AVOIDING TEMPTATION (Avoiding #3)

Chapter 2-2

“They should be here any minute,” Ramsey said with a megawatt smile for her.

“So, what does the development team do exactly?”

“They mostly make sure we get the project off the ground in the time that we desire. Since my father really wants this medical wing up and running and fully functional within the year, he hired a private company to do a lot of the logistical work.”

Lexi’s mouth popped open. “Within the year? I thought that you didn’t even think this was ever going to get off the ground.”

Ramsey sighed. “My father called me this morning, and after he finished lecturing me about walking out of Bekah’s wedding, he let me know about hiring this new team.”

“When did you have time for a phone call?” Lexi asked.

She was seriously going to have to break him of the habit of hiding things. They had been sleeping together all day and all morning. There had barely been enough time for her to sleep, let alone think of checking her email.

“I woke up before you did.” He shrugged. “Anyway, he wanted me to speak with them this morning, but I told him I wouldn’t be available. I don’t think he’s going to like the discretion he put into my contract.”

Lexi giggled. “Probably not.”

“He said it had to be today though since the pair just flew in from New York.”

“Your dad hired people from New York for this?” Lexi asked, impressed.

“He wanted the best. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. So, yeah, here we are. I could have waited to meet them after you flew back home, but since they’re just here to consult this week, I thought I would start the process as soon as possible. Plus, I really want you to be involved in this, Lexi. I don’t want you to feel like you’re on the outside of anything I’m doing. Since I’m working with…Parker, I don’t want you to think this will mean anything different for us,” Ramsey told her, staring deep into her eyes for emphasis.

She sure hoped he was right.

“So, are we okay? I can include you on all of the planning now? After all, this was all for you.”

“Yes,” Lexi murmured. “I want to be involved. It’ll take some getting used to, but I want to be there for you.”

“Good.” Ramsey brought his lips to hers once more.

Then, drinks were placed before them.

“Are y’all still waiting for two more?” the perky blonde asked, leaning her hip against the table.

“Yes, they should be here any minute. Thank you,” Ramsey said dismissively. “Oh, I would guess that’s them.”

Ramsey pointed out a girl who walked in, wearing a black pantsuit with a pink blouse. Lexi couldn’t believe that the girl could wear black pants and a jacket in this weather. It certainly wasn’t cool enough back home, but here, it was atrocious. She was pretty and about average height without her heels, and she had super straight blonde hair. Lexi didn’t know how the humidity wasn’t making it frizzy. She contemplated asking the blonde for the secret.

The next person who walked in made her stomach drop—not just out of her body, but also to the floor. No, it was more like through the floor. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Only her luck was this terrible.

John.

His hazel eyes landed on hers across the room, and the shock was as evident on his face as it was on hers. She couldn’t even begin to hide it.

He looked really handsome in a black suit with a white shirt and a blue-and-silver striped tie. His dark brown hair was cut short, and he looked very professional. As he approached, she remembered just how tall he was. He wasn’t as tall as Ramsey, but he was close to it. And those shoulders. How had she forgotten those shoulders? Underneath that suit, he had a swimmer’s body with muscular shoulders and a sexy six-pack that cut down to a trim waist. And the tattoos—she hadn’t forgotten those either.

But she had to forget all of that right now, and she needed to remember where she was and what he was doing here.

John was consulting on the Bridges medical wing. She knew he worked at Global International, a leader in the New York business sector. They were a massive conglomerate, specializing in everything from consultation on business development to international business expansion. Whatever John did for the company, Lexi had assumed it was on the international side, which would explain why he was always out of the States. So, what was he doing in Atlanta consulting on the Bridges project?

Ramsey was standing and shaking the blonde’s hand. Lexi hadn’t even noticed. She was too engrossed in the fact that the guy she had slept with—Adam’s brother, the person Ramsey had found out existed only yesterday, the person she was supposed to figure things out with when she got back to New York—was right in front of her in Atlanta.

“Jessica, this is Lexi,” Ramsey said, introducing her to the blonde girl.

“What a pleasure to meet you,” Jessica said.

Lexi shifted her gaze to the other woman and mechanically shook her hand.

How could she fix this? She needed to clue everyone in on the train wreck they had just walked into. Ramsey didn’t know who John was, and John didn’t know who Ramsey was. She was just standing there in the middle, wondering how the hell she could make all of this less embarrassing and awkward.

“Ramsey,” Lexi whispered, turning to face him and dropping Jessica’s hand. She needed to be blunt about the impending collision.

“One second,” he said with a smile. “You must be John. Thanks for consulting with Bridges.”

“Pleasure,” John said, shaking his hand.

Lexi could see the flicker of confusion in John’s eyes, but he was trying to stay professional. If she could just collapse back into the booth and throw her head into her hands, it would be better than what was going on right now.

