’t like on the kitchen cabinets.”
I was hoping to use that as some sort of peace offering before we inevitably butted heads again on the library paint colors.
“About bloody time, too,” he grumbled.
Aside from the knobs, Oliver had stopped complaining about the kitchen days ago, which I took to mean he actually approved of the final design after all. The temptation to mention our wager rose inside of me. Had he been thinking about it as much as I had? Instead, I chickened out and opted for something a little less touchy.
“Did you get a haircut?”
Oliver glared at me but didn’t answer. At least by continuing to be insufferable, he succeeded in making me forget how aroused I’d been by his earlier comment.
In the library, I flung back the heavy drapes and let the space fill with unfiltered light. It gleamed off the polished wooden bookshelves like glass.
“I’m going to show you how this scene would look if we chose the color you want, which is close to the color the library currently is.” I lifted one of the swatches from the back of the pile up to the wall. “Do you see how the sunlight makes it lose all its warmth?”
He furrowed his brow and stared at me. “I don’t see anything,” he replied. “I can’t tell what the whole library is going to look like based on one square you’re holding up to the wall.”
I sighed. “Use your imagination. It should be easy since the colors are so similar.”
He shook
his head. “I don’t see the problem. It’s still a library. And if it’s really so bad with the sunlight, we’ll just keep the drapes closed during the day.”
I took a deep breath.
“Okay, let’s try with this one.” I held up my favorite of the two colors I’d chosen, a crisp ivory. “We’re going to do this color, with ebony wood accents—“ I held up the swatch for the accents underneath it “—and then we can keep the drapes if you want. But we’ll also have them open most of the time.”
Dirty Jock Page 32
