She stopped so fast David bumped into her. “Cute!” Her muscles quivered, and she clenched her hands into fists. “I’m going to kick your butt in court, and you’ll see how ‘cute’ that is. I’m not—”
His smile widened, and the rest of her tirade clogged in the back of her throat. She sucked in a deep breath. “You’re thinking it again, aren’t you?” she asked through gritted teeth. “The angrier I get, the more it amuses you.”
He lifted one shoulder and turned, sauntering down the path. Her path. Like she was supposed to follow him now.
Her nails bit into her palms. She marched after him, but only so she could give him a piece of her mind. “I’ll have you know that my temper is not something you want to mess with. I’ve reduced better men than you to blubbering idiots when I get mad enough.”
“I’m sure you have.” He slid his hands into his trouser pockets. “But that doesn’t mean it works on me.”
Okay, blubbering idiots had been an exaggeration. But she’d found that most men didn’t want to deal with an angry woman. They’d placate and appease instead. Even Caleb, no man’s pushover, had hated to argue with her, finding it easier to let her have her own way.
David, on the other hand, didn’t have the sense God gave an earthworm. “I am not cute. CCWP’s lawsuit is not cute. Nothing about this situation is cute.” Hands on her hips, she took a step closer. “And when I kick your ass in court, that won’t be cute, either. But it will be fun. For me.”
And then David did the worst thing possible when confronted with a righteously pissed off woman. He tipped his head back and laughed.
“It’s not funny.” Resentment coiled in her. She was not someone to be taken for granted. Not someone to be patronized. He only laughed harder.
His head thrown back, his hands in his pockets, David was the picture of a man without a care in the world. Making Connie feel about as intimidating as a bunny. So, she did the only thing possible. She took note of his unprotected core, and punched him right in the gut.
His laugh ended on a wheeze.
With a nod of approval, she spun on her heel and strode toward the park’s exit. Discreetly, she tucked her arm into her side and rubbed her wrist. There was zero body fat on the man’s stomach, and that punch had hurt.
“Now wait just a damn minute!” Grabbing her shoulder, he pulled her back. “You can’t slug me because you don’t like what I have to say.”
“Can and did.” She tried to pull away, but his grip on her only tightened. “Besides, I didn’t do it for what you said. It was because you laughed.”
“Your problem is you’ve never had anyone stand up to you.” Hands on his hips, he moved into her space. “Your whole life, people have fallen into step behind Perfect Connie. Head cheerleader. Prom Queen. Graduating college summa cum laude.” His breath blew hot against her cheek. “Well, that shit doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot to me. I’m not one of your lapdogs.”
Blood rushed away from her head, leaving her dizzy. “You know that’s not true,” she whispered. “Are you trying to be funny?”
His eyebrows slammed together. “What are you talking about?”
“You know I’m not perfect. You saw that up close and personal just a couple months ago.” She licked her dry lips. “I don’t need you throwing it in my face.”
“A couple months ago…” His face cleared. “Are you talking about that night I drove you home? Are you embarrassed by that?”
The night he’d found her sitting in the middle of a dirt parking lot, dumping her purse out looking for her phone. The night he wouldn’t take no for an answer and had given her tipsy butt a ride home, had guided her up her porch steps, and waited to hear her lock her front door before driving away.
Nausea filled her stomach and her body began to sweat. Everyone in Pineville knew she’d been a mess. But having David see it… She closed her eyes. She’d done a pretty good job of forgetting that humiliating night, but it would always be there between her and David. The night he’d evened the scales; a witness to the fact that as much as she liked to scorn him, she was in fact no better.
Something brushed against her cheek, a caress so fleeting she might have imagined it. “Everyone has nights where they put a few too many away, Connie. Christ, if that’s the one thing you’re most embarrassed about in life, you’re a damned saint. I’m just glad—”
Opening her eyes, she saw him jerk his gaze to the side, his lips pressing into a white slash. She shouldn’t ask. She didn’t want to know. But her mouth refused to stay shut. “You’re glad what?”
