Page 34 of Her Every Fantasy

‘Don’t get any ideas. I’m not doing a headstand during sex or anything that sends my blood rushing in the opposite direction of where it needs to be.’

Gleaming eyes captured mine. ‘Don’t worry, the rush will be exactly where it needs to be.’

I wanted to ask him to elaborate but I was a sucker for delayed gratification. An abysmal sex life where the act was over before I could count the minutes on one hand had a way of doing that to a girl.

So I spooned rice and spicy broccoli onto a plastic plate, separated my chopsticks and took a few mouthfuls. ‘Since you’re in a better mood, will you tell me more about this building?’

‘Are you hoping to distract me into not talking about sex? Have you forgotten my multitasking skills?’

I hadn’t forgotten a single thing about Bryce Mortimer, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. ‘The building, Bryce. Why mixed use and not a full hotel?’

He shrugged, letting me change the subject. ‘Because regardless of our prime position and status, it’d be foolish to compete with six other five-star hotels within a quarter-mile radius. Instead of being labelled one thing, having a multipurpose function keeps it vibrant in the long term.’

I nodded. ‘Like blood pumping through a central nervous system.’

He raised a brow. ‘Are we back to talking about body parts and rushes, rosebud?’

Heat crept up my face. ‘You’re incorrigible.’

‘And you hate that, I’m sure,’ he mocked.

I didn’t and he knew it. Every second I spent in Bryce’s company reminded me of everything I’d missed about him. And right alongside it I was learning new things about him. Like the pride in his voice when he spoke about his building, one of the most innovative in the Northern Hemisphere. The way he paused for a considered millisecond before answering a question. Hell, the way his eyes darkened dramatically when he was turned on.

The intensity and angst surrounding our first sexual encounter had left me with little time to fully appreciate a sexually charged Bryce.

Now my heart thumped wildly with anticipation. All the same, I tried to remain on less risqué ground and knew I was failing even before I opened my mouth after another few mouthfuls of delicious rice. ‘And why this particular design?’

His grin was a little strained. ‘A nod to the female form? Gideon and I came up with the idea.’

I didn’t hide my surprise. ‘Gideon?’

He nodded tightly. ‘We were supposed to build it together, even after he took the CEO job back in London. Damian, my cousin, was supposed to be involved too.’

‘What happened?’

A muscle ticced in his jaw. ‘What always happens. Family crap. Gideon went radio-silent and Damian relocated to New York. All I got was a memo stating that the project was now solely mine. So I made changes, starting with the name.’

The words were tossed out but I knew its effect ran deep. That the strain between brother and cousin had contributed to hardening Bryce even further.

‘Anyway, architecturally it was challenging to combine form and functionality with beauty and one hundred per cent green sustainability. I’d like to think it turned out well. Sexy, even?’ His grin was back, the shadow castby his family temporarily thrown off.

I let that go. ‘You achieved all four, hence all the awards you’ve been lapping up.’

He deftly tossed a cashew nut into his mouth with his chopsticks and chewed while his gaze rested on me. ‘You’ve been keeping tabs on me.’

‘You may have written me off but I didn’t do the same to you.’

All signs of amusement evaporated from his face but before he turned sideways to grab the bottle of mineral water, I caught a different expression. One that made my insides flip.

‘Didyou keep tabs on me, Bryce?’ I asked brazenly, because to hell with holding back with this man. He drove me crazy enough as it was. I wasn’t going to add one more mystery to the equation.

He took his time to twist the cap off the bottle. To take a long drink with his gaze boldly on mine. I was twisting with desirebythe time he lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘So what if I did? You setting the world on fire was kinda hard to miss. Kudos on that,by the way.’

I was torn between melting with pleasure at the second compliment in ten minutes and abject curiosity. The latter won out. ‘Thanks. But why?’

‘You know why,’ he fired back with nary a raised voice. ‘Isn’t the one who got away supposed to be the most interesting?’

The melting slowed. ‘Sex? You’re reducing this to sex?’

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