Page 91 of The Silver Fox Brother

She considers this. I can see her running the calculation. Fifteen minutes is reasonable for a project this size.

"Fine," she says.

"Daily check-ins. 4 pm. Video call, phone, whatever format makes sense that day."

"Agreed."

I add the recurring event to my calendar.

"Anything else you need?"

"Building access codes. Email protocols for your team. Project file server access."

"Of course, Marcus will handle all of that asap."

Winter nods. "Then I'll bring my team in to set up, and we'll begin material sourcing immediately."

"Timeline for installation?"

"Three weeks. That gives us time to finalize selections and place orders."

"Good."

I move toward the door, then stop and turn back. She's standing by the windows, sunlight catching her profile, and for a moment I forget what I was going to say.

"When do you want to schedule the first site visit?" I ask.

She turns from the window.

"The sooner the better. I need to walk the units again, take detailed measurements, understand the bones before we start designing around them."

"This afternoon?"

"That works."

She pulls out her phone and starts typing notes. Her fingers move quickly across the screen, efficient and precise. I should leave now. Let her assess the space alone, get back to the emails waiting in my inbox.

Instead, I walk further into the room.

"You'll need to coordinate with Tom Barrett on the construction schedule. Any conflicts with your installation timeline, he needs to know immediately."

"Understood." She doesn't look up from her phone.

"I'll reach out to him today, or maybe I will see him on site."

Winter finishes typing and looks up. We're standing closer than I realized. Maybe three feet apart. Close enough that I notice the exact shade of blue in her eyes, the small silver earrings she's wearing. Close enough that the air between us feels different somehow. Her expression shifts almost imperceptibly. Not uncomfortable, just... aware.

I should step back. For a moment, neither of us moves. The silence stretches just half a second too long. Long enough that I notice her breathing, the way her fingers tighten slightly around her phone, the fact that she's looking at me with the same awareness I'm feeling. Then her phone buzzes in her hand, breaking whatever that was. She glances at the screen.

"My assistant. I need to take this."

I step back, putting proper distance between us.

"Of course. Looking forward to working with you, Ms. Hayes," I say as I head for the door.

Winter turns, meets my eyes.

“Likewise, Mr. Sterling."