protester?”
Her father looked briefly surprised, but his expression subsided into mild dissatisfaction, as it always did. “So this is revenge,” he said, glancing from her neckline—almost certainly askew—back to Noah’s hand, which he’d dropped to his side when it became apparent Heberto had no intention of shaking it.
Noah opened his mouth to speak. Carmen shot him a quelling look and jumped down from the top of the desk, wobbling for a moment on her heels. Even with her father here, she felt the effects of that last kiss—the things Noah had
said—
But now wasn’t the time for that. Nor was it the time to defend Noah’s delicate feelings, if he had them. There were more important issues to discuss.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Heberto again.
“You haven’t been answering your phone.”
“I was going to get back to you after I had this situation resolved.”
He glanced at his watch. “Which would be when, exactly? You should be half done with the demolition by now.”
“I had to wait until I talked to Roman.”
“Don’t tell me he hasn’t got the woman under control yet.”
“He says he’s planning something. He needs time to think.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“He wanted me to tell you that this is …” She glanced at her father’s frowning mouth. He was going to hate this. “He said it’s his property, and he’ll knock down the buildings when
he
wants. He’ll get in touch with us when he’s ready. Until then, he doesn’t plan to take our calls.”
Her father walked away. Bracing his hands in the doorway, he leaned out to look to the left, where the rental units surrounded the swimming pool. He looked for half a minute, maybe more.
Noah didn’t touch her, but he stood close by, and she couldn’t keep herself from looking.
She studied his hair-covered forearm. The sleeve of his T-shirt. Her eyes crept upward, over his shoulder to his mouth. His nose. His eyes.
Heberto turned around, flicked his gaze at them both, and said, “I’ll be damned if I’m letting this thing fall behind schedule one more day just because Roman is balls-deep in some idiot hippie.” He focused his attention on Noah. “Take it down. I don’t want there to be one scrap of this place left tomorrow morning, and that includes the building we’re standing in, you understand me?”
“No,” Noah said.
“Which part’s got you confused?”
“Sorry,” Noah said. “I wasn’t clear. Yes, I understand you. But no, I won’t do that. It’s Roman’s property. I’m not taking it down unless Roman tells me to.”
“I’m his partner,” said Heberto.
“Handshake partner,” Carmen cut in.
Her father gave her a look that meant
Keep out of this
.
“They’re not really partners yet,” she explained to Noah. “This phase of the development is all Roman’s responsibility.”
“I’m building a resort hotel on this land,” Heberto said. “I’ve got it all lined up.”
“
Informally
lined up,” she countered. “The hotel is Phase Three. There’s a lot of work to be done before we’re in any shape
legally
to start building.”
“I need the site cleared,” Heberto insisted.
“And I’ll clear it,” Noah said calmly, “as soon as Roman gives me the go-ahead.”
Heberto made a disgusted noise. “Carmen, get on the phone and find me another demo guy. Your man here is free to leave.”
Noah folded his arms. He looked massive when he did that. Massive and muscular and … quite impressive, actually. “Roman left the keys with me. I’m custodian of the property. If you’re going to threaten to break the law, I won’t leave this building until the police restrain you or Roman gives me the word.”
Her father rolled his eyes. “Fine. Stay here.” He flicked his hand at Carmen. “Go outside and tell the hard hats to go home.”
Carmen looked from her father to Noah. Then back to her father again.
She couldn’t hold Noah’s steady gaze. Her obedience to
Her father looked briefly surprised, but his expression subsided into mild dissatisfaction, as it always did. “So this is revenge,” he said, glancing from her neckline—almost certainly askew—back to Noah’s hand, which he’d dropped to his side when it became apparent Heberto had no intention of shaking it.
Noah opened his mouth to speak. Carmen shot him a quelling look and jumped down from the top of the desk, wobbling for a moment on her heels. Even with her father here, she felt the effects of that last kiss—the things Noah had
said—
But now wasn’t the time for that. Nor was it the time to defend Noah’s delicate feelings, if he had them. There were more important issues to discuss.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Heberto again.
“You haven’t been answering your phone.”
“I was going to get back to you after I had this situation resolved.”
He glanced at his watch. “Which would be when, exactly? You should be half done with the demolition by now.”
“I had to wait until I talked to Roman.”
“Don’t tell me he hasn’t got the woman under control yet.”
“He says he’s planning something. He needs time to think.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“He wanted me to tell you that this is …” She glanced at her father’s frowning mouth. He was going to hate this. “He said it’s his property, and he’ll knock down the buildings when
he
wants. He’ll get in touch with us when he’s ready. Until then, he doesn’t plan to take our calls.”
Her father walked away. Bracing his hands in the doorway, he leaned out to look to the left, where the rental units surrounded the swimming pool. He looked for half a minute, maybe more.
Noah didn’t touch her, but he stood close by, and she couldn’t keep herself from looking.
She studied his hair-covered forearm. The sleeve of his T-shirt. Her eyes crept upward, over his shoulder to his mouth. His nose. His eyes.
Heberto turned around, flicked his gaze at them both, and said, “I’ll be damned if I’m letting this thing fall behind schedule one more day just because Roman is balls-deep in some idiot hippie.” He focused his attention on Noah. “Take it down. I don’t want there to be one scrap of this place left tomorrow morning, and that includes the building we’re standing in, you understand me?”
“No,” Noah said.
“Which part’s got you confused?”
“Sorry,” Noah said. “I wasn’t clear. Yes, I understand you. But no, I won’t do that. It’s Roman’s property. I’m not taking it down unless Roman tells me to.”
“I’m his partner,” said Heberto.
“Handshake partner,” Carmen cut in.
Her father gave her a look that meant
Keep out of this
.
“They’re not really partners yet,” she explained to Noah. “This phase of the development is all Roman’s responsibility.”
“I’m building a resort hotel on this land,” Heberto said. “I’ve got it all lined up.”
“
Informally
lined up,” she countered. “The hotel is Phase Three. There’s a lot of work to be done before we’re in any shape
legally
to start building.”
“I need the site cleared,” Heberto insisted.
“And I’ll clear it,” Noah said calmly, “as soon as Roman gives me the go-ahead.”
Heberto made a disgusted noise. “Carmen, get on the phone and find me another demo guy. Your man here is free to leave.”
Noah folded his arms. He looked massive when he did that. Massive and muscular and … quite impressive, actually. “Roman left the keys with me. I’m custodian of the property. If you’re going to threaten to break the law, I won’t leave this building until the police restrain you or Roman gives me the word.”
Her father rolled his eyes. “Fine. Stay here.” He flicked his hand at Carmen. “Go outside and tell the hard hats to go home.”
Carmen looked from her father to Noah. Then back to her father again.
She couldn’t hold Noah’s steady gaze. Her obedience to
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