The Beautiful Widow - By Helen Brooks Page 0,19
course. She was dry-mouthed and rooted to the spot and desperately tried to pull herself together. Say something intelligent, she told herself. Speak.
‘Come and have a coffee.’ He moved back into his office without waiting for a reply, leaving her with no choice but to walk down the corridor.
Steel’s office was massive. A giant desk was positioned so the light from the huge windows streamed over his shoulder, and there were a couple of easy sofas and chairs grouped round an enormous coffee table close to a unit holding a coffee maker, a water filter and what looked like a small fridge. A biscuit tin holding a vast selection of biscuits had its lid off, and he took one as he poured her a coffee.
‘Breakfast,’ he said wryly, indicating the tin. ‘There was a panic over the weekend and I’ve been here since five o’clock. Joy’s bringing some bacon butties with her when she comes in.’
‘Five o’clock?’ She’d have had to be up with the larks to get here before him then.
He smiled, handing her a cup of coffee. ‘Help yourself to milk and sugar, or there’s cream in the fridge if you prefer,’ he said, before adding, ‘Five’s OK. I often get here around six anyway. I don’t sleep much.’
Superman. Only to be expected really. Why would Steel Landry function like a mere mortal?
He nodded to the plans tucked under her arm. ‘Come and sit down and tell me how you’ve got on,’ he said, taking the plans and spreading them out on the coffee table before sitting down on one of the sofas.
Toni looked down on the dark head for a moment. His hair was severely slicked back but a wayward tuft was defying the austere style and attempting to fall forward into a quiff. She felt a trickle of something hot surge through her veins and hastily sat down, so hastily she spilt a few drops of coffee onto the plans. Horrified, she blurted, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ reaching into her handbag and dabbing the drops with a tissue, which only spread the stain further.
‘Hey, don’t worry.’ His hand on her wrist was cool and although the contact only lasted a second she felt the impact for moments afterwards. ‘Leave it, it’s nothing. I have several other sets anyway. Now, show me what you’ve done.’
Hot and flustered, she began to speak, wondering what he must be thinking, but after a minute or two she became absorbed in her ideas, enthusiasm steadying her voice. Oblivious to his gaze moving to her animated face now and again, she outlined the different themes to the properties, her manner eager and natural. ‘So, what do you think?’ she said at last, raising her head and looking straight at him.
What he thought was that he’d like to feel the soft curves of her delectable lips beneath his and free her hair from that bun thing so he could run his fingers through it, Steel told himself ruefully. Hell, he wanted this woman more than he’d wanted anyone for a long, long time.
To give himself a breathing space he stood up and walked over to the coffee machine. ‘Another cup?’ he asked her, turning slightly. ‘I’m afraid I drink this stuff like water.’
‘No, I’m fine.’
He poured himself a black coffee and drank it straight down, scalding hot as it was, before saying, ‘I’m impressed. You’ve captured the vision of making each apartment different without any one lording it over another. Important with my clientele—they can be touchy about their status,’ he added drily. ‘The use of beautiful textiles, bold patterns and the vibrant gemstone-inspired colours will go some way to offset the somewhat utilitarian façade of the building, which cannot be changed to any great degree, but remember in winter the apartments will need to feel cosy with fires and the warmth of wooden floors, and in summer we need to get light flooding in where possible. I presume you have a source for the modern art and some of those more unusual materials and fabrics?’
Toni nodded. ‘Several. When I worked for James we had a client who wanted his hotel designed with a modern take on ancient Rajasthani architecture and interior design. It was a fascinating project. He even incorporated a lotus-patterned swimming pool and a bar with a stargazing deck.’
‘Our clients will have to make do with their bathrooms and wet room, but I like your idea of iridescent glass mosaic tiles. OK, full steam ahead, Toni.’ He saw her cheeks flush