“That should work.”
A sigh and the scratching of pen against paper hovered in my ear. Or maybe I imagined that part. No doubt she was adding notes to her list.
“Should we meet at the property?” she asked. What’s the address?”
I cringed. She might run away again if she found out the cottage was inside my property. “Sure. I’ll text you the address.” That was vague enough.
“Perfect. I’ll text when I leave work.”
“Perfect,” I echoed her words. “I’ll see you tonight, Valentina de Cordoba.” I gulped a lungful of air. It was good to breathe again.
“What is going on?” Em stood in the threshold. The lines around her mouth hardened into a quizzical frown. I’d take that over pity any day of the week.
“I’m heeding my accountant’s advice to rent out the place. It’s a good tax write-off.”
She pressed her lips together. The woman’s sixth sense was intolerable. What would she say if she found out I had a recent grad moving into the cottage?
“Who is she?”
I did a double take. Might as well get it over with and tell her now. “Recent grad. University housing kicked her out after graduation. She needs a place.” I shrugged.
At least that was what I’d gathered from Valentina’s five-minute call with her mom and that guy who made her cry. She had a job, but no place to live because of some medical bills. My Spanish wasn’t that great, and she’d talked incredibly fast that day. Probably on purpose so no one could follow her phone conversations.
“So after months of parading women through this house to fill that void in your chest, you figured the way to really fix everything that’s wrong with your life right now was to patch up this hole.” She pointed at the wall. “With an actual person.”
“My life doesn’t need fixing. Yes, I’ve been going out a lot lately, but that’s because I have nothing else to do. Remember? I have no job to go to anymore.”
“Hmm” was all she said. I really didn’t need this kind of grief in my life.
With a sigh, she came toward me. “I know. I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I hugged her back. Her head barely reached my shoulder. “Promise me you won’t hurt this woman. She sounds very young. Too young for you. I get that you need some kind of connection. But you need to take care of what’s inside here first.” She dug her finger in my chest. “Then you can start thinking about love again. Do you see that?”
“First of all, I’m twenty-eight. I can’t be that much older than her. And two, who said anything about love? I’m not looking for any kind of relationship. Not with her or anyone. Just thought it was time to put this place to good use.” I put my hands up. “She looked like she needed help. I’m just helping.”
Em narrowed her eyes at me. “Okay. You’re the boss. And if this rental agreement is getting you to face all this”—she gestured toward the hole—“I’m all for it.” By the time she finished her sentence, she was smiling with less pity in her eyes.
“Where do you need me?”
“I’ll get started on the bathroom.” She laughed. “You finish up in here.”
“What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you clean up one of your messes. But if I may speak freely—”
“No, you may not speak freely.”
She waved her hand at me, shaking her head. “If there ever was a mess you needed to clear, this would be it.” Her eyes sparkled before she turned and walked down the narrow hall to the bedrooms in the back.
I rubbed my hand over my face and into my hair. “Em.”
“Yes?”
“She’s not here to patch up any holes.”
“Of course not.”
Chapter Five
Just Sign
Valentina
Quad Americano, or Derek Cole, didn’t text me an address. Instead, he sent me long and complicated directions on how to get to the rental. I was surprised he hadn’t included singing trees and dancing pineapples. The directions took me way up north, farther than I wanted to be. But if the price was right, a long morning commute to work would be a small price to pay. Not to mention that after two weeks of looking at apartments, my options were pretty slim. At this point I could live either with my parents or in that Miracle Mile complex with the bug-infested carpet. Both options made my stomach roll. I loved my parents, but Max and I needed our own place. I promised him.
I turned right on Skyline Drive and left on Craycroft. From there, I swore he was trying to confuse me so I wouldn’t find my way back. Small roads took me higher up the mountain. The last named road was Las Nubes. The clouds. Another left led me to an unnamed road that finally put me on Cole Drive. The name of the street was his last name. This meant either he was the first one to build here or his house took up the entire street. A half a mile later, I pulled up to a hidden private gate that opened when I approached.
Crap. He owned the whole street. I leaned on the steering wheel to take a better look. The jitters I’d had at the pit of my stomach since I left the dorm soared to my chest. Why did this feel like a bad idea? My leg trembled over the gas pedal as I gave Gris, my gray Honda Civic, a nudge to keep going. As soon as I entered the driveway, his house peeked in the distance, up on a hill. Following the gravel road, I circled around a water fountain and stopped in front of the Andalusian-style home, complete with solid hand-carved double doors.
This was his house?
He lived in a house straight out of an Architectural Digest magazine. The Catalina Mountains stood majestically under a sky covered in shades of pink and purple with white clouds smeared across the landscape. Despite the incredible view, several alarm bells went off in my head. I sighed as the realization that I didn’t know Derek at all washed over me.
I climbed out of the car anyway. Just to take a peek. How could I not? I was already here. Gris looked like a scared house mouse, out of place sitting on Derek’s driveway, just like me. I didn’t need to do much research to know the schools in the area were the best in the state. No way I could stay. This was asking for trouble. Stealing one last look at the incredible view, I dashed back to my car.
