I weigh my options on the best way to respond. I thought I’d done a decent job of masking my attraction, but it appears I’m not as clever as I had hoped.
If I pretend that there’s nothing wrong, she will just think I’m a dick. That could get in the way of these renovations going smoothly. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize the success of the project.
I pull at the muscles in the back of my neck as the tension builds. “No,” I exhale with defeat. “I’m sorry, Eva. No, you haven’t done anything wrong.”
“So, you don’t hate me?”
“Hate you?” I jerk my head up in surprise. “Why would you think I hate you?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s just a feeling I get every time we’re in the same room together. Like you would rather be anywhere else but near me.”
I wince. “You’re not entirely wrong.”
She bites her bottom lip as moisture fills her eyes.
“Fuck, no, it’s not like that. I don’t hate you.”
Her confusion is obvious. Dammit, I just have to come out with it.
“But, yes, I do tend to feel like I’d rather be anywhere but in the same room as you.” I look down at my watch, feeling embarrassed for maybe the first time in my life. “Only because I find myself … attracted to you.”
I look back up at her this time. Needing to see her reaction. “Extremely attracted to you.”
The thin line of her brow jumps in surprise. “Oh, I see.”
“But I know nothing could ever happen between the two of us. For one, I don’t mix business with pleasure. Two, your brother is my best friend, and he would kill me if I ever touched you.”
He’s seen me with too many women to think I’d ever be good enough for his little sister. I know I’m not the ideal candidate.Someone who is afraid of commitment and has no intention of settling down would not be high on his list for someone worthy of his sister.
“I don’t know what to say,” she says as her voice cracks.
“I understand if this makes you uncomfortable. We can terminate our contract if you …”
She touches my arm. Even through my sleeve, I feel the warmth. It only lasts for a second before she pulls her hand back quickly.
“No, no. I’m not uncomfortable. I appreciate the honesty. It’s … refreshing.”
Relief spreads across my body. “Really? You are okay with continuing to work for me?”
Her lips spread into a soft smile. “Of course. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you as well.”
A deep pink shade stains her cheeks, and it hits me in the damn gut. She has this innocence to her.
My head falls back against the chair. “That doesn’t help.”
A soft chuckle fills the room. “I’m sure it’ll fade. Can we start over as friends?”
I look back at her, amused at how laid-back she is about this. Most women in this city would take any opportunity to score a date with me. She seems to find the idea of my attraction to her comical.
“Friends?” I ask. “Friends who are attracted to each other?”
She nods. “But don’t act on that attraction.”
“I could work with that.”
She gives me a pointed stare. “Good. And no telling my brother.”
“Yeah, I thought that was a given.”