Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Adalyn
As soon as the elevator doors shut, I let out a deep breath. As much as I hated to admit it, I was so attracted to him. I felt it from the moment I laid eyes on him at the restaurant and then again when he saved me. Even though he was rude and insensitive, I felt this incredible pull toward him. Working for him would be difficult, and it wouldn’t be because of his attitude or demeanor. I could handle that.
The next morning, Carly Face timed me as I was getting ready to leave to go to the townhouse.
“Hey, you.” I smiled.
“How’s it going over there in the big bad land of New York City?”
“It’s going good. I’m on my way out now to go to the townhouse.
“I can’t believe you’re staying there. I miss you.” A pout crossed her lips.
“I miss you too, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I only ever dreamed of making that much from one job.”
“I know, and I’m happy for you. I’m just selfish, and I want my best friend home.”
“As soon as I finish the job, I’ll be back in Seattle. I have to run. I’ll call you later.” I blew her a kiss.
When I arrived at the townhouse, I inserted the key Harrison gave me last night and opened the door. My eyes hurt when I looked at the colors that were staring back at me. I took my sketch pad and started with the kitchen first. Standing there shaking my head, I stared at the yellow cabinets and the beige countertops. I always worked better with music, so I hit a playlist on my phone and set it on the island. Taking a seat on the floor, I bobbed my head back and forth to the beat as I drew out a new layout.
“Hello?” I heard a voice shout from behind, causing me to jump out of my skin.
I turned around and looked up, only to find Harrison standing there. Getting up from the floor, I stopped the music and placed my hand over my pounding heart.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I tapped his chest with my sketch pad.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have your music so loud and you’d hear when someone walks in.”
“I work better with music. What are you doing here?”
“Well, it is my house.” His brow arched. “I forgot to give you this last night.” He handed me a file folder. “It’s the designs the other designers did before they quit.”
I set the folder on the island, opened it, and looked through each sketch of the kitchen one by one, crumbling them up and throwing them on the floor as I moved to the next one.
“Okay then,” Harrison spoke.
“They’re crap.”
“I liked one of them, and I think that’s what you need to go off of.”
“No.” I stared into his mesmerizing eyes.
“What do you mean? Listen, Adalyn, have you forgotten that you work for me?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten. Those designs are crap. You’ll like what I’ve done better.”
“Let me see.” He held out his hand.
“I’m not finished yet.” I held the sketch pad against my chest.
He sighed as he lowered his hand and took a step closer so our faces were mere inches from each other.
“Let me see what you have so far,” he spoke in an authoritative voice.
“No.”
Our eyes fixated on each other as his mouth was close to mine. He brought his finger up and ran it softly across my lips, sending a fluttering sensation throughout my entire body.
He must have snapped back to reality because he quickly took a few steps back.
“Okay. I’ll let you get back to work. Do what you think is best. I’ll talk to you later.” He turned around, walked out of the kitchen, and I heard the front door shut.
I stood there, the vibration still reeling in my body and the weakness I felt from his touch.
Damn it.
I spent the day going from room to room, visualizing, sketching, and calling the contractors to meet with me first thing tomorrow morning. After I left, I headed to the paint shop, where I picked up an array of paint color samples and an entire book.
Harrison
What the hell was I doing? Shit. I almost blew it. Fuck. If she wasn’t so damn beautiful and sexy, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I knew it was purely physical, and if I could just fuck her one time and get it out of my system without her going all psycho on me, I’d be good.
I was sitting in my office when my phone dinged with a text message from her.
“Is there any way you can meet me tonight after work? I want to go over a few things with you.”
“I’ll be in a meeting until around eight o’clock. I can swing by the hotel after. We can meet down in the restaurant.”
“My room will be better. It’ll be crowded down there. Just text me when you’re on your way.”
“Fine.”
I sighed as I set down my phone. Meeting her in her room was not a good idea.
It was eight-fifteen when I finished my meeting and sent Adalyn a text message that I was on my way. When I arrived at the hotel and walked through the lobby, all eyes filled with fear turned to me.
“I’m here visiting someone. You can all relax.”
I took the elevator up to the penthouse suite and knocked on the door. When it opened, Adalyn stood there in a pair of skinny jeans that hugged every beautiful curve of her body and a tight black sweater that accentuated her tits. My cock started to twitch, so I placed my hand in my pocket to calm it down.
“Come on in.” She smiled. “I hope you’re hungry. I ordered room service.”
“Of course, you did.”
I walked over to the long dining table that seated six and removed the stainless-steel lid from the plate. Filet, roasted parmesan red potatoes, and a mix of green beans and asparagus stared at me.
“I ordered your filet medium rare. You seem like a medium rare type of guy. Am I right?” She grinned.
“Yes. You are correct.”
She had a bunch of papers scattered all over the table, and as she grabbed one at a time, we discussed her ideas while we ate. The problem was I couldn’t focus on her ideas. The only thing I could focus on was how the hell I would get out of here before I crossed the line.
“Are you even listening to me?” she asked.
“Yes. I am.” My brows furrowed.
“It looks fine. Just do what you think looks the best. I trust you.”
“You do?” She cocked her head.
“Yes. I need to get going.” I looked at my watch.
“Why?”
“Because I do.”
I got up from my seat, put on my suit coat, and headed towards the door.
“We’re not finished!” she shouted.
I stopped, turned around, and looked at her. Her raised voice caught me off guard.
“I said we are,” I spoke in a commanding voice.
She walked over to the coffee table, grabbed a color wheel of paint samples, and stomped over to where I stood.
“I want to show you some paint samples!” she spoke through gritted teeth as she shook the color wheel at me.
I grabbed her wrist to stop her as I stared into her beautiful eyes.
“I need to go,” I calmly spoke. “Because if I don’t?—”
“What? What do you think will happen if you don’t?” she asked as I still had my grip on her wrist.
“Why are you testing me?”
“Because I want to know,” she softly spoke. “Why are you in such a hurry to get away from me?”
“If I don’t, I’ll kiss you, and if I kiss you, I’ll want to fuck you.”
“Stay.”
“Adalyn.” I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can, Harrison.” She leaned in closer to me.
“We’ll both regret it if I stay.” I lightly brushed my lips against hers.
“And we’ll deal with the consequences after,” she quietly spoke.