To Have and to Hold (The Wedding Belles #1)(58)

Judging from the murderous expression on his face, tonight wasn’t going to change that.

Brooke blew out a breath. “If you want to get right back into your car, I won’t take it personally.”

Much.

His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t know about this?”

Brooke rolled her eyes. “You mean did I bribe your sister into dragging you here so that I could trap you into talking to me? No. Like you, I thought Maya only wanted to see the venue once more before signing the contract.”

His eyes flicked up to the building behind her. “So she really is considering doing it here?”

Even in spite of all the crap going on with her and Seth and her irritation at Maya’s meddling, Brooke didn’t bother to hide her excitement about the space behind her. “I think so. I hope so. It’s not glamorous, by any means, but it’s just, it’s . . .”

How did she describe perfection? Brooke had fallen in love with spaces before, but never before had she had her breath taken away by a building. But the Hamilton House, with its stately exterior and charming interior, had hit her at the gut level. She was a sucker for any space that managed to preserve its history while stepping into the modern times with delicate class, and the people behind the Hamilton’s restoration had gotten it exactly right.

Before she realized what she was doing, Brooke had hooked her arm in Seth’s, turning so that they were both looking at the mid-rise building. It was unassuming, to be sure. The original brick had crumbled to the point of disuse, so the previously brick structure was now a more stable cement. But the original back had been repurposed to frame the doorway and windows. A strange-looking building, but all the lovelier for its quirkiness.

“Isn’t it great?” she said.

She didn’t expect him to respond, and he didn’t. Instead she glanced over to find him studying her.

“Want to go in?” he asked.

Brooke blinked. “Really? You want to?”

He lifted a shoulder against the cold. “I’m assuming you have an appointment, or whatever. Shame to stand someone up.”

“Actually, I have better than an appointment,” she said, digging into her purse and coming up with keys. “Let’s just say one of the property manager guys might have a little crush on me.”

His eyes were unreadable. “Is that so.”

Her breath caught a little at the unexpected possessiveness of his gaze and she blushed. “No, I just meant—”

He only shook his head and looked away. “I’d like to see inside. Maya, for all her manipulations, seemed genuinely excited about it.”

“She was,” Brooke said, grasping quickly at the subject change. “I think it’s exactly what she’s looking for.”

Seth gestured something at his driver before they both moved toward the door. He waited silently as she unlocked it, her hands fumbling only slightly at the thought that she was once again spending time alone with Seth. It was strange, but as far as they’d come, as much as they knew each other—mentally, physically—all the tension of those early days came rushing back.

She wanted to beg him to tell her what he was thinking.

To know if he’d thought of her the way she thought of him.

If he could forgive her for the things she’d said but certainly hadn’t meant.

Brooke pushed the door open and stepped inside. The building, for all its newness from the renovation, still held the feeling of a structure that hadn’t been inhabited for a long, long time.

“The first tenants won’t be moving in until early April,” she said as they passed through a small but fancy marble foyer that would serve as the main reception area for the building. “It’s fourteen floors, the bottom twelve all office space. But there was dispute over the top two floors, some wanting to lease it as executive offices, others thinking it would be a better investment to turn it into residential space.”

“Who won?” he asked as she pushed the button on the lobby elevator.

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. Secretly, I’m hoping residential, because I can’t imagine a better place to come home to at night—not that I could near afford it—but I’m not sure it’s been decided yet. Whatever it is, it’ll be a long-term investment. It’s just open space right now. They’ll need to figure out the floor plan, kitchen, appliances, blah, blah, blah.”

Seth shook his head as they stepped into the small elevator. “Nightmare. All of this should have been planned from the very beginning. If this were one of my hotels—” He broke off, and she winced, wondering if he was remembering her callous words from before.

“Yes, well, there’s a reason why the Tyler Hotel Group is one of the most successful in the world,” she said quietly.

The elevator started upward, and they said nothing more until they reached the top floor. Seth reached out, setting a broad hand against the open elevator door and nodding her forward.

Brooke stepped out into the open space, the high heels of her suede boots clicking smartly against the dark hardwood.

“They should have done carpet,” he muttered, glancing down. “More practical.”

“Oh, no way,” she gasped. “There is nothing better than hardwood.”

His lips twitched. “I don’t think you understand just how much I’m trying not to make a joke right now.”