Romance Audiobook Sample
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Chapter Two MEREDITH. What do you want, James? I asked, unable to keep a touch of ice from my voice. A few minutes of small talk in a bit of dancing I could handle since it let me avoid Evan stone. But I was ready to move on. Seeing James dredged up memories that I wasn't quite ready to confront, especially with him looking sexy as ******. A tailored suit and a short beard had been prepared to encounter at least one of the mcallister family there. It was expected as they were among the creme de la creme of boston society. But from what I'd heard, it was usually his brothers or his father that made appearances at charity events. So I hadn't planned for it to be him. The one I had gone to high school with, the one eyed harbored a crush on, even when he ****** me off. A crush that seemingly withstood the test of time he'd grown up and it had done wonders for him. He'd been good looking in high school but now looked as if he should be a fashion model. Sex on a stick was a term I had always wondered about before, but seeing him again provided instant clarification. Is it wrong to want to catch up with an old friend, James asked, breaking me from my thoughts, I folded my hands on my knee and forced myself not to cross my arms. Friend, I challenged classmate is the most generous of terms for that relationship and that's only because you didn't actively bully me. Come on. How many group assignments did we end up on together. I narrowed my eyes. Was he really going to use those interactions to claim we were friends when he'd used me rather than do the work himself. Three and the last two. Because you specifically asked for me, you learned that I would do whatever it took to get the grade including covering for my group mates. But you'll see it's not so easy to claim credit anymore. I'm no longer the poor girl attending that private high school on a scholarship and fighting to get into the colleges. You rich kids were accepted to thanks to money and connections. He swallowed and at least had the decency to look ashamed. I leveled a stare at him. Tell me the truth. Why did you want to talk to me? He gave me a stunning smile. Something that I expect normally caused women to open up but just made me angry. I've round and the expression melted from his face. Applause sounded in the background as one of the auction items sold. I really do want to know more about your company. He started the restoration and renovation market is booming and I intend to make Elm Street architectural a player in the field, but it's not enough of our business yet to have in house specialists. So we're dependent on subcontracting to outside firms for the knowledge of historical architecture. Have you worked with Mackenzie before? I knew the answer. There had been a handful of the smaller projects we've been asked to consult on, but nothing major. He shrugged. To be honest, I don't know the name sounds familiar, but we're big enough. I don't have a hand in every project. We pride ourselves on being able to support our architects while not demanding that the firm gets full credit. It's a system that works well. Our people get to build their own recognition in the industry while still having access to the bargaining power that a large firm like Elm Street leverages some of our customers return over the course of several projects and request to work with the same people due to style or personality interests. one of my eyebrows rose, allowing people to take credit for their own work. A novel concept from you. He winced. Let me just say I've grown up since high school. I've learned the best work comes from those who are motivated by their own self interest to produce it. More applause in the background. As the auction continued, I studied him. Credit for our portion of the work was vital for a firm like Mackenzie to survive. If the internal culture of Elm Street supported it, then they could be a valuable partner, no matter my feelings of the leadership. Finally, I nodded. Okay, so what do you want to know? Well, what exactly you do is a start, I have two out of breath and here I thought you were serious. We provide solutions. That's why our firm is a mix of trades are architects ensure that styles and materials are appropriate. While the engineers address the challenges of meshing modern needs with the historical significance of the building we employ or contract our own team of preservation craftspeople to ensure that the delicate work is performed to our satisfaction. Our goal is that no matter what general contractors or firms like you do, visitors only notice the historic beauty of the building once we're all done. He smiled, a much more genuine expression than the one from a moment earlier, ambitious. I scowled. You have to be, especially with all the competing interests. The client wants something that looks right for minimal time and cost. Firms like yours have similar goals, complete the project to the client satisfaction under time and under budget. But I look at my work differently. I'm an advocate for the building itself. My aim is for people now and 50 years from now to come in and not be able to see when a renovation was made because of the materials or a style of work. I want visitors to feel as if a building was plucked straight from the past and only had the essential amenities added to it. More applause I could have sworn we hadn't been talking long, but it felt as if the auction was already starting to come to a close. An advocate for the building, he mused. It is your style. I never met anybody who loved old architecture as much as you. Are. You making fun of me hardly. You found a way to work with something you're passionate about? Not many people can do that, I deflated slightly. Was I being overly hostile? He truly seemed interested in working with me a prospect I could hardly ignore given Elm Street status. So what are you looking for? He asked. I told you that we're looking to increase our presence in the preservation work, but I don't know what your firm needs. I studied him for a moment before nodding to put it bluntly. We're looking to raise our profile. I'm new at the helm, but I can say with full confidence that my team is the absolute best in the city. Unfortunately, the biggest projects tend to go to the companies with an in house staff and the resources to handle the high dollar jobs. There were a few who used our services before, but in the past several months it's mostly been a string of medium sized contracts. Several long term partners of Mr McKenzie have stepped back since his retirement. They've made it clear in not so many words that they want to see if I can handle it before dropping something major in my lap. I see I noticed him watching me and realized I was biting my lip habit. I tried to overcome. His eyes were darker though and his breathing is shallower. Maybe