He turned back to her. His blue eyes were full of an emotion she couldn’t identify and a heat she didn’t want to acknowledge. But it was the honesty in them that cracked the wall she had erected between herself and David years ago. Just a small crack, something easily patched.
“I’m glad that you haven’t felt the need to go out and get drunk in a while,” he said. “I’m glad that you’re happier.”
Damn him. Damn him to hell and back. He couldn’t be an arrogant jerk ninety-nine percent of the time and then slay her with sweet words like those in that last one percent. Did he expect her to soften toward him? She would not like him. She wouldn’t let herself.
She took a step back. Inhaling deeply, she gathered her thoughts. Nothing had changed. David Carelli was still her enemy. Okay, enemy sounded a little harsh and melodramatic, but he was her opponent. And the town’s pariah. If she decided to stay in Pineville, getting friendly with him wouldn’t help her cause to restore her image. She took another step back. It was time to bring this back to a professional level.
“I’m sorry for punching you,” she said stiffly. And she was. She’d never hit a person before in her life. She fought with words, not fists. She knew better. “It won’t happen again.”
He slowly shook his head, his features settling back into their usual sneer. Whatever moment they’d had was gone. David was probably as uncomfortable with their newfound sincerity as she was. “I guess you were just living up to your name.” He didn’t say Crazy Connie. He didn’t need to.
And just like that, the crack in her wall was puttied over. She saw red, and it took all her willpower not to slug him again.
“Kidding.” He held up his hands. “It was a joke, and a bad one at that.” Tilting his head to the side, he stared at her curiously. “That nickname really bothers you, and I barely even remember it.”
“Funny how that works.” She balanced on one leg, and grabbed her other foot, pulling it tight to her butt. She switched her stretch to the other leg. “Are we done here?”
“Will you come see my build? I think if you see how sound-proof our materials are, see our filtration system, you can convince your clients that the shelter won’t be a nuisance.”
She didn’t want to. Didn’t want to spend any unnecessary time with the man. But this was her job. “Yes, I’ll come see it. When?”
A pleased smile lit up his face. “Tomorrow? It’s the project off Highway 13. Where the old ice skating rink used to be.”
She nodded. She didn’t think her clients would be persuaded from the pictures and notes she took, but it was her job to get all the facts. “I’ll be there. Around three o’clock?”
David nodded back. “That works.”
“See you then.” And without a backward glance, she took off jogging, passing by the exit gate and going around the path for another loop. Her body was a mess, overflowing with conflicting emotions that she didn’t know how to deal with. Being with David was like being in a tornado. He picked her up, spun her around, and when she landed she didn’t know which way she was facing. She detested him. That much hadn’t changed. But she also suspected she might be starting to like him a little bit, too. The idea was enough to make her head throb.
So she blanked her mind and pushed her muscles, and kept on jogging.
Chapter Nine
She’d come. The muscles in his back released. Un
til that moment, David hadn’t realized that he’d worried she wouldn’t.
He straightened from one of the three tables they’d set up under an open-sided tent next to the trailers that served as their temporary offices. Putting some weights on the corners of the plans he’d been examining, he waited as Connie picked her way through the field that served as a parking lot. His assistant, Braden, was going over his day’s schedule, but his voice became background noise.
She wore a pantsuit today, and shoes sensible enough to tromp around a construction site. Her hair was up in that sleek ponytail he loved.
David cut off his assistant when Connie stood before them. “Glad you could make it. You’re right on time.”
“I said I’d be here at three, so here I am.” She glanced at Braden.
David made introductions. Connie gave the kid the warm smile she wore for anyone but David, and his good mood dialed back a notch. “Braden, I need you to work on the O’Hare plans. Go over them with a fine-tooth comb. You know he’ll bitch if he finds the smallest mistake. Oh, and confirm that the council will be here at five for their tour.”
