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Her chin rested on her shoulder. “I know so.”
Her eyes were still locked with mine when the bartender placed the dishes in front of us.
“Can I get you another round?”
“Yes,” Jo and I answered at the same time.
Jo’s stare gradually shifted toward her dinner, and she dipped her fork into the fish. “I’m glad I listened to you. This is excellent.”
I took another sip of my scotch, the drink far more important than food in this moment.
But as I swallowed, she nodded toward my plate. “Aren’t you going to have some?”
I tilted my head back, taking down the rest of my drink. After I licked the wetness off my mouth, I answered, “I’m just savoring it, Joanna.”
The architect looked down at his notes and said, “I think I have everything I need.” A camera hung from his neck, and he turned on the digital display, viewing the shots he’d taken. “I’m going to get the exact specs from the county, and we’ll have another survey done. I know the rock and earth have been tested for weight and stability, but I’m going to have more in-depth tests done, so we don’t run into any problems down the road. Do you have any questions for me?”
“I know your team will be putting together a physical 3D rendering. Is it possible to do a digital one first?” Jo asked.
He lowered his camera onto his chest. “I don’t see why not.”
“There are so many details involved with the aesthetics and facade of this hotel. I think going from drawing to digital would give us a real taste of what we’re looking at,” Jo said. “I would hate to make changes to the physical rendering if we don’t have to.”
He glanced down at his notes. “To be honest, it’s an excellent suggestion. The structure of this hotel is unlike anything I’ve ever built for your father. I don’t know if this is your influence or if he’s feeling inspired by the mountains, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited to start a new project.”
“This is all Joanna’s creation,” I told him.
I’d had a feeling she wasn’t going to comment, so I did, making sure she received every bit of the credit.
For the last two hours, I’d listened to her conduct this meeting, describing the features she wanted to see when pulling up to the hotel. She even got as particular as the texture of the building, the shape of the windows, the slant and slope of the entrance. And what I’d learned was that she wasn’t just a gorgeous face behind the brand; she was a powerhouse and as humble as she was beautiful.
I wasn’t impressed.
I was blown the fuck away.
“I had a feeling,” the architect said. He stuck out his hand in Jo’s direction. “I look forward to working on this project with you. I’m positive my team will have questions—”
“I’m available twenty-four/seven,” she replied before he could finish his thought. “Whatever you guys need, I’m here for it.”
He nodded. “We appreciate that.” He released her hand and moved to mine. “Jenner, it’s always a pleasure.”
“Likewise.”
As he walked to his car, Jo and I made our way over to the SUV waiting for us in the lot. The driver opened the door to the backseat, and before Jo climbed in, she turned around, viewing the entire mountainside.
“Something tells me this hotel is going to do magical things for our company.”
Now that it was their land, I agreed.
We had spent the entire day yesterday going back and forth with the seller, and after multiple rounds of negotiations, he finally caved and accepted our offer. Walter had been shocked at the price I had secured, ecstatic that it was fifteen percent lower than what they had asked.
“Jo, you’re going to turn this into the most magnificent property. I’m excited to book the penthouse for a weekend.”
She laughed, her gaze dropping to meet mine. “We would never let you book one of our rooms. You will always stay at our hotels for free. Besides, you’ll soon have your own home, so you won’t need to stay here.”
“They haven’t accepted my offer.”
A warmth moved across her face as she said, “They will.”
She took a final glance around and climbed into the backseat, her jacket riding up just high enough to give me the perfect view of her ass. The black pants were slick against her cheeks, showing the arch and curves and—
Fuck.
I looked away, the temptation far too strong, and I got in behind her. The driver shut the door, and before I even had on my seat belt, my phone was ringing from my pocket. My realtor’s name lit up the screen.
I held the phone to my face and answered. “This is Jenner.”
“Congratulations,” she replied. “The house is yours.”
I shook my head, chuckling. “I never thought they’d even consider that lowball offer.”
“Their realtor told me they had two offers in the past that fell through because of financing. When they reviewed your proof of funds, I’m sure they realized you’re a buyer they can’t lose.” The sound in the background told me she was on the road. “I’ll take care of the inspection, and we’ll start processing title insurance. I know you said you’re flying out tomorrow. Do you want to do another walk-through before you leave?”
I checked my watch. “Could I do one in the next thirty minutes?”
“I’m headed to a showing right now, and I’ll be tied up for most of the afternoon. I can text you the code, and you can let yourself in and lock up when you’re done.”
“That would be great. Thanks for your hard work on this,” I said and hung up.
The moment I slid my phone into my pocket, Jo’s hand was on me, her touch sending a jolt straight through my body.
“You got the house, didn’t you?”
I exhaled, still trying to process the news. “I did.”
“Yes!” Since she hadn’t put on her seat belt, she slid toward the middle, throwing her arms around my neck. “Oh my God, Jenner, I’m so happy for you.”
Her scent hit me first. Something I’d been smelling since this morning, but now that my face was near her neck, I could take a long, deep inhale of that fall pumpkin perfume. My arms wrapped around her back, her jacket thin enough that her bra strap was teasing my fingers, and so was the heat of her skin. Her hair tickled my cheeks as I got in closer, her body molding against mine.
Goddamn it, I missed this.
The feel of her.
The feeling inside me when she was in my arms.
“You’re going to have so many amazing memories in that house,” she whispered, squeezing my shoulders before she pulled away.
I didn’t want to let her go.
I didn’t want her to fall from my grasp.
But she was moving to the other side of the backseat, and it’d happened far too fast.
I didn’t know what came over me, but as I looked at her gorgeous face, I said, “Do you want to go see it?”
She instantly nodded. “I would love to.”
I gave the driver the address, and he headed for the road that took us up the steep mountain edge. When he parked in the driveway, Jo got out of the SUV first.
“The pictures didn’t do it justice,” she said, staring at the large two-story contemporary design.
