“Yes.”
Cupping the back of her head, he brought her mouth to his as he lifted his hips to press his erection against her sex. As they came together, she knew she was where she was meant to be.
CHAPTER31
Daniel wasin his office working at his computer three days later. Cassie and Jesse had headed home Sunday afternoon, promising to come back for a longer visit over the summer when things weren’t so hectic.
Ali was visiting two of his projects today but had promised to swing by the office with lunch before heading home. Having her work for him came with some definite advantages. She had an eye for detail he appreciated. She was also good at mediation, which he hadn’t expected.
Monday she’d been at the Clawson house. It was a new project and Luke had found some issues that needed to be addressed before anything could get started. Daniel had asked his designer to meet Ali and Luke there, figuring it would be a run of the mill type of situation.
It wasn’t.
As it turned out, there was asbestos in the floor tile. His designer wanted to tear it up. Luke insisted it was better to leave it and put the new flooring on top.
Ali said it had gotten heated before she stepped in and made them provide her with the numbers for each option. Then, she’d informed them she’d look at the long-term projections and let them know which direction they’d be going in for the project. Luke had been so impressed, he’d called Daniel and thanked him for sending Ali.
In the end, they decided to tear up the old flooring. Not because of the cost, but because Daniel didn’t want it to become a problem later down the road. He hadn’t decided if he was going to rent the house or flip it yet, but if he’d kept the flooring, his decision would have been set in stone.
A knock sounded at the door, and he yelled for whoever it was to come in without looking up from his screen. A whiff of cherries and lavender pulled his attention to the new arrival. “How’d the walk through go today?”
Ali strolled into his office carrying two bags. She walked around the desk, coming to a stop in front of him. He took the bags from her and set them on his desk. “They were framing the new bathroom and updating the plumbing in the kitchen.”
He rested his hands on her hips and spread his legs to pull her closer. She was wearing a dark blue pants suit a few shades darker than her eyes. It pulled tight at her waist, showing off her figure. It also did great things for her ass—a view he very much enjoyed earlier that morning at the house.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Starving.” Her working for him also came with a few disadvantages...like how big of a distraction she was. If she was in the building, he wanted his hands on her.
Ali chuckled. “I meant for food.”
“That, too.”
She bent to kiss him. “I brought chocolate cake for dessert.”
He kissed her again, relishing the taste of her. How had he gone so long without acting on his feelings? He was kicking himself for missing out on this every day for the last two years.
Unbuttoning her jacket, he ran his hands up her sides to rub his thumbs over her nipples. She closed her eyes and swayed into him as her nipples pebbled at his touch.
Daniel groaned when another knock sounded at his door. He dropped his hands back to her waist, not willing to stop touching her altogether. “Come in.”
Kevin ambled in with another envelope. “This just came for you by currier. I had to beg him to let me sign for it.”
Taking the envelope, he felt his pulse accelerate. It had to be from Peter. It was the same type of envelope as before. “Thank you, Kevin.”
His assistant was about to leave when Ali stopped him. “I brought lunch. There’s plenty to share.”
“Thanks, but I’m heading out.” He smiled. “I have a date.”
“Oh,” Ali said. “Have fun.”
He smirked. “I plan to.”
Alone again, Ali’s gaze went to the folder. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes.” He broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out its contents.
The first page was a note. “Everything is in place. All I need is your go ahead.”