Erica let go of the door handle and slowly walked toward the piece of furniture that she could never afford. It was too lovely, too elegant, and it would have blended perfectly in her new living room. The futon sofa near the fireplace couldn’t stay there. She knew that much. She should have told Burt to take it up to one of the spare bedrooms the day before. It didn’t belong in her Victorian house, and if she intended to use the living room as a photo gallery, she would need a dramatic conversational piece like this.
Dominic’s heavy footsteps followed her, and she wondered if he was making more noise just for her benefit.
Her fingers lovingly grazed across the woven fabric, and she could picture this in her living room. When her gaze landed on the price tag, she immediately recoiled and stepped away.
“Like it?” Dominic asked.
“I love it,” she whispered, almost afraid to hear herself say the dreaded words. She didn’t want to be so in love withsomething she couldn’t have. “The furniture I have right now really doesn’t match my new house. I know I’m going to have to get new stuff eventually.”
“You’ll also need something nice for your studio, right? Don’t photographers have a special studio for photo shoots?”
She winced at the truth in what he said. “Yeah. All I’ve got right now are canvas backdrops. I thought I’d collect things over time, like rocking chairs and desks and stuff like that.”
A long moment passed, and neither said a word, both staring at the beautiful sofa that was truly more for aesthetics than to provide guests with comfortable seating. The cushions were too flat, and modern sofas had to be plush, built for hours of sitting and watching television. This was made for another era, another world.
She smoothed back her hair, in disbelief that she was still in Dominic’s shop when she should have been long gone. Erica wondered why she was standing there, as if she were waiting for him to take the initiative and usher her out the door before she could do something stupid… again.
“I’ll tell you what,” he began. “You can have the sofa.”
At this, she finally turned to him and shook her head, face pinched in embarrassment. She couldn’t take any more handouts. She wasn’t a charity case, and she didn’t want his gifts. A camera was one thing, but this sofa was worth over a thousand dollars. It was far too generous, and she didn’t want to be on the receiving end, lest there was some ulterior motive.
Before any words of protest could fly out, Dominic held up a hand to stop her.
“Only on one condition.” His expression turned serious and business-like, as it should have been from the very beginning. “It’s more of a loan. You can keep the sofa and use it for your studio, but if one of your clients is interested in buying it, we split the profits.”
It was such a strange arrangement that it took her mind a moment to catch up. “So, it’s more like I’m borrowing it on the stipulation that I try to sell it for you?”
“In a way, yeah. I’ll split the commission down the middle as long as you take good care of it too.”
Erica gritted her teeth and cast her gaze back to the sofa as she weighed the options. It could be a win-win for them both. She got the sofa she wanted, and Dominic could give it a little more exposure with the hope of selling it. Though she wasn’t so sure how many would be able to see it in her living room until she fixed up the rest of the house to make it suitable for guests and clients.
Back and forth she debated with herself whether to reject the offer out of principle or accept his gift and be thankful. Her mind told her one thing, but her careless and whimsical heart told her another.
Casting aside her pride, she nodded. “Deal. I’ll be sure to let everyone know it’s for sale.”
Dominic reached out and pulled off the price tag from the arm of the sofa. “I’ll get it ready for delivery.”
It was then that she realized she’d have to finally break the news that they were neighbors. “I… I live at 53 Crescent Lane.”
“I know,” Dominic replied calmly as he wadded up the tag.
Shocked again, Erica shot him a look. “You know?”
He flashed her another dashing smile, all professionalism gone. “I saw the U-Haul, and since I haven’t heard about anyone else new in town, I assumed it was you. That place has been empty for a while, and I’m glad it has a new owner.”
There was something in his excuse that didn’t quite settle well, but Erica chose to overlook it. “Well, I hope I don’t turn out to be one of those annoying neighbors. I like to play music at night sometimes, so if I’m ever too loud, just let me know.”
His eyes smoldered as he replied, “Oh, I’ll definitely let you know if you become a little too rowdy.”
Erica colored at the insinuation, but he turned and walked away toward the counter to write up the modified bill of sale before she could come back with anything clever in return. The walls around her heart threatened to crack beneath the pressure of all that had taken place between them over the last two days. If she wasn’t careful, this man was going to really mess her up.
Chapter Five
Dominic had almostcompletely tuned out the voices in the room as he sat silently in his wingback chair, eyes fixed on a knothole on a floorboard. The apartment above the antique shop was sparsely furnished besides the collection of upholstered dining chairs and an end table or two in between to complete the circle of congregated alphas and betas.
With Cole on his left and Hank on his right, all the other refugee wolves sat in their customary places. Wyatt was attended by his beta, Xavier, while Gage Phelps—who represented a smaller pack—came alone.
Dominic’s only purpose was to supervise and keep order, unless it had to do with his own pack or a pack that sought shelter in Tolstone. His thoughts were hours behind everyone else, totally consumed by Erica and her visit to the shop.
