Chapter 11

I glance at the folder in my hands one last time before I step out of my car, my mind made up. I’ve deprived myself of some great business opportunities in the last couple of years, all because I’ve been avoiding Xavier.

“Sierra,” Graham says as I walk into the building the auction is being held at. He smiles at me sweetly, a pleased look in his eyes. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

I raise a brow and shake my head. “I promised you I would, didn’t I?”

Graham nods, his gaze searching. “I suppose you did.”

Did he truly think I wouldn’t show up today after we crafted this proposal together? He leads me toward the boardroom, and I can’t help but overthink his reaction. What signal have I been sending the industry by walking away from purchases the moment I knew Xavier was interested in something? Have I made myself, and thereby my family and business, look weak?

“Ready?” Graham asks, pausing in front of the door.

I hesitate when I hear Xavier’s voice through the door, his words muffled. It’s been so long since I faced him head-on at an auction, and truthfully, I don’t want to walk into that room. I don’t want to compete with him the way we used to, when nothing feels the same anymore. There is no friendly rivalry anymore — just bitterness and a plethora of other feelings I don’t quite understand.

“Ready,” I murmur, before pulling the door open and walking in, Graham by my side. All five people in the room look up, and though I feel his gaze burning on my skin, I try my hardest not to look at Xavier. I’m done acknowledging his presence, but I’m done avoiding him too.

“Sierra Windsor,” says Lena, the owner of the plot of land the mall is being built on. She sounds equal parts surprised and impressed, and the way she smiles at me tells me I’m at an advantage here, though why, I’m not quite sure. “I didn’t realize you were interested in this development.”

I smile at her as Graham pulls out a chair for me, and I sit down. “I am,” I tell her, before glancing at Graham. “We are.”

A hush falls over the room, and at last, I look up, into those captivating brown eyes that haunt me at night. “We?” Xavier repeats, his tone filled with indignation.

I smile at him sweetly and look away, not bothering to answer. Graham, however, smirks as he leans back in his seat and places his hands on the table, his pinky brushing against mine.

“Sierra and I decided to join hands on this project,” he confirms. “Our offer will be a joint offer, and both of our resources will be put toward this development.”

Xavier stares at our hands with clenched jaws, his eyes zeroing in on where they’re touching just slightly. A man I don’t recognize whistles, shakes his head, and rises to his feet. “I can’t compete with that,” he says, walking out the door without a word. Silence falls over the room, until another man rises and walks out, and another, until Xavier, Lena, Graham, and I are the only ones left in the room.

“Well,” Lena says, her expression incredulous. “I suppose that makes sense. Staying would’ve been a waste of their time, after all. However, since the decision now comes down to just two offers, I’d like to see your development plans. As you all know, I inherited this land from my father, and it’s important to me that it’s developed by someone who understood his vision. Rather than giving it to the highest bidder, I’d like to hear your plans.”

I nod and rise to my feet, well-prepared for this scenario. Unfortunately, I know Xavier is too. We’ve both been in too many situations where what should’ve been a simple auction turned into a test of faith.

Xavier’s eyes roam over the blouse I’m wearing and down to my pencil skirt, only to travel all the way up again, slowly, his gaze caressing every inch of my body. I suspect he does it to distract me and throw me off my game, but he’s sorely mistaken if he thinks that’s all it takes.

He watches me carefully as I give my presentation, highlighting everything I know about Lena’s father and all the little details I knew he would’ve wanted, that I’d ensure we’d have. It’s all knowledge Xavier can’t possibly possess, and he must know he’s at a disadvantage. His expression tells me he’s trying to work something out — why I’m here so unexpectedly, no doubt. Knowing him, he’s mentally calculating the odds of still walking away victorious, but there is no way I’ll let that happen.

I throw him a sugary sweet smile as I retake my seat next to Graham, who gently knocks his shoulder against mine, his eyes blazing with pride. Xavier’s expression is tumultuous as he begins his presentation. “As usual, Ms. Windsor’s proposal is thorough, well-structured, and perfectly tailored to your late father’s wishes,” he says, surprising me. I raise a brow, and he smirks. “However, I bring experience to the table that she simply does not have. The only other mall the Windsors own was one they acquired, but I’m well versed in building them from the ground up.”

I lean back in my seat, irritation running down my spine as I cross my arms and decide to give him a taste of his own medicine. My eyes slowly roam over the three-piece suit he’s wearing, and I take my time studying the way it doesn’t at all hide his muscular arms. For a moment, I’m reminded of how he looked with his shirt hanging off his shoulders, his abs on display and pure lust in his eyes. Fierce longing rushes through me, and all of a sudden, my memory becomes so vivid that I can almost feel his lips on mine again. I draw a shaky breath and lower my eyes down to his belt, entirely unable to focus on what’s Xavier is saying.

“Mr. Kingston?” Lena says.

I blink and drag my eyes back up to his, only to find him staring at me, his cheeks rosy and an adorable disarmed expression on his face. He must’ve stopped speaking in the last couple of minutes and not even realized it. I bite back a smile at his fluster. Serves him right.

“I…” he stammers, running a hand through his thick hair. It makes me feel so incredibly powerful to throw him off like that, and just like that, I’m reminded why I always loved messing with him.

“I’ll give the project to all three of you,” Lena says. We all instantly begin to protest, but she shakes her head. “It’s a take it or leave it offer.”

Xavier stares up at the ceiling and sighs. “We’ll take it,” he and I say at the same time. Our eyes lock, and something passes between us. Graham nods and slips his hand around the back of my chair, and I turn to look at him. He smiles reassuringly, indicating that he’s still on board too.

“Wonderful. I’ll have the paperwork drawn up. In the meantime, please work on one cohesive plan, and present it to me next week.” She rises to her feet, throws us all a polite smile, and walks out, leaving the three of us alone.

Xavier just inhales deeply and glances at the arm Graham draped over the back of my chair, before looking into my eyes. “We need to talk.”

His jaw begins to tick when Graham wraps his hand around my shoulder. “Indeed,” he says. “If she wants a new proposal by next week, we’d better start working on it straight away. We’ll need to get our strategies aligned.”

Xavier musses up his hair, his eyes never leaving mine. “I don’t want this collaboration leaking until the papers are signed, so our meeting must be held at a completely confidential location.”

“Well, there’s no time like the present,” Graham says, his tone far less friendly than before. “We’ll let you lead the way.”