Chapter Seven
Once more, Mila found herself running home to make the quick transformation from surfing Mila to successful Realtor Mila. Still irritated she wasn’t going to have time to shower, she washed her face, slipped back into the linen trousers and sweater she’d worn earlier, tucked her salty hair into a messy bun, and put on some expensive moisturizer to condition her skin.
As she slicked a little gloss over her lips, she thought about what Arch had said. She was surprised that Jay Malone had mentioned to Archer the chemistry between her and Herschel. She’d never thought of Jay as that observant, especially not when he was in the middle of pitching a project. She’d done her best to knock that idea into the long grass, but he’d noticed more than she’d have liked a nosy agent to see.
She had absolutely felt that chemistry too. And, as she jumped back into her car and headed to the hotel to pick up her newest client, she was all too aware of the little spurt of excitement in her belly at the prospect of seeing the most attractive man she’d met in a long time. Some clients were better than others, but she rarely felt this excited about taking one to look at a few houses.
Since Mila was a woman who was always aware of time, she noted with approval that Herschel was waiting outside his hotel when she pulled up. He got points for that. He also got points for the cute chinos that bore the crease of an iron and a crisp short-sleeved blue shirt that showed off his seriously impressive arm muscles. He’d made an effort, and it wasn’t going unnoticed. He smelled good, too, she noted as he got into the passenger seat, and he had a leather folder and pen with him. He was taking this seriously, which she appreciated.
“Hello,” he said as he shut the door and carefully clicked his seat belt.
“It’s good to see you again,” she replied, trying to hide as best as she could just how good it felt. “I’ve got three homes I want to show you today.” Promising herself to remain professional, she gave him her standard spiel about how today was really just about getting a feel for his likes and dislikes and giving him an idea of the market. She never liked people to think she could find them a house in one day, even though she sometimes could. He nodded and smiled at her, and she felt her stomach flip again. He really was dreamy.
* * *
Herschel settled into his seat as soon as he confirmed that Mila was an excellent driver. He didn’t make a habit of being driven by other people, and it felt strange to hand control over to someone else. However, the perks of being a passenger meant he could watch her profile as she drove. Mila had an elegant face, a determined jaw. He liked how natural she looked, skin glowing and lips shining, and he could smell the ocean in her hair. That salty scent should have repelled him, but oddly, he found it attractive.
Her vehicle was some kind of SUV that had room for surfboards or clients, depending on which activity she was doing that day. It was neat and clean, but he noticed a tiny trickle of sand on the floor of the driver’s side that revealed the other part of her personality. He’d seen her in her wetsuit, and he’d seen her dressed for an art show, and now he saw her in her business garb. She looked cool and professional. Her hands were strong and capable on the wheel, and the watch on her wrist was both expensive and the kind that divers wore when plunging to some ridiculous depth in the ocean.
She said, “I think all three of these homes give you most, if not all, of what you’re looking for. But houses are like people, in my opinion. You have to meet them and get to know them, and they either work for you, or they don’t.” She smiled at him. “Sometimes you have to date a lot of people before you find your match.”
His heart beat a little quicker. Was she flirting with him? His eyes were steady on hers as he said, “And sometimes it’s love at first sight.”
He didn’t even know what had made him say that, but her reaction was immediate. Her green eyes opened slightly wider, and maybe her breath caught, and then she laughed, but that one moment hold told him everything. She was flirting with him. She felt the connection as strongly as he did. He wondered for a second if she had entertained the fantasy of them married, the way he had. He’d have to make it very clear that marriage was not in the cards for him. Every time he headed off on a mission, he was well aware he might not come back. He wouldn’t put the people he loved at risk like that. Long ago, he’d decided it was a sacrifice he was willing to make for his career.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to the first house on her list. Hersch tried to not feel disappointed. He recognized it from his earlier online search and had decided it was pretty run of the mill. He’d been hoping Mila would perform some kind of real estate magic. But he decided to keep an open mind. If she thought there was something worth seeing here, well, then, he trusted her judgment.
Mila parked, and they stepped out of the car. She told him that the owners were on vacation for a couple of weeks, and so it had been easy to get an appointment on Saturday at dinnertime. She consulted her notes. “The house has been on the market for a couple of months, so I think they’d be flexible on the price. I’m not sure what they’re looking for as a closing date, but we’d push for an early one. Often, if you present sellers with a really attractive offer, they’ll be more flexible about things like closing dates.”
He nodded, barely taking in the words when his thoughts were wholly occupied with how incredibly sexy she looked while she delivered crisp business news. As she turned the key in the lock and then guided him around, he saw that the house was pretty much what he’d seen online. The photos hadn’t lied: three bedrooms, a two-car garage, a perfectly serviceable kitchen, and a pretty big yard. It was a solid, if unremarkable, family home. He didn’t hate it, but he didn’t love it.
After dutifully walking through every room, she asked, “What do you think?”
He told her the truth. “I don’t hate it. But it’s not love.”
She nodded at him and smiled, and he could tell she appreciated his honesty. “Well, at least you don’t hate it,” she said. “I’ll consider that a plus. Let’s go see the next one.”
The second house was only about five minutes away and pretty similar. It had been built in the late eighties, and had panoramic views of the mountains and a slightly different layout. The décor was more rustic, but it was also a solid family home. There was even a basketball hoop outside.
As they walked out into the sunshine, Mila said brightly, “You could keep in shape playing basketball. I bet my brothers would come up and shoot some hoops with you.”
Hersch laughed. “I guess that’s a selling feature.” He thought Mila’s suggestion was pretty darn cute, and he suddenly had a warm and cozy vision of meeting her family. But as soon as the image arrived, he shook it away, aware he was entering dangerous fantasy territory. Besides, if a basketball hoop was the biggest selling feature the place had, what did that say about it?
Mila didn’t look the least bit disheartened by his noncommittal comment. If anything, he detected a barely suppressed excitement. She said, “There’s one more I’d like to show you. It’s just come back on the market, and I’m curious to see what you think.”
“Great,” he said, relieved she might have something up her sleeve after all.