How About Never
Page 3
“Upset with you?” he questioned as he scanned her from head to toe and then returned his gaze to her face. “Nah. You intrigue me.”
“Intrigue?”
“Absolutely. I wasn’t allowed to test your ‘fall in love’ theory.” Zane’s devilish smile made her want to giggle.
Giggle? What. The. Fuck.
“That was just me being silly.” Tempest stepped away from him. She’d think about the way his proximity made her thing and do things that were a bit off.
“All those extra dirty martinis can bring on a bit of smack talk, but I liked it.”
What was this man about? It was probably about wanting what he thought he would get last night, but it couldn’t have been that important to him to show up here.
“Oh, there you are.” The woman from the microphone approached them, and Tempest took a step toward her, but she practically sidestepped her to get to Zane.
“Were you looking for me?”
“I’m always looking for you, Mr. Calder.” The woman had sounded cheery and motivational on the mic but had definitely tried to sexy it up for Zane. She understood completely. He had something that drew women to him. Big Dick Energy is how she would describe it. Not necessarily about the size, but he just knew how to command a room.
“How can I help you, Marcy?” He stood by Tempest’s side and placed a hand on her back.
Tempest was all about reading body language and facial expression. She knew Zane was showing their alliance, and by the look on Marcy’s face, she picked it up.
The woman put on a smile that was as fake as it was bright. “I was just making sure you got over here to your partner, but I can see that you’ve met.”
Tempest watched the woman give an awkward wave before she walked away. It was taking her a minute to get this whole thing together in her mind. Zane stood beside her silently until she turned to look at him.
“You’re my partner in this?”
“Surprise.” His voice was low and sexy, but that couldn’t distract her.
“Did you set this up?” She backed away from him to get her package from the table. “I will not accept this assignment if this is something you came up with. I will make my career on my accomplishments alone. Not because you want a better chance of getting your cock wet.”
If she weren’t standing at the pinnacle of pissed off, she’d probably crack a smile at his expression. Shock, wonder, and admiration blended into an expression she didn’t recognize. Then his face became a mask free of everything but maybe boredom.
“I was given a group of portfolios to look through, and we were told to choose who we wanted to work with. I chose yours.” He appeared to be waiting for something.
“I’m not a big believer in fate or coincidence, so I won’t apologize for my outburst.” She picked up her packet and was on her way to the room they told the decorators to be.
She arrived in the room and sat at the round table as she waited for the others to join them. Tempest took the first deep breath she afforded herself since learning she would have to work with Zane on the project she’d been so excited about. She rarely made mistakes like this, but she’d not seen this coming at all. Had she overreacted? Yes, and damn did that make her angrier. Grrrr. She had a fiery personality, but most people didn’t know that. They got to see her cool, like the other side of the pillow, that she presented to the world.
She could turn this around, and she would. Tempest had always wanted to work with Zane, and although it hadn’t happened the way she’d wanted, she’d make the best of it.
“Are we ready to get started?” Marcy clapped a few times to get the few people sitting at the tables to look her way.
Tempest looked around the room and was shocked at how many people were in attendance. She had zoned out, but it was time to bring her “A” game. This was something she would win, and these other designers would have to try again next year. She just wished she was as certain about the man they had partnered her with.
CHAPTER FOUR
ZANE
He’d told himself that he would not say anything to Tempest at the club the night before, but he’d just walked past. Then he heard her ask for an extra dirty drink. The teenaged boy that lived inside him just couldn’t keep walking. The woman had intrigued him for a good while, and knowing he would be working with her the next day wasn’t enough to keep his trap shut.
Zane was friends with the family that put on this charity every year. He’d never taken them up on their offer to be involved before he’d found out it was something Tempest was interested in participating in. The woman was beauty and ice, but she’d given him a bit of fire, and, oh fuck, was that a turn on.
They’d been talking about the mission and the goal, but he couldn’t think of anything besides the woman who told him off before he could come up with anything she sashayed her hot ass away from him.
Benjamin Campbell walked toward him as the three architects left the workroom.
“I can’t believe you finally took me up on my offer to take part in the charity challenge.” Ben led with his hand for a shake and put the other hand on his shoulder.
“I’m surprised you’re involved in this at all this year. Aren’t you getting married soon?” Zane hadn’t ever met the man’s intended bride, but he’d heard she was a doozy. They invited him to their destination wedding, but he was still unsure if he would go.
“That’s a long story, but the short answer is no. I’m not.” Ben appeared heartsick, just saying that, so Zane didn’t want to make the man go through it.
“Maybe we can catch up for drinks later.” Zane saw Tempest walk out of the room and looked to Ben to see if he’d answer him.
“Sounds good.” Ben walked toward Tempest as he answered, leaving Zane to trail after him. His friend was quick, but there was no way Zane would run to get to Tempest before Ben.
