Page 21 of His Hot Mess

“You didn’t trick him. Those were savvy negotiating skills. And thisishis building. Everything you said about raising the retail value is true. You really did sound like someone who knew what you were talking about.”

“I do know what I’m talking about,” she said, the words slightly clipped.

Once again, I’d touched a nerve. She had a chip on her shoulder about this, too. Maybe it was a younger sibling thing. I didn’t have any siblings, but Jessica had a younger sister. She was always trying to prove she was as capable as her older sister. Those two didn’t have the same kind of relationship as Lucy and Sadie, though. Those sisters were cold to each other. Antagonistic. Even though Lucy and Sadie appeared to be polar opposites, from the little I knew of their relationship, I could tell they were close. That they rooted for each other.

But Lucy was a bit of a powerhouse.

Studying Sadie for a moment, I said without thinking, “It must be tough living in Lucy’s shadow.”

“What are you talking about?” Sadie’s words were even harder than before.

Shit. Why had I opened my dumb mouth?

“I just mean Lucy’s kind of a… strong personality.”

“I have a strong personality.”

“I didn’t mean anything bad by it, just that—”

“Just stop,” Sadie said, huffing now.

I blew air out of my nose.

This woman was infuriating. I was feeling for her. Trying to be understanding. But she took everything as a personal affront.

For a moment, we stood stiffly facing each other. But even as I wanted to growl with irritation, I couldn’t help but soak her in. She looked gorgeous when she was mad. All her frenetic energy had coalesced into a hard, determined point, like a storm cloud forming a tornado. Our eyes locked together and I knew she was daring me to look away first. I took in the heaving of her chest; the way her eyes were narrowed, the set of her jaw. To my mortification, I felt myself growing hot down low.

I wanted to jump her. To back her up against the wall and fuck her without breaking eye contact.

I’d never wanted anything more.

“You like this,” I said, my voice low. She had to feel this.

“Like what?”

“Driving me crazy.”

“I don’t need to drive you there,” she said. Then she turned away, her nose ever so slightly in the air.

It only made things worse. I shifted to try to rearrange myself in my jeans.

Sadie strode to the door that led to the back of the store and my stupid eyes went to her ass sashaying away from me. “We didn’t talk about this space back here,” she said, her voice muted with distance.

I took a breath, willing myself—my body—to cool down. Act professional.

“It wasn’t part of your plan,” I called after her. “The customers aren’t going to see anything beyond this wall.”

“I will,” she said as I came in behind her. Her back was still to me and I let myself have one more long look at her ass, trying my very best not to picture myself gripping it as she wrapped her legs around me.

I tore my eyes away to where she was pointing.

“I want an office here. A window there, A sorting table there. Storage in the corner. Room for filing cabinets. A computer.”

I sighed and pulled out my clipboard. I was glad for the distraction of scrawling down everything she was saying. She didn’t like going according to plan, I was learning. That was fine. I could be adaptable.

“This is going to add to your costs,” I said.

“We saved money on the materials out front.”

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