I stared at city lights before me. In the past twenty-four hours since his abrupt departure, Jackson had left more work for me to do than before the Silverstone land deal fell to pieces. I had to find another tract of land as big or bigger. We couldn’t move forward with a mixed-use development plan if there was no land to build on. I had spent the entire day putting out fires.

The architect’s plans were scattered on my desk. We had already invested a million dollars so far. I couldn’t back out now. And where was my brother? On an island? In a cabin in the mountains? I had no fucking clue. He wasn’t here. And as usual I was left cleaning up the mess. Oliver was no more help. He was trying to close a new tech deal in Seattle. I couldn’t bring him into land development this late in the game. He didn’t study real estate. I still couldn’t believe Jackson had given him power of attorney.

And what had Jackson meant about needing to find a mate? What the hell right did he have to talk to the dynast that way? I was fine. I was happy. I ran the company. And no one complained about the money in the bank. The estate. The summer home. The jet. They liked all those things. They loved being Hawthornes. Our name meant something, and it kept their bank accounts full.

I walked to the bar and poured a glass of bourbon straight. I swirled it in the crystal glass before taking a sip. The office was quiet. Everyone else had left for the night. My brother was right. I did spend most of my time here. Night was when I didn’t have the distractions of the office buzz. There were no interruptions. No phone calls. No meetings. I could focus with the blanket of darkness lying heavy on the city.

Tonight, I didn’t feel the calm that the solitude usually brought. I was angry.

“Damn it, Jackson,” I muttered before a full-blown growl erupted from my chest.

I inhaled the rest of the bourbon and then I heard it. A clear sweet voice.

“Hello?”

Who was that? Celia had left early for her girls’ night book club. Everyone else cleared out by six. I was the only one on the floor. At least I thought I was.

I strolled past the double doors and turned in the hallway.

I stopped in my tracks.

It didn’t matter that the lights were off or that I was twenty feet from her. I could see how blue and dazzling her eyes were. They were laced with fear. Fear of me. She had heard the growl. Shit.

“Who are you?” I asked. Probably here to meet Celia for book club or something. I took a step toward her.

“Sienna McKenzie.” She didn’t move. “I have an appointment with Grayson Hawthorne.”

I scowled. “I don’t have any appointments.”

Despite my pissed off mood, I couldn’t help but move closer again. There was something about her that pulled me in inexplicable ways. She was beautiful beyond her eyes.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were Mr. Hawthorne.” She paused. “It’s for the design of your office space.” She started to tap and swipe at her tablet. “It says here that Jackson Hawthorne requested the meeting specifically as soon as possible. He said it was a design emergency. I worked it into my schedule to be here tonight.”

“My brother set this up?” I could almost see his smirk when he realized I had been forced into this meeting. “I don’t believe Hawthorne Global has ever had a ‘design emergency’.”

“He made the appointment,” she corrected. “For a design consultation. He said that the executive suites needed a complete redesign. And that I needed to pay special attention to the CEO’s office. That is my first priority.”

“Did he?” I scoffed. Her eyes flashed up from the screen.

“He did.” She nodded. “I have the information here.”

I rubbed the scruff of my cheek. “So you want to decorate my office?”

She pinched her eyebrows together. “I am a designer, Mr. Hawthorne. I do more than decorate. And my services were requested.” There was a hostile tone in her voice I didn’t expect. I had offended her, but I didn’t know this woman. I didn’t owe her anything, especially if she was part of a prank Jackson was playing.

“I see.”

I could kick her out of the suite and tell her I liked the way things were. I liked my father’s brass light fixtures and leather couches. Or I could let her in. Let her rake through my things. Scrutinize and examine where I worked. Invade my space. Poke and prod until everything was different and unrecognizable.

I held the glass and took a gulp. The bourbon was strong and pungent. It burned my throat. I needed it.

“Five minutes,” I answered.

“Excuse me?”

“You have five minutes to convince me to hire you.”

Her jaw dropped. Enough for me to notice how lush and soft her lips were. “Five minutes? But you asked me. It wasn’t the other way around.” Her hand planted on her hip. A hip that curved and rounded over her ass.

My chest seized. What in the hell was going on?

“Take it or leave it.” I placed the empty bourbon glass on Celia’s desk. I nodded toward my office. “I don’t know that you’re up for the challenge.”

Truth was, if she turned me down and took a step toward that elevator I didn’t know what I’d do. My bear was suddenly awake in a new way. He wasn’t going to let her out of here that easily. There was something about her he liked. Something that drew him to the surface. It wasn’t the same as his anger. It wasn’t a need to run through the woods. It was raw and primal. I had to try to suppress it. Convince him she wasn’t worth his time.

“You’re challenging my credentials?” she huffed.

I shrugged. I wanted another drink. It may calm my bear. “I didn’t say that, Ms. McKenzie. I’m a busy man. Do you want the five minutes or not?”

Her eyes narrowed. She was a fiery one. I was afraid it made her even more beautiful.

“Yes, I want the five minutes.” She straightened her shoulders. It was hard not to notice how her breasts pointed forward. They looked damn perfect. So round and delectable. I held in a growl.

“Shall we?” I motioned to my left.

She walked toward me and my heart hammered against my ribs. I could feel it press into the steel ridges of my ribcage. No woman had had this effect on me before. It defied logic.

She saddled past, eyeing me with every step she took.

“I’ll make this worthwhile for you. Five minutes well-spent. You won’t regret this, Mr. Hawthorne.” She looked up at me as she slipped into my office.

I followed her inside. I thought I already did.