Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I didn’t exactly sneak up on you,” he said, bending down to retrieve my pencil.
When he straightened, he leaned over me to place it on my desk, and suddenly he was close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, could catch the spicy notes of his cologne. His arm brushed against my shoulder as he set the pencil down, and heat bloomed across my skin.
He didn’t immediately pull back. He was right there, mere inches away. I could touch him so easily, just lift my hand and press my palm against the solid wall of his chest. The thought made my whole body flush.
“So,” he said, his voice a low rumble near my ear, “who is it?”
I swallowed hard and mentally shook off my reaction. “My best friend. Wren.”
Simon straightened and shifted his gaze back to the sketchbook, studying the half-finished portrait with an expression I couldn’t quite read. My stomach swooped with sudden uncertainty. Then his lips curved into a softer smile than I was used to seeing from him.
“You’re really talented.”
The compliment, coming from Simon, landed somewhere deep in my chest and stayed there.
I looked down at the drawing, at Wren’s familiar features taking shape beneath my pencil. I didn’t usually let people see my work. Only those closest to me had ever glimpsed inside my sketchbooks, and even then, I was always nervous about it. Art wasn’t something I pursued professionally, but I poured so much of myself into each sketch that showing them to someone new felt like letting them peer directly into my heart.
Simon’s praise made me want to share more.
“Do you want to see the rest?” I asked, surprising myself with the question.
“Yes,” he said simply.
He positioned himself at my side, one hand resting on my desk, the other on the back of my chair. He’d shed his suit jacket at some point during the afternoon—the way he usually did as the day wore on—and his black button-down shirt stretched across his broad shoulders in a way that made my mouth go dry.
I forced myself to focus on the sketchbook as I flipped to another page, and I saw the recognition in Simon’s eyes.
“It’s Kurt,” he said.
I nodded, because he was right. The drawing showed my brother from the waist up, his body angled slightly to one side with his head turned. His arms were folded loosely across his chest, and a crooked half smile played at the corner of his mouth—the kind he always wore when he thought he’d gotten away with something. I’d managed to capture the warmth in his eyes, along with the quiet confidence that had always made people gravitate toward him.
Simon leaned closer to get a better look, and I found my gaze drifting back to him despite my best efforts. He was so frustratingly handsome. I wished he wasn’t—it would make everything so much easier. But I couldn’t stop noticing the sharp line of his jaw, the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, and the full curve of his lips that I now knew felt intimately against mine.
I reached for the sketchbook to turn to the next page at the same moment Simon did. Our fingers brushed, and his eyes snapped to mine, and the air between us thickened, charged with something electric. I thought about what he’d said this morning—about kissing me when he wanted to—and I couldn’t help wondering if it was about to happen. Right here. Right now. Hoping it would happen.
The elevator chimed at the end of the hall, shattering the moment.
The only offices on this floor belonged to Simon and Liam. Since Liam was working at GalvaTech today, whoever had arrived was almost certainly here for Simon.
I looked down the corridor and smiled in surprise when I saw Hazel heading our way. She was wearing a tailored pantsuit with a full face of camera-ready makeup, which meant she’d either just finished recording an interview or was about to do one.
Simon stepped back from my desk, putting professional distance between us just as Hazel reached us. I pushed my chair back and stood.
“Hey,” I said, noting the white envelope in her hand. “I wasn’t expecting you. Is everything okay?”
Hazel flashed her brilliant smile. “Of course. I just wanted to give you something. I hope it’s okay that I stopped by.”
Her eyes shifted to Simon, and I realized he was watching her curiously.
“Simon, this is Hazel,” I said, making the introductions. “She’s dating my brother Miles. Hazel, this is my boss, Simon Powers.”
“Nice to meet you,” Hazel said, extending her hand.
Hazel was stunning, the kind of beautiful that made heads turn wherever she went. It was something that drove Miles crazy, knowing that pretty much every man they encountered noticed his girlfriend. But he really had nothing to worry about. Anyone could see that Hazel was completely devoted to my brother.