“Also, I found these in the desk drawer in her office. I hope you don’t mind that I snooped. But I had a feeling...well, here, I’ll show you.” She waved him over.
He was hesitant at first, not sure how he felt about her going through his mother’s things. It seemed wrong. Maybe not wrong, but a violation of his mom’s privacy.
She glanced up at him and cocked her head. “Shoot. I did it again. I promise you, it was out of excitement. I lay there all night wondering what her vision might have been. And then at about three this morning it dawned on me that she probably had lists or drawings. In the center drawer I found this.”
Curiosity took over, and he moved toward her. It was dumb for him to be mad about his mom’s stuff. It wasn’t like she would care at this point. “It’s okay.”
“No. It isn’t. But you’ll forgive me when you see this.” She opened the notebook and showed him. It was the kitchen, their kitchen, only totally different.
“Wow.”
“I know. The only thing I might do differently is the blue on the cabinets. I’d either go with white or a lighter wood—maybe maple. Or then make sure the walls are also light so it’s not so dark in there. If you were keeping the house, it’d be different. But you want a neutral palette so buyers can imagine themselves in there.”
“That makes sense.”
“I’d also move the sink so that you can see out the window while doing dishes. I mean, there’s a dishwasher, but it’s nice when you’re cleaning up to have a view. And the plumbing is already over there on that side of the room, so it’s a matter of shifting things around—nothing too major. I can get an estimate on the cost for you. But if you have to do dishes, staring out into that beautiful backyard of yours isn’t such a bad thing.”
“Okay.”
She bit her lip again. That was another one of her signs she was nervous. “If you don’t like something, I need you to be honest with me. I tend to get very...uh, involved. Or if you don’t want to spend that kind of money, I get it. Really, I do. We can stick to basic updates with paint and maybe uncovering those wood floors. I want you to get top dollar, and kitchens and bathrooms are your big sellers. People love family spaces, so if we knock down the wall between the kitchen and den in the back you’ve got one big area.”
His mind couldn’t quite comprehend it all. He understood what she was saying, but he was a visual person. It was easier if he could see drawings.
“You hate it. That’s fine. We don’t have to knock down any walls,” she said. Then she took the pencil from her hair and started chewing on the end. Never in his life was he as jealous of anything, let alone a pencil, but he was now. How would those lips feel...?
Get your brain out of the gutter.
“No. No. It’s good. But maybe you could come up with a plan,” he said and then cleared his throat. “Show me everything that needs to be done, and I can make a budget that will work. I need to see things first.” Not that he was averse to spending money, but he was careful. He didn’t want to put too much into this place that he wouldn’t recoup, because his eye was on the river house.
“That’s what I’m working on. By the end of today, I’ll have diagrams for all the changes. But with the budget, that might take me a couple of days. I need to research local tradesmen. Who’s the best and cheapest tile layer, so we get the most value for your money.”
It was all a bit overwhelming and fast. But then that was why she was here. Still, the idea of handing all of this off to a stranger was tough. Made him nervous and a little tense.
“Lists work great for me. As well, I’d like to look over everything before you hire anyone. That sort of thing.”
“Okay. I’ll get everything together for you.”
“Sounds good. I need to get to the base, but I appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“Oh, of course. Sorry. And I’m jabbering on.” She stood then, her shorts riding high on her legs.
He tried hard not to notice, but those legs were killer. So tan and long, even though she wasn’t that tall. Maybe five-five. But those legs were more than half of her and ran straight into her very nice—
“No, it’s fine. Just wanted to let you know that there’s coffee in the kitchen. And I made you some eggs and bacon. The plate is in the fridge. I bought a new microwave, the one on the counter. The built-in one—if you value your life—don’t try it. Feel free to use the computer in Mom’s office. I left you the password and the internet code. Oh, and there’s a landline. Next to it there’s a pad of paper with my cell number and other info just in case you need anything—”
She laughed, and then she put her hand on his arm and heat seared straight to his cock.
He had to go.
“Matt, I’ll be fine. I promise. But thank you. I’m very excited about the coffee and breakfast.” She followed him down the stairs.
“Okay. I’ll be back around dinnertime.” He opened the garage door and then rolled his bike out. He waved.
That was awkward. Mainly because he’d had this urge to kiss her. She’d pursed her lips again while he’d been rambling and all he could think about was what she’d taste like. Strawberries. He was betting she tasted like strawberries.
“Are you okay?” Her voice penetrated his thick skull. He was standing in the middle of the driveway holding the handlebars of the bike, staring off into space.
“Yep. See you later.” Then he climbed on the bike and took off.
Chelly was a force. He understood that now. A chaotic wind had just blown in, and he wasn’t at all sure he’d survive.
* * *
AWKWARD.
And this is why you don’t spend the night at a client’s house. At least she hadn’t slept with him. Not that she hadn’t thought about it. More than once. Okay, at least a hundred times. She’d never admit it to him, but that was the main reason she couldn’t sleep. Never in her life had she met a man like Matt. Compassionate, funny, bright.
