Page 111 of His Flash Mate
The air around him shimmered, and I saw a hint of hand-sized scales on his face, like a projected overlay.
“You scare me,” I admitted.“Not the eyes or the scales, but what my attraction to you means.I watched my mom fall apart after my dad.She’s still picking up the pieces ten years later.He slept with my stepmom while still married to my mom.I refuse to be hurt like her, Konni.By a man who has no loyalty.”
He breathed deeply and closed his eyes.
“I understand, and if you let me, I’ll prove myself to you and to the world.”
I knew what he was asking.He wanted to be public.
“My mom and dad weren’t secretly married, and their marriage still fell apart because he was chasing money and status.I don’t want either of those things, but that’s what I would get if I said yes to you.That and more pandering and manipulation from the man who doesn’t deserve to be called my father.
“I just want to live a quiet life without any pressure so my mom can finally heal and be the woman she’s meant to be.”
I reached over Konni and rolled down the window.
“It’s safe,” I said to Harlow, who was standing outside of the car with his back to the door.
“Yes, Miss,” he said.
Konni’s hand brushed down my back as I returned to my spot.Then he closed the window and stared out of it as Harlow set off again.
The ride to the construction site took an hour through the city.No one talked the whole way.
I didn’t regret losing my composure or admitting what I had, which should have terrified me.It meant I felt safe with him.No, it meant I was in deeper than that even.
I trusted Konni.
Damn it!
When we arrived, Konni opened the door while Harlow went to the trunk.He handed us both hard hats, then a pair of athletic shoes to Konni, who knelt in front of me.
Did I feel ridiculous letting him change my shoes for me?Hell no.I felt like a damn princess, and I craved more of it like I craved Double Dutch chocolate ice cream around my period.
Once he had them laced up and my head appropriately protected, he led the way to the fence that surrounded the site.The foreman was already there, waiting for him.
I listened as they greeted each other, and I shook the man’s hand when Konni introduced me.
“Let me show you the retail spaces first,” the foreman said.“Then we’ll look at the living spaces above.”
Touring a partially finished building was interesting and a little scary.The windows weren’t even installed, and many of the walls inside were just beams to support the floors above.
I listened to everything, marveling at Konni’s keen eye for detail and knowledge of construction.After hearing the foreman’s explanations, I could visualize the potential uses for each area.
“What do you think?”Konni asked as we finished the tour of the commercial space.
“I think,” I said, glancing around, “if the question is how to market it, you need to highlight the versatility of the build itself—how the current construction gives the future tenants room to customize.Like those pipes the foreman mentioned.
“As someone with zero construction experience, I’d have no idea that they make rewiring or layout changes cheaper.And those oversized sewer and water lines?Perfect for food service or a spa.”
I frowned as I took in the space around us.“The issue isn’t the size of the units—it’s the imagination of our marketing department.There’s a lot of potential here.They just need to help the buyers see the possibilities.”
Konni’s mouth quirked slightly because he knew it was a dig at Lianna.
“And the ceiling height?”he asked.
I tipped my head back, studying it.“It’s almost the height of some of the downtown shops.Impressive unless the tenant wants a rock-climbing wall.”I looked at him again.“Am I missing something?”
“The owner wants to recreate the atmosphere of downtown.A kind of Southside downtown.”
