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And the more jewelry she finished, the more likely it was that she would make good on her threat to sell enough at the show to meet her goal. He needed to slow her down. An impossible task with all the long hours he was working at rehashing the numbers for the venture with Montgomery Oil.
Maybe he should take work home. Lord knew he could use a break from the office. His brothers’ negative attitudes were getting on his nerves more than ever. For the last week, he’d been as surly as a bear awakened in the middle of winter.
He checked his watch. He could head home for lunch and surprise her with a little afternoon delight. Decision made, he grabbed his keys and the tube containing the architect’s plans for her loft that he’d commissioned. Anticipation kicked him hard as he headed for the door. He dodged the implication that not seeing Emma was what accounted for his foul mood, but it dogged his heels in a relentless bid for attention.
He was moving briskly down the hall when Sebastian called after him. “Nathan, got a minute?”
Hissing in exasperation, Nathan turned and spied his older brother standing just outside his office. Sebastian must have seen him going by. “Sure,” he said, retracing his steps. “What’s up?”
“Max and I are heading out to meet with Lucas for a couple days.” Sebastian gestured Nathan into his room. “I wondered if you had any input for us before we go.”
Nathan noticed that he hadn’t been included in the meeting. Resentment burned. They’d regret cutting him out of the decision-making process. He’d make sure of it. “I don’t see the point. You won’t like what I have to say.”
Sebastian’s mouth tightened at Nathan’s sarcasm, but he wasn’t as reactive as Max. “Maybe you should come along and say it in person.”
Sebastian’s offer surprised Nathan. Obviously, he and Max were still determined to persuade Lucas to sell his company, but it also appeared that they were willing to listen to Nathan’s analysis of the business.
Or at least Sebastian was. Max hadn’t voiced his opinion. But if Nathan could get one Case brother on his side, chances were the other one would come around in time. Divide and conquer.
Or was it possible that they were interested in finding some middle ground and starting a dialogue?
“When are you thinking of going?” Nathan asked, curious as to what his brothers were up to.
“We thought we’d go this week,” Sebastian said.
He really should stick around Houston and prevent Emma from having uninterrupted access to her equipment and supplies at his condo.
“Set up the meeting,” Nathan said. “Let’s see what Lucas has to say.”
“Earth to Emma.”
Distantly she heard her name and blinked to redirect her focus from the necklace on the worktable. Nathan lounged in the doorway, his shoulder propped against the frame. Dressed in a navy suit, pale blue shirt and red tie, he looked every inch the powerful executive in his prime. Emma’s traitorous pulse lunged like a racehorse from the starting gate.
She’d been very careful to avoid him, keeping the hours she spent at the condo short to leave for Addison’s before he arrived home. At first she hadn’t wanted to run into him because she was still furious over the way he’d tricked her into moving out of her loft. Then, as her anger faded and the night she’d spent in his arms played repeatedly in her mind like a steamy foreign film, she’d steered clear of him out of a desire for sheer self-preservation.
She didn’t trust herself to be alone in the condo with him and not succumb to his sizzling kisses again. Just the thought of him and her and an empty condo got her hot and bothered. He needed to believe that she wasn’t going to fall for his winning charms and let him boss her around anymore.
Sifting through a pile of sapphires, she did her best to ignore the throb of awareness pulsing through her. If only he’d stop eyeing her as if she was a juicy apple he was dying to sink his teeth into. She almost groaned at her body’s sharp reaction to the notion of his mouth on any part of her.
With the back of her hand, she brushed her bangs off her face. “How long have you been standing there?”
“A couple of minutes. You certainly seem preoccupied by what you were doing.” He gestured with the long tube he carried.
“I have a lot to do and only ten days to get it done.” She held up a half-finished necklace for his inspection, pleased by how well her design looked in gold. The light clipped to the side of her worktable made the diamonds sparkle. “But I’m doing some of my best work ever.”
He cocked his head as he surveyed the necklace. “I’m glad to hear that.”
