I climb down from the ladder, wrapping the last of the garland around the bottom of the column. “Because of all of this.” I gesture around the lobby. “This place up takes all my time.”
“Only because you let it. Your staff is more than capable of overseeing things for a few hours, even a few days, without you here. You use this place as an excuse not to have to put yourself out there.”
“No, I don’t.”
“So you haven’t been thinking about that handsome man in a suit?”
“I told you, Grandma Estelle. He’s just some schmuck trying to buy this place and take advantage of me. The fact he looks absolutely sinful is completely irrelevant. As is the fact that I may have imagined his face when reading my romance novel last night. Or that I may have fantasized about his beard scraping between my thighs, but—”
A loud throat clearing cuts through, and I snap my gaze toward the entryway, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach when I see none other than Mr. Sex in a Suit, Callum Reed, standing there in the flesh.
“Don’t stop on my account. I’d love to hear more,” he says, a cocky smirk pulling on his lips.
Fuck. My. Life.
What I wouldn’t give to crawl under a rock and not come out until spring.
“A word of advice, dear...” Estelle pats my arm as I remain utterly speechless, embarrassment heating my cheeks. She leans toward me and drops her voice. “If he’s trying to fuck you, you may as well enjoy the ride.” She passes me a mischievous grin. “If you know what I mean.”
CHAPTERFIVE
CALLUM
“What are you doing here?” Parker asks, obviously flustered.
She pushes a wayward strand of long blonde hair behind her ear. Her cheeks are flushed a light pink as she shifts from foot to foot.
“I thought I made it quite clear I wasn’t interested in selling to you.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, holding her head high.
Admittedly, it’s taking every ounce of resolve I possess to maintain my composure.
When I walked in and heard her talking about me, I thought it would be a great opportunity to figure out what I’m up against.
I never imagined she was having some of the same thoughts I was.
“That you certainly did, Ms. Holley.” I step toward her, her sweet scent of cinnamon and apples wrapping around me. “But this time I’m not dropping in unannounced. I actually have a reservation.”
“You…what?” She can’t mask her incredulous tone.
“He called this morning,” the older woman interjects with a devilish grin. “Told him all we had left was the wedding cottage. I expected him to balk at the price tag I attached to it.”
“And what was that?” Parker narrows her gaze at the woman.
“Two grand a night.”
Parker’s eyes widen. Then she leans toward her. “That’s more than four times what we normally charge, Grandma Estelle. Even during peak nights.”
She shrugs dismissively. “I figured if he was willing to pay, may as well let him stay. Screw him out of some money. To my surprise, he was more than happy to pay. For two weeks.”
Parker snaps her attention back to me. “Two weeks?”
“I’ll leave sooner if you sign those papers.”
She pinches her lips into a tight light. “I shredded those papers.”
“I brought an extra copy. Several, actually. In case of any future…shredding accidents.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Reed, but you can stay until this property is ripped from my fingers. I’m still not going to sign those papers.”
