Taking the Heat
Page 19
Victoria turned when she heard the door to the office open and the shock shot straight to her toes. Thank God she'd fixed her hair and makeup. A friend of her father's? No way. This tall and lean guy was nowhere near her dad's age and had muscles that were evident underneath his gray t-shirt. Tattoos peeked out from under the sleeves and twisted down his arms to his wrists. Shaggy black hair framed a face with a square jaw and full lips.
Anatomy that she'd tried to forget about roared to life.
Which was ridiculous because the last thing she had time for was a man, even one as gorgeous as this one. She recognized him from high school, although they'd never been in the same circles since he'd been more of a bad boy.
Catching herself, she held out a hand and said coolly, "Hi, I'm Victoria. Wes's daughter."
His eyebrows rose over ice blue eyes. "I'm Nick."
She ignored the interest on his face as his lips quirked.
"Hey, Nick. Thanks for meeting us. Want to take a look around?" Wes shook his hand.
"Sure." Nick pulled a small notebook from his back pocket and a pencil from behind his ear. "What are you looking to do to the place?"
Victoria tried to bring her thoughts back to the business. Her dad was up to something, she could tell. He would've never hired out the job to someone else, even if he was retired, because he'd want to do it for her.
Wes glanced at her. "Ask her. She's the designer." His phone rang. "It's your mother. I'll take this outside."
Victoria watched him leave with a mutinous glare.
"So, Victoria. What do you want to do with the space?" His voice hinted at his amusement.
"You think this is funny?" She pursed her lips. "They're trying to set us up. It's mortifying." How could Nick not see what was going on? He definitely looked like the type who could get his own dates. If her sisters knew about this she was going to rain hell down on them.
Nick shrugged, the muscles in his torso and shoulders catching her eye. "I think it's funny. Wes told me he had a client for me. Didn't say it was one of his beautiful daughters."
Heat unfurled in her abdomen. She told her brain to tell her newly awakened anatomy to slow its role. "Where do we go from here?"
"I hear there's a new restaurant on the boardwalk we could try out." At her glare, he laughed.
The laugh shot straight to her core.
"I could design you an awesome office space. I am good at what I do. We can ignore the fact that our parents are working against us. Or we can make them happy and go out. I do love my mother very much, and this would make her very happy."
She couldn't help but smile. He was a charmer. "How about you design my awesome office space and we ignore our parents?"
"Sure, we can do that. But you can't blame a man for trying." Nick turned to the room. "So, the space?"
"Well, first of all I want that hideous receptionist counter gone. Demolish it. I need an office of my own in the back, and a small break room with room for counter space, a table, and a fridge. I'm going to design it like a regular kitchen, without the oven. I'll need a unisex bathroom." She continued with details while he took notes.
"This shouldn't be hard to do. I'll have to start the designs and get your approval before going for the permit." He tucked the notebook back in his pocket, the pencil behind his ear.
"How long will the designs take?" She looked out toward the parking lot, past it toward the beach. Anywhere but at him. She couldn't let herself be tempted. A man was a complication she didn't need. Not with her daughters and her expanding business.
"A week, tops. I have a job I'm finishing now but it shouldn't take too much of my time."
The door opened and her dad stepped back inside. "Your mother was having a small dinner crisis. Needs me to pick up some stuff on my way home."
"Does she now?" Victoria narrowed her eyes so that he'd know she knew exactly what he was trying to do. Her dad deftly avoided eye contact. "Anyway, we're done here so I'm going to head home." She handed Nick her business card and tried to ignore the laughter in his eyes as she left.
About the Author:
I'm a multitasking mom of four. When not writing/doing laundry/changing diapers, I like to catch up on episodes of Supernatural and Castle. If you can't find me in front of the computer, I'm most likely watching my DVR.
I've been writing since the first grade, where I wrote a one page story titled "If I was an Indian". My warrior husband was going to be the best hunter, I was going to live in the best teepee and apparently, I was having an affair with the Chief. Racy, I know.
Of the things I'm addicted to sweet tea, movies, and books top the list. My favorite authors include Nora Roberts, Lauren Kate, Kresley Cole, and Gena Showalter. Few of many I love.
Thanks so much for reading!
Sam :)
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