That Night with You by Alexandrea Weis Page B

with
bulldozers.”
    Adam swatted at a passing insect. “I
don’t see it that way. The land will look a lot nicer from the
street that way. Blend in with the other homes.”
    “ Blending in is not what is
needed here,” Madison countered with a raised voice.
    “ Obviously, you two have
divergent opinions on this project,” Hayden broke in. “That’s good.
Put them in a design and let’s see which one our clients
like.”
    “ Oww!” Adam shouted,
grabbing his ankle. “I think something just bit me.”
    Hayden grinned at Madison. “Probably a
snake.”
    Adam began wildly jumping about. “A
snake!”
    Once they returned to the car, Madison
and Hayden checked the bite on Adam’s ankle. Sitting in the
backseat of the Town Car with his ankle hanging out the open door,
Madison looked over the lanky red-headed man’s pale
skin.
    “ It’s nothing, Adam,”
Madison reassured him as she examined the small red dot on his
ankle. “It’s just an ant or something.”
    “ It’s the ‘or something’
that bothers me,” Adam mumbled, scratching his ankle.
    “ We can stop by a pharmacy
and pick up something on the way back to the office, if you need
it.” Hayden shrugged his jacket around his shoulders.
    “ No, no,” Adam answered,
sounding stoic. “I’ll be fine.”
    Madison retrieved her flat black shoes
from the curb while Hayden adjusted the yellow silk tie about his
neck. When she saw him struggling, she leaned over to
him.
    “ Allow me,” she offered,
and began to straighten out his tie.
    As she fit the knot into place under
his neck, her hands caressed his soft cotton dress shirt. She could
feel the heat from his skin beneath the fabric, creating a ripple
of desire in her belly. The smell of his slightly musky cologne
filled her nose; the sensation of his eyes, taking in her every
gesture, only seemed to compound the waves of white heat tensing
her insides.
    “ So how long do we have to
come up with our plans?” Adam’s voice intruded.
    Hayden took a step back from her,
giving her a polite nod of thank you. “Two weeks.”
    “ Two weeks?” Adam echoed.
“That’s not a great deal of time to come up with an original design
like this one. We need particulars like one story, two story, how
many bedrooms do they want, kitchen styles, is there going to be a
family room or a movie theatre, and—”
    “ Perhaps I should give the
two of you the opportunity to interrogate the clients,” Hayden
interrupted. “I have their living requirements,” he motioned to
Adam still sitting in the back of the car, “like the things you
mentioned, but I think you need to meet the couple, get a feel for
them, and what kind of home they want.”
    Adam stood from the backseat and
slipped on his jacket. “I already think I have a feel for them.
They want to fit into this neighborhood.” He glanced around to the
other mansions that dotted the street until he spotted a
contemporary one-story home nestled on two lush acres. The stone
house seemed out of place and better suited for a Texas ranch
rather than an upscale neighborhood. He waved to the house. “Except
for that one. What an eyesore,” he commented.
    Hayden arched an inquisitive brow.
“Actually, that’s an award-winning home. It belongs to Tyler Moore,
the owner of Propel Oil and Gas.”
    Adam snickered. “He sure didn’t get
his money’s worth with that one. Any idea who designed
it?”
    Hayden smiled. “I did.”
    Adam’s long face fell and Madison
covered her mouth, hiding her giggle.
    “ I’m sure it looks great on
the inside,” Adam quickly offered, his face turning a deep
crimson.
    Hayden ignored him. “What about you,
Madison? Do you have all you need to make your design?”
    She perused the adjoining homes, and
then looked back to the lovely green lot nestled between them. “I
have an idea, but I would like to hear the clients tell me of their
vision. It will help me with the final design.”
    “ Fine.” Hayden nodded his
head.