Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
Skye
I’d barely gathered my wits enough to email him back when he called me. Stepping to a corner of the store, I answered.
“Skye Winchester,” I said.
“Ms. Winchester, this is Robert Dumont.”
Oh. My. God. His voice was panty-melting.
“I figured from the number. What can I do for you?”
“I want to make an offer on the house, but I want to discuss some details. Can you put me in contact with the sellers’ lawyer?”
“Sure thing. But I can also try to answer some questions if you like.”
“Okay. I’ve had a real estate agent look at the listing and I have some notes. I’ve printed them out, and I can meet with you to go through them.”
“You can also just email everything.”
“I prefer to do certain things in person.”
His voice was so captivating, low and rich, that my imagination just ran wild. Laughing, I ran a hand through my hair. If my mind wandered like this when I was on the phone with him, how could I do better face-to-face? Or if he moved next door to me?
I licked my lips, shaking my head. One thing at a time.
“Okay. I’ll be at work until nine. I suppose we can meet after that.”
“Where exactly is your workplace?”
“Soho Lingerie—a store in Soho.”
“I can drop by in half an hour. My office isn’t that far. If you have time.”
That take-charge tone sent shivers down my body. Awareness curled through me. Why did I like it so much?
“I’ll make time. I’ll text you the address after hanging up.”
“I look forward to seeing you.”
Was his voice even richer, or was I just making it up? Imagined or not, my whole body lit up in anticipation. Somehow, I couldn’t picture him in here, surrounded by lingerie.
After texting him the address, I darted to the bathroom to check my appearance.
As a self-declared lab rat, I had never considered myself particularly fashionable, even though I worked in fashion.
I liked makeup but never put too much thought into it.
So why was I in the tiny bathroom at the back of the shop, trying to decide if I looked better with my hair down or up and if I should use eye shadow?
“Okay, hair down,” I murmured to myself, arranging my bangs before heading back to the front of the store. Tess was smiling from ear to ear.
“You look fabulous, just in case you want to know,” she said. I was certain my phone call had been overheard.
“Thanks for not teasing the hell out of me.”
She winked. “The day is still young.”
“Ah, of course.”
Checking my watch, I realized the half hour had already flown by. I planned to take Robert to the back, in the small makeshift office. Really, it was just a desk in our storage room. It didn’t get any natural light or decent cell reception, but it worked for now.
I glanced around proudly. Our store was inviting but not sexy. We’d designed it this way so customers wouldn’t mind dropping by even if their kids were with them. That was usually the case, especially on Saturdays.
I exhaled sharply when Robert walked through the door.
The man was just breathtaking. He wore a custom-made navy suit and a white shirt.
I assumed it was custom not only because it fit him so perfectly but also because his initials were sewn in at the breast pocket.
I also noticed he was holding a stack of papers in one hand.
“Mr. Dumont, hi. This is my sister, Tess.”
Tess was unnaturally still, right up until she stretched out a hand, shaking Robert’s.
“Let’s go to the back. We have a small office there. Tess, let me know if you need help.”
“Sure.” I almost giggled as my sister seemed speechless.
I led the way, acutely aware of him. His presence seemed to fill the whole space while he looked around curiously.
“Sorry about the mess. This is actually our storage room,” I said once we were inside the office. It was dark and slightly claustrophobic in here, given the sheer number of boxes on the shelves and littering the floor.
“You own the store?”
I nodded proudly. “Tess and I set it up. Started with an online store, then opened this.” Glancing at the papers he held, I asked, “Is that the list of questions?”
The stack of papers seemed far too thick for it to be just questions.
“Yes, as well as the contract. I had it reviewed by lawyers.”
To simplify the process, the owners had allowed the applicants who came to see the house to also download the contract from the online platform where the house was listed.
I cocked a brow. “I assume all was standard, or did you find any issues?”
“No issues, but I like to cover my bases.”
That take-charge tone, damn. I was betting he was nobody’s fool, ever. He was used to being in control, and I admired that… liked it even. His gaze was trained on me, making me hyperaware of my own body. I barely kept from squirming and was determined to make eye contact the whole time.
Easier said than done. I could practically feel my heartbeat pulsating throughout my whole body.
He placed the stack of papers on the desk. “Do you have a pen? I want to make a few notes on the contract.”
“Sure.” I took one from the first drawer, pushing it toward him.
Our fingers touched briefly. I sucked in a breath.
I gave up, darting my gaze away, only training it back on him once he was hunched over the papers, making notes on them.
I never knew shoulders could be sexy, but Robert’s definitely were: muscles that were perfectly defined but lean.
“So, my lawyers say the asking price is about 2 percent too high… but I’m willing to overpay in light of the family’s situation.”
“Much appreciated.” In fact, he had no idea how much. The owners would be over the moon, but so was I… because I’d just discovered that this man with six feet of pure muscle had his heart in the right place.
Hmmm… why did I care, though? Well, it was good to have nice neighbors, right? I kept telling myself that was the only reason.
“I do, however, want them to hire independent companies to check the wiring and plumbing. After they confirm it’s good to go, we’ll schedule the closing. I don’t want any nasty surprises after I move in, and I don’t have time to handle this myself.”
Fair enough. When he straightened up, his lips curled into a smile along with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. I looked away quickly, but he caught me checking him out.
“Okay. I’ll pass the information on. I’m sure they’ll accept, because they want to sell as soon as possible. When do you plan to move in?” I asked.
“As soon as we have a deal.”
“Okay. Then I’ll have their lawyer contact you, and you can finalize everything with him.” I played with a strand of hair between my fingers, acutely aware of the energy between us thickening.
“Ms. Winchester, I think we need to clear the air.”
“Oh?”
“What was it you said… you don’t know what describes me best: smoking hot or fucking gorgeous.”
His gaze trapped me in my spot. My whole body was instantly on alert. Heat coiled through me slowly.
“If I return the compliment you made me, would that even the playing field?” he continued.
Wow. He doesn’t pull any punches, does he? I smiled but remained silent. What could I say?
“Skye, I need to look for some merchandise,” Tess called from the corridor, effectively saving my ass.
“Sure,” I replied, grateful for the interruption.
My sister walked in, heading straight to the shelves with merchandise.
“I’ll see myself out,” Robert said. He paused a beat at the door, winking at me. “About what I asked… let me know.”
In a fraction of a second, heat replaced the amusement in his eyes. The air between us charged. My throat went dry, and so did my lips.
Holy shit, I could barely handle this. How could we possibly be neighbors?