Hardpressed Read Free

now shiny and renewed from being refinished and lacquered. Ornate white trim lined the windows and the walls where they met the ceiling. A new ceiling fan and track lighting brought the space into the twenty-first century.
    I grabbed my phone and called Fiona.
    “Hey, Erica.”
    “Do you have something you want to tell me?”
    “What? Oh.”
    “I thought we were past this.” I tried to keep my tone even, but when was she going to learn to keep Blake out of my business?
    “Erica, he’s my big brother. What do you want me to do? He wanted to do something to help. You know how he is.”
    Yes, I knew how he was and how impossible he made it to say no, especially when he had his sights set on something. I walked around the room admiring how the space had completely transformed since I’d last seen it. I couldn’t imagine anything better. All I could think to do was mentally map out furniture placement. Blake had done the rest. Damn it all.
    “Well it looks amazing. It’s perfect.”
    “I know. I sneaked a peek before giving you the keys. He did a great job. Just what I envisioned.” Her wariness at my reaction had clearly waned, her excitement shining through.
    I sighed and tapped my foot. Damn it, I was excited too.
    “All right, I’m still mad at you though,” I said, thoroughly unconvincing.
    “I’ll buy you a drink sometime and you’ll forget all about it.”
    “I usually need a few drinks to forget.”
    She laughed. “Not going to argue with that. Well, enjoy the space. Congrats.”
    “Thanks, I’ll talk to you later.”
    I dropped my bag—heavy with cleaning supplies that were now unnecessary—to the floor. I sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, taking it all in. Every baby step we’d taken with the business these past few weeks had seemed overwhelming, and Blake never failed to take everything up a notch.
    Just then the door opened, and Blake’s frame filled the doorway. His hands were full with a bottle of champagne, a blanket, and a brown paper bag. A knowing grin curved his lips.
    “How's my favorite boss?”
    “Can't complain,” I said flatly, looking up at his impressive frame towering over me.
    He unfolded the blanket, sat down, and patted the spot next to him for me to join him there.
    “What’s all this?”
    “I was thinking we could have an office picnic to celebrate the new digs.”
    He smirked and twisted the cork off the champagne, then poured the bubbly into two glasses he retrieved from the bag.
    Our gazes locked. He was gauging my mood.
    “You mad?”
    “Maybe,” I lied. Luckily he’d done such an amazing job that I’d already forgiven him and his accomplice.
    His eyebrows shot up as if he were waiting for me to react. I got a little lost in his eyes. His beautiful hazel irises under thick, long lashes were the centerpiece on a face that took my breath away with alarming regularity. The sharp lines of his jaw. His lightly tanned skin and full delicious lips that reminded me of the terrible, wonderful things they could do to me. I could stare at him for hours and never tire of the way he made me feel. Possessed and obsessed. I’d never felt so wanted or so enraptured by another human being. Blake was the whole gorgeous, maddening package, and I loved every inch of him.
    I sighed, hoping I didn’t look as hopelessly in love as I felt. “I’m accepting your insanity.”
    “Good girl.” He visibly relaxed and flashed me a smile.
    Eager to be closer, I accepted his earlier invitation and shifted to join him on the blanket. I took the glass of champagne he handed to me and took a sip.
    “Do you like it?”
    “I love it.” Despite his misgivings about the location, he seemed to have had some vision for the place after all.
    “I hoped you would.”
    “Why the change of heart?”
    He frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “You made no bones about hating this place when we looked at it.”
    “Obviously I was going to want you closer. But this is what you wanted.