Chapter 5
Things were coming along nicely as she was no longer so rigid in the weekly meetings though I couldn’t seem to help taking digs at her.
I questioned every new decision she made until I thought Gavin and I were going to come to blows.
Once I insulted her idea for the placement of the grand ballroom and she almost gored me with her stare.
“That’s the only place it makes sense, and since the client insist on having one…”
“I still say it should be moved, it should be more accessible.”
“But they want it to remain exclusive it’s not intended for all the guests. That’s why putting it at the very top of the building overlooking the mountains is the best idea.”
“I’m not sure. The view is amazing that’s true, but…”
“Evan, look it over again, and you’ll see that Giavanna is right. It’s in the perfect place.”
“It needs to be big enough to cover the whole top floor with no obstruction, this is the only thing that makes sense.”
Of course it was, but I wanted her to fight me for what she wanted instead of burying her head and hiding herself away from me.
“I’m not asking you Gavin, did either of you think to ask me before making these changes?”
“As the architect it’s my job to rearrange things so they fit. There was nothing wrong with your idea but this way is better.”
“Convince me.”
“What?” I barely restrained my laughter. She was gritting her teeth so hard I was afraid they’d crack.
“I said convince me.” I made her hold my eyes this time without looking away.
Gavin had that contemplative look on his face again as she went into great detail as to why her idea was better than mine.
I listened to her with half an ear as my interest was drawn more to the way her chest lifted and fell with her anger.
She was very good at hiding her feelings but I’ve grown to know her these last few weeks and she was getting easier to read.
After that day she no longer hid from me but instead went head to head with me until our battles became legendary around the building.
It was generally thought that I didn’t like her, and even Mary had taken me to task for being too hard on her. It was just my way of keeping my true feelings hidden until the time was right.
I had no plans on having my personal life talked about at the office. Gavin, the little shit, had complained to mom about my behavior and she’d lit into my ass.
She was the last one I wanted knowing about my real interest so that worked in my favor. With both Mary and Gavin thinking I disliked her, there was no way for mom to stick her nose in.
Although she did scold me like a toddler for what she called my unfair behavior. I just ignored her and told her to stay out of office affairs.
I convinced her that I was just nervous about such a big project and wanting everything to go right and that helped to keep her nose off the scent.
Now I can sit back and enjoy my new game of lion and prey. It was fun being the one on the hunt, and I could already smell blood in the water. I know for a fact that Gia is well aware of me.
I make it a point to invade her space whenever we’re in the same room together and as hard as she fights to ignore me, there’s no ignoring the fact that she gets flustered whenever I’m around.
By the time we take our first trip together she’d be more than ready to fuck. I just have to keep up the pressure. My plan now is to keep her off balance as much as possible.
Since she and everyone else already think I’m against her, it will throw her off her game when I change shit up. At least I know that she has no care for my money or position.
I’ve been riding her ass for weeks now and instead of trying to curry my favor, she’s been giving as good as she got without fear of reprisals.
That could have something to do with Gavin and the way he caters to her. If he wasn’t in a long-term relationship with the girl of his dreams I just might have broken his damn neck already the way he’s always smiling and laughing with my woman.
I decided to head down to his office to see what he was up to. Since she’s been here I don’t see him half as much as I used to.
Something I should be grateful for, but instead I find myself jealous of the time the two of them spend together.
I pushed open the door without knocking and came up short. She was sitting in one of the two seats behind his desk, her back arched as she worked the kinks out. Lucky for her he was nowhere to be seen.
I watched her as she reached her arms above her head and stretched before twisting her neck from side to side.
“Where’s my brother?” She almost fell out of her chair at my approach.
“He’s not here.” She started gathering up the blueprints they’d been looking over and I walked around the desk to stand next to her.
“Let me see, are those the new ones?” I heard her indrawn breath as I reached over her for the papers in her hand. My dick started to rise and it was all I could do not to snatch her up from the chair and kiss her.
“Stay where you are.” She was getting ready to bolt from the chair to escape me but I had no intentions on letting her get away from me that easy.
I looked over the blueprints, genuinely pleased with her efforts. It was good that my woman was good at her craft and not just a pretty face and hot body.
It’s true that some get through in life with just those things, but I was pleased that she had more substance than any of the women of my prior acquaintance. To be fair, it wasn’t their fault that I liked the social heiress type. Or used to I should say.
“This is very good. I’m glad I let you talk me into it.” Her look of surprised confusion was just what I was hoping for. And when I smiled her mouth fell open in shock.
“You must’ve worked really hard on this, thank you. I don’t have to tell you the importance of this project going off without a hitch.”
“Not many agreed with us hiring a relatively new untried architect, but I’m assured that you know what you’re doing. Thank you.”
“Um thank you?” That’s right little bird. I’ve ruffled your feathers enough, now it’s time to have you eating out of my hand.
I spent more time looking over the plans than was needed, but I used the time to inhale her hypnotic scent and watch her twitch at my nearness.
I smiled over her head as I watched the pulse race in her throat and her chest lift and fall with her uneven breaths.
I leaned down close to her ear as I pretended interest in a particular scale on the sheet. “Have you checked on the ground levels there already to be sure this would work?”
She swallowed hard before giving me an answer and when she did speak her voice was a croak before she cleared it.
“Yes, ahem…we checked all of that already and when we go there in a few weeks I expect to have a thorough inspection done.”
“Good, very good.” I let my lips brush against her ear and didn’t miss the way her breath stalled, or the way she shifted in her seat.
“I’ll leave you to it then, tell my brother I was here.” I walked away before my dick became any more obvious, or I did something I’d regret.
She wasn’t ready yet and I knew with a woman like her, one wrong move would spoil the whole thing.
I knew down to my bones that she’d love as fiercely as she now resented. That once I get her beneath me she’d be the perfect match for me.
I’d started thinking of her as a more long-term prospect these days and had accepted that I wanted her to be more than someone to warm my bed for a day or two.
There was something about her, starting from the day we met, that called to me. She had this air about her, like she needed me to take care of her, protect her.
It was so contrary to the tough exterior she wore that had fooled everyone. But I’d seen it and I mean to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.
She didn’t know I watched her from beyond the door after I left. So I saw her flustered face and the way she fanned herself as if overheated.
“That damn man, why do I let him get to me? Don’t even think about it Giavanna he’s not for you.” I stumbled back away from the door speechless for the first time in my life.
I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t feel bad about spying on her either. At least I knew what she really felt. The little minx has been very good at hiding it. Let the hunt begin.