“Running away?” Derek’s deep voice called from the threshold of his hacienda, or whatever it was he lived in. Mansion, palace? “I thought you were made of something tougher.”
“I don’t know what gave you that idea.” Really. I was bawling my eyes out when he met me. Tough couldn’t be what he thought of me. I turned to face him.
He had his arms across his chest, shoulder leaning against the doorframe, those blue eyes trained on me. I didn’t think it was possible, but he was better looking than I’d remembered.
He shrugged and pushed away from the door. I hadn’t seen him in weeks. Watching him shuffle down the stone steps, barefoot, in worn jeans and a very thin white T-shirt sent an intense rush through me. Gosh, I’d missed him. I’d missed seeing his face. And damn if he didn’t look good sauntering toward me. Those long legs took their time with every stride, as if we had all night. We didn’t.
“I’m sorry. This isn’t what I had in mind when I called you. I thought you said you had a rental and that we were meeting there.”
“I do. And we are.” He flashed me his all-American-boy smile. “Come on.” He waved for me to follow. “I assure you I’m not a psycho. Are you always this suspicious?”
“I have to be.”
He was now inches from me and for some reason, grinning. “It’s good to see you again.” He offered me his hand.
Without thinking, I reached out to shake it. When I pulled away, he tightened his grip. His hand was warm and soft. The gesture felt intimate, and for a moment I wished it were real.
“Come on. Let me give you the tour and then you can decide.”
I let him pull me toward his house a couple of steps before I took my hand back. My pulse quickened. How did we get here? A few weeks ago, he was just Quad Americano. And now I was here, at his home.
He ushered me through the vaulted front entry and into the great room. His feet slapped on the colored polished-concrete floors as he made his way to a coffee table, which sat in front of the massive stone fireplace. The kind of fireplace I’d only seen in movies, very European looking and antique. Expensive.
Instinct had me looking back at my car. Or maybe I just needed to make sure I knew the way out. To the right of the entrance was a set of stairs that led to a loft, a library with wall-to-wall shelves filled with books and leather club chairs along the arch window.
Jeez.
Through the opened door, I saw Gris. If we were in a cartoon, it’d be shaking in its tires right about now. I looked down at my trembling fingers. Go. No. Run as fast as you can. Good idea. But before I could take a step forward, Derek planted himself in front of me, blocking the view to my car and the only exit. His manly scent was such a distraction.
And there it was again, that hum I felt the first time I saw him. I wanted to lick that nook between his neck and shoulder, see if he tasted as good as he smelled. Wait. What? I shook my head a bit, tried to focus on what he was saying.
He gave me a half smirk, handing me a large envelope. “The lease agreement? We kind of need one. Take a look before I show you the cottage. No sense in falling in love with the place if you can’t afford the rent, right?”
I swallowed and took the papers from him. After spending a month looking at rentals, I was getting good at reading contracts. The lease agreement was pretty standard, and the rent was right within my budget.
A door creaked below the library, and out came a blonde bombshell in her underwear. At six in the evening? She looked sleepy but flashed Derek a bright smile as soon as she saw him. That was definitely a bedroom she’d come out of. I couldn’t even imagined what they did in there. Actually, I could. And did. Dammit.
“Hey.” Derek gave her a half frown before he stepped to his right. “Em?” He called out.
“Well, this is awkward,” I said.
It was hilarious. The man looked like a child who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A tall and incredibly hot cookie jar. I squared my shoulders to stand taller. At five eight, not exactly short, I felt small next to her.
An older lady came out of nowhere, suppressing a smile. “Would it be three for dinner today, sir?”
Derek narrowed his eyes. “No, Em. Thank you. I’m in the middle of a business meeting.”
“I forgot.” She gave him an innocent look.
Hot Cookie Jar finally realized she wasn’t supposed to be here. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just go if you’re busy.”
With an apologetic look, she turned and trod back into the bedroom below the stairs. Not once did she try to cover up. Beauty and confidence. Good for her. So that was Derek’s type. Basically the opposite of me. Knowing he couldn’t be interested in me made things easier, even if it stung a little after all the flirting he did back at the coffee shop. I smoothed out my gray pencil skirt, wishing I had worn something trendy. But I’d come here right after work. I’d been so nervous about seeing him I didn’t think to bring a change of clothes. Not that it would’ve made a difference compared to the hot, naked blonde in his room.
Feeling deflated, I plopped myself on the sofa. The fancy chenille material felt soft and welcoming, like his whole house. Something about it was very homey, complete with the smell of fresh-baked cookies.
“I can come back some other day if you need to tend to your naked-girl issue.” I couldn’t even be jealous. He wasn’t mine. He’d said it right before. This was a business meeting.
“No. Don’t leave. We didn’t… She sleeps like that.” The tip of his tongue touched his bottom lip before he bit it. “This looks bad. I know. Please don’t leave.”
How could I say no to that? I sat frozen in place as he turned to the older lady.
“Em, this is Valentina. She’s interested in renting the cottage.”
“It’s really nice to meet you, dear.” She gave me a warm smile and shook my hand gently. “I’m sure you’re going to love the house. Now if you’d excuse, I need to take care of Wednesday.”
