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“I’ve been working here for twelve years. I’m good at what I do, and I want to own that. Again, is there a problem?”
Sofia knew she looked like a fish out of water, mouth open as she gasped for the right words. “You never mentioned this to me. I’m just surprised. Give me a minute to catch up.”
“If this is about me not being family—”
“It’s not.” She answered too quickly, and he finished his sentence with a grin.
“We could always fix that.” He wiggled his eyebrows comically, and she wasn’t quick enough to suppress the laugh.
“Don’t be an ass. It’s just a lot to think through. We’ve done things one way my entire life. Fresh ideas aren’t necessarily a bad thing. I just need to think things through before I give an opinion.” Maybe this could work for her after all. If she was the one in favor, backing him up, would he do the same for her? Or would he continue to be oblivious to her inner struggles?Hmm.
Adrian cleared his throat, pulling her back from her plotting.
“So about this contract. The one that actually exists…”
“It’s pretty straightforward. You agree to allow cameras to follow you around job sites, the office, and home. This is just for the pilot and a teaser short, so it’s a short-term contract but it includes an exclusive option on the larger contract if it gets picked up. You walk the viewer through the steps of the renovation.” She flipped to the pages involving his particulars. “Included is a supplemental bonus to your current salary.”
A bonus she wouldn’t get since she wasn’t listed on the main talent list. That burned, but she wasn’t going to argue. She was already pushing her luck to get listed as the designer. And if that side of her career took off, the money would sort itself out.
“Well, babe, I gotta say, more money always sounds good to me.”
Ugh. It’s like he does it without even thinking.She passed him the paperwork and pointed to the pertinent sections.
“I just started going through this. Give it a read-through, and tell me if you see any red flags. I’m going to refill my coffee.”
She needed a minute to calm her swirling thoughts, and sitting in a small room with a man who simultaneously generated a low-level buzz of attraction while also making her want to punch him in the stomach was not helping. His proposal had stunned her, and she’d not responded well. She pulled down another mug out of force of habit and filled it before topping hers off as well. She added one sugar and a healthy dollop of cream to his, fake sugar and cream to her own.
All done, but nowhere near ready to return, she braced her hands on the peacock granite countertop, stretched her arms long and dropped her head between them. She lengthened her spine and took a deep breath, aiming for some of the peace she’d felt when she’d dropped into a yoga class with Brandy.
Change itself was nothing to fear. So what if most of the changes in her life had been awful? That didn’t mean these changes were going to be bad, too. She could handle whatever needed handling. She’d managed before, and she could do it again. And she was absolutely full of crap. She was three seconds from panicking, and her deep-breathing exercises were getting trapped in her clenching throat.
“Hey, are you okay?” Adrian’s deep, husky voice skittered up her spine, leaving a trail of goose bumps that didn’t subside when she jumped and squealed.
Why did this man have the power to make her feel like a twelve-year-old girl? She spun to face him, only to find that he’d invaded the space she’d cleared and was reaching for her shoulder, as if to steady her. She backed away swiftly, bumping into the counter and rattling the cups. Remembering why she’d come to the kitchen in the first place, she handed him the coffee she’d made him, being careful not to scald herself with a brush of his fingertips. She could pick apart the ridiculousness of her response later.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She retreated into a fortifying sip of her own coffee.
He mirrored her sip and stepped back as well.Message finally freaking received. Good.
“You know how I take my coffee?” He grinned as if this detail somehow meant something special.
“I know everyone’s coffee order. Have you not noticed who keeps the lists for meeting coffee runs? Or who is constantly being charged with stocking the kitchen? Or did you just think a magical caffeine fairy came in at night and brought lattes to all the good little boys?” She tried once again to take him down a peg while setting him straight. She couldn’t have him thinking that she’d been watching him, paying attention to his personal preferences. Even if she had.
Once again, her sarcasm flew right over his head. He raised the contract in his hand and held it out to her.
“Listen, I tried to read through this, but it might as well be written in Latin. Can you walk me through the specifics?”
“I just got it myself. Give me a day or two to really pick it apart, and I’ll fill you in.”
“Thanks, angel. That sounds good.” He tossed the contract on the break room table, supremely confident, coffee in hand.
She’d wager he hadn’t even heard the “Sure thing” she’d managed through clenched teeth. How could she be so attracted to someone who pissed her off so royally?
Good thing he didn’t know, or he’d be insufferable.
Chapter 4
Two days later,Sofia’s reaction was still troubling Adrian. He shifted in the driver’s seat of his pickup truck. His wipers flipped the early spring rain aside as he reached for the paperwork he needed to complete for her. Why was she so skittish around him? She almost seemed nervous to be alone in a room with him? He’d tried to put her at ease, by calling her sweet names, by joking, by being as non-threatening as possible, but still she backed away.
