Chapter Ten Isabella
“Congratulations,” I give Twizz a side glance as we leave the closing of the house.
“Thank you.” He says, loosening his tie. “I can’t wait to get this thing off. I hate dressing in a suit.”
Hmm. But he looks so deliciously handsome in one.
Surprisingly, the light gray pinstripe suit goes well with his blue eyes and purple hair.
My mind fast-forwards to an image of Twizz with his jacket off and his tie hanging loose around the collar of his unbuttoned light blue shirt.
His well-defined abs are the centerpiece of this vision.
Too bad I won’t have the chance to see if he’s as solid and cut as my imagination hints that he is.
“Fun fact for the future.” I force a smile. “You don’t have to dress in a suit and tie to buy a house.”
“I know. But if I’m going to overpay by a million dollars, I might as well look the part.”His voice is soft and lilting, and it pulls me under a spell.
“I guess,” I shrug, disappointed that I no longer have any reason to see or call Twizz.
Nothing more to drag out this last encounter.
As much as I want to deny it, especially to myself, over the last three weeks, I’ve become consumed with Twizz.
Constant emails, text messages, and phone calls about his purchase have kept him top of mind, morning, noon, and night.
“Won’t your boss be upset that you overpaid by so much?”
“He will be pleased with the house and how swiftly we were able to make it happen. And that we were able to position the family so that if they don’t go on a spending spree, they should be set for life.
” He pauses, and I feel like he’s searching my eyes for something.
“How about you? Are you happy with your commission? As the selling and buying agent, you earned a pretty penny.”
“I made more on this one sale than I thought I’d make for the whole year,” I admit. No reason to hide it.
Honestly, my commission is celebration-worthy, but I have no one to celebrate with.
My parents moved back to Pennsylvania to help my sister with her three young children.
Not because her husband isn’t around, or because she’s having any particular difficulty, but because she was always needy and their favorite.
“I’m surprised you offered that much. You know it was a lot more than the house is worth, and we didn’t even have an inspection done.”
“No need. I told you I would be generous in my offering. I wanted the family to be well-compensated since I frightened them—a little.”
“A little? They called the very next day to put the house up for sale, and they wanted out fast. Although I do wonder how they chose me for the listing out of all the agents in a five-mile radius.”
“I made the over-the-top offer because I wanted to win favor with you, and as for why they chose you, who knows? Maybe my putting it out into the universe swayed them a bit.”
I don’t believe him. I don’t know how, but he had some part in them choosing me. “Regardless, you were more than generous.”
He nods. “I hoped that would make you happy,” he says as we reach my car. Since he drove himself to the closing, this is it, where we part ways. “Instead, you look sad?”
Of course he notices. He’s very observant. And very persistent. I think that’s the source of my disappointment. I thought, no, I convinced myself that the attraction between us would lead to something. But now, there’s no indication that he wants anything to do with me after we say goodbye.
“Are you still angry with me?” He asks. “Do you still feel like I tricked them into selling?”
I shake my head. “Even if you did, you more than made up for it.” I offer him a smile as we stare at each other in an easy silence for a few beats.
This doesn’t have to be the end. I have his information.
I can contact him, or stop by his home with a pie welcoming him to North Carolina, which reminds me—
“I have a gift for you in the car,” I say, turning toward the driver’s door.
He extends his arm and leans against it, holding the door closed. “I don’t want you to spend your money on me.”
“It’s the least I can do. Besides, I have a lot more of it now, thanks to you.”
Twizz reaches out and strokes my cheek with the back of his fingers. “You should be showered with gifts.”
“It’s just a bottle of champagne.” I don’t mention that I thought I was going to break out in hives when I paid for the thousand-dollar bubbly with my credit card. “For you and your boss to celebrate with.”
“My beautiful, Bella.” It’s the first time he calls me by the nickname I’ve gone by most of my life. I never liked my full name—until I heard it spoken from his lips. “I’d much rather share it and celebrate with you.”
My belly swoops, as if a tiny bird nosedived from top to bottom. I’m not sure if it’s from his use of my nickname, the fact that he wants to see me, at least for a few minutes, after we leave here, or the combination of both.
“Why did you call me that?”
“I apologize. If you don’t like Bella, I won’t—”
“No. I mean, why did you say ‘my Bella’?”
His eyes drop to the ground. “I’ve been calling you mine since we met, and you haven’t disagreed or corrected me.” His eyes meet mine again. They ripple. I haven’t seen that since the first time he sat at my desk. “I didn’t mean to overstep or assume.”
Please, assume away!
“It’s fine, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t twisting things in my head that weren’t there.”
“There’s no trickery here, Isabella.” I love how he draws my name out like a smitten southern gentleman. “I didn’t mean to use the power of suggestion by calling you mine. I only wanted ... for you to be mine.”