Selena blinked. It had been less than a week since she’d left her old job and apartment. How long did this man think it would take a person to move across the country?
Shaking off her confusion, she smiled politely. “Well, I’m here now. I was doing a few things last week, but this is the week that we truly start moving on the project.”
“Excellent! Your ideas are the best I’ve seen in a long time. And you have great timing. We were talking with advertising agencies that were competing to come up with the next best thing. It’s good to know that we have brilliant in-house talent!”
Selena’s smile widened and she felt a heat spread through her. That might be because Reid put his hand to the small of her back. But she was going to attribute the sensation to being eager to tackle a new project. And that project wasn’t going to be the dynamic brother who was touching her! Nope!
“I heard you found a place to live, right? No problems there?”
“I’m all settled for the moment,” she replied.
“She’s living in my guest house for now,” Reid announced.
Selena’s head swiveled around so she could glare up at Reid. But she suppressed the angry retort. Turning back to Brant, she added, “Only until I can find a house to rent.”
Brant’s eyes narrowed, but then he smiled, a look passing between brothers. “Yes. I’ve heard that there’s a housing shortage in Denver recently. Lots of people moving to the area.”
Selena shifted, feeling uncomfortable suddenly. “I’m sure it’s because of the weather. It’s gorgeous here!”
He laughed softly. “You don’t mind the desert heat?”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “You haven’t been in Washington, D.C. during July or August recently, have you?”
The man cringed. “No. Not recently. I doubt many people would willingly travel there during the summer months if they could avoid it.”
“Well, there are the free museums. And lots of other free things to do. So it’s not a bad tourist destination.”
“If you can take the humidity,” he came back.
She grinned. “I think the tourist agencies sucker people into believing it isn’t so bad. But when visitors get there, they realize that they should have come during April for the Cherry Blossom Festival.”
“True. The cherry blossoms are amazing, but the crowds!”
She nodded. “Granted. The tourists are pretty intense, but nothing can beat the gorgeous weather and the cherry blossoms really are spectacular.”
“I was there about two years ago during…”
“Yeah, well,” Reid grumbled, taking Selena’s arm. “As much as this little chit chat is helpful, I think it would be best if I showed Selena around to her office, introduce her to her team and help her get started.”
Brant glanced at his brother, his eyes narrowing oddly, then threw back his head and laughed. “So that’s the way it is?”
Selena looked over at Reid, whose face looked like a thundercloud. “Yeah. That’s the way it is. You got a problem with it?”
Brant shook his head, his laughter dying down to a chuckle. “Nope. I’m glad that’s the way it is. Congrats.”
Selena glanced between bothers, trying to interpret the conversation. “What’s going on?” she asked, wary and suspicious.
“Nothing,” Reid said. So she turned to Brant, lifting her eyebrows slightly in question.
He smiled and also shook his head. “Nothing at all. Welcome to the family,” he shook her hand again.
Selena smiled, not sure what “family” she’d just joined, but she assumed he meant the corporate Rembrandt Cosmetics family. Anything else just was too crazy to contemplate.
“Thank you,” she turned to Reid, wondering what was next on the agenda.
“This way to your office,” he told her.
Just as they were turning to head out of Brant’s office, a beautiful brunette with luscious curves and bouncing curls hustled in, flipping through papers as she went.
“Here are the revised numbers you wanted on the new marketing strategy.” She walked in as if she owned the place, a dare to her stride and laughter on her full, wide lips. The woman screamed sexy while her eyes challenged all in the room. As soon as she looked up from the reports she dumped onto Brant’s desk, her eyes widened, as did her smile.