Chapter 160

"Don't pick it up." His voice was laced with irritation as he tossed my phone aside. Then, softer, almost teasing, he added, "It's just you and me today. The whole day. I want all of your time, just for me." Honestly, that sounded really tempting. But the caller ID showed it was Xander Lewis. He wouldn’t be calling on a weekend unless it was something serious. Before I could totally lose my head, I snatched my phone back and answered, "Hello?" Instead of fighting for it, Henry just picked me up and carried me onto the wraparound balcony, placing me gently on the hanging chair. He leaned in and whispered, “Ignore me.” My eyes flickered, unsure what he was up to, but I couldn’t worry about that now. On the phone, Xander spoke up, “Sophie, there's a national landscape design competition happening soon. It's only open to senior designers. Each company can nominate just one person—and I’ve chosen you.” "What? When is it?" I asked, caught off guard. “You need to sign up before the end of the