“More tours today?” Connie arched one dark eyebrow.
David shrugged. “Not only is the building state-of-the-art, but the tax revenues the new shopping mall will bring in make our local governments very happy. They want to see the progress.” He turned to Braden. “Also confirm with Mike Washington. He finally agreed to come, and I don’t want him backing out now.”
Connie straightened. “Michael Washington? On the Pineville zoning board?”
“That’s the one.”
“But he—”
“Braden, why don’t you get started making those calls.” David jerked his head toward the trailer, and waited until his assistant was inside with the door closed. He faced Connie. “I usually don’t like my employees around when I’m being told off. It’s hard to maintain my authority,” he said dryly. “You can proceed with your yelling now.”
The muscles in her jaw fluttered. “I’m not yelling. I am asking, very calmly, why a member of the zoning board who voted against the animal shelter’s variance has been invited for a tour of your latest project.”
“It has nothing to do with the shelter.”
“Of course.” Her smile was so tight, it looked like it would snap in a light breeze. Not that there were any light breezes to be found. The day had started out hot and muggy, and showed no interest in cooling down. Connie didn’t look like she intended to cool down, either.
“I’m telling the truth.” She didn’t believe him; he could see it in her face. Tension crept back into his shoulders. His reputation was starting to piss him off. If Colt McCoy had told her that Washington’s tour was unrelated to the shelter, Connie would have believed him, no questions asked. But David was the shady general contractor in Pineville’s eyes. The fact that Carelli Construction was five times the size of McCoy’s company because of his aggressive business practices no longer seemed like such a good trade-off.
Sweat beaded at Connie’s hairline, and rolled down her temples. David’s anger rolled away with it. It wasn’t Connie’s fault he had a reputation. And as the opposing attorney in the case, it was only smart of her to question his motives.
He held out a hand. “Give me your jacket, and I’ll explain.”
Connie hesitated. Then she eased out of the linen jacket, and grudgingly passed it over to him. Like she was worried he was going to go sell it on eBay.
Rolling his eyes, he hung her jacket over the back of a chair. “Take a look at these.” He pointed to the plans.
“I thought you were going to explain.”
“I will, while you’re looking over the plans.”
Wrinkling her nose, Connie huffed out a breath. “Fine.” She looked at the table. “Is this what you’re building here?”
David moved aside and let her lean down closer to the blueprints. “Yes. A new shopping mall, incorporating state-of-the-art technology that is both sustainable and resource-efficient. It will be a world-class entertainment venue.”
She tilted her head and flattened her lips. “I’m not an investor, David. You don’t have to give me the big sell.”
He shrugged. “You got me. That’s what I do. My main job is a salesman, and it’s something I excel at.”
“So humble, too,” she muttered.
Grinning, he rolled up the cuffs on his dress shirt. “I tell it like it is. And when I tell you that I want Washington to see this project for a reason unrelated to the lawsuit, I want you to believe me.” He pulled at the front of his shirt, unsticking it from his damp chest. He caught Connie peering at him from the corner of her eye, and he dropped his hand. Maybe his shirt sticking to his chest wasn’t such a bad thing. Leaning closer to her, he turned back to his plans, pointing out features. “I want Washington to see how spectacular this project will be. This block of solar panels will provide one fifth of the building’s power. On this end of the mall there’ll be an arcade that caters to adults as well as kids. There’ll be a virtual bowling alley and golf courses that let the players feel like they’re playing on any one of the top twenty courses in the world.”
He flipped a page on the plans and pointed at the top level. “And this is where the food court will be. The floor-to-ceiling windows look out upon the forest. And an outdoor seating area will be built on the adjoining roof, with a real lawn and plenty of plants, so people can take their food outside to eat if they want. Grass on the roof also helps with insulation and energy efficiency.”