He was the step-up-to-the-plate, do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done kind of awesome. Then there was the beautiful packaging. The way his abs moved toward those cut-in hips.
She hit herself in the head with the notebook. “No. No. No. No. He’s a client. Off-limits. Keep it professional.”
Besides, he couldn’t be that perfect. No one was.
After closing the garage door, she went in search of the coffee. If she kept her mind on work, and goodness there was a lot of it to do, maybe she could quit thinking about the hot Marine.
As if.
She poured a cup of coffee and then opened the fridge to find her eggs.
The man made her breakfast.
She’d fallen hard for guys who had done less. But that was the old Chelly. The new one was careful with her heart. Protective of herself. There would be no men until she had her business up and running.
Once she had her breakfast, she powered up his mom’s computer and was delighted to find it had one of her favorite design programs on it. She wasn’t much into social media, except for Pinterest. She was trying to remember where she’d seen some sea-green-and-gray throw pillows. In a few seconds she found the store and wrote down the cost. There wouldn’t be much she’d need in terms of accessories. His mother had bought most of those, as well.
Working on his mom’s house was an honor, and one Chelly didn’t take lightly. It was an opportunity to really make his mother’s dream come true—even if it was a bit late.
“I’ll do you proud,” she whispered after she shut down the computer. She wanted to start cataloging everything in the main house. And then she’d hit the garage.
* * *
SHE WAS IN the garage when the door started to open. She jumped. The thrum of the engine from Matt’s bike quelled her nerves. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed, and boy, did she have some go
od news for him.
“Hey,” he said after shutting off the engine. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I’ve made a lot of progress.”
He nodded. “I brought home some steaks and potatoes.” He pulled the grocery bags from the storage compartments on his bike. “And some stuff for salad. I thought I’d grill, if that’s okay?”
Her stomach chose that moment to grumble. They laughed. “I’m not going to argue about food. I’m kind of dusty and dirty. Why don’t I get cleaned up and I’ll help with the salad. I tend to blow up baked potatoes, but I’m a great chopper.”
An hour and a half later they were sitting by the pool. Her belly so full, her eyes were droopy. “That was good, Matt. If you ever want to give up on the helicopter thing, you could make it as a chef.”
“It’s not exactly an art form to cook a steak on a grill.”
She waved away the comment. “I’ve had a lot of not-so-great steaks. That was definitely art. Oh, that reminds me. I devised a timetable for you.” She slid out a spreadsheet toward him. “I’m not so great with these, but I had a feeling you might be a fan.”
When he didn’t say anything, she glanced up to find him smiling at her. One of those pantie-falling-off smiles that stole her breath away.
He’s a client.
Right. Right. “I’m still investigating costs. But this is a rough idea of the timetable and prices. But I’ll have something more solid for you in a few days.”
He nodded and took the printout from her. “I don’t know if it helps but that friend I mentioned earlier, the one who is engaged to the designer, he said she’d be willing to talk things over with you. Mari’s nice. I can’t remember the name of the company, but I wrote down her number.”
She sat back. Hiding her disappointment, she gave him a tight smile. “Oh, would you rather have her design everything? That’s understandable. Now that you’ve had time to think about it, I’m not surprised.”
His hand covered hers, and her fingers tingled. “No, that’s not at all what I meant. I trust you. I just meant, she would likely know the best people to work with on this sort of project. She was key when I was trying to talk to the architect about the river house. He and I did not speak the same language. I was getting pretty frustrated.
“And I thought it could save you time if you asked her for those contacts you were talking about.”
Oh. Oh. Why do I always go straight to he probably doesn’t want me?
“Thanks,” she said hesitantly. “I appreciate you reaching out. I’ll give her a call tomorrow.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t have to. I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do. Although, you should probably be ready for that sort of thing. I pretty much always think my way is better. But with this, I thought, since you haven’t been in town very long—”
“That’s sweet. I appreciate it.” His hand was warm on hers and strong. She turned her hand up and squeezed his.
She had a feeling he really was just trying to be nice about it all. “I’m not used to people wanting to help.”
“I think maybe you haven’t been hanging out with the right people.”
She laughed. “That is so true.” Pulling her hand from his, she stood. “I’m going to do the dishes.”
He started to argue, but she held up a hand. “No arguments. Go do whatever it is you do this time of night. I’m doing the dishes. Then I’m crashing big-time. It’s been a long day.”
He picked up his plate and followed her into the kitchen. “I rented a trailer for this weekend. Since the garage is full, I thought I’d get rid of or store whatever needs to be out of here for the project to begin. If you can make a list, then I’ll know what needs to be done. Uh...I’m kind of a big fan of lists and order. I mentioned that, right?”