it was my imagination had been a long night. There was another round of applause. Then the emcee announced the end of the auction. Shall we dance, James asked, extending a hand as he stood. I looked around. I really should get back to mingling hate chuckled, you know, as well as I do that the business portion of the evening is over. People want to enjoy themselves now if they're not preparing to leave. I sighed. He was right. Come on, he urged, giving me a soft smile. I enjoyed dancing before and I'd like to indulge in another. It had been nice and fulfilled one of my teenage fantasies. Okay, A moment later I found myself tucked into his embrace again as we were crowded in on the tiny dance floor. It felt good the way his hands settled at my waist. I could smell his cologne, rich and heady. It reminded me just how long it had been since I'd last been with a man. I forced that train of thought to do rail, even if I did have a crush on him in high school, that had been more than 15 years earlier and he hadn't exactly been a model citizen. It would be reckless to do more than dance now, no matter how good a roll in the sheets sounded, what did you do after high school James asked as he maneuvered us around the other dancing couples. You mean once I got out of Stowe? I asked. He chuckled and I looked up into his rich brown eyes. There was something honest in them disarming. I knew better than to let him find anything. He could use his advantage. He was a mcallister after all. But it had been a while since somebody had looked at me with both genuine interest in my words as well as my body. Yes. Once you got out of Stowe I had the grades to get into boston college with a good scholarship. I stayed through my master's degree and joined McKenzie full time. I've been there ever since. I see he smiled and his gaze lingered just long enough for me to know. He was busy checking me out. A knowledge and a little thrill through me. I wanted him to look at me like that for years during high school and it seemed that time hadn't dimmed those desires as much as I thought, I couldn't help wondering what it would be like to plunge my hands into his thick brown hair, run my fingers over the muscles that I could feel hidden beneath his suit. I swallowed, trying to rein in my errant thoughts. So tell me I started, why were you going to a private high school in stow? Anyway, I thought your family was boston based. He laughed. It's true. We do call boston home, but it's not as if sto is that far away? There must be hundreds of private schools. You could have gone to those. Oh, he spun me as one song ended and the next began. True. But I think it was convenient. Oh, he developed a dreamy cast to his gaze. My father loves golf and already had the house in Stowe for his weekends. He wanted me out of boston for high school, having seen my eldest brother get in trouble enough times for him to not want to do that again. And I've been mostly raised by the maids and house staff anyway, after mother left. So he shipped me off to the weekend house and added a couple extra staff to handle things while I was there. It was cheaper than a boarding school which had been his strategy for my second brother and accomplished the goal of getting me out of boston. You were raised by staff? I asked, unable to keep the shock from my voice. James shrugged. There was a momentary flash of pain in his eyes. It's not uncommon. There's a theory among the rich that part of the key to success is to hire people to handle the day to day. Incidentals, if you're not busy with cooking or cleaning or raising the kids, then you have more time to devote to your business. There's some truth to it, but there are obvious downsides. Your mom. He shook his head, glorified arm candy. I mean, I still love her. She's my mother after all, but almost never see her part of their prenup. Father got custody. She got visitation for that. She got to keep a comfortable lifestyle. She let you go for money? I asked, unable to keep the shock from my voice. He shrugged. It was a prenuptial agreement made long before I was even conceived. She tried to fight it. She'd have gotten nothing. Father was the one with all the power and her choice was to go along with it or be cut out entirely. I frowned, seemed cruel, but it was a world I had no experience in for all I knew it was standard language for people entering into marriage with billionaires. James seeming indifference did bother me though. I was close to my parents and couldn't imagine either not seeing one of them or being raised by staff when the other one was right there. You look troubled, James said. I shook my head. Sorry, he smiled. It's okay. I get that a lot. When I talk about my past, I should have warned you. No, I replied, forcing a smile. I think it helps me to understand you a bit better, he chuckled. No, it's no excuse. I was an ******* to you in high school. I didn't tell others to knock it off when they gave you ship for being there on a scholarship and I could have done more on those projects. I was shocked to hear him admit it. There was a touch of unexpected sincerity in his voice and it caused desire to course through me again. I'm ready to get out of here. James said as the song ended, I was thinking of hitting the bar in the hotel before going up to my room, care to join me for a drink. I cocked my head. You rented a room? He looked at me quizzically. You didn't? Why would I not? As if I don't live in the city? He laughed. I live here too. But it's good to have a place nearby for something like this. Why is that? I still didn't see the purpose of a hotel room nearby, especially since he probably had a car service. Anyway, James arm slipped around my waist as he led me off the dance floor because these parties end. But sometimes you're in the middle of a business discussion or maybe you just want to catch up with old classmates and don't want to deal with exchanging numbers and meeting another time. Having access to a place nearby gives me a place to relocate instead. I shook my head. I'd never have even thought to do something like that and benefit of growing up a mcallister. My father reserved a room for me the first time I attended a charity banquet for the family when I asked the reason he told me that only a foolish man lets the end of a party interrupt a potential deal. So it's not as if you understood the first time either. I jabbed. He chuckled. No, but I guess I just thought of it as standard practice. I shook my head. Rich people. I looked around noting the crowd had definitely thinned and the organizers were busy amongst themselves. I was serious about that drink. James said, my treat. It's been too long. I looked at him and wondered if we could really put the past behind us, but at the same time I wouldn't mind looking at him over the rim of a cocktail glass. Okay, let me collect my things then. I'll join you. He beamed at me. Okay.