Chapter 1
“What the hell is she doing here?” Scott Holland muttered as his gaze took in the stunning brunette sauntering across the Connecticut Auction House like she owned the place. Considering her daddy’s money,maybe she did.
“Hey, isn’t that the heiress to that fancy clothes fortune?” Pete, another contractor here for the auction, was looking for cheap houses to flip. Not him. Scott had his eye on a nice mill building he could renovate into condos and sellfor big money.
“Her name’s Heather Silva. Her father owns Silvaggio’s.”
“Yeah, that’s it. I’ve seen her picture in the paper. She looks damn good in thosefancy clothes.”
Eyeing her slim skirt and fashionable blouse, Scott agreed, but in his opinion, she looked even better without them. Not that he’d share that information with Pete. It had been one night, but the memory still played through his mind of her long, slender limbs tangled with his as he explored all her lush curves and secrets. Why was she here? She sold real estate. She didn’t buy it. Representinga client maybe.
Pushing back a strand of caramel-colored hair that had escaped from the twisted bun at her nape, she scanned the room, freezing when she saw him. He lifted an eyebrow then grinned before she could turn away.Nope, not today, princess. Your snub isn’t going towork this time.
“Think I’ll go say hi,” he told Pete and pushed away from the wall he’d been holding up.
“How do you know her?” Pete’s eyes widened. “She doesn’t exactly run inyour circles.”
“No, but her best friend is married to my cousin Jack. We’ve known each other for years.”
Years that they’d pretended to be together so he could keep an eye on Callie and her son, Jonathan, while Jack was on the run. But Victor Cabrini, the mob boss who’d put a hit out on Jack, was now dead. He couldn’t hurt them anymore. There was no reason for Scott and Heather to pretend any longer. They still saw each other because of Jack and Callie, but she’d been avoiding him lately. She must have been slumming it the night they’dbeen together.
But, hey, sex was sex. He sure wouldn’t complain about having that time with her. As he strolled up from behind, her floral perfume filled his nostrils causing more memories to stir, and he had to tamp down his desires.Yeah, keep convincing yourself it was only sex and that it didn’t affectyou in any way.
“Princess, this is a little far from the castle, isn’t it?”
Her lips twisted at his gibe but then the two of them had always been a little heavy on the sarcasm. It was part of their pretense forseveral years.
“Scott.” Her prim tone wafted toward him and a hint of a smile found its way to her pretty face. “I didn’t expect tosee you here.”
“It’s not like we chat on a regular basis anymore, so no,you wouldn’t.”
“Are you in the market to buy? Don’t people usually hire Holland Construction towork for them?”
“Typically, but I know a good deal when I see one. There’s an old mill I want to purchaseand renovate.”
“A mill?” Her eyes narrowed. “Please tell me it’s not the one on Prescott Street in Menatuckby the river?”
Shit. What was her interest?
She trailed a finger down the list of buildings for auction and her tight smile disappeared. “There’s only one mill building on the block today.”
“And I plan to get it,” Scott said, pissed at the thought she might also be bidding. Heather was tenacious when she wanted something. Of course, she’d grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Crossing her arms over her nicely endowed chest, she raised one eyebrow at him. “Can you really afford it?”
He focused his eyes on her face to avoid the memories of her body and what he’d done to it. “Don’t think you can scare me off. I wantthat building.”
“So do I. And I’m guessing I might have more funding than you.”
She might be right, but no way in hell would he admit it to her. He’d fight her tooth and nailuntil the end.
“What could you possibly want with an old run-downmill building?”
She cocked her head. “Maybe the same thing you do. To renovate it into something better. That neighborhood hasn’t been great in the past, but a few blocks over they totally rejuvenated some of the old buildings and this one has perfect placement.”
“Isn’t your officein Waterbury?”
“Yes, and it’s only a half hour from the building. Nota long drive.”