“Em.” His tone was laced with warning as he watched her leave the room.
“She seems nice,” I said.
“She can be. Shall we?” Derek pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side of the great room. “I promised you a tour.”
I stood, smoothed out my skirt, and stepped out onto a covered patio. The Catalina Mountains were in full view from here. A great expanse of beautiful desert. Serene. Complete with sounds of running water and birds singing, although I couldn’t see the source of the noise anywhere. A set of stone steps led to a zero gravity pool and a green lawn. To my left was a stone grand staircase that wrapped around the house, which probably led to a fancy terrace of some sort.
“There’s a side entrance you can use and parking on the other end of the cottage” He kept his distance, but still, his deep voice sent a chill down my arm. “It’s just beyond the pool.”
The path next to the pool ushered us by the grand staircase and down more steps toward a courtyard. Tucked in the corner was the cottage. I hugged my belly to keep myself from squealing or jumping up and down. It was perfect. And too good to be true.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“I need to rent the place, and you need a place to stay. I’m doing it for the money.”
“Because you obviously need more of that.”
“Everyone needs more money. That’s what money does.” He dug his hand in his back pocket. In the stark sunlight, he might as well be shirtless. The thin material of his T-shirt didn’t do much to cover his muscled torso, and I got lost counting the ridges on his abs. “Go ahead and take a look.”
“I’m sorry. What?” I cleared my throat.
He showed me a key. A knowing smile appeared on his face for a split second. “What are you here to see?”
“Oh.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was flirting. As if. I shot a glance back to the main house and the hot cookie jar waiting for him in skimpy underwear. I took the key from him and went into the house, ignoring the sweat running down my back.
The front of the house was one big room, with a small kitchen on the left and a cute fireplace centered on the right wall, next to a huge hole.
“What happened here?” I peeked inside it.
“Normal wear and tear.”
He didn’t have to explain himself to me. But I couldn’t help but wonder what’d happened. He was letting me see something very intimate. Why did I feel an urge to hold him, stroke his cheek?
“Really? ’Cause it looks like you took a sledgehammer to it.”
He laughed, an irresistible, deep belly laugh that melted my insides. “My fist. But it’ll be fixed before you move in.” He waved toward the Sheetrock patch kit and other materials sitting in the corner of the room. “It’ll be good as new.”
Derek was offering me a dream of a house for Max. The least I could do was help with this small job. I’d patched a few walls in my lifetime. This one reminded me of the time when Max drew a baseball on Mom’s living room wall for batting practice. The hole that little boy left behind was commendable.
“Don’t worry about it. I can fix it for you.”
His face turned serious, with tired lines on either side of his mouth. “You don’t have to do that. I can take care of it myself.”
“It’s your house.” I shrugged and strolled down the hallway, where the terra-cotta floors continued. They were beautiful and fairly new. The first door on the left was a full bathroom with a tiled shower and bathtub combination. Someone had ripped the showerhead and let the water leak for months. “More normal wear and tear?” I asked with a smile.
“It’ll be fixed before you move in. I promise. The master bedroom is at the end of the hallway here.” He gestured for me to follow.
The room was a good size, with a walk-in closet and a sliding door that led to a private ya
rd in the back. A woman had obviously designed this place. I looked at his hand again. Still no ring.
I pursed my lips to hide my smile. Wednesday didn’t live here.
“Eleven-hundred square feet, two bedrooms, and a bathroom,” he said. “As promised.” He opened the door to the second bedroom. “If there’s anything else you need, just ask Em or me.” He bit the inside of his bottom lip. Again. Was he nervous?
My chest filled with bubbles when I saw what would be Max’s room. It had a big window and a small closet. The space was perfect. I didn’t know when, why, or how, but I was ready to sign his contract. Something about Derek was trustworthy. He meant well. His hotness would be an issue, but all I had to do was stay away from him. This property was big enough. Keeping him out of our lives shouldn’t be too hard.
We strolled back to the main living area, where I smoothed out the contract and set the papers on the kitchen island. “One last thing.” I took a deep breath.
“What is it?” He closed the space between us. His voice was gentle, as if he didn’t want to scare me away.
“Okay.” This was as good a time as any to tell him about Max. “My son, Max. He’ll be living with me.” I’d been waiting five years to say that. God, it felt good.
He smiled, bracing his arm on the granite. The light coming in through the kitchen window touched his face and made his eyes look like sapphires. Did natural light just follow this guy around?
“So that’s it. That’s why you were crying?” The way he asked the question, he made it sound as if Max was this big secret I’d been keeping.
I nodded. “He’s been waiting a long time to come live with me. I couldn’t fail him with this.”
He took a deep breath. “Well, I’ll have to run an extensive background check on him. But if he clears it, I don’t see why he can’t live here with you.”
“Ah. Well, if you find anything, let me know. Who knows what he and my parents are up to during the week when I’m not there?”
“I’ll make sure and do that.” He stepped forward to turn the page over. That sexy smile of his on full blast. “There’s a personal information sheet on the back. You’ll need to fill that out too.”
Love Over Lattes Page 4
