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“I don’t believe it.” Brooke blinked. The green in her eyes glistening. “This is for a charity?”
He chuckled. “We’re not green-headed monsters. We have hearts, despite all your pre-conceived ideas.”
“My pre-conceived ideas are based on the reality of my situation.”
“I’ll give you that.”
She paused. “Ok. So I’m supposed to design the artwork for a children’s foundation that does what exactly?”
She had started to take notes.
“We don’t want to narrow our focus too much, or make it too broad. Tyler would like to make sure we’re giving as many educational opportunities as possible to young children through high school.”
“And you? Do you have a different focus?”
Lee nodded. “I love his idea, but I want to make sure that kids stay healthy. That they get the chance to live out that educational dream of his. So, my end is more children’s health. Helping families pay medical bills. That kind of thing.”
Brooke’s jaw dropped. “You are fucking with me right now, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
She shook the blond curls from her shoulders. “You seriously want me to believe that you are both so enthralled with the livelihood and well-being of children that you’re setting up a foundation?”
“That’s exactly what we’ve done. After our mountain break, we are announcing it to our shareholders and to the public. We are anticipating a high media presence. They are going to expect us to roll out a new product, but instead they are going to get this. And we hope the foundation gets a lot of support. What better way to kick off a campaign?”
“And for you two to make your re-entrance into civilization.”
“Something like that.” He didn’t like the public relations side of it, but the timing wasn’t a coincidence. It was the one thing the two of them had to agree to work on outside of Denver.
“I really don’t know what to say.”
“Do you think you have enough information to start the design work? You’re running on a short time table. The other artists we have consulted certainly have a head start on you.”
“Th-this is huge,” Brooke stuttered.
“Are you up for it?”
She nodded. “I-I have to be, don’t I?”
He smiled. “That’s up to you. You don’t have to take the assignment, Brooke. Tyler’s not going to be easy on you. He has an art background. He knows his stuff. He has the final say. It’s not up to me.”
“And if I don’t then I sit around the cabin all day while you two chop wood and burn stuff?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m sure we could find something else for you to do here. This was your negation. It was your idea,” he reminded her. “You can sit up here and knit sweaters if you want. Read. Sleep. Or just paint. You don’t have to do any of the Dreams with Wings work.”
She sat back in her chair. For a moment, he thought she might reconsider. She might pull her offer to design the brand.
“I want the job.” She pulled her shoulders back. “If there is one thing I know, it’s how much children need a foundation like this. I’m going to produce the winning design.”
“Good.” He pushed off from the chair. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
“I’m going to have this.”
Lee paused in the doorway. He could see the determination in her eyes. Feel the defiance dripping off her. She was beautiful and smart. And every time he saw her she was getting under his skin more and more. He wanted to clear everything off her desk and kiss her until she screamed his name. Brooke was more than he ever could have imagined.
“If it is, then I guess we won’t have much time together.” He said the words slowly. He didn’t want that to happen. But he wanted her to win. He wanted her to feel that kind of satisfaction from proving her work and her art.
He was torn, wanting to keep her, and wanting her to be successful enough she could free herself.
