view.
The floors were dark wood, and his modern, metal-and-wood desk was front and center. Off to one side lay a circular, gray rug, with a sleek, futuristic couch and chairs on it.
“Bathroom’s through there.” He pointed to a doorway, then dropped my file on his desk and started shrugging out of his suit jacket.
I ducked in, noting the glossy marble and large mirror. There was a shower larger than mine at home. I quickly redid my hair and tucked my shirt back into my skirt.
“Thanks, I—”
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I was confronted by a shirtless Liam Kensington.
Oh. Wow. My mouth went dry.
His suit pants sat low on lean hips, and my gaze ran across his bare chest. I saw golden skin stretched over a lightly muscled chest and ridged abdomen.
What billionaire stayed in this kind of shape? He was working all the time, so I couldn’t imagine how he could have all those delicious muscles.
He shrugged into a new shirt, and I watched the intriguing flex of his muscles.
Then I heard a low chuckle.
My head jerked up and I met amused blue eyes.
Oh, God. I’d been blatantly staring at him.
“Should I finish doing up the buttons, or do you need another minute?” he asked.
I felt the hot sting of embarrassment in my cheeks and turned. “Sorry, I…” Crap, what? I was too busy ogling you? “You must be used to people staring at you. You aren’t exactly hard on the eyes.”
Another amused chuckle.
“Come on,” I said. “You were voted the most handsome billionaire bachelor. No need to be modest.”
He stepped into view, shirt buttoned and tucked. “I don’t have a lot of competition.”
“Oh? I bet Zane Roth and Maverick Rivera would love to hear that.”
Liam’s lips twitched. “Those ugly cretins?”
I smiled back. Dammit, I didn’t want to like the guy. I had to remember Erica and Jake. “Ah, in case you’ve forgotten, we have a meeting to get to.”
“I hadn’t forgotten. And now all the evidence of you tossing coffee and water over me is gone, we can go.”
I grabbed my file off his desk, and we headed back down the corridor to the conference room. He reached past me and opened the door. As he passed by me, his cologne hit my senses. So yummy.
I fought back a shiver.
Shit. Get a hold of yourself, Aspen.
Or rather, I needed to get a hold of my hormones.
I didn’t need an inconvenient attraction to Liam Kensington. One, every woman in Manhattan was attracted to the man. Two, I was working undercover at the Kensington Group, while negotiating with a white-collar-crime gang. Three, Jake’s life was on the line. Things were complicated enough.
“Thank you,” I murmured, then hightailed it around the glossy, black conference table to Abigail. “Signed.” I handed her the file.
“Nice work.” Her gaze flicked to Liam. “God, that man generates so many dirty fantasies.”
I looked over. He stood at the head of the table, talking to his construction manager. He had one hand on a lean hip. Instantly, I pictured him shirtless in my head.
A flicker of heat ignited in my belly and I crossed my legs.
Stop thinking about the sexy billionaire. Think about the bad guys.
“Let’s get started.” Liam sat at the head of the conference table. His blue eyes met mine for a second, then he started talking.
Abigail leaned closer. “What was that?”
“What?”
“That look.”
“What look? He looked at me for like, a millisecond.”
Abigail frowned.
“Ms. Hosler, did you have something to share?” Liam asked.
He was looking at Abigail.
She cleared her throat. “No, sir.”
I got busy taking notes. Everyone started talking about the Borden Project in the Bronx.
“Liam, we can decrease the size of the apartments and fit more in,” one executive said. “It will increase profit significantly. We can also convert some space to more commercial offices—”
“No,” Liam said. “This project isn’t just about profit. It’s about providing affordable, good quality homes, and rejuvenating the area. I don’t need more profit.”
There was a smattering of laughter around the table.
“I want a quality project. One that the Kensington Group can be proud of.”
I stared at him. He wasn’t what I expected at all.
“Now, on to the Ridge Project in Brooklyn.”
Images of a partly constructed skyscraper appeared on the screen on the wall.
“The problems with the electrical have been sorted.” One of the project managers leaned forward. “Work is progressing well.”
I scribbled some more notes. I wasn’t a huge fan of paperwork. I liked being in the field more.
“I want to see it,” Liam said. “I’ve already talked