She straightened and realized he was still watching her. His dark eyes studied her face as if he could divine her thoughts. Cameron frowned harder. “What are your plans for the front office?”
So now we have questions?
She bit back the sarcastic response and smiled. “This is the first impression clients get when they walk through the doors, so I want it to be welcoming and designed to set them at ease.” Trish’s main degree was in sales, but she’d gotten a minor in design. Her dream might be to eventually work in corporate fashion, but she knew how to use that skill set to set the tone of a room—and help people choose clothing that would make them happy. Not that she got to use the latter at all these days.
“We usually meet clients off-site.”
“Yes, I’m aware. But that wastes time in transit and Aaron mentioned that there’s a boardroom perfectly suitable for conducting meetings.” Though, considering the state of the front office, she hadn’t had the heart to check out that room yet to see what perfectly suitable meant. There would no doubt be more painting in her future, but hopefully it at least had furniture that was acceptable.
Cameron seemed to consider that and looked around the room again. “Tell me your plans.” A tiny hesitation. “Please.”
He’s trying. Throw him a bone. Aaron had warned her that Cameron didn’t bother with the social niceties, which set most people on edge, but his abruptness had still caught her off guard. If he was going to make an effort, though, she could do the same.
Trish walked over to stand in front of the door to the elevator. “Come here.”
He gave her a look like he thought she was trying to put one over on him but joined her in facing the room. His shoulder brushed hers, sending shivers through her body that she couldn’t quite control. He was just so big. Big and overwhelming and he smelled really good. He’s your boss, Trish. Slow your roll.
“Okay.” She cleared her throat. “Imagine this. You walk in and are instantly put at ease by the soothing green. I can make the desk work, but there will be a grouping of new chairs there.” She pointed to one side of the office. “And a smaller one there.” On the opposite side. “The window facing the street brings in enough light to justify some kind of plant, but I haven’t decided what will be the best fit. Probably one on each side of the window to create balance. A small water fixture on the other side in the corner. Some kind of art on the wall behind my desk, and maybe on another wall or two, though I haven’t decided yet.”
“Lots of changes.”
He sounded neutral enough, but she couldn’t help straightening her spine and lifting her chin. “Yes, but that’s what I was hired to do—create the best client-facing aspect of this business as possible. That starts with first impressions. You and Aaron have a company that’s one of the best in the business, and as silly as it might seem, presentation matters. Meeting in secondary locations is fine, but this is better.”
“One condition.” He kept going before she had a chance to protest. “No more painting alone.”
“Of all the—”
Cameron turned to face her, his chest nearly touching hers with each inhale. The proximity stalled her breath in her lungs and choked off whatever she’d been about to say. Trish swallowed hard, caught between wanting him to kiss her and wanting him to back the hell up and let some of the air back into the room. He didn’t touch her, though. Didn’t lean down. Didn’t cup her jaw or press her back against the wall and ravage her mouth.
Get yourself together.
His voice disturbed the air between them. “No. Painting. Alone.” Cameron’s dark gaze dropped to her mouth for the briefest of seconds before it snapped back to her eyes. “Do we understand each other, Trish?”
The sound of her name on his lips turned her knees to Jell-O. She swayed toward him, toward the command in his voice, but caught herself at the last moment. Do not kiss your boss. Trish took a step back, and then another. She looked at the floor and swallowed hard. “Yeah, we understand each other.”
He helped her finish cleaning up in silence, though she stewed a bit when Cameron made a point of taking the ladder and stowing it in the closet without letting her touch it. He walked back into the front office as she slipped on her shoes. “You’re staying with Aaron?”
She could have let him believe that, but Trish had already misstepped enough on her first day without adding lying to the list, too. “I was, but I got my own place.” Her brother had fronted her the money for the first month’s rent, but she didn’t think he wanted her underfoot any more than she wanted to be underfoot while he and Becka got used to the whole new baby thing.
Cameron gave her another of those dark looks like he wasn’t sure what he thought of that. Good Lord, but the man was cranky. He finally sighed. “I’ll call you a cab.”
It didn’t take much to read between the lines. He’d been on his way out of here when he caught her unfortunate fall. She was keeping him from plans of some sort, but his weirdly stubborn chivalrous streak wouldn’t let him abandon her. Chivalry? More like control freakishness. Either way, he’d helped her out with painting even though he didn’t have to, and she wasn’t about to impose on him further.
Trish smiled and grabbed her purse. “Actually, I’m walking. It’s only a few blocks from here.”
“Then I’ll walk you.” If anything, he sounded more grumpy now than he had before.
“Oh, that’s totally not necessary. The neighborhood is just fine and it’s not particularly late.” She gave Cameron an absent smile and headed for the elevator. “Thanks, though.” It was edging toward eleven, but that didn’t mean anything. She’d checked the street out last week with Becka—apparently walking could induce labor and Becka had been determined to make it happen—and there were several bars that would still be open around now, which meant pedestrian traffic. It was one of the pluses of the area when she was picking a place to live—that and the apartment came furnished and was within walking distance to the office. The rent was still astronomical, but Aaron was paying her an astronomical salary.
He’d promised it wasn’t a pity job, that he really needed her specifically to do this, but it felt like a pity job.
Stop it. Chin up. You’re going to help out your brother, save up some money and explore the city while you figure out your next step. Those are all good things.
She’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Cameron walking beside her until Trish stepped out onto the street and was hit full in the face with icy wind. She shivered and barely had time to wish that she’d packed a warmer coat before a heavy weight settled on her shoulders.
She blinked and touched the coat Cameron had just draped over her. “You’ll freeze.”
“I’m fine.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Which way?”
She could keep arguing and let them both stand out in the cold or she could just give in and spend next week establishing that she didn’t want Cameron looking after her. She had an older brother. She didn’t need two.
You don’t see this man in a brotherly light and you know it.
Shut up.
And he wouldn’t have stared at your mouth like that if he saw you like a sister.
Seriously. Shut. Up.
She picked up her pace and Cameron easily fell into step next to her. Even as she told herself to keep her smile in place and just accept his chaperoning, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. “You realize I’m an adult, right? I can walk three blocks without having you shadow my steps and glower at anyone who