“Right. So we’ll keep the clutter to a minimum, but there are going to be some days when you come home and the place is a wreck. That’s part of rebuilding.” She snapped her fingers. “I could fix up the apartment above the garage for you. Use some of the pieces that are there and maybe store the rest until the place is finished.”
“You don’t think I’ll be able to live in the main house while people are working? I don’t understand.”
He leaned on the breakfast bar.
“You might. But it’s going to be a lot of dust and dirt. Um. Oh, and I was going to ask if I can hang in the pool house a couple more days. It would make it easier to get all the furniture and antiques cataloged. And my friend should be back from her impromptu honeymoon. Though I haven’t exactly figured out how I’m going to get in touch with her. Her email bounced. I’m about to give up on her.”
He frowned again. “I’d prefer it if you were around to oversee things. And before you suggest it, I don’t want any rent, so put that money toward your business. You’d be doing me a favor by being here on the work site.”
Was she dreaming? “Are you sure? I mean, I’ll do my best to stay out of your hair and keep the work from bugging you too much.”
“Sure. My moving into the space over the garage is a good idea. Though it seems like a lot to get that place into something livable.”
“Not really. Once we get the unnecessary furniture out, it’s a matter of tidying and cleaning. I can have it ready by the end of the week.”
“Or you could move in there, and I can take the pool house,” he said.
She grinned. “I don’t see you living with all that white and ruffles. And you on that daybed? Uh. No. I promise I can get the apartment fixed up. That’ll give you some idea of what I can do for the house.”
He gazed at her skeptically. “Okay. Well, I’m going to run upstairs and shower. Thanks for doing the dishes.”
After putting his plate on the counter, he left.
She absentmindedly washed the few things they’d messed up, and dried and put them away.
Was she taking on too much? Probably. But she wanted him to be comfortable during the construction and design phases, and she had a feeling this was the best way.
She checked the time and then pulled the number from her pocket. If she was going to do this, she would need to know the best people for the job, and that meant taking the first step.
Picking up the landline, she dialed the number he’d given her.
* * *
HE FELT LIKE a heel leaving her down there with the dishes, but he needed time away from her. Time to breathe. When she was around sometimes he got confused. The shower was on warm, but he needed it cold. The way she’d smiled at him, it was so simple and sweet and made his cock rock hard.
That was the last thing he needed. The last thing she needed.
His cock was in his hand before he could think about it. Wrong, so wrong to do this with her downstairs. She might hear him, but he couldn’t stop. When she’d bent over to put that plate in the dishwasher... He was strangely obsessed with her ass. Usually, he was more of a boob man, which she also had in spades.
He needed to get laid. But not by her. No. They were working together and she was a bona fide mess. He didn’t do messes.
He wanted a solid woman with a good head on her shoulders. Not that she didn’t have a good head on her shoulders for the design stuff she did. But he was worried about her managing a project this big. He’d let her believe she was in charge, but he’d keep an eye on things.
I barely know her and she’s overseeing one of the biggest projects in my life.
What had he been thinking? He should have told her that they were going too fast and that he needed time. But he didn’t really have time. If he wanted the money to finish the river house, he had to get his parents’ home sold. That wasn’t going to happen without updates and improvements.
And she’d shown him everything she wanted to accomplish. It was good. Everything would be fine.
&n
bsp; He pumped his cock harder. He just had to keep things professional between them. This was business.
As he came for a second time, he turned the water to cold.
Yes. Just business.
6
CHELLY CHECKED HER new phone one more time. The designer had texted her the address to the coffee shop, which was in a charming little neighborhood in downtown Corpus. Her hand shook a little.
Why am I so nervous? The designer, Mari, had been kind, especially when she’d mentioned she was a friend of Matt’s and was helping him with his house.
Two women entered the coffee shop; one was dressed in black jeans and a simple black cotton T-shirt, and had about six earrings in her right ear and dark purple streaks running through her brunette hair. The other woman was dressed in a more sophisticated yet fun dress with matching shoes and accessories. Her curly hair had been tamed with a cute headband.
The one in the dress cocked her head and pointed at her. “Are you Chelly?”
Dressed in worn jeans and an eighties rock band T-shirt, Chelly almost said no. But since when did she care what people thought of how she dressed. She nodded.
“Oh, see,” said the other woman. “I told you she’d be cool if she was from Nashville.”
Chelly stood and held out her hand. “Hi, it’s great to meet you both.”
Dress Lady took her hand and shook it. “I’m Mari, and this is my former assistant turned partner just last week, and more important, best friend, Abbott. We run the design company together.”
“Can I get you guys some coffee?” Chelly asked. She didn’t have much cash, but they were doing her a big favor.
“It’s already on the way,” Abbott said. “This is our place. Our order starts as soon as we walk in the door. And we designed the place, so free coffee for life.”
“Wow. Well, it’s very quaint and homey.” Chelly laughed and held up her cup. “I may become a regular, as well. This is good stuff.”
Make Mine a Marine Page 5