Instead, she just stood there and waited for her chance to butt in.

“John, this is—” Ramsey began.

“Lexi,” she said, sticking out her hand immediately before Ramsey could say anything further.

John slid his hand into hers. He had such big hands with long fingers that grazed her wrist when they shook. “Hello, Lexi.”

He didn’t immediately release her hand, and she had to clear her throat as she pulled her hand back.

“How have you been?” John asked, never breaking away from her gaze.

“Good. Uh, Ramsey,” Lexi said frantically, “this is John.”

“Right. We met,” Ramsey said.

“No, Ramsey…this is Adam’s brother…John,” she said softly.

And there was the realization. Ramsey’s entire body went rigid, and all conversation halted. He stared into her eyes, then to John, and then back to Lexi, like he couldn’t believe what she had just said. She couldn’t blame him for that either.

“I’m sorry. Am I missing something?” Jessica asked. “Do you know each other?”

All three stared off uncomfortably, not sure who should be the one to answer that question. Lexi knew that they all needed to stay professional. Nothing good would come from blurting out that she had slept with both of these men.

“It’s a bit complicated,” Lexi finally admitted. “John is the brother of my best friend’s boyfriend. I just graduated from NYU Law, and I still live in the city.”

“Oh, a New York girl and law at that. I love it,” Jessica said with a genuine smile. “We should get drinks in the city when we get back. I always love to consult after-hours.”

“Jessica is a partner at Global International. She’s the main point of contact for the project,” Ramsey explained, finding his voice.

“Wow, congratulations.”

Jessica looked really young to be a partner. Either her looks were deceptive, or she was an unbelievably driven, ambitious person. Lexi suspected a bit of both.

“Thank you,” Jessica said. “Mind if we sit now?”

“Of course not,” Ramsey said, taking his seat next to Lexi again.

John and Jessica sat across from them.

Lexi’s eyes found John’s across the table, and he was giving her a pointed look. He had questions. She was sure of that, but she wasn’t sure how to answer them. She would have preferred to have that conversation when she got back to New York—in the safety of her own city and thousands of miles away from Ramsey. John’s eyes slid from her face to her chest, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Jessica immediately launched into a full campaign of information and began presenting how they were going to get the entire Bridges medical wing on its feet in just one year. She was certain that it was possible. Lexi didn’t know how much of that was bullshitting and how much of it was determination. Lexi didn’t think these things happened that fast, but apparently, based on the packet of information and the tablet full of slides, Jessica was going to make this happen. She covered everything Lexi could think of and more—building construction, insurance, employment, equipment acquisition, security systems, and so on.

As far as Lexi could guess from the presentation, the Bridges project was the first full-scale assignment Global International was allowing John to consult on, which would explain why he was here and not working on an international case. Just her luck.

Lexi kept her eyes glued to Jessica’s display. She wouldn’t even let her eyes wander to John when he was discussing his aspects of the plan.

She was here for Ramsey. She was here for Ramsey. She kept repeating that over and over in her head, hoping it would sink in.

Over an hour later, when it seemed Jessica’s project overview had come to a close, the four stood from the table to leave.

“Thank you so much for meeting with us today,” Ramsey said. He shook Jessica’s hand and then John’s. “It was really rather enlightening.”

“Thank you for trusting us with your medical wing. It is a huge step for your company, and we’re glad to put the Global name behind it,” Jessica said.

She was clearly a pro.

“I’ll be in contact to schedule meetings for the rest of the week. I’d like to introduce you to the other half of my team, so we can start setting the foundation as soon as possible,” Ramsey said. He seemed to speak to both Jessica and John, yet only Jessica at the same time.

Lexi tried not to look at anyone in particular as they walked out of the restaurant.

As Jessica asked Ramsey a few additional questions about the project, John turned to Lexi. “Can I speak to you privately before you leave?”

“Um…” She glanced over at Ramsey. She thought his undivided attention was on Jessica, but it was clear that he was watching her. “Let me see if we have time. I have a flight to catch tonight.”

“Ah, right…you’re going back to New York,” John said.

“I thought you were going to be in the city when I got back,” she said quietly.

“I was, but this was a last-minute job. I heard about it on Friday, and I just got the to come down here yesterday afternoon. We’ve been working on our proposal all night. Otherwise, I likely would have found the time to let you know I would be in town,” John said. Leaning in a bit closer than he should have under the circumstances, he spoke softly, “Just give me five minutes, Lexi. I want more, but I can wait. I’m patient.”

Lexi swallowed and stepped back. She pushed her hair behind her ear and then dropped her hand, remembering that it was her tell. “Sure. Hold on.”

Five minutes would be okay. She would totally be fine in that amount of time. She would just tell John the truth and break things off, and then everything would be peachy keen. Because that was how simple everything was in her life…