“I’m delighted you honored us with your submission. I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the theme.” Ben had his hand on Tempest’s lower back and damned if that didn’t make a very odd sensation in the pit of his stomach appear. Ben seemed to realize that Zane was behind them and turned to include him in the conversation. “Do you know Zane Calder?”
Tempest looked between both of the men with interest, but he didn’t know what she was picking up that made a slightly amused smile appear on her lips.
“We’ve met briefly, but I think we will be getting to know each other a little better.” Tempest directed that comment at Ben. “We will be working together for the campaign.”
“Is that right?” Ben’s eyes widened, and he stepped back from Tempest.
Why that released the ball of whatever the fuck from his stomach he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t like it.
“I’ll call you about that drink later,” Ben said with a wave to Zane then to Tempest. “I’ll see you soon.”
Tempest watched the man walk away from both of them before she turned her gaze back to Zane. “Why do I feel like a bone being pulled between two big dogs?”
It wasn’t hard to act like he didn’t know what she was talking about because it was new to him as well. He didn’t do competitions or pissing contests regularly. A quick shrug was all he could give her.
Tempest took a deep breath and let it out. “Look, I rarely work as a group, but after listening to the magical results they are looking for, I’m hoping you have some thoughts of how we will work this.”
“I think when we put our heads together, we will blow everyone away.” Zane wasn’t blowing smoke up her ass. He meant that. He’d seen her work and was amazed at the way this woman could transform spaces. Zane looked at what she’d put together last night, and as grand as it was, it didn’t top some of her more creative ventures. The smile he received from her let him know she wasn’t one to refuse praise, and he was glad about that because he knew she would get a lot from him. “I have to do a few things at the office, but how about a quick working lunch to brainstorm a few ideas?”
“Great.” Zane pulled out a business card and wrote an address on the back. “Meet me here in an hour.”
It didn’t take much to see she thought this was some kind of setup, and it was, but he bet she wouldn’t guess what kind. He wanted to keep this woman on her toes… in more ways than one.
CHAPTER FIVE
TEMPEST
It wasn’t hard trying to find something to keep her occupied for an hour, but her mind was racing. This whole morning hadn’t been what she’d been expecting. A partner when she thought she’d be working alone. Said partner acting like a possessive lover and then a working lunch at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.
She was thankful that she dressed up for the morning because going to eat at Mangiare was practically an opportunity to bust out the little black dress. To her knowledge, the place wasn’t open for lunch, but this was the address written on the back of Zane’s business card.
“Welcome to Mangiare. Let me escort you to your table.” The hostess met her with a smile and didn’t need Zane’s name. The place was empty as they walked by the maze made of tables until they got to an elevator. When the doors opened, the hostess held the door as she walked in and then pushed the letter P, so it lit up. “When the door opens, someone will direct you to where you are supposed to go. Enjoy your lunch.”
The doors closed, and the elevator began its climb. It didn’t take long for her to reach her destination, but even as jaded as she was with men and their plays at being dashing and romantic, Zane seemed to know what he was doing.
When the doors opened, there was an older gentleman who stood there waiting for her.
“This way, ma’am.”
She’d been to an event here but never in the rooms upstairs. The hallway was a testimony to clean lines and bold artistry. The short walk from the elevator to the executive suite door had intrigued the designer in her.
“Mr. Calder. Your guest has arrived.”
Tempest walked into the room, and it attacked her senses in the best of ways. The aroma of deliciousness and the growling of her stomach stopped the interest she had in the room. They caused her to focus on the table and its different covered bowls. She tried to concentrate on that, instead of the delectable looking man who stood when she’d walked into the room.
Her escort had left as soon as Zane reached her side.
“You seem to have a love for private rooms,” Tempest said as she faced him.
“I don’t enjoy crowds.”
“There isn’t anyone here in the restaurant that I could see.”
Zane cocked his head to the side. “This place isn’t one for crowds at lunch, but I feel more comfortable in smaller places. It’s not as loud, and I enjoy the décor of the private rooms.”
She knew this man was intelligent and the fact he had an attractive exterior, but she hadn’t really thought too much about him. Was she excited she would get to work with him? Yes, but there was something about him that rattled her typical nerves of steel.
“Is there a place for me to freshen up?” Tempest allowed him to steer her to the bathroom, and she closed the door behind her. You’ve got to pull yourself together. Taking a few deep breaths, she went to the sink to wash her hands and take a few moments to gather herself and her thoughts. She looked into her purse and tried to find the distance and reserve she had with most men who accompanied her. Where the fuck was it? Shaking her head, she hoped some sense came back to her before she took one more deep breath and exited the bathroom.
“Is everything okay?” Zane was standing by the table like he knew she’d needed space, and that increased her resolve to get herself back to normal.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Zane was pulling out her chair by the time she got to the table, and he pushed her in and moved back to his side. When she glanced at him, he was studying her.
