to explain this, you shut them up with a wave of your hand. Now, I don’t know how you do it in the executive offices, but out here that’s not how we get down.” He stared at her without flinching, his eyes cool, unblinking.
Diamond stared back—and blinked first. “Perhaps I did jump to conclusions. But with the kind of money we’re spending, we have the right to expect hard work and get it.”
“You are getting what you’re paying for,” Jackson said, his tone softer as he once again touched Diamond’s arm and guided her farther inside the structure. “And more. Come on in, and you’ll see what I mean.”
They walked through the foyer and into what would become the restaurant. “This is gorgeous,” she gushed, shifting her eyes and thoughts from the brawn beside her to the beauty of the building, and once again removed her arm from his touch.
“Yes,” Jackson replied, eyeing Diamond. “It is.”
Diamond ignored the obvious come-on and stepped inside the main dining area. “The natural light from those large windows makes this space seem even bigger.” Her tone was sharp, almost curt, and strictly business. “But they’re going to allow in a lot of heat, as well. It gets very hot here in the summer, especially August and September. Even with stellar air-conditioning that might be a problem.”
“These are special windows,” Jackson explained, relaxing as he settled into his element. “They become tinted in extreme sunlight and temper the heat. Diners will still be able to take in the magnificent view yet not experience discomfort due to extreme heat or cold. The heating and cooling system that we’ve installed is state-of-the-art and will continually adjust to maintain whatever temperature is programmed into the computer. And these,” Jackson continued, running his hands along the smooth, stone walls, “will also serve to both keep out the cold and…bring in the heat.” Jackson made no move to hide his desire as his gaze openly raked Diamond’s physique.
Diamond spun around, her chin lifting along with her ire. “Are you always this impertinent when speaking to a client? Or have you forgotten that that is who I am, a client, not some piece of meat to ogle like a rabid dog!”
Bow wow wow, yippee yo, yippee yay, baby! Her haughty nature turned him on, not off, and stimulated that part of him that liked a good challenge. He raised a brow as he stared back at her, noting how her ample chest heaved with her deep, calming breaths. He wanted to experience this spunkiness in a totally different way. Jackson’s resolve to do so strengthened, even as his tactics changed. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m out of line. But you’re a very beautiful, desirable woman. I’d have to be blind not to find you attractive and dead not to react. It was just a little harmless flirtation, but again, I apologize.”
“How harmless would it be if I reported you to the owner? I am here in a professional capacity, and I expect to be treated in a professional manner. Is that understood?”
“Completely,” Jackson responded. Still, his eyes smoldered as he answered, and his wide-legged, crossed-arms stance suggested that he wasn’t in the least bit afraid of being reprimanded. “Shall we continue, or would you prefer to do the tour with someone less intimidating?”
Diamond was not known for being a neck-rolling, hand-on-hip kind of sistah, but his comment almost provoked both actions. “What did you say?”
Throwing her off guard by changing courses yet again, Jackson reverted to a trait that more than once had saved his life—bravado. “You heard me. You’re as attracted to me as I am to you. And that attraction, not my flirtation, is what’s upsetting you.”
“You have got to be kidding,” Diamond countered, less angry with his insubordination than the fact that he’d hit the nail on the proverbial head. “Obviously someone has told you that you’re God’s gift to women…and you believed them.”
Jackson’s grin was cocky yet genuine. “I’ve been considered a present a time or two.”
“Well, the only thing that’s a wrap right now is this conversation. You might want to brush off your résumé because after I have a little chat with the owner you’ll probably be unemployed.” Diamond turned and headed for the door.
“Wait,” Jackson said, reaching out and stopping her. She looked down at the hand squeezing her arm and up into pleading eyes. “Please,” he continued, releasing her, while imagining the confusion and laughter that would ensue among his men if she went out there demanding to speak to the owner. “I promise to behave.” Now it was Diamond’s turn to cross her arms. Her look showed that she didn’t believe him. “I need this job,” he finished.
“Then you need to climb out of your Neanderthal cave and realize that the days of women’s butts being patted in the workplace and sexual innuendo being the standard are long gone.”
“Got it.”
“I hope you do. Because one more ill-mannered remark and you’re history.”
“I’ll be the perfect gentleman from here on out.”
“See that you do.” With that, Diamond turned and headed back through what would eventually be the dining room and into the future top-of-the-line kitchen. Jackson answered her questions, professionally and knowledgeably, showing a strong command of the entire project as they moved from the restaurant to the gift shop, then down the hall to the retail offices. Finally, they crossed the lobby and entered the lounge that was situated across from the restaurant. They crossed the Plexiglas-covered dance floor, part of which would house an aquarium, to an expansive DJ booth—one of the few parts of the room that looked completed. Diamond walked up to a large control board. “What’s all this?” she asked.
“Magic,” Jackson simply replied. “This system allows the controller to create whatever atmosphere that’s desired, whether its disco, blue light in the basement, rave, holiday.”
Diamond lightly ran her hands over the knobs. “Looks complicated.”
“It is.” Jackson closed the distance between them. “May I?” he asked, stepping up to the controls and directly beside Diamond. She nodded and took a step away from him. “I was a DJ back in my college days. And a bit of a geek.”
Diamond said nothing, although she thought that “geek” and “Jackson” in the same sentence sounded like bad English.
“This controls the lighting,” he began, his voice the epitome of expertise. “See how it goes from bright to dim? And we can also adjust the colors, bounce them off the walls, ceiling, floors or a combination of the three.” Diamond watched as Jackson’s large, tapered fingers deftly moved from one button to the next. “There are currently eight thousand songs programmed into this computer,” he continued, taking a step toward Diamond to punch a button in front of her. “Check this out.” Jackson leaned forward and unconsciously placed a hand on her waist. “I’m sorry,” he said, quickly removing it. Diamond immediately missed his touch. He turned on a computer, entered a few commands, and within seconds a list of music genres filled the screen. “The sound system is incredible. What type of music do you like?”
“All kinds,” Diamond replied. Jackson clicked on a link and began scrolling through songs. “Especially upbeat,” she quickly added. The lights were dim, and the last thing Diamond needed was a love song to conjure up images of a certain male body, sans clothing, hard and ready for love.
Jackson flashed a knowing smile. He clicked on an album cover, and soon the sounds of music filled
