Lirael POV"So, how were the presentations?" Nathan asked from across his large mahogany desk.When I returned to my office after Paradise Architecture’s presentation, I found a message from my brother, requesting an update. I decided to update him in person.Nathan’s question brought my mind back to the moment Zephyra entered the conference room. The instant I recognized her, memories flooded back — her moans, her body under mine, her sounds of pleasure. I pushed the memory away, leaning back in the leather chair. “They were fine. Some good proposals.”“When do you think you’ll decide?” Nathan inquired.I rubbed my chin, contemplating the proposals. Despite several meeting our requirements, only one stood out. Yet, Zephyra's involvement made me hesitant.I didn’t trust the shock on her face when she saw me. In a city like New York, the chances of my one-night stand and her team bidding on our project seemed improbable.Back when we met, they would have already been working on their p
Zephyra's POVMy ringing phone woke me from a restless sleep. I fumbled around on my side table until I found it. “Hello?” I mumbled, squinting against the fingers of light finding their way past the edges of my bedroom curtains.“We got it!” Jovan’s loud voice made me wince.I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Got what?”“The Wright Group project,” he said, and now I was wide awake. “Really?” I was simultaneously shocked, delighted, and wracked with nerves. Delighted that all our hard work had paid off, and excited at the knowledge that something I’d have a hand in designing would feature prominently in major cities around the US.But my stomach twisted at the thought of being in the same space as Lirael for an extended period.From the way he had looked at me during our presentation, it was obvious he was less than happy to see me. And I guessed I understood why. Lirael didn’t seem the type to be interested in mixing business with pleasure, particularly not when the pleasure was only ever
Zephyra's POVI cringed. “Yes. I didn’t know at the time, though.”“Holy shit,” she breathed. “I can’t believe it.” Then she laughed, her big brown eyes tearing up. “Oh my god, Zee. When you finally decided to let your hair down, you went full throttle and hooked up with one of the richest, most eligible bachelors in the country.”"Stop laughing," she said. "It was going to be so awkward, particularly during our one-on-one meeting."She wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe it would have turned into a literal one-on-one meeting."The sip of coffee I had just taken almost choked me. "Jovan and I were back together. Plus, I worked for him, so that would have been completely inappropriate," I thought back to Lirael’s icy expression during our last meeting. "Not to mention, I was pretty sure he had no interest in a repeat performance.""From the minimal juicy details you gave of that night
Zephyra's POVIt was Monday, and I sat on the beautiful yet uncomfortable leather couch outside Lirael’s office, trying not to fidget. My heart hammered against my ribcage, and nervous sweat dampened my skin. Lirael’s PA, a young man who introduced himself as Samson, eyed me from across the space, and I wondered if he could tell how nervous I was.He picked up his phone, glanced at me, said something, and hung up. “You can go in, Miss Zane.”I smiled my thanks at him, then stood, smoothing down my gray pencil skirt. With Freya’s help, I had paired it with a cream sleeveless blouse with delicate little buttons running down the front of it. Black strappy heels finished off the look. As Freya put it, the outfit was classy, while still doing a fantastic job of highlighting my curves.Professional with a hint of sexy. Perfect to give me the confidence I needed to face this uncomfortable situation.Samson gave me a slightly concerned look, and I realized I had ground to a halt, standing fro
Zephyra's POVAnger whipped through me. What sort of cold, empty life would allow him to see a simple coincidence as some subterfuge to manipulate him? “Are you insinuating that I used my body to get this job for my firm? Because if you are, it sounds very much like you’re suggesting I prostituted myself.”He stalked closer and my breath caught. I hated that even though I was furious with him, my body reacted to his proximity. He was the only man who had given me such intense pleasure, and apparently my body didn’t care that he was insulting my integrity. It just wanted to relive the feeling of his head between my legs and the way he filled me so thoroughly.My gaze snapped back to his as I realized it had drifted down to his lips.My nipples tightened even more, and I was sure by now they must be visible. I crossed my arms as if I was bored with this conversation.Only the smirk curling his lips let me know I hadn’t succeeded.He was standing so close that I needed to angle my chin s
Lirael's POV“Are you listening?” Nathan’s voice brought my attention back to the discussion as my brothers and I sat around a table in his office, analyzing the Wright Group’s financials for the last quarter, as well as the projections for the next six months. 'Of course,' I said, despite the memory of my meeting with Zephyra that morning occupying most of my attention.She had surprised me. I was mostly convinced that our original encounter and what happened between us were a coincidence. The shock and horror on her face when I suggested otherwise had been believable enough that a part of me—a tiny part—actually felt bad about accusing her. But there were women out there who would do exactly that. Outside the bedroom, there had been plenty of people over the years who orchestrated meetings with me and my brothers to try to get something from us.In our position, trust had been scarce. I wasn’t sure there was anyone in my life I trusted completely. I knew my brothers wouldn’t screw m
Zephyra's POVI tapped my pen on my notepad as I studied the concept design I had drawn for the roof of the Chicago hotel. After doing some calculations, I turned to my other computer screen and scrolled through the U.S. Green Building Council website, checking over the information on their certification requirements. I took a few notes, then put my pen down and stretched.It had been Friday, and I had made it through my first week with the Wright Group. Aside from the confrontation with Lirael on Monday, it had been great. I scanned my surroundings and smiled. They had given us an impressive office, filled with sleek, modern workbenches, ergonomic chairs, and several drafting tables. Large windows lined two walls, allowing natural light to flood in and giving the space an airy, open feel. A small kitchen area with a fridge, microwave, and coffee machine was located at the far end.My desk sat in the corner, facing the rest of the room. The double computer screens blocked most of my v
Lirael's POV"Yes?" I glanced up from the email I had been reading. "Miss Zane and Mr. Specter were here for the meeting," I informed. I wondered what Jovan was up to with her."Keep them there," I barked before pushing back my chair and striding to the door. I jerked it open and stepped out.Zephyra and Jovan were waiting to come in. Zephyra held rolls of paper in her hands, and her green eyes locked on mine, a hint of pink tinting her cheeks. I shouldn't have liked making her nervous, but I did. My attention shifted to Jovan hovering close to her. I wondered if he sensed something, if he somehow picked up on the memories that rippled between Zephyra and me whenever we were in the same room together. The idea almost made me smile, but I refrained."Jovan, I'm sorry you wasted a trip here, but I asked to meet with only Miss Zane," I stated firmly. Jovan's eyes darted between Zephyra and me. Oh yeah, he sensed something alright, but I doubted he knew what. Would she have told him she s