“Maybe not, but you love what there is,” he said, feeling cocky and more settled than he had all day.
“Yes, Masters. I do. Now are you going to meet me, or do you expect me to do all the work?”
“Text me the address, sweetheart, and I’ll be there in half an hour.”
WHEN LUKE TOOK so long to answer her about looking at houses, Claire assumed he’d fallen back into his old “no commitment, don’t get too close” patterns. She wasn’t kidding when she said he’d fallen on his ass the last time. They’d been looking at hardware for the doors on the Chestnut Street house she just finished, and he seemed to be having fun. Off hand, she’d mentioned maybe they could work on a project together and – bam – the man hit the floor. Toppled right over. So it shouldn’t be hard for him to understand why she’d thought he was reacting that way again.
It was going to take some time to get used to this new Luke. The one who told her he loved her and wanted to buy a house with her.
Standing on the porch of the dilapidated Victorian, she debated going inside. She punched the code the realtor gave her into the lock box to get the key, but she stopped short of opening the door. Part of her wanted to wait and see it for the first time with Luke by her side. She’d been looking at houses all morning, but this was one of the two she was really interested in. It was in a good part of the neighborhood, down the street from the house she’d just finished. The houses on either side were owned by single families, and the exteriors at least were well maintained.
The siding on the Victorian was a mess; most of the gingerbread trim was damaged or missing, and the floor of the porch felt soft so the house definitely needed some structural work. To anyone else it would look like a disaster, but when Claire looked at it, she saw the house the way it had been in its prime, almost like looking at an old person and seeing their younger self shining through. Thankfully, the price reflected the house’s actual state and not the potential Claire saw.
If she decided this was the one, she’d still try to talk them down, but depending on how much needed to be gutted inside, there should still be room for a healthy profit. Even more if she and Luke decided to do a decent chunk of the work themselves, she thought, smiling to smiling to herself. Not that she expected the billionaire playboy to turn handyman, but he’d done a good job finishing drywall. He’d seemed to like it, and he said he wanted to be involved. She’d have wait and see how much he wanted to be involved and keep reminding herself that they’d have to make decisions – like which house to buy – together.
She was about to cave and give in to the temptation to see what was inside when Luke’s Jag pulled up behind her truck. The car wasn’t as flashy as the Veyron, but it still looked out of place in the neighborhood. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she watched him chirp the car locked and then he was taking the porch steps two at a time to get to her, and she forgot to think at all. Her entire world, her total focus, narrowed with laser precision to the man in front of her.
He pulled her into his arms, and she sucked in her breath, the first deep breath she’d taken since she left his bed that morning. He smelled like the spicy citrus shower gel she knew he liked, and when she wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on her toes to kiss him, she felt the damp hair starting to curl over the edge of his collar. He’d left his tie and jacket off, but in slacks and a dress shirt open at the collar, he looked like money and felt like sin. She fitted herself to him, nuzzling his neck and inhaling the scent of him when he managed to break the kiss.
“Fuck,” he said, pulling back enough to stare down at her, his eyes slightly glazed.
“That about covers it,” she said, struggling to catch her breath and grateful he seemed as affected as she was by this thing between them.
She couldn’t get close enough to him. It was like she wanted to crawl inside his skin. Anything less was making do.
“Let’s do this so I can get you home and naked and underneath me. I’ve got a lot of ground to make up from last night.”
His words sent heat curling low in her belly. She’d known there would be repercussions for what she’d done to him. She’d counted on it, but it had been so worth it to feel him come apart under her hands and mouth. Finally, one of those books she’d read had paid off. She had no idea it would work as well as it had or that she’d really be able to make him come twice, but she was so glad. She still owed him dozens of orgasms before they were even, but after last night the power balance between them felt much better.
“Come on, Masters,” she said, pretending she had things more under control than she actually did. “We’ve got work to do. Let’s go.”
Reluctantly, she slid from his arms and fumbled with the key to unlock the front door. When she swung it open, she tried to concentrate on the weight and craftsmanship of the solid wood door instead of the smell coming from inside the house.
“Did the previous owners die in here?” asked Luke, scowling.
“Not that I know of,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “But I’m not ruling anything out.”
The floors were filthy, covered with layers of grime, hiding what looked like the original hardwood. Once she got used to the stench of decay and rodent excrement, she could see past the dirt to the charm buried underneath. It would be beautiful. The railing on the stairway was missing enough balustrades to look like a smile full of knocked out teeth, but she could find replacements and when it was finished it would be the perfect graceful entry to the sitting room and the rest of the house.
She glanced over at Luke to see if he could see it too and had to choke back her laughter. His brow was creased and he pressed his lips so tight together, they cut a thin line of displeasure across his face. Definitely not seeing it.
“You’re serious about this?” he asked when he caught her watching him.
She nodded. She’d look at the other house, but unless there really was a body hidden somewhere, this was the one she wanted. She was already in love with it. Instead of the filth and broken pieces, she saw the place finished and perfect. All she had to do was make it look the way it did in her head. That and convince Luke, which looked like it was going to be harder than all the finishing work.
“Yes,” she said, taking his arm. “Look, this is an easy fix.” She pointed to the staircase railing. “The treads look sound so the structure’s probably good.” She bounced on the first few steps to illustrate. “The floor in here looks original, and with a good sanding and refinishing it could be beautiful. The porch needs work, and it’s too soon to tell about the rest, but yes, I’m serious.” She knew she should probably be a little more reserved, but she couldn’t hold back the smile. As she talked him through it, she saw it herself and fell in love a little bit more. She looked up at him and grinned.
“Fine,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s look at the rest of it, butifwe decide to buy it, I’m negotiating the price. You wear your emotions on your face. They’ll eat you alive.”
“Pfft, like I’ve needed your help before, Masters.” This time she couldn’t hold back the eye roll. Arrogant, misogynistic bastard. She had him at her mercy last night. Maybe she’d have to remind him of that later. “If it makes you feel useful, I guess it would be okay if you handled negotiations. Just don’t let them take advantage of you.”
She started toward what she hoped was the kitchen and yelped when she felt the sharp sting of his hand on her ass.
“Hey!” she said, scooting out of his reach.
“You’re the only one I let take advantage of me,” he said with a wolfish grin. “And if there actually is a body in this place, all bets are off.”
THEY’D SPENT THE rest of the day looking at houses. Claire took him to another property on the same street, and they backtracked to check out a few of the ones she’d already looked at without him. In the end, he had to admit she was right. The tired Victorian was the one, and by the time they walked through it for the second time, he was almost as certain as she was. Luke didn’t have the vision she did, but he trusted hers. If she said it would be beautiful, it would be.
