“We’d love that,” Kenzi exclaimed.
Lance pulled a chair over from another table and placed it between Clay and Willa. He accepted a menu from a server and ordered a quick sandwich since the others already had plates of food in front of them. After handing the menu to the server, he looked at Willa, but she didn’t meet his gaze. It gave him a moment to appreciate the simple beauty of her. Her hair was neatly pulled back, exposing the delicate, delicious curve of her neck. His eyes widened as he noted the delicious way her blouse was undone. From where he was he could see the curve of her breast. Would it still fill his hand perfectly as it had all those years ago?
“What brought you to this side of town?” Clay asked drolly.
Step one: keep Clay and Willa in Boston. “Clay. I’m starting a preliminary assessment of the city properties abutting the capitol building. I could use your experience with modernizing the historic ones to code.” Lance accepted a glass of water from the server.
Kenzi sat forward. “I thought you said—” Her eyes darted around the table, and she dropped what she was about to say and instead said, “That’s fantastic.” She turned to her friend. “Willa, you love old buildings. I bet you’d also be an asset to the project.”
Willa looked across at Clay. “I’m sure I’ll be too busy to add anything else to my plate yet.” With her hands still carefully folded, she directed her next comment to Lance. “I read an article about the Capitol Complex. It’s a daunting responsibility.”
“I like a challenge,” Lance said while looking her directly in the eye. The air was charged with the sexual tension that was always present with Willa. Even something as simple as sitting next to her in a restaurant was enough to set his heart beating wildly in his chest. When she shifted in her chair, her leg brushed against his briefly, and he could have sworn it affected her as much as it did him. He cleared his throat and thought about which parts of the project might lure her to it. “It’s more than just renovating buildings; it’s creating another place for people to come together. Not commercial. The city wants to celebrate the diversity of the community. My task will be to weave the past with the present in a way that showcases Boston’s history while valuing the flavor of what it represents today.”
Kenzi added, “The project could change the heart of the city for generations to come. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be part of something like that, Willa?”
Willa looked down at her plate as if to compose herself then said, “I’m sure it would.”
Clay took a sip of his wine before saying, “Too bad she already has a job.”
Dax ordered a shot of whiskey.
Lance tensed, but forced his tone to remain calm. “Working for you, Clay?”
“Yes,” Clay said, twirling his glass between this fingers. “She’s my personal assistant.”
“What happened to your last one?” Lance asked between gritted teeth.
Clay shrugged. “Never had one. Didn’t think I needed one.” His eyes lingered on Willa’s face for longer than Lance liked. “Until I heard Willa was looking for work.”
Lance’s hand clenched around his napkin. He wanted to tell Willa she couldn’t take the job, but he knew he didn’t have that right. He wanted to feed the napkin to Clay, but out of respect for Dax he wouldn’t do that either. In what he hoped was a calm voice, Lance said, “I can’t imagine Willa being happy for long with something that wasn’t art related. My project includes designing murals for the community center. I was serious with my earlier offer, Willa. I could use your input.”
Willa pressed her lips together briefly, then asked, “Because I know what average people like?”
Ouch. That comment hadn’t taken long to come back and bite him in the ass. “Regular people,” he corrected. “And I meant it as a compliment.”
Clay coughed to cover a comment that was still audible. “Not better.”
Kenzi leaned toward Willa. “What Lance is trying to say is that you have a style that appeals to a great number of people.”
A pink flush crept up Willa’s neck. “I appreciate that, but as Clay said, I have a job.”
Pushing the subject further would have put everyone at the table in an awkward position. What he wanted to say to Willa wouldn’t first be voiced in public. He decided to move onto another subject that was occupying his thoughts. “Something happened at my office this morning.” He shared the story of the woman who had posed as his secretary and the odd card she’d left.