“Did you figure it all out?” Riley asks as we walk inside.
“I think we got a good start,” I reply with a wink. “We’ll make it beautiful, and you’ll never be able to tell that it wasn’t part of the original design all along.”
“That’s what we want to hear,” Riley says.
“Have a good day, Landon,” Cami says with a wave, and walks into her office, then firmly closes the door.
“Did I do something to irritate her?” I ask.
“Not that she mentioned,” Riley says. “Maybe she’s hormonal.”
“And that’s my cue to leave,” I reply with a fake cringe. “Tell Mia I’ll talk to her later.”
“Have a good day!” Riley says with a smile and a wave.
I walk out to my car, and rather than measurements and supplies running through my mind, I have Cami and her slender curves and fresh scent front and center.
I need an hour in the gym to clear my head.
“WOULD YOU LIKE to see the pool?” Kelsie, the young woman showing me the first apartment I’ve stopped to look at today, asks with a flirty smile. I simply turn away, shove my hands in my pockets, and frown at the dark, outdated kitchen in the small space.
“I don’t think so.”
“I can show you the workout room,” she says hopefully, but I shake my head.
“I think I’ve seen all I need to.”
I walk out the door and down the steps to my car.
“I’ll give you my card, so you can call if you want to look at anything else.” She’s hustling behind me. “Or, you know, if you’d like to get a drink sometime.”
Kelsie is a pretty girl, not quite as curvy as I usually prefer, but she’d probably be a lot of fun in bed.
And I have zero interest.
“I appreciate the offer,” I say with a smile. “But I just don’t think I’m interested.” In either the apartment or you.
I don’t have to say the last part. She shrugs, as if to say, Your loss, and thanks me for stopping by.
This is the third place I’ve seen this week, and I haven’t liked any of them. My things from Italy will arrive next week. I need to find a place.
I just hate doing it by myself.
Without giving it too much thought, I head downtown and park on the street near Seduction. It’s midafternoon on Saturday, just one week after I had my meeting with the girls about the expansion. My guys and I spent the past week working on demo and cleanup so we can get to work on the actual building.
The girls will be pleased.
But it’s the weekend, so there’s no work to keep me busy today. I might as well see what the girls are up to.
“It’s not busy,” I say in surprise as I walk through the front door and see Addie talking to the hostess.
“Lunch was a madhouse,” the tall blonde replies with a grin. “This is our brief lull before dinner.”
“Mia’s in the kitchen?” I ask.
“Of course,” Addie replies. “Last I heard, she was throwing rotten tomatoes, literally, at the poor produce man.”
“He shouldn’t have brought her bad food,” I say with a shrug. “I don’t blame her.”
“You Italians have quite the temper,” Addie says, her eyes lighting up as her husband, Jake, walks in behind me. “Well, hello there.”
“Hey Jake,” I say, shaking the other man’s hand firmly.
“Good to see you, man,” he replies. “Are you gonna stick around to hear my set later?”
Jake Keller, or Jake Knox as the rest of the world knows him, is an international rock star who stepped out of the limelight to focus on producing and writing, and as of about six months ago, started focusing on our Addie.
“I don’t know, I have to go house-hunting today.” I shake my head mournfully.
“I like looking at houses,” Addie says.
“I don’t,” I reply simply. “It’s boring.”
“What’s boring?” Cami asks as she walks out of her office and joins us. My eyes immediately zero in on her feet—not in sneakers this time—and the mile-high gray boots she’s wearing. My eyes travel up her body, taking in her stylish black-and-gray outfit, and sexy-as-hell body, and when I reach her eyes, her head is tilted, and she’s gazing at me with a mixture of humor and reservation.
This is what interests me.
“Landon hates looking at houses.”
“I’ve mostly been looking at apartments,” I reply, still holding Cami’s gaze with my own. “But I have appointments to see three houses this afternoon.”
“Good luck with that,” Cami says, and turns to leave, but I catch her wrist before she can walk away.
“Come with me.”
“Excuse me?” She glances down at my hand and I pull it away, immediately missing the contact.
“Come look with me.”
“I’m at work.”
“I told her to leave two hours ago,” Addie says helpfully.
“I’ve been busy,” she replies with a frown. “The damn tills from yesterday were off.”
“By a lot?” Addie asks.
“No, it was probably a mistake.” Cami sighs and shakes her head. “I guess I could use a break.”
“Perfect,” I reply with a grin. “Looking alone is torture, Cam. If I have to look at another bathroom, I’m going to . . . Well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.”