Page 70 of The Other Side

I nod, the crook of my mouth elevating. “Right.”

The warmth of our embrace is the only shield we need from the external forces. Those that threaten to tear us apart.

Her skin is silk against me. An intoxicating blend that’s enough to throw my equilibrium off.

“Brant?” she hushes.

“Yeah?”

“Can you show me your office? I’d really love to see where you work.”

Chapter 22

Brant

I’m trailing behind Callie through the glass door when we enter the vacant bullpen.

“This was recently remodeled,” I say.

We’re standing side by side on the wood of the center aisle. Her palms greet her lower back, her eyes scanning the open floor plan when she says, “It’s minimal or go home with all of you, huh?”

She’s referencing the similarities of my office and house. “It’s clean and uncluttered.” My legs carry me forward, leading us to my cubicle on the left. “There’s clarity and focus, simplifying the image.” My palm cups the top of my leather computer chair. “Come sit,” I suggest, rolling the seat out from under the desk.

Callie grins, her shoulders hiking to her ears as she treads toward me. She spins to sink into my chair, and I scoot her forward so her thighs disappear under the chocolate wood of the desk.

“Ah, I can already feel myself changing into an architect,” she jokes, plucking her phone from her denim jacket.

My eyes snap to the black screen, my stomach knotting in anticipation of Jesse’s name. Not because I feel some sort of loyalty to him. But because there’s a slight chance I’m going to smash the damn phone.

I bend to press the power button on the tower next to her leg. Then I pop up to hover my hand above the mouse. My free palm rests on the arm of the chair at her left side, and I’m caging her in as I say, “When the company is looking, I’ll tell Jared you’re interested in a position.”

“Okay.” She beams. “Let me know when and where I can send my resume.”

I softly laugh as the monitor screen lights up. I click on the Revit software on my desktop, opening a couple files I think she’d be interested in. “This is a custom residential project for Beau Jensen. You know him?”

“Holy shit,” she sighs, her pupils blowing with shock. “How big is this floor plan?”

“Six thousand square feet. He’s a media personality and political candidate. Figured you might’ve heard of him, but either way, I thought that was pretty cool.”

Her head shakes, gaze still trained on the skinny lines of the blueprint. “No.”

“You’ve definitely heard of Elite Form Fitness, yeah?”

“Yes.”

I click on the tab for the gym layout, and her finger darts toward the screen.

“Wait, you designed that gym? Which location?”

“Holbrook.”

“Wow,” she breathes, dropping her hand in her lap. “You’re somethin’ else, Brant. Truly.”

My smile disappears as soon as a low vibration hums beside the keyboard. I skim my eyes over the letters, quick enough to catch Jesse’s name above the incoming text.

But her fingers leap to her phone. Flipping it over to hide the message from my view.

“No, answer him,” I counter.