Page 2 of Meant for Two

His annoyance simmered beneath the surface as he watched Blair's hazel eyes narrow in contemplation. He had expected some level of skepticism, given her reputation for clean lines and elegance, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't fully appreciate the intricacy of their work. Those discreetly placed cameras were designed to enhance security without compromising the visual appeal. Yet, it seemed like Blair couldn't see past their functional purpose.

His partner, Zane, stepped next to Jeff and nudged him with his elbow. “What's got your feathers ruffled?”he telepathed.

Jeff's jaw tensed as he spared a glance in Blair's direction before turning back to Zane. "It's just that she doesn't seem to get it,” he said softly enough so that Blair couldn’t hear them. “We put a lot of effort into making these systems seamless, and all she seems to care about is how they disrupt the looks of the place.”

Zane chuckled softly. "Well, she does have a point. We can't ignore the fact that appearance matters in this business."

“I know that.”

Jeff's irritation deepened, but before he could voice his continued frustration, Zane's tone grew serious. "Look, I get it. But remember, not everyone sees the world the way we do. Security might not be her top priority, but that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate our work in her own way."

Jeff grumbled, his pride wounded, despite knowing that Zane was right.

Blair stepped over to them, and Jeff’s cock stiffened. What the hell? She worked for his dad. Nothing more. At least he hoped it was nothing more.

“Now that you’ve seen the position of our furnishings, can you take another look at the placement of the cameras?” She seemed to be working hard to keep her voice calm.

They'd installed the cameras after the furniture was in place, but arguing wouldn’t get him anywhere. “Sure. We’ll check the outside ones too.”

Not wanting to get into a full-blown argument, he spun around and headed outside, leaving Zane to study the interior. The first words out of his best friend's mouth were an apology for Jeff’s rude behavior. Really? The woman had the nerve to tell them that his job wasn’t up to snuff. What was he supposed to do? Agree with her? To hell with that.

It wasn’t as if clients hadn’t asked him and Zane to change things in the past. It happened all the time, but when it came from Blair, it set Jeff off for some reason.

Outside, he studied their system. A thief would be hard-pressed to even find the alarms let alone disable them.

“You have to admit she’s pretty hot.”

Zane had snuck up on him, and Jeff hadn’t even noticed. Now he knew something was wrong. Werewolves had excellent hearing. He spun around and huffed. “Whatever. This isn't the time for that."

Zane chuckled again, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, maybe if you take your eyes off our systems for a second, you might notice what a catch she is.”

Jeff was well aware that Zane had an eye for beautiful women, and while Jeff appreciated Blair's looks, he couldn't afford to let his partner's playful comments influence his thoughts. Besides, his own instincts were far more complex than mere attraction. There seemed to be a connection between him and Blair that was messing with his head, hinting at the possibility of a deeper bond. And that was something he didn’t want—at least not right now.

Sure, he and Zane often shared women. Wildwood, Montana was short on them, and sharing was commonplace. But Blair? The three of them would never work. Blair was too focused—just like him. Not only that, she seemed a bit too uptight to be willing to be with two men. A threesome wasn’t for everyone.

Be honest for once. Jeff’s inner wolf was trying to tell him that Blair might be his mate, a notion that would complicate things to no end.

“We’re here to ensure the safety of this Development, not to indulge in distractions," Jeff replied firmly. “This is one of Dad’s biggest ventures, don’t forget.”

“I know that very well, but sometimes a little fun can be a good thing,” Zane said. “Let’s go back to the store and see if we can come up with a solution.”

“Fine.”

They both piled into Jeff’s truck and took off for their office on the edge of town. Not only did they have a showroom for theirgadgets, as Zane called them, but they also had a huge factory in the back where they assembled their systems. Attached to the showroom was a room that housed three people whose job it was to monitor any incoming alarm alerts. They would report the intrusion to the sheriff’s department, and if needed, follow-up.

A minute later, he pulled onto the main road. Normally, he took criticism really well, but coming from this upstart of a woman bothered him. “You know what gets me?”

“That a rhetorical question?” Zane asked.

“Fuck you. Yes, it was. It's that…that these systems are our expertise. It's frustrating when someone doesn't see the effort we've put into them."

"I get it, but let's not forget we're a team, and part of being a team is working with different perspectives. Blair might not fully understand our world, but that just means we need to help her see it in a way that resonates with her."

His easy-going partner never let anything get to him. Jeff’s dad often commented that he should act more like his best friend. Jeff had tried, but he wasn’t wired that way.

“You’re right,” Jeff admitted. “We have to find a way to bridge the gap between our expertise and Blair's priorities. Our ultimate goal has to be the safety of the Development and its residents,” And yes, his father had pounded that philosophy into him from the moment he gave the two of them the contract to do the lucrative job.

Zane chuckled. “You sound like your dad—not that that’s a bad thing, because it’s not. But don’t forget, there won’t be any residents if the homes don’t look good.”

---