“Do I make you nervous?” The playful Zane was gone, leaving the more serious man that she associated with his work in place.
“No.”
He nodded his head, and although she wanted to leave it alone, there just would not be a way that was possible.
“Why do you ask that?” She began to uncover the dishes on the table because, for one, it gave her something to focus on besides this man, and the other because she was hungry. In more ways than one.
He continued to watch her before joining her in uncovering dishes and filling his plate. “I think our working together wasn’t something you were expecting. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of you mixing work with pleasure.”
That made her stop for a second. “Have you been asking around about me?” The thought of him checking up on her made her smile. The man put her off her game mentally. She needed to keep this about the challenge, she’d be able to walk away from this with a solid win for her career. Plus, the knowledge that she couldn’t be taken in by one of the most charming men in the city.
“I don’t know if asking around is the right way to put it. Are you telling me you know nothing about me?” He poured them both a glass of Chablis and took a sip of his. “I’m not talking about from your friend, but before that.”
She shrugged as she took a sip. “I may have heard a few things.”
“Okay, since we are here, let’s go through it. Clear the air.” Zane was much more interested in this conversation than his plate. When Tempest lifted the fork from her plate to her mouth and filled it with a symphony of flavors, she wasn’t sure this was the best time to talk.
“You go first.” Tempest was good at multitasking, but she thought she would be better at listening at this point.
He watched her eat for a bit as he enjoyed his wine. “You are a very sensual woman. You touch fabrics, you ask questions, and you take time to fill your senses with whatever you’re doing.”
Taking a second to enjoy that last bite, she watched him watch her. “This is something you heard?”
“No. It’s an observation. What I’ve heard is that you are the epitome of professionalism and are sought after professionally and personally. You have an air about you that commands respect but makes me want to crack your shell and find out more about you.”
She must have raised her eyebrows at that one because he stopped.
“What?”
She wanted to hear more. It was giving her a chance to get to a place where she could eat casually instead of like she’d not eaten in days, so she shook her head and waited for him to continue.
“You don’t get serious about suitors and dismiss them before it gets too heavy, but I’ve never heard a negative word about you from anyone male or female. That’s interesting, and I’m sure you can’t say the same thing about me.”
She wiped her mouth and took a sip of wine. “What is this?”
“What is what?” Zane sat back in his seat and took a sip of wine. The small smile on his face made her think he was enjoying himself.
“Are you trying to make me more comfortable because you think you somehow make me nervous?”
“We are supposed to be working together for the next month. I’m not sure how often you work with a partner, but I thought we could get to know each other a little better, and then maybe our work would blend more seamlessly.”
Tempest took her time assessing his words and the expression he was pinning her with. “Okay, Mr. Calder.”
“I’d like it more if you called me Zane.”
“Zane. I’ve heard that you are a charmer with a smooth tongue and a thick cock. You leave a trail of women who think they can keep you, but you don’t seem to go back to any woman more than twice. Your work ethic is impeccable, and you are the man to please for anything having to do with your brand Calder Built.” Tempest enjoyed watching the fascination Zane had with her description of her. “It’s interesting how different you are with work and play. Such dedication you show to your job. Caring about each detail and fi
guring out how to get all your pieces to line up correctly.”
“This is you saying that your shocked I’ve not been able to dedicate myself to someone or spent time figuring them out?” Zane cocked his head in a way that he did when he was working out a problem. She’d seen him a lot more than he knew, and although she didn’t want to say that outright, the thought of him had captivated her too.
“I thought about what you said yesterday, and we probably are more alike than we are different, but men are just a different breed than women. There isn’t a time that I don’t tell a man I’m with that I don’t do relationships, but they believe me more than women seem to believe you.” Tempest poured more wine into her glass and waited for him to digest her words.
“When did you know you wanted to be an interior decorator?”
Tempest didn’t know why she was so shocked at the question, but it had just veered off the path of the conversation they’d just been having. “When I received my first dollhouse and couldn’t play with the home that had been so atrociously put together. Not the house, but the furniture and even the rugs that were stickers on the floor bothered me.” The memory of all she’d done to make the house a livable space for her plastic dolls brought a smile to her face.
“Good memory?”
“Yes.” Sitting back with her glass of wine, she was almost mirroring him. “What about you? Have you always wanted to build buildings and fun spaces for charity?”
“I’m a builder of many things, but the pride and excitement I get when seeing something I drew out manifest itself in real life is amazing. I don’t know if I’ve always wanted to create buildings, but I’ve always wanted to create.” He looked at her plate and then back at her. “Are you finished eating?”
Tempest nodded and pushed back from the table, while Zane pulled something out of a box that looked like a small refrigerator.
“What was your favorite subject in school?” Zane handed her a warm towel and watched her as she cleaned off her hands.