Page 3 of Meant for Two

Jeff looked over at him. “Are you siding with Blair now?”

“No. I’m just trying to be reasonable.”

Jeff might have been morereasonableif his inner wolf's instincts weren’t stirring. Stupid animal! Why did his dick have to get stiff when Blair was near?

Zane was a werewolf too, but he didn’t seem to be affected in the least. Right now, their company was doing well, and the last thing either of them needed was to have a woman come between them.

Jeff hadn't missed the way Blair was studying Zane. It was possible she was interested in his partner, whereas she only seemed to have scorn for Jeff. Was it because his dad was the developer? She might assume they only received the contract because of nepotism. If she knew Drew Granger, she’d know that would never happen.

After pulling behind the big steel structure that was their workplace, Jeff cut the engine. “I guess we could go over the designs again to see if we can change anything.” He tried to say that as unemotionally as possible, but he was certain he’d failed.

Once inside the shop, Zane pulled out the schematics. “Let’s see if we can make Blair happy and not compromise the security.”

“Good luck.”

CHAPTERTWO

Blair turned to her assistant,Avery Martin. “It's bad, isn't it?" she asked, her frustration evident.

Avery, a young woman with a keen eye for detail, walked around the room, her expression thoughtful as she studied the surveillance equipment that had become the center of Blair's concerns. "It's not that bad, but I wouldn't live here knowing someone was watching me," Avery replied candidly. She glanced around the room, her gaze sharp and observant. "Did you look in the bedrooms? Or the bathrooms? They didn't put anything there, did they?"

Blair's shoulders tensed at the thought, and she shook her head. "No, they didn't. Admittedly, the cameras are primarily pointed toward the front door, but still…" Her voice trailed off as she considered the implications.

Because she was responsible for the interior design and marketing of the development, this was her chance to prove her worth and secure her place in the industry. She couldn't let anything compromise that.

Avery continued her examination, looking at every corner of the room. "What's this?" she asked, her voice holding a note of concern.

Blair followed Avery's gaze to the entrance hall mirror, a piece she had personally selected for its elegance and impact. "What's what?" Blair inquired. She rushed over to her assistant. Her heart raced as she tried to spot whatever had caught Avery's attention.

Avery's finger pointed to a thin strip of wire that was discreetly placed along the side of the mirror. "This wire on the side," Avery replied, her eyes narrowing as she studied it intently.

Blair's stomach dropped as her fingers reached out to gently touch it. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. Carefully, she ran her hand along the side until her fingertips brushed against a small square object attached to the mirror's frame. "I think it might be a recording device."

Avery's brows furrowed as she peered closer. "Are you serious? Do you think they are listening to what’s going on right now? That would be creepy.”

Blair's frustration mingled with a growing sense of unease. She had been willing to compromise on the security in shared spaces, understanding the importance of protecting the development and its residents. But if the intrusion alert systems extended to listening, it was an entirely different matter.

"I don't know if they're listening or not," Blair admitted. "But I can't let this slide. It's one thing to prioritize security, but this…this is crossing the line." Her fingers hovered over the small device, her mind racing with thoughts of how to address this issue.

“You're right, Blair. This is your project, and you have a responsibility to ensure that it meets your vision. "Avery held up a hand. “But to be fair, you should ask if the system is deactivated when the alarm is turned off during the day—or when the owner is home. It might only pick up images and sounds of an intruder at night after they go to bed. At least, that’s how I thought it worked.”

Blair straightened her posture, her fingers gripping the edge of the mirror as she considered her options. “You are right. I need to talk to Drew again and find out more details,” Blair declared. "I appreciate the need for this, but it better be like what you said."

Avery offered a supportive smile, her presence a reassuring anchor for Blair. "You've got this, Blair. I'll back you up every step of the way, but since the installers were here yesterday, shouldn’t you speak with them? You said they were working on a solution. Maybe they’ve figured something out. If you do talk to them, be sure to ask if any monitoring is happening when the system is off.”

Blair turned around and headed over to the living room sofa. Part of her sensed she was being unreasonable, but her pride wouldn’t let her back down. “I should do that but…”

“But what?” Avery sat across from her in the living room. “Oh, snap. I know that look. You have a crush on one of them. Which one is it?”

She would have told her friend she was totally off base, but this love-hate reaction was eating at her. “A crush? Hardly, though you have to admit both Zane and Jeff are easy on the eyes.”

Avery smiled. “That’s an understatement. Personally, I’d take Zane. He’s not as moody as Jeff, but there is this power that Jeff exudes that I find attractive.”

A rush of unwanted and unwarranted jealousy shot through Blair. “It doesn’t matter. Jeff Granger is my boss’ son. You remember what happened the last time I dated the owner of the real estate company?”

“I do. You quit.”

“You mean I was fired after I caught John cheating.”

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