David stared at his plans, pulling in a deep breath. The outdoor eating area had been his idea, but one that his architect had incorporated brilliantly into the rest of the design. It was going to be a beautiful center. And if Mike Washington could get his brother here to see it, David knew he could convince the man to give David the new stadium contract. Providing there would be a new stadium.
A tiny vee creased the skin above Connie’s nose as she peered at the plans. So far, she didn’t look impressed. But then, it could be hard for a layperson to visualize a building’s potential just from drawings.
“I want Washington to see how innovative Carelli Construction is so he’ll talk me up to his brother.” David watched the moisture bead on the back of Connie’s neck and then slide down her skin, finally disappearing under the low-cut back of her silky tank. His mouth watered, and he swallowed down the desire to follow that trail with his tongue. He cleared his throat. “Jed Washington owns a triple-A ball club and is thinking about relocating to Michigan, which would mean a new stadium.”
“And you want to build it.”
“I do.” He shifted closer, so he was looking over her shoulder at the plans. His chest brushed her shoulder, and the heat rolling off her body pierced straight through his shirt. Would she find his ambition admirable? Disgusting? He’d never wanted to impress anyone more.
“And this,” he said, pointing to the other end of the structure, “this is what I’m going to show you. It’s a new twelve-screen theater with lounge seating and the latest Dolby sound. It provides 1600 watts of high power output with minimum distortion. We started construction on this end of the mall, so the theater is almost fully completed. The sound-proofing materials we used in the walls of the theater are the same that we’ll use for the shelter. And believe me, if you can’t hear the movie from the next theater over, you won’t be able to hear a couple of dogs barking.” He held up a hand, cutting off what he knew she’d say next. “Assuming the shelter goes forward, of course.”
She closed her mouth, and nodded.
David rubbed his breastbone. She couldn’t think she had a chance of stopping the build. He knew it was her job to give it her all, and her determination impressed the hell out of him, but she had to know she was fighting a losing battle. Little community groups just didn’t beat him. He didn’t want her to get her hopes up.
He stepped to a peg board, lifted off two hard hats and handed her o
ne. “These are required in active construction sites.”
“Of course.” She tried perching it on top of her ponytail, but the hat slid to the side. Wrapping her hair up into a bun, she placed the helmet over the top of it. And it fell down her back.
Bending over, he swiped the hat off the floor. “I don’t think it’s going to work with the hair.”
She scowled. Tugging the elastic from her ponytail, she let her hair swing loose, the dark sheaf hanging to mid-back.
David’s mouth went dry. Connie with her hair up in a ponytail was stunning. Connie with her hair flowing loose was exquisite. His fingers itched to tunnel into the thick locks, but he held the hat out to her instead.
“Thanks,” she muttered, and settled the hard hat on her head. “Can we get going?”
David cocked his head. She seemed awfully hostile to him today. Well, more hostile than usual. He caught another sidelong glance at his chest, and he couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face. Connie Wilkerson was checking him out, and it wasn’t because he was one of the few men at the pool under the age of fifty with a half-decent body. She was attracted to him, but she wasn’t happy about it. David, on the other hand, was delighted.
She looked toward the construction site and back at him. “I have a lot of work to do, so I don’t have time to stand around. Are you going to show me this or what?”
Definitely pissy. Well, he was used to that. And it beat Connie being indifferent to him. He could work with pissy. Humming, he settled his own hat on his head, and led her down the path toward the theater. A forklift crossed ahead of them, a loud warning beep sounding every second. He took her elbow, and pulled her a bit closer to his body. When the path was clear, they moved on.
“We started this project last May and are three-quarters of the way complete.” He swung his arms loosely as he walked, relishing the brief contact when her bare arm brushed past his forearm. “All the framing is done, the underground piping, and the foundation. We’ll be finished walling it in in the next three weeks, a month at the most. Then it becomes mostly cosmetic.”
Why Did It Have to Be You? Page 9