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it up since you haven’t”—her words sped up—“but I just have to know. How mad do you think the others are going to be? I swear I wouldn’t have set up shop down here if I had known.”
    He studied her round, almost heart-shaped face. Blaming her would be easy, but the full truth wasn’t that simple. Their street block had been on the list before Candace had purchased the building next door.
    “I’m not mad,” he finally said, settling his gaze on eyes that shone like a clear blue day with no clouds in sight.
    “You’re not?”
    Her expression perked up.
    “Nope.” He shook his head. “Jeffrey Dean’s being a dick.”
    “Be that as it may, he’s chosen this hill to die on and he’s got the upper hand.” She swayed slightly in her chair. “Unfortunately.”
    He watched her closely.
How many drinks is this for her?
    “So, checking out my clothes, huh?” Candace looked straight at him and a glimmer of pleasure played on her lips.
    Dammit. Thought we got past that stupid comment.
    “What? I’m not blind. A man can’t be observant?”
    “Uh-huh.” She found the straw with her lips and drank.
    Suddenly, the pub was 100 degrees and he felt his quickened pulse beat in his neck. “I only noticed because the image of you trying to take us all down is seared into my memory.”
    “Luke.”
    The voice from his past broke the moment. His gut seized. Why did James Brand—an unpleasant reminder of his college days—pick this moment to walk back into his life?
    • • •
    Candace turned toward the stranger who stood uncomfortably close to her as she clutched her yummy ginger drink. She could drink a Moscow Mule all day, every day. The alcohol content didn’t hurt either. She’d watched Luke’s very capable hands make the drink and knew there wasn’t more than half a shot in each glass, but it was already starting to warm her.
When was the last time I ate?
She probably needed to slow down her intake, but she’d been nervous and was now having a good time with Luke. Surprisingly.
    “Hey, there, Luke. Long time no see.” The guy invading her bubble offered him a handshake. “I hoped I’d find you here.”
    Luke’s jaw clenched and the spark in his eyes turned sour. “James.” He made no effort to grasp the outstretched hand. “What do
you
want?”
    Without missing a beat James put his hand in his Dockers pocket and shot her a perfect, pearly white smile. “Thought we’d catch up.”
    “We have nothing to discuss.”
    The stranger met her gaze and she swallowed hard. He had glorious light blue eyes that she wanted to put her face right next to and stare at.
    “I’m James Brand.” His hand exited his pocket.
    “Candace.” She put her hand in his and tried not to forget how to shake.
    “What is a beautiful thing like you sitting here talking to this dope?”
    Her rose-colored glasses shattered. “
Thing
?”
    “Um.
Lady?
”
    “Uh-huh.” She switched her attention to Luke.
    Admittedly, she was more sensitive to words like “thing” in place of “woman” than most thanks to the business world she’d been exposed to from a young age. The good ol’ boys club was alive and well in that world, and they didn’t always want to do business with a female. She’d learned how to deal with the archaic attitude and even use it to her advantage most times—as much as she could stomach, anyway. Sometimes the flirting or playing dumb wasn’t worth it; other times it paid off.
    “I’ll have a beer,” James told Luke.
    “Just ran out.”
    Ouch. What could this man have done to be so hated?
Her interest piqued.
    “Still having trouble with planning, huh?” James asked with a devilish smile printed on his perfect face.
    “Screw you, Brand. What the hell are you doing in my pub?”
    James stuck both hands into his pockets this time and rocked back on his heels. “I wanted you to hear from me that my firm is handling the convention center design and build.”
    It took some balls to come in