Building Our Love (Griffin Brothers #2) by Crystal Perkins Page B

been right about it being too soon in
our new relationship, though.
    “You’re second
guessing asking me to build a house for us, aren’t you?” Chloe
asks as we pull into my parking garage.
    I wait until I pull
into my assigned spot and then turn to look at her. “I do want to
build us a house. I always have. I didn’t plan to ask you today,
although I’m not upset that I did. When you were talking about
buying a house and decorating it, I wanted our house to be the place
you decorated the way you want. I still want that, but I can’t help
thinking that you were right when you said it may be too soon in our
new relationship.”
    She reaches across the
car and kisses me sweetly on the mouth. “How about this. You draw
up your plans and I’ll draw up mine. We won’t show each other
until we’re ready and both feel that it’s the right time. If you
parents will let me stay in the guest house longer, then that’s
where I’ll live for now. I’ll put some pictures up to make it
more like a home, but I won’t go all out.”
    “They’ll let you
stay as long as you like. My parents love you. I love you.” I kiss
her a little more passionately than she kissed me. “I love your
idea, too. You always were the smart one in this relationship.”
    “Says the guy who has
negotiated some of the most complex real estate deals in the last few
years while designing some of the most amazing buildings at the same
time.” She smiles at me with a look of pride in her eyes.
    “You’ve followed my
work?”
    “Yes. You’ve done
some incredible things, Ry. Those deals were crazy good, and I don’t
even have words that can come close to describing how much I love
your buildings.”
    This time I don’t
hold back when I kiss her. The kiss is full of passion and love.
Having her tell me that she loves my buildings means more to me than
all of the awards I’ve been given for them. I force myself to pull
away because I know that there are security cameras in the garage,
and I’m not about to put on a show for anyone. “Let’s go
upstairs, Chlo. I have something that I really want you to see.” I
unbuckle my seat belt, get out of the car and run around to open her
door. She waits for me to do it because she knows that I will. She
knows me.
    I hold her hand as we
make our way up to my condo. I’m excited for her to see it. And to
see how I have decorated my bedroom. I think she’ll like it. I
think that she’ll like my bed, too, but that’s not the decorating
that I’m talking about.

Chapter 11
    Chloe
    Ryan’s condo is
definitely a guy’s place. He has hardwood floors and a dark brown
sectional in the living room. He knows design enough to have two red
chairs so that it’s not all one color. But there are no throw
pillows or anything that would suggest a woman’s touch. The walls
are decorated with paintings of his buildings done in cool colors. I
recognize Owen’s work.
    “These paintings are
amazing, Ry. They bring your buildings to life.”
    “My little brother is
crazy talented.”
    “Your whole family is
crazy talented. It’s a little intimidating at times.”
    “You’re kidding me,
right? You are just as talented as any of us, Chlo. You have to know
that.”
    “Thanks for saying
that. I do know that I’m talented, but it’s hard to remember
sometimes. I lost all of those jobs, and no one’s seen anything
that I’ve done outside of my professors at school.”
    “That’s all going
to change with the Seattle building. People are going to be beating
down your door trying to steal you away from us.”
    I bite my lip because I
know that I need to be honest with him, and he may not like what I
have to say. “I won’t leave to work for another company, Ryan.
But you said that you’ll have nothing for me for a while after
Seattle. If a good project came up, I don’t know if I could say no.
I would try to work it around my schedule as your assistant. I know I
owe you and your dad so much for giving me a