client. “Shouldn’t you be getting a master’s in nuclear physics or something equally geeky at some snobbish Ivy League?”
He straightened, frowning. “I was the salutatorian.”
“Whatever, you still spoke at graduation.”
That got a quirk of a smile out of him. But only for a second. “You said I wasn’t on your radar.”
“You weren’t. Not until I got your whole name and fit a few puzzle pieces together. Like you said last night, we didn’t know each other, but we knew of each other. I was at graduation because a few of my friends graduated with you. Steve Parsons, Randy and Wendy Daniels.”
He just kept staring, as if he were trying to see through her skull into her brain.
“How’d you end up here, doing this?” she asked. “Did you decide you hated science or get someone pregnant or something?”
His gaze darkened. His jaw tightened.
“Or something.” He came toward the door, his eyes never leaving hers, and didn’t stop until they faced each other in the doorway, which was way too close. Like barely-two-inches-apart too close. His clean, spicy scent filled her head, his warmth wrapped around her, and her body seemed to reach for him.
Delaney kept her gaze straight ahead, on his chest, but couldn’t keep her eyes from closing.
Then his rough chin scraped her temple, and his voice murmured in her ear, “You still smell like me.”
Her stomach jumped. Her eyes opened. And he was gone. Out of the doorway and striding through the main bar area. Delaney, however, couldn’t move. She was so light-headed her vision was blurry. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and thudded between her legs, and it took excruciatingly long moments for that little rush to subside.
Thankfully—or not—Ethan’s relentless barrage on the building’s every last goddamned flaw sped up her recovery. He pointed out venting problems and cabinet, countertop, appliance, and electrical code violations. Noted several nonpermitted structures and cited width, height, head clearance, and exit violations.
“You’ll have to bring the entrance and the bathrooms up to handicap codes. And this whole place needs sprinklers. The entire interior—bar, seating areas, bathrooms, kitchen—everything. That’s a big, big chunk of cash right there.”
He paused, exhaled heavily, and glanced toward the stairs leading to the second floor. “I’m ready to hit the brothel if you are.”
She huffed a laugh. At the turn of the century, The Bad Seed was reputed to have been a bar and brothel. Quite the hot spot. Before the bar had deteriorated into a biker bar, the history had been a common draw for tourists, and it had fascinated Delaney as a kid. But she wasn’t going through any more of this with him. She’d seen enough of his inspection style to know what she had to do next. And if she spent another minute tortured by his unbearably sexy presence, she didn’t completely trust herself not to jump him.
Honestly, sometimes her ability to separate sex from other parts of life was a pain in the ass. This would be a lot easier if writing him off as a jerk guaranteed her desire would follow.
But no. For her, sex was sex. Work was work. And she still wanted him.
Dammit.
He shrugged and gave her that a-freaking-dorable half grin. “Kinda always wanted to see it.”
That little glimmer of the Ethan she’d spent the night with wasn’t helping. “Maybe another time. I think I’ve had all the walk-through I can take today.”
He faced her and pressed his palm against the wood. His expression was open, and what looked like sincere concern floated in his eyes. “I know a guy in Santa Rosa. He’s a contractor, went through a rough patch a few years back, and he’s still trying to recover. If you want, I’ll call him. See if I can get you a good deal on the demolition. The disposal will still cost the same, but you might save ten, fifteen grand on the demo.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She straightened and pushed her
He straightened, frowning. “I was the salutatorian.”
“Whatever, you still spoke at graduation.”
That got a quirk of a smile out of him. But only for a second. “You said I wasn’t on your radar.”
“You weren’t. Not until I got your whole name and fit a few puzzle pieces together. Like you said last night, we didn’t know each other, but we knew of each other. I was at graduation because a few of my friends graduated with you. Steve Parsons, Randy and Wendy Daniels.”
He just kept staring, as if he were trying to see through her skull into her brain.
“How’d you end up here, doing this?” she asked. “Did you decide you hated science or get someone pregnant or something?”
His gaze darkened. His jaw tightened.
“Or something.” He came toward the door, his eyes never leaving hers, and didn’t stop until they faced each other in the doorway, which was way too close. Like barely-two-inches-apart too close. His clean, spicy scent filled her head, his warmth wrapped around her, and her body seemed to reach for him.
Delaney kept her gaze straight ahead, on his chest, but couldn’t keep her eyes from closing.
Then his rough chin scraped her temple, and his voice murmured in her ear, “You still smell like me.”
Her stomach jumped. Her eyes opened. And he was gone. Out of the doorway and striding through the main bar area. Delaney, however, couldn’t move. She was so light-headed her vision was blurry. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and thudded between her legs, and it took excruciatingly long moments for that little rush to subside.
Thankfully—or not—Ethan’s relentless barrage on the building’s every last goddamned flaw sped up her recovery. He pointed out venting problems and cabinet, countertop, appliance, and electrical code violations. Noted several nonpermitted structures and cited width, height, head clearance, and exit violations.
“You’ll have to bring the entrance and the bathrooms up to handicap codes. And this whole place needs sprinklers. The entire interior—bar, seating areas, bathrooms, kitchen—everything. That’s a big, big chunk of cash right there.”
He paused, exhaled heavily, and glanced toward the stairs leading to the second floor. “I’m ready to hit the brothel if you are.”
She huffed a laugh. At the turn of the century, The Bad Seed was reputed to have been a bar and brothel. Quite the hot spot. Before the bar had deteriorated into a biker bar, the history had been a common draw for tourists, and it had fascinated Delaney as a kid. But she wasn’t going through any more of this with him. She’d seen enough of his inspection style to know what she had to do next. And if she spent another minute tortured by his unbearably sexy presence, she didn’t completely trust herself not to jump him.
Honestly, sometimes her ability to separate sex from other parts of life was a pain in the ass. This would be a lot easier if writing him off as a jerk guaranteed her desire would follow.
But no. For her, sex was sex. Work was work. And she still wanted him.
Dammit.
He shrugged and gave her that a-freaking-dorable half grin. “Kinda always wanted to see it.”
That little glimmer of the Ethan she’d spent the night with wasn’t helping. “Maybe another time. I think I’ve had all the walk-through I can take today.”
He faced her and pressed his palm against the wood. His expression was open, and what looked like sincere concern floated in his eyes. “I know a guy in Santa Rosa. He’s a contractor, went through a rough patch a few years back, and he’s still trying to recover. If you want, I’ll call him. See if I can get you a good deal on the demolition. The disposal will still cost the same, but you might save ten, fifteen grand on the demo.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She straightened and pushed her
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