15. Love And Fresh Air #2
Because all I want to do is roll my eyes and tell him to knock it off.
“What’s this about, Brody?” I keep my voice steady, but it comes out with a little more bite than I intended. I’m not here for theatrics. Not in this building. Not today.
He brushes it off, flashing that charm like it’s some top-tier weapon. He’s annoyingly smooth. Then he offers me his arm, and as much as I want to swat it away, there are staff everywhere. Plus, the driver’s still posted by the door, watching like this is the highlight of his entire week.
Not the time to make a scene. Just get through this.
I loop my arm through his, resisting every instinct in my body. Next to his tailored navy suit and whatever absurd sparkle is pinned to his tie, is that a diamond? Who does that?
I look like someone he found loitering outside a gas station. The overalls. The flip-flops. Truly a look.
“I figured it’s about time you saw the place,” he says, his arm warm against mine. Too warm. “Get a feel for what happens behind the curtain.”
Sure. A tour.
My skin’s tingling where we’re touching, and that’s exactly the problem. He didn’t invite me here for logistics. He wanted to see me.
Not that I’m in any position to judge, seeing as I, you know, showed up.
I smile like a normal person. “How thoughtful. ”
We move forward, and my flip-flops betray me instantly, making a sticky, smacking sound against the glossy white floor, basically announcing my presence with each step. Very chic.
Chloe Adams, in all her flip-flop glory.
“Smart building,” Brody says, noticing the way I keep glancing around. “Each room adjusts based on occupancy, lighting, temperature, all of it.”
Everything’s gleaming. Walls blinding white. Surfaces sharp enough to cut glass. Screens blinking and shifting around us, feeding off data I don’t understand and definitely didn’t ask for.
“The rooms can sense people?” I squint at one of the panels, unsettled by the sentence and everything it implies.
He laughs under his breath and leads me into a glass elevator. “Grace, top floor.”
A voice chimes in from nowhere. “Good afternoon, Mr. Stirling.” It’s so posh, I expect it to offer snacks.
That’s not creepy at all.
“How did she know it’s you?” I hiss, like the walls might be listening. Honestly, they probably are. I don’t trust anything in here.
“AI assistants,” he says, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “Boosts productivity. Welcome to the future.”
The elevator dings, and when we step off, it’s like we’ve entered a completely different world.
Gone are the clinical white floors. Up here, it’s all gleaming black tile, and the walls are covered in bold art pieces that scream money.
Except… on closer inspection, I realize they’re not paintings. They’re screens. Fancy screens, embedded in frames that probably cost more than an ything I’ll ever be able to afford.
“This is insane,” I mutter, scanning the room. It feels like an art gallery for people who use words like investment portfolio in everyday conversation.
Brody laughs. “I haven’t shown you anything yet.”
I stop short, my jaw hanging open. “I could fit two of my apartments in here and still have room for a gym.”
“The gym’s through there, actually.” He gestures toward a pair of sleek sliding doors at the far end of the room.
Of course there’s a gym. Why wouldn’t there be? This man’s entire existence is one giant flex.
“But this is what I wanted to start with…”
I trail behind him onto a balcony that might as well be a private courtyard for royalty. There’s a full leather lounge set, thick outdoor rugs underfoot, and an entire bar setup glinting in the sun. Stocked, obviously. I pretend not to notice as we step outside.
The air hits differently up here. Cool, sharp, clean. And I don’t hold back, I let out a gasp loud enough to make him smirk.
“I knew you’d like it.” Brody moves next to me while I stare out over the railing. “It was my one demand when they brought me the blueprints. Had to have the full view.”
And boy, does it.
All of Bluepeak sprawls out below us, bright and perfect. The lake sparkles in the distance. Main Street slices clean through the center of town. My lodge sits tucked off to the east, tiny but proud.
I take it all in. Deep inhale. Let it fill me. Like I could soak up the soul of home from up here.
Then naturally, he has to go and ruin it.
“Our data center campus will be at the foot of those mountains over there.” He points toward a stretch of white pine that still looks young, the kind of forest you can tell is starting to get its footing.
My teeth press together. Fists curled tight at my sides.
“The tech museum will go south of town, partnered with the local historical society. It’ll act as a kind of hub, if you will.”
A hub. Seriously? I have about four responses queued up, but then he turns to face me, and those damn blue eyes cut through every one of them.
“I’ve always wanted more for this town,” he says, voice going soft with something that sounds dangerously close to sincerity. “It’s where I first realized what more could be. I never would’ve left if I didn’t have to. But now, I want to give something back. Something bigger.”
Give back? That stirs something I don’t expect. I didn’t know he felt that deeply about any of this. But right behind the tug in my chest is that old frustration, sharper now. Because all that passion? It doesn’t erase the fallout he’s ignoring.
“How is any of this giving back?” I ask, holding steady. No raised voice. No heat. I’ve learned better. “How is tearing down the lodge to build some giant hotel supposed to help anyone?”
He’s close now. Close enough that the space between us starts to hum. Our hands aren’t touching, but they might as well be.
“The hotel’s for my parents,” he says, voice lower now. “They missed Bluepeak every day we were gone. And my dad? He doesn’t know what to do with himself unless he’s running something. Figured I’d give him one last project for his retirement.”
“That’s… actually sweet,” I admit. And I mean it. “But he could do that at the lodge.”
Brody shakes his head. “With the expansion, we’ll need more space for the influx of visitors. The hotel’s necessary. Growth doesn’t have to be scary, Chloe.”
“It’s not the growth.” I hold his gaze. “It’s what we’re losing that’s irreplaceable.”
He doesn’t flinch. “We have conservation plans. I can show them to you.”
I’m halfway to launching into a speech about displaced wildlife when I turn, bumping right into him.
His chest. Solid. Too close.
My breath stutters. Heart hammering now. When I tilt my face up, his pupils are wide, locked on me like it’s taking everything in him to hold himself back.
He lifts a hand and brushes his fingers against my cheek. “There’s something else I’ve been dying to show you since last night.”
Heat flashes through me, goosebumps trailing over my skin. My hands begin to tremble, though I can’t tell if it’s adrenaline or something much deeper.
My body’s betraying me again. Fully onboard. Zero hesitation. Not a flicker.
He smells like warmth, spice, and whatever the hell lust is bottled in.
And still, I don’t back away.
Even though I really, really should.