“I think it’s time we continue the tour before we do something we’re not ready to do.”
Gage exhaled, the nostrils of his straight nose flaring slightly as his hands fell away from her face. “You’re right,” he said after a pregnant pause.
They went downstairs to the master bedroom suite. California-king bed with a mahogany headboard carved with flowers and pineapples took center stage in the room decorated in colors of pale-gray, dark-gray, and white. The intricately carved design was repeated on a massive armoire and a chest at the foot of the bed.
Tonya was drawn to the French doors leading to the balcony. How magical, she mused, it would be to wake up to the spectacular sight of the sun rising over the Mississippi River. The en-suite master bath was as dramatic as the bedroom, with a double vanity, large, freestanding shower stall, and a Jacuzzi. Gage led her into another bedroom with tall windows and a door that also opened out onto the balcony. Next to the bedroom was another bath, which overlooked the balcony at the rear of the house.
Minutes later they were on the first floor. Two fireplaces, skylights, and ceiling fans were strategically placed throughout the open floor plan for the living/dining room and modern gourmet kitchen. The kitchen wasn’t as large as the one in DuPont House, yet it provided enough space for two people to work comfortably without bumping into each other.
Leather seating, area rugs scattered over glossy wood floors, mahogany tables with lamps, and a matching entertainment console with a large flat-screen TV and electronic components graced the living room. An oversize leather sofa was positioned to divide the living from the dining area with a table with seating for six.
“Did you have to do a major upgrade before you moved in?” she asked Gage.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head. “No. I installed central air and heating and redesigned the kitchen because I wanted stainless steel appliances and white cabinets.”
“Everything about your home, including the design and the furnishings, is magnificent.”
“I’ll be certain to let my mother know you like what she’s done.”
“Your mother is an interior decorator?”
Gage curved an arm around her waist. “Not professionally. She was a window dresser who never had any formal training. When she was in high school she worked part-time in her parents’ antique shop, and every holiday she would decorate the windows. After a while other shopkeepers hired her to do their windows. Even after she married my father she would go back to Lafayette to change shop windows. She’s never said it openly, but I believe she regretted not going to college to become a professional decorator.” His fingers tightened on her waist. “Unlike you, I only had coffee for breakfast, so if you don’t mind I’d like us to start dinner.”
Tonya smiled up at him. “Lead on.”
