light on her waist. So damn much for keeping his distance.
“This is nice, don’t you think?” she asked.
About like getting two inches too close to a campfire. The heat felt good until it began melting the skin off your bones. Rather than answer, he just gave a low grunt. She could take that however she wanted.
Way
,
way outta your league
,
McLaughlin.
And a fancy distraction you can’t afford.
Not with his money, his time, or his heart.
Her fingers flirted with the hair at his nape, and a tremor rumbled through Mac’s body, making every inch of his skin aware of the woman in his arms. What the hell were they doing? Ashton wanted something from him because this was the way a woman like her maneuvered men. He doubted her flirty behavior was spurred by the same spine-gripping lust he was feeling. “You want something, so you might as well spit it out.”
“How did you know?”
“Call it intuition.”
“You’re right. I want to talk with you about a project I’m working on.”
His skin tightened in anticipation. “This have something to do with that clipboard you were carrying when Cravens kicked it?”
Her chin came up so her blue gaze met his. “Actually, yes. I was...interviewing...Cravens for the position of general contractor.”
“What do you need with a GC?”
She drew in a breath, which pressed her breasts against him. Mac inched away when what he wanted to do was move even closer.
Concentrate
,
idiot.
Whatever this is about
,
it’s not Ashton getting naked with you.
“I’m developing the land around Lily Lake. First, an outdoor event space. Later, home sites, an indoor community gathering space, and other amenities.”
“You’re a decorator, not a developer. Besides, Mrs. Chappell owns all that property...”
This time Ashton’s smile was all I-know-something-you-don’t. “Adelaide Chappell is my grandmother.”
Oh, shit. What had he stepped in the middle of?
“And she somehow decided you should be in charge of a multimillion-dollar development?” She’d seemed sane enough when he’d rented the place from her, but apparently the old lady was crazier than a belfry full of bats.
“Gigi has more confidence in me than anyone else in my family. She wants me to make Lily Lake into something we can both be proud of.”
“And with Cravens dead, you no longer have a GC.” Yeah, this conversation was making a little more sense now.
“Look, Mac, I’ve done some asking around about you and—”
His feet stopped, simply stuck to the dance floor. “Why the
hell
would you do something like that?” To think he’d hoped the stink of scandal wouldn’t follow him here. That had been jackass stupid.
“Because I want to hire you to run the project with me.”
“No.” Absolutely, unequivocally, no fucking way in hell. He couldn’t afford any more clusterfucks in his professional life. And only someone stupid or desperate—or both—would get in on a project with someone as inexperienced as Ashton.
“But you haven’t even heard me out.”
“I don’t need to.” People were beginning to stare because he and Ashton were standing in the middle of circling dancers. “Be realistic. A woman like you doesn’t need to take on a project like this.”
“A woman like me.” Ashton’s voice went low, and if he wasn’t mistaken, was edged with a little danger. And that sent a shot of adrenaline through Mac’s system.
Uh-uh.
Mac McLaughlin didn’t do dangerous, risky, or just plain stupid anymore. And that was exactly what this was. “Tell me, how would you describe a woman like me?”
“Privileged. Maybe a little naive.”
“Really?”
He grabbed her wrist and tried to lead her off the dance floor, but she didn’t budge. “Hey, I just mean that having the kind of cash your family does can insulate you from—”
“Real life?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Look, this kind of project, the sheer scope of a private lake development, is huge. It could take years to see it all
“This is nice, don’t you think?” she asked.
About like getting two inches too close to a campfire. The heat felt good until it began melting the skin off your bones. Rather than answer, he just gave a low grunt. She could take that however she wanted.
Way
,
way outta your league
,
McLaughlin.
And a fancy distraction you can’t afford.
Not with his money, his time, or his heart.
Her fingers flirted with the hair at his nape, and a tremor rumbled through Mac’s body, making every inch of his skin aware of the woman in his arms. What the hell were they doing? Ashton wanted something from him because this was the way a woman like her maneuvered men. He doubted her flirty behavior was spurred by the same spine-gripping lust he was feeling. “You want something, so you might as well spit it out.”
“How did you know?”
“Call it intuition.”
“You’re right. I want to talk with you about a project I’m working on.”
His skin tightened in anticipation. “This have something to do with that clipboard you were carrying when Cravens kicked it?”
Her chin came up so her blue gaze met his. “Actually, yes. I was...interviewing...Cravens for the position of general contractor.”
“What do you need with a GC?”
She drew in a breath, which pressed her breasts against him. Mac inched away when what he wanted to do was move even closer.
Concentrate
,
idiot.
Whatever this is about
,
it’s not Ashton getting naked with you.
“I’m developing the land around Lily Lake. First, an outdoor event space. Later, home sites, an indoor community gathering space, and other amenities.”
“You’re a decorator, not a developer. Besides, Mrs. Chappell owns all that property...”
This time Ashton’s smile was all I-know-something-you-don’t. “Adelaide Chappell is my grandmother.”
Oh, shit. What had he stepped in the middle of?
“And she somehow decided you should be in charge of a multimillion-dollar development?” She’d seemed sane enough when he’d rented the place from her, but apparently the old lady was crazier than a belfry full of bats.
“Gigi has more confidence in me than anyone else in my family. She wants me to make Lily Lake into something we can both be proud of.”
“And with Cravens dead, you no longer have a GC.” Yeah, this conversation was making a little more sense now.
“Look, Mac, I’ve done some asking around about you and—”
His feet stopped, simply stuck to the dance floor. “Why the
hell
would you do something like that?” To think he’d hoped the stink of scandal wouldn’t follow him here. That had been jackass stupid.
“Because I want to hire you to run the project with me.”
“No.” Absolutely, unequivocally, no fucking way in hell. He couldn’t afford any more clusterfucks in his professional life. And only someone stupid or desperate—or both—would get in on a project with someone as inexperienced as Ashton.
“But you haven’t even heard me out.”
“I don’t need to.” People were beginning to stare because he and Ashton were standing in the middle of circling dancers. “Be realistic. A woman like you doesn’t need to take on a project like this.”
“A woman like me.” Ashton’s voice went low, and if he wasn’t mistaken, was edged with a little danger. And that sent a shot of adrenaline through Mac’s system.
Uh-uh.
Mac McLaughlin didn’t do dangerous, risky, or just plain stupid anymore. And that was exactly what this was. “Tell me, how would you describe a woman like me?”
“Privileged. Maybe a little naive.”
“Really?”
He grabbed her wrist and tried to lead her off the dance floor, but she didn’t budge. “Hey, I just mean that having the kind of cash your family does can insulate you from—”
“Real life?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Look, this kind of project, the sheer scope of a private lake development, is huge. It could take years to see it all
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